A HOT HOT HOT TEASE (you might as well think in arabic about the last word).
This online commercial is about the advantage of using Napster over iTunes and how you could get the whole thing with napster while you will be teased with iTunes.
[Link]
It’s super late but whatever, later better than never. That rhymed, didn’t it? Nice because this post is about music. So I finally uploaded the “Je T’aime” songs (Star Academy’s version and Lara Fabian’s Original) and while we’re at it, here’s a link to some random mp3s by Lara Fabian.
This post is dedicated to all the beautiful people who helped me find that song.
Note: It’s really easy to use Rapidshare.de, Just click “FREE” then you will get a new page scroll down you will find some kind of timer to start downloading (that’s how they make money, the force you to stare at their ads for like 20 seconds or so) then you will see the countdown timer replaced by a link to the file. Right-click and Save.
I should tell you about what I did in my weekend. It’s not like I have weekends this interesting every week. I want to ramble about this but I will just stick to the point.
I went to a jazz concert organized by the american embassy on thanks giving as a sign of gratitude for the kuwaiti people and what they’ve done to help their american brothers overcome a disaster like hurricane katrina. The New Orleans All-Star Brass Band kicked major ass. They were loud and that’s how I liked it. Amazing what a bass drum and a snare can do to you. Their vocalist, the short guy, was signing pretty much like Louis Armstrong. He did a good job if imitating armstrong was one of his intentions.
What’s a jazz concert without Jazz Central, right? He was there as well as the main fusla and her partner in crime Amunki. I also heard some other blogger were there. Anybody?
Did you see the guy who was wearing ghetra and e’gaal and was obviously having so much fun?
OMG Guess who I ran into after the concert was done, our old friend Mona AL-Gena’e. I actually saw her before the concert but I didn’t want to risk losing the seats I was saving for my friends. I had a really interesting chat with her and I think my number of friends has incresed by one. 
She really really wanted to hit me, I can tell. Oh don’t you deny it mona, I saw the way you were pointing your finger almost poking me with it while saying “… a person like you … “. I’m not gonna go in details, I know you guys are just dying to know more but sorry I will disappoint you this time. 
On friday, I went to the book fair at mishref … blah!
I went yesterday to an art exhibition for upcoming artist, Dana Al Helal. Dana who’s leaving soon to florence to pursue her studies in fine art, focused mostly on portraits. Behind each face portrayed by her paintings a story waiting for you to make it up. You will notice a common theme in her paintings too, smoking, africanism or even arabic pop-culture all mixed together. ALthough the whole thing took her 6 months of work, the collection seems little or maybe It’s the way they were organized in the rather small rooms.
Now the hard part, Although she asked me personally to “be nice” I’m afraid you won’t like what I’m about to write. I was told that some of the paintings were drawn using your fingers directly on the canvas, good job. I really, really couldn’t tell, except for some of them … the shading in one of the paintings which as far as I remember was a close up of a face (and you had a few of them) was … erm … almost like a first-grader’s hand drawing. I’m talking about only ONE of them, just ONE. The rest were nicely executed. I especially liked the portrait of the bold african woman with the tile squares on her eyes, I loved it actually.
Today is the second and the last day for this exhibition, so you should go and check it out. It’s held at Marina Waves, the weird some-how-far building. Go to the marina’s somebody somebody al-subah hall where the ad thing was held last week. Walk or drive to that thing, and while we’re at it. Watch the blank concrete of the entrance of marina waves before it gets legally vandalized by yours truly.
Got it? Got it?
OK, If you didn’t get my morning humor here’s a little hint, Try to read it in Fus’ ha arabic. (pure arabic) That’s what you get when you try really hard to look/ sound kuwaiti.
I might/ might not add to this list later.
WTF? for what exactly? and a look alike?
Should we expect midgets and clowns next week?
Mark says the dress code is formal, the ad doesn’t. I believe mark though, however, I’m going there with my hair just like it is and I will be wearing the turtlenecks and the vintage jeans I’m wearing right now. (I realize it’s kinda early for turtlenecks but I just couldn’t wait. Shoot me. :p ) I will start some drama if any fucker said anything at the door. They even failed to remember adding their website to the ad … wait a minute …
OMG OMG OMG
So I just googled their website, which was only in arabic as far as I remember (one main reason I didn’t feel like submitting any works). KuwaitAAA.com (Kuwait Arabic Advertising Award) was the name of this thing, I don’t know what happened (somebody wanna tell me?) The page there has the logo of “Alzanki”, an internet marketing consultant apparently.
Umm … WTF?
Dear iPodders in the house,
How does iPod deal with mp3s with arabic artist names or song names?
Photos would kick ass
Thanks a lot and god bless.
Bravery? like how?
