The Weekend to End Breast Cancer

I recieved this from one of the nicest people I work with. He is looking for donations for a very good cause. There's no limit to how or high you can donate, and you can use your credit card. Please read the story below, even if you don't want to donate.

Please support my Journey and thousand others..

The Weekend to End Breast Cancer is a two-day, 60-kilometre walk through the neighbourhoods of Toronto, taking place September 9-11, 2005. I am walking for my “mi” Sylvia, who has breast cancer. I know deep down in my heart that she will beat this….. I never picture myself going through this. I’ve always thought of my mom as “Superwoman”. Everybody that knows my mom would agree. It hasn't been the same for me since my mother got diagnosed with breast cancer. I thank God for my families and friends for support because I'm not sure where I would be right now if not for them. I would trade position with my mother right now no question ask. I know that won't happen. I do not like to walk. For my mom and everybody else that's affected by cancer, I will change this about me…It has started. I will use everything in my power to raise money for this walk. And this will not be my last one…This is only the beginning. I would like to thank everybody from the bottom of my heart that has contributed and will be contributing to this cause. We will beat this..It's only a matter of time. Proceeds benefit Princess Margaret Hospital, funding important breast cancer research, education, services and care. I love you so much Mi. This one's another proof for you…Hope you don't get sick and tired of hearing it. -Marvin

to donate please click on the link

Best of luck Marv, wish you and your mother all the best

I don't want to be ...

I’m not sure if you guys noticed but there are many people who say

I don’t want to be a pain but….

Or

I don’t want to seem like an ass but you have been…

Or

I know this is not appropriate but would you ….

Well I got a newsflash for you, you are a pain, an ass, and inappropriate. And acknowledging what you really are a pain doesn’t change the fact that you are a pain. In fact being ignorant about something at least justifies you’re actions/words.

Next time I hear someone say such stupid phrases I will tell them:

I know kicking you in the face hurts, but would you mind kneeling down a bit, my foot can’t reach that high.

Now I don’t want to seem greedy here, but would you please comment and tell me what you think.

Technorati Tags: popular phrases

Donations Accepted

My friend got this car about a year ago, after I saw what he has done to it, I made sure he knew that I was interested in buying it whenever he got bored of it. At the time I thought it would take him a few years to get bored, but that didn't happen. The guy wants to sell it now. Should I quit university and start working so I can afford the payments?

Lasto Adri and Dina's Tag

For those who wanted to know more about me, here's your chance :)

10 years ago:
I was in grade 7 spending the last summer with my friends in Syria and preparing for the move here.

5 years ago:
I was in high school, and I was on top of the world. Not much stress, playing soccer, doing well in school, and making life long friends.

1 year ago:
I was finished my summer term at school, awaiting my marks to come out. I was also about to start off my second term at Enermodal. I was also looking around for good computer deals to buy the sweetest desktop imaginable.

Tomorrow:
Sunday marks the end of the weekend, so I will probably relax and maybe watch a movie. What makes this weekend special is the fact that it’s the last weekend before I finish my work term :)

5 snacks I enjoy:
Kettle chips, Doritos, sunflower seeds, Nestle chocolate bars, pop corn

5 bands/artists that I know the lyrics to most of their songs:
Firuz, Omar Basheer, Kathem, Tiesto, Jesse Cook although some of these don’t make music with lyrics

5 things I'd do with $100,000,000:
Buy 2 sweet cars, one exotic, and an amazing one for everyday driving. Buy villas on the best beaches and locations in the world. Start an engineering company. Sponsor a thousand children in Africa and South America, and another thousand in the Middle East. Invest. By my family whatever they want. Give each blogger I know money ;) How much do I have left?

5 locations I'd like to run away to:
France, Italy, Hawaii, Brazil, Australia.

5 bad habits I have:
there we go again. Procrastination, speeding, stress over useless things, too optimistic sometimes, grumpy in the morning .

5 things I like doing:
Hanging out with the boys, blogging, reading, coming up with crazy ideas, teasing people.

5 thing I will never wear:
thong, pink pants, leather pants, non-soccer jerseys, thug clothes.

