I have posted a long comment on Layla's blog which I have written spontaneously and it was very strong and harsh but it was good and long enough to be an independent post as it carries my deep thoughts about McCandless' story and I was thinking that I should post it here on my blog so it becomes easy to find. So, here's Layla's post followed by my comment:

"Everyone searches for life answers, searches for meaning and purpose and we all do it in different manners, different times of our lives. The fact that some people have chosen to make McCandless a mythic folk hero is a curious side product of that. I personally don't think that he was what Krakauer had in mind. Of course, we all see what we want to see at times. To some, he might have been a folk hero to others he really was just plain crazy and quite possibly a total idiot. He certainly did have an idealistic outlook on life that was hard to understand. It's all a matter of perspective. I think that Chris is not a hero by any length. What he did was have courage and the drive to test himself in the world without questioning death. There are so many people who never truly live, take chances, and don’t worry to much about making mistakes and trying to be so perfect. Chris was a kind and giving person, I found that he only a person who was setting out to find the "meaning of life". Someone who wanted to communicate with nature".

My comment(caution! It might sound a little bit strong):

"Raed AlJabri said...

I totally agree with the people who said that McCandless was a plain crazy and a total idiot. I just hate people like him for no obvious reason.
As for the other people who said that he's a hero I ask them why is he a hero? what did he do for humanity ? All what he has done is that he burnt his money dumped his car, scare his parents to death and went to freaze to death in Alaska! He didn't introduce a new idea nor did he invented something useful, He looked at the human civilization as an evil entity and preferred to live like an animal in the wilderness! Stories like this shouldn't be introduced to the public; instead, stories of the people who work restlessly day and night to save the human race from their evil deeds. People like scientists, politicians should be known about instead of people who chose to run away".

Handicap zone !!

I was hardly walking even with a pair of crutches when I visited "Bobby" the Chinese doctor in his remote house outside of Jakarta, Indonesia. I was pretty desperate as I have tried every way possible to walk properly again; and when some of the locals in Indonesia insisted to volunteer and take me to "Bobby" as they call him, I couldn't refuse or say no. I was almost dragged to that place. I was first to be treated that morning so I was put on a table and "Bobby" was standing on it by my legs. He, then, grabbed my legs and started twisting them and hitting them. It was really painful. After he finally finished, he asked me to stand up on my own, so I did and I was surprised !! I don't need my crutches anymore! After two years, I finally could walk again! It was really a good trip that summer since I started hiking the next day without any help from anyone. But on the downside, I don't to get to park my car in the handicap zone anymore and I have to look for a far away spot !!

Second Life !!

I knew about Second life from its beginnings. And I knew what it was about and it seemed interesting enough for me to try and live it but somehow I didn't. A few months ago, while I was surfing the web, an ad popped up and it was advertising houses in Second Life. Then, I thought about trying living there, so I went to their webpage www.secondlife.com and opened an account. Unfortunately, I didn't get to choose my own name so I went by the name they gave me which is Ray Daylight. At the beginning, I landed on the Welcoming Island where I learned how to walk, fly, teleport and socialize. After I've finished my training I was there on my own homeless, friendless and penniless. I didn't know where to go, so I went to a mosque in virtual Miami, Florida (Which is my virtual birth island) and I stayed there, with some other avatars like me, for a while living on other people charity until a nice lady felt sorry for me and offered me a job at her new mall as a cinema manager so I took the job for LD 200 a week, which is pretty decent at that time; she also gave me a new skin and bone structure . That's when my real virtual life began when I used my savings to buy a beautiful house and to start my own shop. Here is a screenshot of me standing behind the mall owner:

Chris's Symbols

When looking closely at Chris McCandless' story two main symbols can be noticed. The first symbol is him burning the money. This probably indicates his desire of getting rid of his previous luxurious life and starting a new life with a new name and a new way of life. Or it might simply mean that he's gone mad like his spiritual mentor "Tolstoy"!

