no comment

This is the latest interesting conversation I heard on the tube. It started with a man, standing, asking another man, sitting, about stations and stuff after which we can use their distinct accents to refer to them as:

Englishman: (after telling him the info he wanted) Are you from America?
The American: Yes.
Englishman: I don't support your government.
The Amercian: I don't support them either.
Englishman: I wouldn't put them in my toilet. Do you know why? Because I want to keep it clean. (short laugh)
End of conversation then I got off the next stop, but I don't think they did any more talking after that.

p.s.
the words in bold are interesting because (1) the american actually said 'yes' and not 'yeh' maybe due to age factor (he's in his fifties or more) and (2) is an interesting case of reference assignment (who exactly are 'them' and how do we get to the referent?)

Mai

mount everest anyone?

This is the latest news from home, check it out: Omar Samra

Mai

at least i can come back with a laugh

FACTS :

The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Aussies, British or Americans.
Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Aussies, British or Americans.
Africans drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Aussies, British or Americans.
Italians drink large amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Aussies, British or Americans.
Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Aussies, British or Americans.

CONCLUSION:

Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Now isn't this a valid inference? :) Welcome back pragmatics :)

Mai

the cup is ours wohoooooooo

Yes, they did it. They didn't do it in the first half, they didn't do it in the second half, they didn't do it in the first half of the extra time, they didn't do it in the second half of the extra time, they did have an unaccouted goal and they missed a penalty but... they won.. whew!!

I really wish I could see the match and the aftermath of victory with my family and in the streets of Cairo.

Mai :)

what students want

Since I've started learning and teaching in British universities, I've been trying to notice and compare students' behaviour that I see here with what I've seen before in Cairo. It's actually interesting to note that there are some international symptoms (if I can call a comparison between 2 countries international) which apparently play a role in all students' lives. So, for example, there is the 5-active-people-in-class-rest-couldn't-care-less syndrome, there is the lack of general knowledge, and there is the persistent exam/credit-oriented way of thinking that always translates into the question: "how many credits is that?" (or "is that covered in the exam?") when you mention a new activity to be done.

But another important point of comparison, which I only started to notice a couple of weeks ago when I began attending courses at UCL, is students' doodles on the wooden desks in classes or lecture theatres. I don't know if this will make me sound geeky or not, but I don't think I ever wandered away in a lecture and started brushing up on my artistic skills in drawing (which are pathetic anyway) on the desk in front of me. But, I've always been amused by going over the things other students write or draw. And from what I've seen so far at UCL, I've got to hand it to students here, they just might score more on the artistic scale. Of course, there is the usual signing of names written in different ways, and there are all sorts of comments that tell you just how hard a student's life is which range from the standard "my brain is melting" to the more blunt "sit here for longer and you might die" :) One thing you will never find written on a desk in my home university, on the other hand, is what I read today on my desk: "gay" on the left-hand side and "lesbian" on the right-hand side. Reason or motivation? unknown :) But my personal favourite, and that's what reflects the artistic image, is that one (very bored) student actually took the time (probably a full one-hour lecture) to paint the whole desk top in black with a few planets and space shuttles scattered here and there. As nice this may be, I was thinking: Houston, we have a problem. Still, from what I've seen so far, I can safely say that Egyptian students are obviously more romantic. One big huge category of what students write on their desks back home is all about love, which starts with the simple heart shape and arrow with the first names of the loving couple on each side, and ends with one love-stricken or heartbroken student pouring his heart out in one long love poem on the corner of the desk with or without a dedication to someone :)

Mai

the new me vs the old me

The new me wants to cut down on coffee that I become obsessed with, the old me still can't resist morning coffee, noon coffee, lunch coffee, afternoon coffee, evening coffee, etc.

The new me tried contact lenses on for the first time, the old me still thinks it feels weird to stick your fingers into your eyes.

The new me started going to the gym and working out, the old me still says "well, I do walk to the tube station, that's exercise!"

And the debate continues.. what's life without a little internal struggle anyway? :)

Mai

mission possible

Ok, I know, I've sunk to the lowest level of the blogosphere.. I can't even upload an image properly AND I've left it there for about a week. Well, to be honest, after receiving several emails telling me about the image problem, I tried to fix it but failed. I guess I'm just not very good with computers (ironic, isn't it? :) )

Anyway, I don't have much time now to blog, but the most important thing I have to say is to state your mission for Friday 10/02/2006: the African Cup Final. If you don't know already, Egypt is playing (it's not even important to know against who) and your mission is to concentrate all your efforts to cheer for the Egyptian team to win. Pray to God, light some candles, meditate, throw some coins in a wishing well, keep your fingers crossed from today till Friday, do what you have to do but be sincere :) I'm not kidding :)

So there you go, I'm not just an Egyptian PhD student in love in London who is ironically not very good with computers, I'm also a football fanatic :)

Mai

it's a bit old, but still funny

It all depends on one's point of view, right? :)

Mai

Happy New Hijri Year

I got a text from my dad this morning saying happy new hijri year (actually it was saying I expected you to text me that yesterday :) ). Today is the first day of the new Hijri year 1427 according to the Islamic calendar. For those of you who don't know, our Islamic calendar starts with prophet Mohammad's migration from Macca to Madina (in Saudi Arabia now) which was a landmark event in the history of Islam. Maybe you would be interested to know the names of the months:

1. Muharram محرّم
2. Safar صفر
3. Rabi'-ul-Awwal ربيع الأول
4. Rabi'-al-Thaany ربيع الثاني
5. Jumaada-ul-Awwal جمادى الأول
6. Jumaada- al-Thaany جمادى الثاني
7. Rajab رجب
8. Sha'aban شعبان
   
9. Ramadan رمضان
   
10. Shawwal شوّال
    
11. Zul Qi'dah ذو القعدة
    
12. Zul Hijjah ذو الحجة
    

Anyway, I was also thinking today that it is a nice coincidence that I'm starting my second year here exactly at the same time as the new hijri year. May God bless this year for me and for you all and fill it with more happiness and success.

Mai