5 TV shows I like:
Sopranos, Junk yard wards, engineering wonders, Late Night with Conan, Daily Show with John Stewart.

5 movies I like:
The Godfather, Gladiator, Braveheart, Deep Impact, Zoolander.

5 people I'd like to meet:
Jamal 3abd Innasir, Einstein, Carl Sagan, Frank McCourt, Zidane.

5 biggest joys at the moment:
Finishing work soon, starting university soon, I have one week off and I will make sure everyday is full of plans, I gained some weight over the summer

5 favorite toys:
gotta by my cars, my computer, and last and not least

if Roba hasn't been tagged already, then she is now :P ..

LOL!!

Sorry feminists but here's another one :D

Commenting Etiquette

Now that I have been actively blogging for a few months, I have run across a few things which I thought I should share with you. This post will target comments in specific.

Comments are what a makes a blog different from a normal website, at least in my opinion. It’s always nice to see people comment on a post which you put effort into. But when is commenting not necessary? When should a blogger comment? What is considered a good comment? The answers that I will provide are purely my opinion, and they’re directed towards people who have blogs and those who just read them.

Point 1

Comment only when you have something relevant to say.

I hate comments which tell me “cool blog… visit mine.” These are insincere and selfish comments. Instead I recommend commenting on the post, and then complimenting the blog. I’m very sure that the owner of the blog will visit yours if you’re sincere. Always try to touch on the subject of the post in the comment.

Point 2

Comments are not a form of a treaty.

What I mean by that is that, just because I comment on your blog that doesn’t mean you have to comment on mine. Forced comments are usually lame, and who wants lame comments? I admit when I first started, I expected comments to be exchanged, but then I took a step back and realized that it was pretty dumb to think of comments that way.

Point 3

If you have something bad to say, have some evidence to back your point.

I just hate stupid comments (usually made by Anonymous individuals) which contain pure garbage and hate. If you need to criticise that’s cool, but do it effectively and constructively. I also hope that no blogger ever hides under “anonymous” in order to post stupid comments. To people who leave dumb comments I say “grow up.” If you have a blog and you’re experiencing such stupid behaviour, I recommend ignoring the comment altogether, or just deleting it.

By all means these points are not in any way “commandments.” I deviate from them every now and then. But I do believe that they create a half decent standard, which keeps everybody happy and respected. All the people who leave comments on my blog seem to have figured these points themselves. I only had minor issues, with a few anonymous morons, and the odd “visit my blog” type comment. So this is by no means directed towards any of the regular commenters :) you guys are GOLD!

Please feel free to suggest, negate or modify any of these…let me know what you think

Technorati Tags: Etiquette, Blogging Etiquette

World Record

Is this cucumber the biggest you've ever seen or what?...

Gmail, the conspiracy theory

I was telling my friend today to send me pictures to "my gmail," suddenly the poetry gland in my head (consists of 5 confused neurons) started firing and told me "that rhymes with e-mail."

And then the conspiracy theory all became clear to me..

When Google chose the name of their e-mail service they purposely avoided using "Google Mail" or the extension @google.com. Instead they had to go with "gmail" which sounds like, yeah you know it, "e-mail"

So what Google wants to do is to change the internet lingo and base it around them. So people will start referring to e-mail as gmail. For example we will start saying "please gmail me?" or "don't gmail anyone at work."

I think I'm on to something here... or maybe the lack of sleep has effected me.

Technorati Tags: cospiracy theory, gmail

Flooding streets, strong winds, and one hell of a drive!!

Tornado passes through southwestern Ontario

Last Updated Fri, 19 Aug 2005 19:40:41 EDT

CBC News

At least one tornado ripped apart homes, flipped over trucks and tore limbs from trees Friday after much of southwestern Ontario was lashed by heavy winds and rain.

A confirmed tornado left a wake of destruction near Fergus, Ont., about 150 kilometres west of Toronto, as cars were thrown into a ditch, trees knocked down, and several homes and silos demolished.

The severe storms began around 1:30 p.m. ET, causing flooding in some areas.

Toronto traffic was snarled as cars plowed through highways that in some places resembled rivers.