The other important symbol is the element of nature. It is obvious that McCandless has been affected greatly by London's Writings even though London has never been to Alaska. But unfortunately, nature has been more cruel than McCandless' fantasies!

Weird Characters

One thing can be noticed when reading the book which is there is no villain in McCandless' story but himself. Every person that he have encountered in his journey were a friend; never a foe. The German couple, Jan Burres, Ronald Franz and many others. The have provided aid help and shelter for him. I can't seem to remember that I've came across any character that wasn't nice to him. They may have liked him or his personality and charisma, or maybe he was a good listener because people always talk to him in the book, or even they might feel sorry for him because of what he's going through at the time. Is life really this beautiful? Who knows?

My Impressions...

After reading the book I felt a little depressed. I will recommend such a book only for people who love sadness and self punishment. This might sound a little bit strong but that's what I feel. I loath anti-materialism, which McCandless and feel pity for those who embrace it as a way of life; and that's for two important reasons. The first one is that most of anti-materialists choose look to the world from outside with black looks and choose pessimism to control their judgement. The second reason might sound the strongest opinion I've ever expressed, so if you believe you are an anti-materialist and you may feel offended please stop reading here. What I think is that anti-materialism is no way for a human to think or to live by, because materialism is what separates the human from other life forms. On the other hand, I am not a pure material person who doesn't have a place for spirituals in his heart, I believe in balance in everything. A person should enjoy as much as possible while maintaining contact with his or one's spiritual self.

When reading "Into the Wild", although it's a biography of Chris McCandless, you'll feel somewhat distanced; and the pieces from his diaries the writer used from time to time, strengthen this feeling. Although the book was about McCandless, the focus was on the people, environment, elements and ideas surrounding him. Furthermore, the use of the third person and the alter ego "Alex" Make the reader more distanced from McCandless. However, this feeling might change a bit towards the End of Chris McCandless' journey, because he wrote using the first person and also he signed what he has written with his real name. This might have been caused by McCandless' feeling that his journey has came to an end and his death became inevitable.

To be honest, because I was absent the other day, I couldn't quite get what I was supposed to do for the third person narrative's task. Therefore, what I'm presenting here in this post is only to shed some light on why do writers use the first person narrative in these kinds of books such as the book we're studying which is "Into the Wild".

Third-person narrative can be identified by observing certain pronouns used in the narrative. Third-person narrative uses "he," "she," "it" and "they," not "I" or "you." This form of narrative tends to offer the most objective view of a story because neither the narrator nor the reader are participants. Even in third-person narrative where subjective thoughts and feelings are known, they are generally contextualized by the thoughts and feelings of other characters. This use of the third person narrative in this book however, doesn't reveal any internal thoughts or emotions about the characters and report only what is observable from outside.

Finally, in my own personal opinion, I believe that in non-fiction books, third person narrative is ought to be used. Writers Cannot know what a person was thinking in a particular moment; therefore, the use of the third person narrative is the best method for this genre of books unless the writers are writing about themselves, it is a different story. For fiction books on the other hand the writer have the liberty of writing in any possible way he or she sees best.

Around the World in 200 Days

Please read this post with full attention as I put my greatest effort in translating, researching and quoting in order for this post to look as proper as possible for this great personality whom I carry a great deal of passion towards. He is Anis Mansour an Arab writer who is considered the pioneer of modern Arabic travel writing and one of the top journalists in his field By all standards, he is "a free-standing independent press institution". Specialized in philosophy, interested in literature, deeply in love with politics, as well as scientific readings, he is indeed "an encyclopedic, multi-faceted writer". In the press, he has achieved the utmost that a writer can aspire and in literature all that a man of letters can possibly dream of. Navigating deep in philosophy, has given him all the depth and ability to probe deep and assimilate facts of life.