Here’s the plot from IMDB.com:
After studying literature at Cairo University, Dunia, 23 years old, wants to become a professional dancer. She attends audition for an oriental dance contest where she recites Arabian poetry without any body movement. She explain to the perplexed jury that a woman can’t move her body or evoke act of love when society ask women to hide their femininity. She is selected and meet Beshir, an intellectual and activist who will supervise her thesis on ecstasy in Sufi love poetry. Their attraction is mutual. This could be liberation for Dunia but the constraints on women in Egyptian society goes deeper than she suspects.
Well, I gotta admit It doesn’t seem like your average arabic film but that highlighted part in that clip is still puzzling me.
I can’t wait to see this film … and hey since when do we get arabic films screened at Montréal Film Festival?
Remember when I posted about the guy with the funny russian accent in the Ford Mustang commercial? I was kind of frustrated I didn’t get enough comments on that topic. So to rememdy that, here’s an audio clip to prove my points.
Listen: “I had a drrream, It was rrreal … rrealize yourrr drrream.”
Whether Al-Amiriyya incident happened or not we all have to acknowlege the fact wars in iraq killed and still killing millions and millions of innocent children. We also have to acknowledge Naseer’s talent in documenting that incident musically.
Listen: Naseer Shamma - Al-Amiriyya
Please somebody remind me why he got removed from the last year’s Qurain Festival. Anybody got any idea if he will be in this time? I’m still amazed Dar Al-Athaar didn’t invite him to be part of any of their cultural activities. Too big for them? I don’t know but I know their theatre will be full to the extent people will be pushing each other to breathe. I know I would be camping outside their door a day in advance to get me a decent seat.
I encourage you to sign up with Mazajy, an arabic mp3 music forum. They have four of his albums in the “Instrumentals” section of their website. Smart boys and girls can find a lot just messing around with the direct link I gave you up there. Sorry I just don’t to want to kill their bandwidth.
Update: He’s playing tomorrow at the Wisdom Hall, Cairo, Egypt.
Miss Mexico is tons of hotness. Miss Scotland looks kinda pregnant/overweight in that black dress. Miss Peru rocks my pants. Miss Italy’s curly blond big hair is just amazing.
Go through the contestants and tell me of any fuuny, hot, weird pictures or anything interesting.
I’m sorry to categorize this post as “Sex” but that’s what it is.
[Link]
The guys at Pitchfork not only have a great taste in music they also have an incredible sense of humor.
Reading some of the comments in this feature is funnier than the covers themselves. Some of the covers are for some major bands.
Two days ago I finished reading Persepolis : The Story of a Childhood. Almost an auto-biographical comic book by Marjane Satrapi about the life of a little girl, marji, during the fall of the Shah of Iran and the rise of the islamic revolution. Marjane’s drawing style was really nice, childish a bit (she comes from a children books background) yet very effective as this whole story is about childhood.
I don’t know why I kept trying to live the story from the girl’s perspective and even found myself linking some of the events to my memories of the Iraqi invasion and the daily happenings in our kuwaiti society these days.
All in all the book was an easy read, full of realities and hardcore drama that puts Fajr Al Saeed to shame. I really wanted to cry by the end of this book.
I will definitely check out her Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return and Embroideries. Anybody has any idea what’s the right way to pronounce her name? Is it like Mary-Jane? or Marjaan?
That beauty spot is killing me.
Update: I meant to write something about how this book reminded me of the Iraqi film “Al Hodoud Al Multaheba” الØدود الملتهبة I don’t know why I totally forgot about this film, I don’t think I even thought about this film for the past ten years. I just remember this scene where a soldier is riding a motorcycle and jumping a little clef only to be greeted by a bazooka rocket.
I was googling “catfight” for the last post to see if it was one word or two and I was like what the hell, let’s check out the images too.
I gotta admit, NICE STUFF.
I love that picture of oiled chicks fighting in that plastic pool.
Definitely NOT SAFE FOR WORK.
Note: My SafeSearch feature in google is always turned off.
This is so funny, Anybody have seen this? Sorry only in arabic.
Would have loved to see/ hear that. Anybody by any chance records al jazeera as a hobby?
In other news, Al Jazeera opened their office in Tel Aviv.
Although I didn’t ask to be added to their maillist, Msder.com is a nice website covering arabic media.
I just looked out of the window and I saw the streets all wet with water.
Dear Fairouz Loving Friend who discovered my blog recently, This is just about perfect time you give me that obscure fairouz CD.
Is it only me or you guys stick your tongues out too when you type the tongue sticking smilie?
… and it’s dedicated to a really special lady, Catch-22.
I can go on and on about her but I won’t, she knows.
“South Korean body artists Kim-Joon has painted some very nice looking asses with the brand iconography of Adidas, Starbucks and others.”
Via:AdRants.com
Now really this isn’t the subject of my post, I’m not a big fan of body painting and all that stuff but sometimes those people come up with some nice ideas. Like that picture of a black girl (more like brown) with tiger prints all over her body, I gotta admit it had a weird effect on me. (can you say BESTIALITY?)