As the storm advanced through the afternoon, Environment Canada issued a tornado warning for Toronto, something that rarely happens.

By late afternoon, many of the tornado warnings in southwestern Ontario were downgraded to severe thunderstorm warnings as the weather system moved further east.

However, the storms delayed flights departing from Pearson International Airport.

Close to 10,000 Ontario residents were left without electricity.

No serious injuries have been reported.

Once again, I had to be in traffic at the time of these events. I was stuck in this 150 m section of a road for 45 minutes. People from the other side were telling me to turn around, since there are 5 cars stuck in the water. There was a median in the road, and therefore there wasn't a way of turning around. I managed to squeeze between 2 of the cars that were stuck, meanwhile creating a huge wave of water. At any point, the water was up halfway over the tires. Whenever a truck passed by, a huge wave of water would hit my car, to the point I thought there was damage done to it. One section of the 401 is a valley, and naturally all the water was going there creating a pool of water. In that section of the highway people were abaondoning their cars!

Looking back on these events, I think it was quite the sight, and I don’t think I will ever forget it. I was also planning on going camping this weekend, but for obvious reasons I’m spending the weekend at home.

Technorati Tags: Toronto flood, Ontario tornado, Toronto storm

Oh Canada!

I got these funny patriotic images through e-mail.. check them out

I love it when Canadians pretend they're tough!

Technorati Tags: Canada Pictures, Funny images, Patriotic

On Gangs and Racial Profiling

I would like you to read the following and tell me what you think…

A few weeks ago, what seems to be a gang war has erupted in Toronto. People are getting shot and killed on daily basis. Most of the violence is taking place in downtown Toronto, mainly within the Jamaican community. The police have been quite involved in the gang war now. More and more police men are being deployed to the area, and the violence hasn’t slowed down yet.

Today, a plan was put down by a city councillor called for “police to be allowed to stop and search cars driven by young black men in troubled areas, to see if they have guns.” As soon as the suggestion was made criticism erupted saying his plan is just a form of racial profiling. The councillor argues his plan is criminal profiling rather than racial profiling. The councillor is black himself.

I personally don’t think it’s such a bad plan. The majority of the victims have been from the Jamaican community. If there’s suspicion that someone maybe a carrying an illegal weapon, then why not stop them? At the same time I think no matter what the colour of a person is, as long as they are suspicious they should be searched.

I believe what the councillor is going after is a special focus on that area of Toronto and on members of the gangs. If anything, this will benefit the Jamaican community, since most of them are sick of the violence and sick losing loved ones. I have no problem imagining the Jamaican community supporting an idea that would result in a safer community.

Is everyone opposing this idea just to be politically correct? What do you think?

Technorati Tags: Racial Profiling, Gang War, Toronto, Police, Gang

It happened this Sunday

This Sunday I decided to help out a bit in the backyard, so I got some tools together and I started working on the grape vein that we have recently put up. An hour later my dad decided to show up, and show off. He was showing off his achievements at destroying a beehive. He then went on to show me this other hive which he was planning to attack next..

To prove to me that there are bees in the crevice in the wall, he decided to tap on the wall with a pop bottle. Suddenly the bees went nuts, and his point was made. He walked away, I looked at the bees got scared and walked faster… Suddenly I felt something on my leg and then STING.. I knew what had happened and I started running like moron, shaking my leg violently as if I have gotten shot in the leg. Meanwhile my dad was laughing his butt off. My brother who had witnessed the whole thing started crying, and my dad kept laughing.

The pain set in about a minute after the bite. It persisted for about 2 hours. For the first hour my dad was still laughing. Later on he explained he found it funny how he was the one who bothered the bees, and I was the one to get stung. I still don’t find the humour in that.

Anyway, Sunday evening I was limping around the house, a few hours after the bite, the pain calmed down.

My plan now is to destroy that beehive in my dad’s presence, for obvious reasons. I still don’t know how I’m going to attack those bees, but I know for sure I’ll be dressed for the occasion. I’ll keep you posted.

in case you're wondering the picture has nothing to do with the incident

Lingo Lesson 3

Ever since the last time I put up a lesson, I have come across many words that I use and take for granted. The thing is, once I sit behind the keyboard, my mind goes blank… below is what I have for today’s lesson :)

“Just for kicks” is a term used when you want to imply that you’re not serious about a certain acitivity. It’s another way of saying, just for fun. In a sentence it would sound like this:

“Yo, you wanna do some crazy ass trip just for kicks?”