Above all, travel literature is his proper realm; his vital sphere. He is truly the first travel writer in the modern Arab world; the most popular indeed. His books are on top of best-sellers in Egypt and the Arab world. He is characteristically known for his intensive and extensive reading in all fields of knowledge. He acquired his appreciation of literature from his father. Born in the central-Delta city of Al Mansoura on August 18, 1925, he obtained his BA (philosophy) in 1947, and then worked for some time as a teacher of philosophy.

His major conception of the universality of philosophical literature are expressed in his book Al Aqqad's Saloon, we had some days". In this book; he renders his own conception of the rich discussions on philosophy, history and civilization, made in presence of an eminent author and thinker, whom he admired and highly valued. His book "Those drived with me", is a study, made in deep love and admiration, of the most prominent thinkers in Egypt and the entire world. "Those Great Men were Born at the Same Time", is a study of a number of great men of thought, literature and philosophy, who influenced his life, including Al Aqqad, Al Mazni, Taha Hussein, Al Rafie, philosophers such as Heidegger and Marcel, historian Toynbee. etc.. All of them were born in 1889. 4. His book "Behold ! It's Full Moon", is an account of a spiritual trip, where he recalled all his private fears and anxiety.

His book "Blessed Be My Soul" renders memorial recollections, where he portrays early beginnings of anxiety and fears which had enveloped his childhood and later survived in his youth and the rest of his life. Anis Mansour as a travel writer Mansour's travel writings were sheer pieces of self-expression. In his travels he was rather reaching for himself under various circumstances.

Chief of his travel books is "Around the World in 200 Days", for which he was granted the State Incentive Award. This book is most famous and widely read work in the Arab world, which is reprinted every nine months. This book is considered one of the most interesting and in-depth accounts ever known in Arabic literature, of tales and facts on many countries of the world. Preface to the second edition was written by famous novelist Mahmoud Taymor.
Following the 1967 war, he wrote some example - setting books designed to raise the morale of youngmen, these included:
"The most wonderful Travels in History" and "You are in Japan and other countries" In these books he describes life and manners in some countries and shows how these nations could overcome difficulties faced.

He also wrote in politics, literary criticism, psychology and science.He also contributes a daily column, entitled "Situations" in Al Ahram Daily. Today, he writes for The Middle East Newspaper "Asharq Al-Awsat" which is the most famous and prestigious News paper in the middle East and the world. I hope that I have been as neutral in my language as possible because it is extremely difficult for anybody to be neutral when talking about his or her role model when it comes to journalism and writing in general. Now here are some facts about the man:

· He was appointed Editor-in-Chief of "Akher Saa" and later "October magazines" in 1976. Besides, he acted as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Dar El Maaref press house until he retired in 1985.
· In "Al Akhbar" newspaper he was the youngest of the book-page writers including prominent literary figures such as Al Aqqad, Salama Moussa, and Ali and Mustafa Amin.

· He mastered besides Arabic, English, French, Italian, Greek and Hebrew languages.
· He played a vital role in the peace negotiations with Israel during the tenure of President Sadat.
· He taught philosophy at the university for 17 years.
· After gaining a name in the press, he collected his short stories previously published anonymously in two books; "Dear Mr. So" and "Remnants of Everything."
· He wrote about 177 books in various fields.
· He translated from German, French and English about 200 short stories and 24 plays.
· He was the first to issue a book in Arabic on existentialism.
· He was the first to translate into Arabic and introduced to Egypt Italian writer Alberto Mararrio.
· He wrote 15 comedies, which were televised or staged.
· He wrote 12 Television serials.
· Anis Mansour believes that literature is the subjective expression of the writer's life and personality.
His own books are, thus, a reflection of his thoughts and personality.