Which leads me to next point, I was chit-chating with a fellow worker a while ago (when I had fellow workers :D) and she was telling me about all those rituals her emarati friends were doing to her and themselves whenver she visits them. Things like going to spas and having all kinds of massages with oils and all that stuff but what intrigued me and caught my attention the most was when she mentioned how they were putting henna patterns on “naughty places”.
I really wanted to ask her what were those “naughty places” but I think I was distracted by all the thoughts and images my imagination was generating at that time.
Now somebody fill me in here, do we have salons doing this kind stuff here? Any freelancing skilled ladies? and while we’re at … is there a website or a book to learn how to do henna and stuff like that? and If you already know how to do this, from where do you buy the henna powder and all the other materials you use to apply henna?
Just when I wanted to blog about the cancellation of the brazilian/ kuwait football match I find three posts already there on safat.
Guess who’s blogging from the comfort of his new office.
Apparently it’s a cover of the supposedly classic “Je T’aime” done by one of the girls (or all of them as the file name implies) of Star Academy.
Thanks to “Meloo” who commented with a link to the song. Somebody actually mention the song before in the comments but I didn’t believe something this good would come out of Star Academy.
So it’s basically the tenth (last track) of the Star Academy 2 CD.
I bet somebody out there got the CD, please rip it off and gmail it to me at tata [-dot-] botata [-at-] gmail [-dot-] com and post a comment here if you did so other would know.
Hell, maybe somebody wants to upload it with Rapidshare.de and spread the love all around.
Isn’t she a bit too hot for a show about stocks and portfolios?
I noticed since three days ago or so that Al-Watan newspaper have replaced the daily caricature of the iconic artist Ali Farzaat with the embarrassingly kuwaiti hand puppet, Mohammad Thallaab.
What’s worse, Thallab is actually is “living the role” and he already started to copy farzaat’s style known for it’s simplicity and usual lack of any written comments. Only thallab’s caricatures are hardly digested and it will probably leave you wondering, “what’s the point?”.
Good going, Al-Watan, from worse to worst.
I know for sure I won’t renew my subscription.
Somebody please save my soul and tell me what’s the name of that french song with arabic (very arabic) music and “taraa raa ra ra ta ra rraaa”. Also touches of electro and textural drumloops.
Please people, PLEASE.
I will love you long time if you help me find that song.
I finally got the chance to read that article on blogging in bazar. While I really share my fellow bloggers the disapproval of such article, I would like to point out few things about the editor, Mr. Ahmed El-Adly.
I met Ahmed three years ago while freelancing for Bates Pan Gulf, He was there to get something from the agency or something, I don’t remember. He’s a nice guy and he’s really doing something nice for young people here giving them the chance to voice their opinions and thoughts on a medium known for its hardships to get into, print.
The only thing I read in bazar is his “intro” column. The way he writes it is the closest to a blog entry. He ACTUALLY was thinking about starting a blog himself if you have read his article this month, ‘Start my own blog’.
A while ago, he approached a fellow blogger, DnG (where are you girl?), and encouraged her to pass the message to fellow bloggers.
adly@bazaar bazaar@hotmail.com
Hiya,
Was reading ur blog and think you have a lot of talent. We were hoping you might consider writing for bazaar magazine! If you dont want to use ur real name, thats not a problem, and if you have any fellow bloggers who might be interested, please spread the word! I was amaaazed at how many talented people there are on the blog sites…wow!! Looking forward to hearing from you.
The thing is, bazaar have adopted an easy policy that enables anybody to write anything and get paid for it too, and that’s not neccessarly a good thing. A policy like that made it possible for people like “Mr. Impressive” - who I must admit got a talent in writing but god didn’t bless him with enough brain cells on the other side of his brain - to get their stuff published easily.
Ahmed, First of all I think this “Mr. Impressive” owes us [bloggers] all an apology and I think he’s up for a review. Second, I think you should set up some guidelines for the submissions you get and have a word in what gets published and what doesn’t, you’re supposed to be the editor after all, right? Last but not least I think you should pay more for your writers if you want to get quality materials, or stick to paying 2.5% of of the usual cost for ads per page in bazar to the writers and you will end up with “Mr. Impressive” and the likes.
Update: Here’s K’s post with snippests of what the writer said.
Sorry for being a way for a bit, Eid makes me really lazy which reminds me … Happy Eid and all that. It’s been quite lately except for the surprise birthday party my mom threw for me. That’s what you get when for being a good son who do surprise parties for his parents on their birthdays.
I’m moving soon to some office in the city and the cool thing is I won’t have to pay a penny. I made a deal with one of my clients (more like a partner now) who use my services on regular basis, to use this empty room in his office in exchange for my services. We agreed on some system to do this so it will be fair for both of us.
I hope this is the first step to move out of jahra.
So, I would love to hear from you guys any tips about moving and stuff like that.
God bless
Nothing is different, It just sucks that I can’t party.
Maybe later … thanks everybody.