(if that sentence didn’t make sense, I suggest you catch up, by reading the previous lessons)

Sometimes, when you want to say something is cool, and you have used the word “sick” too many times that day, phat can come in handy..

After saying fat, you have to say “P” “H” “A” “T” fat, since the listener has no way of knowing the spelling of the word you intended. There’s one sweet use for Phat and that is

“Check out that girl, she’s so phat”

In this case the girl should be happy she was called phat.

So guys, the next time a girl asks you “do I look fat in these pants” say “You sure do honey!” then as you’re running away from the raging female, yell out the proper spelling..

If you have seen at least one rap video then you have seen lots of “ice.” Of course “ice” here doesn’t mean actual “ice” otherwise rappers wouldn’t be true to their mission, which is to make their own language.

So what does “ice” mean here.. well, it means jewlery in all forms. Whether it’s the 2 meter long necklace, or a huge platinum dollar sign, it’s all called ice. One rapper actually showed a deep understanding of “ice” when he said

“I keep my neck full of frozen water”

I didn’t make it up, in fact listen to Fiesta Remix by R Kelly.

And they say rappers aint educated…

Aint = is not = are not

“Go nuts” is a cool expression which means “go crazy” or “go where no man has gone before” Basicaly it’s all about pushing the limit, it can be used in sports, stydying, work and anywhere else people can go nuts

Floor it, smoke it, gun it are all phrases used to describe driving. The phrases refer to driving fast of course. You can say “I’m late, I gotta gun it”

“Man, we floored it down the highway” etc..

Well, that concludes this lesson, I have a few more words in mind, but we’ll have to learn those next time.. after all it’s summer time and no one wants to be educated

Next Lesson:

Digging it, Like whatever, Wigger, White washed, FOB

Technorati Tags: Phat, Slang, Street Lingo

Armageddon is near!!

I had this teacher in high school who was known for his peculiar nature, and his outrageous comments…

I took his class in 2003 as the US was trying to convince the UN that Iraq is worth invading. One day he was going on, as usual, about the political situation and then he said this..

“You know… Armageddon is near.”

we then asked “why??”

his reply

"The best rapper is white,
The best golfer is black,
and Germany doesn't want to go into war”

Banner from Amr

Amr's banner

I would like to thank Amr for the sweet banner he made for me, I will try tinkering around with my template soon to get it in the right place..

In case you haven't followed along, I tried to make a parody banner for the blog earlier and I guess it was so bad, Amr couldn't help but step in ;)

Mine .. :(

A Story of Honesty, worth a read

DONALD MCKENZIE

MONTREAL (CP) - Take a Muslim cabbie from New York City, a Jewish businessman from Montreal and a forgotten suitcase containing valuable diamonds and precious stones and what do you get?

One honest taxi driver and one relieved jewelry dealer.

Thierry Bellisha, 32, and two colleagues had just finished lugging several suitcases out of Hossam Abdalla's taxi at LaGuardia Airport on Thursday morning when Bellisha realized one was missing.

The co-owner of Montreal-based Crown Ring immediately looked up but it was too late - Abdalla had already sped off, unaware he still had a suitcase worth several hundred thousand dollars in the trunk of his yellow cab.

"I screamed and I prayed to God like crazy," Bellisha, an Orthodox Jew, recalled in an interview Friday when asked his initial reaction. "I just asked God right away, 'Please help me now, I need your help right away.' "

As panic settled in - calls were even made to "important rabbis in Israel" for divine intervention - Bellisha and his partners returned to their hotel to review the establishment's videotapes to see if they could identify the taxi's number.

But the blinding sunshine from that morning obscured the numbers.

Several kilometres away, Abdalla, oblivious to his customer's anguish, happened to look in his trunk and saw what he called "a weird bag."

"When I opened it, I found the jewelry inside," Abdalla said in an interview from New York City on Friday. "It was mostly wedding bands, lots and lots of them.