By this post, I wish I presented a fair image of this great writer and I hope that someday you ( My Arabic reader ) would enjoy reading for this icon who has a great impact on the Arabian collective conscious. ^_^

P.S. The titles of the books in red are translations of the Arabic titles. He didn't write them in English.

another thought

I'm writing down this thought before I forget it so here it is
Why do people here in England an the rest of the world wake up early in the morning and sleep early in the evening? I asked myself this question as soon as I got here. Shops and businesses close doors around 6 p.m. while back home everything starts at 5 p.m. and life starts at night; people go out at night, shop at night, see friends at night, even some of them go to school at night! I had a hard time adjusting at my first few weeks in this town. Back in Saudi Arabia we didn't have lunch beaks. Everything starts very early in the morning around 6 a.m. sometimes before the sun even rises. I remember having breakfast with my parents at 5 am then starting my car on my way to school before 6 am and then driving for an hour in an open space where I can see the sunrise through my window every morning. Oh my God I miss those days.
At noon everything stops and people return to their homes to have a big lunch with their families and then it's nap time! At this time of day every human being living around the tropic of cancer is asleep! When I was little, I wanted to defy this law but I couldn't. I fell asleep as soon as I got home from school! At 5 pm. when the sun becomes less aggressive, everything starts again and the empty six-lane road becoms a grid lock!
Finally, at late evening when everyone return to base the family gathers before having a light supper which can be around 11 or 12 pm. and then everyone get to their rooms preparing for the next day. But here I feel that everything is the opposite. What do you think?

Just a Thought

I used to be very enthusiastic when it comes to Arabic or Arabic Literature and I'm still that person except for one thing which is that I used to come across certain literary expressions that doesn't exist in any other languages and because of this I was convinced that Arabic is the only language spoken today that is capable of delivering deep human thoughts and emotions efficiently in only one letter or sound, but with further study, I found out that this doesn't apply only on Arabic, but also on every ancient languages whether they're spoken today or not such as Latin, Hebrew,Greek, Aramaic,Sanskrit and Chinese. However, other languages such as English (in its current form), German, Korean, modern Japanese, Hindi and Jawi (the language of Malaysia,Singapore and Indonesia), can carry some deep meanings in a way an Ancient language cannot handle and this is common amongst all modern languages. Therefore, I reached to a conclusion that every language is unique in its own way except for French!! What I've learnt in three months learning Japanese is way better than what I've learnt in two years studying French. It's too difficult!!

That was just a thought I wanted to share with you. Let me know what you think.

Will Be Back Soon..!!

I'm feeling a little bit ill lately, body and mind. Therefore, my presence and cotribution will be brief. I hope I'll be good to go by next week. So, Pray for me guys!

Ramadan Kareem

Now we're in Ramadan and it felt normal at the beginning. I didn't feel feel any change from the days before (in this post I'm talking from a cultural point of view not a religious point of view). Until last night. I was alone at home and the boys were out somewhere. Suddenly, a strong and huge wave of various emotions hit me and I didn't know what to feel. I remembered all what I am missing this month back home. Ramadan in Makkah. That's a wish of a lifetime for more than a 1.6 billion people around the globe and I, out of stupidity, chose to miss it by coming here to Nottingham. It's not that I regret coming here, but I wish that I could spend a few days in Makkah during Ramadan.

The month of Ramadan here appears like any other month. But in Makkah the whole city changes, crime rates fall and a magical, beautiful, peaceful atmosphere is felt. During the day, I usually stay at home with my family either watching them running around preparing for the BREAKFAST which is usually around 6 pm in the evening, or playing with my two little nephews. If my father was in a good mood, I try to get to him in his study and bring up something in order to discuss/learn from my father whom I consider my mentor. I owe my father everything I've became. He made me aware and conscious about what's happening in the world and he has also built a strong foundation of knowledge. My mother on the other hand, helped me academically made me become one of few students with the highest marks in my year of graduation from high school and one of few students who make it to the prince of Makkah's court and take place in many important events. Sorry I've gone too far with this, but anyways, that's pretty much what happens during the day.

In the evening after we've had breakfast, I would take my car and start wandering around the city. Probably I'd stop by one of those places that exist only in Ramadan and have a liver sandwich..mmm. Or maybe drink some Subia..mmmmmmm. The city looks really colorful at night and everybody's started getting out of there houses after they've had breakfast. I'd probably hang out with some friends or with my cousins or one of my cool uncles and aunt.

But unfortunately I can't go back now, not yet. One month to go. Can't wait. I miss my car the most. *sigh*

while surfing the web today, I found this... !! I don't know what to call it; is it a song, a short clip or ..? Anyhow, it's about Ramadan and it's done by one of my favorite artists. I wanted to share it with you and I hope you enjoy it and "Rmadan kareem" ^_^

Oh by the way, I have a "Ramadan Quiz" for you. What is the name of the second oldest university in the world after the University of Al-Karaouine in Morocco and it is still working and granting degrees until today?

Hint: It started in the year 970 and a side of its building is in the background of the video below.

Crazy Night!! part 2

I wasn't really going for part two but I thought since I started this things it's my duty as a good student to finish it. So after more than forty minutes of listening to that chatterbox; she almost cracked my head. even though she looked lovely, I couldn't stand her babbling anymore. finally it's my stop. I got off the train and went all the way up to the train station. I stood in line to get a ticket back to Nottingham. I took a later train to avoid being on the same train with "Izzy". Everything went great. Quiet half empty train, late at night until we reached Market Harborough after that, 'the journey terminates here' the driver announced, and we had to get on coaches that drive us the rest of the way to Leicester. When we arrived at Leicester, we got on another train that was waiting for us. as soon as I found a seat, I heard Izzy's shouting "Hey, we're on the same train!". Oh my god where did she come from?! I need some peace people! She jumped on the seat next to me, grapped my phone and started playing with it while she was cracking my head with her stories about her friends. Finally we arrived at East Midlands Parkway and she got off the train. I didn't hate her actually I even thinks she kind of pretty in some way but god she's too nice and too friendly for her own good and that's can be irritating sometimes specially when your exhausted and insomniac just the way I was when she was sitting next to me. What do you think should I kepp her info in my phone or should I delete it?
Please let me know.

A Crazy Night!!

I'm writing this while it's still fresh. I'm writing about a crazy night, an unbelievable girl and some other minor details which all happened to me tonight, which is my birthday by the way. I'll try to write it the way I remember it without any addition, omission or editing. Why? Simply because I'm fried and sleep deprived. So here you go:

Waiting for the underground train in London heathrow, an Indian (or Pakistani. Who knows?) man approached me and asked me in his modest English about directions in the underground. With my also modest knowledge about the underground world of London I told him to get on the one arriving at this platform unless he wants to go all the way to terminal 5. He thanked me and left. A European guy came after him and asked me about which train he should take. I told him the same thing as the man before him. A girl has a ton of make up on her face was watching from a distance waiting for her turn to ask. When the European guy left she rushed to me with a big fake smile on her face and said: "Hi". "Hello, How can I help you?" I replied. "Do you know which way is the train station?" She asked. "Which train station?" I replied. " I need get to East Midlands Airport. Flights from there are way cheaper than from here. Do you know which way I should go?". "You should take the train coming now and then get off at King's Cross and you'll find yourself in the train station you want". "Thanks". "Your welcome".

On the underground train, there was a little girl sitting on her mother's legs singing in spanish. It was a pleasant feeling that you get from looking at that girl. I was watching with a smile on my face. "You need a hair cut!" I looked back and it was the girl from before. "excuse me?!". "I'm sorry I couldn't help but noticing". "So?". "Nothing, I'm just saying".

End of Part One...Check my blog some other time for Part Two (which is the messy part). I should get some sleep now. See you later.

Perfect Road Trip!!