"It was crazy. I've never been in a situation like that."

Abdalla, who will turn 30 later this month, then looked in his taxi and found one of Bellisha's business cards. The name matched the name on the suitcase, so after a call to Crown Ring in Montreal, Abdalla was soon talking to one very relieved businessman.

"There are not enough words to describe how he felt."

The two men eventually hooked up at LaGuardia on Thursday night for the switchover.

"It was an incredible gesture," Bellisha said. "It was very humanitarian.

"That cab driver is a perfect lesson for humanity all around the world."

The tale, which made the front page of Friday's New York Daily News, didn't leave Abdalla feeling like a hero and had him playing down the religious angle.

"Of course, I hope everyone would have done the same thing but this proves there's no such thing as Jewish or Muslim or whatever. We all pray to the same God.

"In a situation like that, you don't think 'What is he, Jewish Buddhist, Muslim?' He's just a human being working hard for his money."

Abdalla, who moved to the United States from Egypt in the late 1990s, said the greatest joy he got from the experience, aside from witnessing Bellisha's obvious relief, was hearing the pride and happiness in his father's voice when he called him back home to tell him what had happened.

Abdalla said Bellisha has promised him a reward.

On top of that, Abdalla will be getting the Montrealer's business whenever he's in the Big Apple from now on.

"Actually, he became my personal cab driver now in New York," Bellisha said. "I know I'm in good hands when I drive with him."

You can also read about it here http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2005/08/05/1161077-cp.html

Technorati Tags: Muslim, Arab, Honesty, News

"Arab" according to Western Dictionaries

Originally posted by Eman, and then reposted by Roba and Sinan., I felt the need to spread the word of the current ignorance of the state of ignorance in the world. The following are definitions of the word “Arab” according to three different dictionaries.

The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition:
Ar•ab Listen: [ rb ] 4. Offensive Slang A waif.

The Free Dictionary by Farlex:
4. Offensive Slang A waif.

Bartelby Thesaurus:
looby, lout, underling; gamin, street Arab, mudlark.

YourThesaurus:
gadabout, gadling; vagrant, scatterling, landloper, waifs and estrays, wastrel, foundling; loafer; tramp, tramper; vagabond

Websters:
vagrant, hobo, night walker, sleep walker; noctambulist, runabout, straphanger, swagman, swagsman; trecker, trekker, zingano, zingaro.

I wanted to repost this to shows those of non-Arab decent, how respectable references such as Websters, view us. The definitions show a sign of weakness and hatred. I am not sure how these definitions came to be, or how they are authorized, but I assume adding a definition to a dictionary is a tedious process. And for such words to filter through to many different sources, only shows ignorance and disrespect on many levels of society.

Stem Cells Essay (high school paper)

Out of all the crap they made us write about, this essay has to be one of my favourites. It was the first one of the year, and it was to set the impression. I choose a topic that I was following at the time, stem cells research. I got and 80+ on it, and that year I got the second highest mark in English class. It was the year before entering University, where every mark matters. If you choose to read on, I hope you learn a thing or tow, if you're already familliar with the subject, let me know your thoughts...
Oh yeah, notice the excessive use of semi-colons (we had learned how to use them a few days before the essay due date, and according to the teacher, I used them in all the wrong spots :-( )

The Ultimate Medicine

“The United States has a long and proud record of upholding the highest standards of ethics as we expand the limits of science and knowledge. Research on embryonic stem cells raises profound ethical questions.” The words of President George. W. Bush on August 9^th 2001; regarding the issue of stem cell research. President Bush decided to stop all government funding for embryonic stem research, destroying the hope of many Americans and non-American’s world wide. The issue of stem cells is widely discussed in the science community, with most scientists agreeing on the importance of continuing stem cell research. Stem cell research will enable us to treat diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease, 100% guaranteed and without any side effects. Stopping the funding would drain the fuel of the modern engine of regenerative medicine.

So what are stem cells? And why are they discussed?