So here I am in Darwin. It's a nice place but it's not what I'm here for I want to be in the big city. I want to be in Sydney. It's a fact, known by many, that I have something for big cities. I love touring big cities, walking down their streets, watching people rushing around while sitting on a bench with an empty mind and cup full of coffee and wondering about the stories behind those buildings I see before me. That's my favourite kind of tourism. On the opposite side I resent hiking a mountain with a heavy backpack on my back and a thin air in my lungs causing numbness in my fingers and toes. My advice to anyones wants to challenge the magnificent Jungfrau, please don't. Use the train and you'll get to it quickly minus the backache, I'm saying this out of a personal experience. I hate spending time in the wilderness where you'll find all sorts of weird creatures. Some may find it interesting but I find it irritating and boring. This is why I didn't want to cross the desert all the way to Sydney, but I had to do it because I didn't want to fly alone to Sydney and then wait for them alone. I prepared everything that day from essentials, such as a large first aid kit to things, apparently, I won't need them, such as a bug juice and sleeping bags, but who knows? I also printed some google maps showing the shortest routes., but unfortunately, it seems that I have chosen to travel with the company of some nut jobs! They wanted it the hard way! they wanted to stay out of the main roads and make a long turn by passing by Alice Springs. The journey which was supposed to be a two day drive became a four day drive. Time went very slowly and the scene was repeating itself again and again and again. Four long days went by and the people I'm with are still expressing their wonder about the desert and how beautiful it is, like they didn't come from a similar environment. Why do people like the desert? It's a desert for God's sake! Empty, boiling, full of disgusting creatures and the sands, people always tend to use this word in a romantic context. Come on, it's coarse, rough and it gets everywhere; in your shoes, your eyes and many other places. Finally, after four long stressful days, we reached the big city. Finally, I get to take a proper shower. Finally, I get to be a real civilized human being. Finally, I'm in Sydney!

From Paris with Love

So here I am in Paris for a couple of days on my way back home from a long stay in Interlaken, Switzerland. I stayed at a hotel next to the Arc de Triomphe. My room, however, has a view of the alley on the back. but thats fine by me. The first day went well. I walked down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées From the west, where my hotel was, to the east all the way to the Louvre. I had fun fun actually but it wasn't the experience that I've expected. The street is famous for its cinemas and cafés, but all I've seen is American movies in the cinemas and many American and Italian coffee shops. Other than that, global chain stores are all over the place in addition to the largest McDonald's branch I've ever seen! On my second day, I went all the way up to the Eiffel Tower after standing in line for the whole day. Nothing to see up there really. Just the feeling of being there is enough for me. I didn't have a camera at the time as I didn't plan for all of this but however, on my way back I asked, with my modest French mixed with English, a Pakistani Gentleman who was standing near the metro's underground entrance, where I was supposed to use to move freely in Paris, to take a photo of me with a mobile phone camera.

On my last free day before my flight, I visited the Louvre Museum,which is worth visiting not only for its exhibited articles, but also for it's beauty as remarkable building and its exquisite interiors. As many European museum, it is full of stolen exhibitions from all around the world.

On my way to the Grand Gallery, where the Mona Lisa is shown, I've gone through a whole bunch of naked people's portraits. People whom have been considered important and sacred for both muslims and christian Arabs. In the back of my head, I've always imagined certain personalities in certain kind of a way. Such as St. John the Baptist whom he rests in his shrine In the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus

"Is that John the Baptist? Oh my God why is he naked?!!"

All I think is the concept of nudity might differ from one place to another. Finally, I reached the grand gallery and I see a big crowd surrounding the place where the Mona Lisa is should be. So I fought to get through and get a glimpse of the real Mona lisa, the real deal. Is that it ? It's smaller than I thought and the worst thing is that the media didn't leave us anything to explore ourselves. It ruined my experience, whether is it the Mona lisa, the Eiffel Tower or every other famous site in the world. Is that what I've been fighting to see? It's small and identical to what I've been seeing all these years in magazines, TV, news papers, the internet and every other form of the media. Instead of fighting the crowds to get a closer look at the Mona Lisa, I turned to the the opposite direction to see the largest painting in the Louvre. I don't know what it's called or who painted it, but what I know is that it shows the last supper better than Da Vinci's Last Supper. Finally, I returned to the Hotel where I slept it all off and woke up early in the morning prepared to go to the airport where I'll take the evening flight to Dubai where I'll stay for another couple of days before going back home as my usual habit every time I travel, but that's another story.

Photos I've taken from up the Arc de Triomphe with my phone camera:

The eiffel Tower

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées

Napoleon's Statue inside the Arc de Triomphe

A Fresh Start

I was 19 when I landed in Istanbul. It wasn't my first time there. I know the place very well. Maybe not VERY well but still. No reason for me to feel this awkwardness, frustration and anxiety. Was it because I lost all of my friends that summer? Or was it because of the new community that I'm in? Full of lies, hypocrisy and deception. Whatever the reason was, it ruined my mentality and I find its effect present in my life up until this moment. In my hotel room on my first night I felt something super heavy on my chest preventing me from breathing. I couldn't sleep. “What's happening to me?” Why I feel so lonely all of a sudden? so I turned on the TV. Nothing to see here, late night talk shows in Turkish, Turkish music, some trash TV, even Hollywood movies were in Turkish! I turned it off. I scratched my head, stood up in front of the big window. Nice view!

I know the story was at night but

that's all I've got so use your imagination please

YAWNING I went out of my room without worrying about changing my cloths. Although it was in the middle of the city, it was't a regular downtown hotel. Rooms are in two buildings facing a beautiful garden by the sea while the lobby was in the middle of that garden, the whole hotel was on a lake. Not enjoying my surrounding, I walked into the lobby, took a seat on one of them comfy sofas. Even though it was a little late, people are flowing in and out of the hotel. I just sat there watching them. Nothing beats that eh? Time went so slow and I was awake and attentive with my eyes opened like an owl.

The more time I spent in the lobby the more sad I became. I hate being alone like this so I went out walking around the hotel and then I found Tekin the tour guide from last time sitting on the hood of his car smoking so I went towards him.

• “Hey Raed is that You?”

• “You remember me?”

• “of course I remember, you owe me two million Leira (about two pounds in that time)”

• “Man! You've got to be kidding me. Is that why you still remember me?

• Laughing “I'm joking man, what are doing here in Istanbul?”

• “What are YOU doing here? This place is supposed to be for tourists like me”.

• “I finished college this year and I'm a full time employee in this hotel”

• “What do you do here exactly?”

• “I'm a concierge”

• “really!”

• “Yeah really. And guess what, I'm going to get married soon”

• “well congrats!”

• “Thank you. You still single?”

• “What do you mean You still single. It's only a single who wander around a hotel wearing PJs”

• “Don't you worry about it. You got time tomorrow?”

• “Yes, but For what?”

• “A tour downtown. It's going to be fun. You'll never find any guided tour like it because it's not for tourists but only for locals. Just meet me at the lobby at 8 in the morning”

• “That's too early”

• “Go get some sleep then”

• “alright, see you tomorrow”

• “see ya”

  I went up to my room, laid down on the bed thinking about tomorrow, forgetting all the troubles I left at home. I enjoyed every moment of that tour and went back home a fresh new person ready to start a new life in a new city and a new environment.

  Some downtown pictures

  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

The Origins

To be clear from the beginning I'm not the kind of guy who writes journals and diaries. The last time I tried, I ended up with something like this: "Sunday the 7th of july 2008, I woke up in the morning at 6:30 am, went to the shower, came out of the shower, went outside, started the car, drove to school... etc.". Therefore, as it appears from the title of this blog, I'm only going to post some thoughts and comments about some experiences and situations that I, or someone else, have come across and found interesting and worth mentioning.