Stem cells are like raw material, which have the ability to create anything if put together properly. In other words, stem cells have the ability to mimic or become any other cell in the body; much like the stem of a plant gives rise to the rest of the plant parts. The critical issue in stem cell research comes from the fact that the cells are taken from embryos, originally produced for fertility treatments.

The first weakness of the ethical argument against stem cell research comes from the fact that the embryos used in the research, are the extra embryos never to be used by couples undergoing fertility treatment. Couples may choose to keep the extra unused embryos in the lab, but most couples decide to discard them. Scientists are merely taking these embryos and using them to propel the promising research.

The second weak point can be seen if we take a closer look at the types of embryos used in the research. The embryos used in the research are 3-5 days old; embryos that count to a maximum of fifty cells, compared to the 10 trillion cells that the average human is composed of. The direct comparison shows clearly that the use of the term embryo is used to stir emotions against stem cell research. Not only are the issues raised against the research weak, but there are many profound uses of the outcomes of stem cell research; outcomes that should be realized by the public.

While our current medications involve the use of chemical or dangerous surgeries to treat disease and illness; stem cells have the ability to treat most of the diseases we are all familiar with without such risks. Each one of us knows someone who’s diabetic, has had a heart attack, or suffers from a liver or kidney disorder. Those poor people realize that they will have to suffer having a slightly abnormal life, simply because they cannot carry out certain activities or eat certain foods. Although those people seem to have recovered from their illness, they still aren’t perfectly recovered. Once again, stem cells are the cure; instead of repairing a certain part of the body or the organ, they replace it with a brand new, identical part. The diabetic will regain their ability to produce insulin, and kidney transplants will become a chapter in our medical history textbooks.

Lately, scientists have shown that they are able to reproduce nerve cells, which could be used to treat Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and spinal cord injuries. Enabling paralyzed people to start walking again, and patients with Parkinson’s to regain a firm hold on life. Eva Mezey, leading the team contributing to such discoveries in the US National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke in Bethesda, Maryland, says "I think it's very encouraging to know that there are [stem] cells [with] the capability to reach the brain and become neurons." Stem cells have been also shown to treat leukemia, heart problems, and even a simple case of tooth decay.

Embryonic stem cell research should continue and be supported by governments. However, it is politics and ignorance that stands as obstacles in the way of research. The big picture that should be realized is what it is that humanity needs, the ultimate medicine!

Technorati Tags: Stem Cells, Stem Cell, Embryonic Cells, Medical Research, Regenerative Medicine

It took one look and... I'm Sold

WARNING FOR CAR LOVERS ONLY

The new civic is nuts! Check out the stats. The whole mentality behind the Civic has shifted. I think I wanna take it for a test drive as soon as it comes out..

The Civic Si Concept celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Civic Si legacy in the U.S. and builds on its performance heritage with a 200-horsepower, 16-valve, DOHC i-VTEC engine with an 8,000 rpm red line, mated to a close ratio 6-speed manual transmission. Helping to put all that power to the ground is a helical-type limited slip differential for improved launch traction and cornering performance. Other performance features of the Civic Si Concept include 18-inch cast aluminum wheels, 225/40 R18 high performance tires and 4-wheel disc brakes with large cross-drilled brake rotors and 4-piston Brembo calipers.

GOLDEN!

Technorati Tags: Civic 2006, New Civic, Honda Civic, Civic Si

Classy Stuff

I got this certificate at work the other day. Normally I would feel pretty proud of getting such things, but after observing the certificate for two seconds, I was ashamed my name was on it.

As you can see the dominating font on this certificate is Comic Sans MS. Now let me take a wild guess, not an educated one, just a wild one, isn’t the font supposed to emulate a font used in comics?? Why the hell would you use it on a serious paper, like a certificate? The usage of this font especially ticks me off. For some reason people think it’s classy. I have seen it in PowerPoint presentations, e-mails, even in notes from professors. The font is good, only when used in the right context. I bet you anything it’s the HR lady’s favourite font, and she probably used it on her wedding invitations. Anyhow that’s the first thing I noticed.

Second was the date, which was typed in Times New Roman. I got nothing against that font, but my argument here is Be Consistent. It’s one of my pet peeves when I see any kind of document without consistency in form. Also notice the “4 hours” next to the date. Why? Is that important information? Does anyone care? I see no significance for the time my self, although you guys may.