First of all, Before I talk about where I have been, I think it is better to start with where I come from which is my beloved hometown Makkah (Mecca) which I love the most not because of its religious status but because I enjoy being surrounded by its amazing and lovely people with their distinct accent and their big hearts. Although I was born in Jeddah, I grew up and lived in Makkah for my whole life and I plan for living there for the rest of my life. Today, I'll give some background so when I post about the places I've been, you will know where I came from. Let's see where it's located. It is on the west coast of Saudi Arabia.

Current Saudi Arabia

It is an ancient city and holds the holiest shrine for muslims who believe that it was built By Abraham and his son Ishmael millenniums ago.

The city's population is estimated by 2,110,293 (2010) from many different origins but the majority are Arabs. Therefore the society of Makkah is a very rich society not only because of the of this but also because of millions of visitors who come to visit every year to perform their Islamic pilgrimage (Hajj), It is interesting to note that prior to the age of the European world explorations, the pilgrimage to Makkah was the single largest expression of human mobility, visitors who come for business interests as it is one of the economically active cities in the Middle East.

Today, the city is governed by Prince Khalid Alfaisal (I wanted to put my picture shaking hands with him but unfortunately I don't have it with me but I promise I'll put it in a later post) who started a grand project, as soon as he became the prince of the Makkah (Including Jeddah and the

surrounding cities and areas) on 16 May 2007, which makes Makkah the leading city in the Middle East by 2020. It is clear for the visitor to the old city today that a magnificent change is taking place where the old central Makkah is becoming day by day a place that can serve, overwhelm and please millions of visitors each year efficiently even though it is at the expense of demolishing the ancient city and its castle. This might appear violating for many people but without it, it will be impossible to handle the massive increasing number of people coming in every year.

Most people when they talk about Makkah they start by talking about the Grand Mosque (AKA. The Haram) and the fact that it is the the birthplace and home town of Mohammed the messenger of Islam because it is the most important thing in Makkah. I totally agree with that but this kind of information is very common and can be found almost everywhere. But that doesn't mean that I will skip it. In fact I'll try my best to present it in a new and pleasant way.

The Grand Mosque

Called The Haram by the people in Makkah, as a short for Almasjid Alharam, located at the heart of Makkah on a 4,008,020 square metres peace of land, with a capacity of more than 750,000 person, it is considered the first and the largest mosque in world. In the middle of it stands The Kaaba which was built by Abraham and his son covered by Black silk curtains with verses of Koran written on it with gold strings, and muslims all around the world face its direction every time they pray. Next to it there is the shrine of Abraham and under it there is the well than never runs dry the well of Zamzam the blessed water which God bestowed to Ishmael and his mother in the lifeless valley of Becca (which became Makkah), because of its high nutritious value. Now here is some photos I took myself on my last visit during christmas holiday 2009:

One of the gates

From Inside

A thousand year old pillar with

carving that indicates that

some Caliph renovated the structure

The tallest concrete building in

the world unfinished with

Mövenpick Hotel and

the shopping mall under it

Makkah and Western Saudi Arabia in General has its own unique culture, features, and language which make it special and different than the rest of Saudi Arabia Here is some photos of its past and present:

People of Makkah have

a special relationship with pigeons

old pigeon tower

Old Makkah

Old Market

Old Makkah 2

Old Makkah 3

The Solti School

An Important school

Started 1792

An old park outside the city

Traditional Hejazi House

modern house with

traditional design

Mövenpick Hotel

from inside the Haram

The door to the Kaaba

The shrine of Abraham

The gate to Makkah

The Intercontinental Hotel (lift)

That's not all what I've got about Makkah but I hope it's enough to give a clear picture about my background. Next time, I promise to make it more fun. It is probably going to be about my first journey to Turkey or maybe something else, hopefully something more fun, so please stay around for more...later.