Let’s now move on the extra space between my name and my last name. I know the intent here is to bring more attention to the name. But is that the best way to do it?

The man trying to roll the gear along is our logo. Poor guys I see him everyday, and the gear hasn’t moved in inch.

Oh yeah the wrinkles are compliment of me. This certificate sat in my car for a good week, before moving to my table next to my other papers.

Lessons learned:

Used the right font for the right occasion

Be Consistent

Don’t provide too much information

As a side note, the course was great and I learned a lot. It’s a subject that I will pursue in a the near future.

Our day in Montreal

I wanted to start out with the activities of the second day, mainly because we all had a BLAST.

All I have to say is Montreal is one crazy city. We arrived there Saturday at 8 pm, we navigated our way to McGill’s student residence where were staying for the night. The residence is located on a steep mountain, which left me wondering how students walk to classes on a snowy day. I have enough trouble walking on flat grounds ;)

After settling in, we got dressed and went for some Shawerma, which was the closest tasting Shawerma I’ve had since Syria. And then made our way to a club, where we spent most of the night. Next morning we checked out and we started exploring the city. We probably walked over 25 km that day. We started off our trip with an amazing meal at a randomly picked French restaurant, and then made walked through Downtown’s main street (St. Catherine).

As we were walking we noticed a bunch of topless men, with cowboy hats, line dancing to loud music. We watched for a bit and continued only to see some stages set up, many tents, and people everywhere. We later discovered that it was the “gay pride parade.” It was lots of fun seeing people all cheerful and dancing, and I even got a tattoo from Musique Plus (French version of MTV).

We then asked some people for directions and one person gave us a map so we could go to Old Montreal. Stepping into Old Montreal was like walking into the 18^th century. Everything about it was authentic, European, and beautiful. Hopefully the pictures will convey the mood, although I don’t think pictures do justice.

We walked through the old city, and as we were walking we saw one person setting up a little street show. He juggled machetes, ate fire, swallowed a balloon (which he called sword) and took a few stabs at President Bush. After the street show we started heading back to the residence. I had to drag two of my friends for a last Shawerma meal before leaving. On the way back we got lost for some reason on the highway, but we ended up making back to Ottawa at about 10:30 where we were staying for our last night.

For more picture check out flickr.. This whole blogger imaging needs much work

Technorati Tags: Montreal, Old Montreal, Montreal Trip

Air France Crash Landing

I didn’t expect my first drive after the long weekend to be as bad as it was today. There was a thunderstorm rolling through southern Ontario, and that usually slows down traffic. But that wasn’t the only reason traffic had been so slow. As I was listening to the radio, I heard of a crash landing of a plane at Pearson Airport. The news started to trickle slowly, and traffic started getting worse and worse. I moved 15 km in one hour, and as I looked at people around me, I saw a worried and concerned look on their faces. This time around I wasn’t frustrated with traffic as much as I was concerned with what happened, and hoping that the crash wasn’t bad.

The radio was reporting 4 lanes of the highway closed, leaving 3 open for through traffic. I was counting on getting through that section of the highway. But as I approached the airport I saw the plume of black smoke, and it hit me that the crash was a reality. All the sudden the highway was fully closed and I had to find a way around the traffic. I started looking for a map, and luckily I found one with all the regional highways. I somehow managed to reroute my way, looking at the map, and driving all at the same time. The 1.25 hour trip took 3.25 hours. But the stress of the traffic dissolved away when I heard that everyone survived the crash.

One of the things that truly bothered me about this experience is hearing about people who stopped their cars on the highway to just look at the crash. They didn’t just slow down, they stopped. Some were on the roofs of their cars, snapping pictures with their cell phones, hoping for some media outlet to buy their precious pictures. Ignorant people like that should have been ticketed by the police. It’s amazing how people can think of exploiting such situations!

On a brighter note, I was impressed by the quick reaction of the emergency vehicles and the cooperation between the airport and nearby cities to hospitalize the injured and evacuate the plane. Let’s hope the emergency crew will not have to face many of these situations anytime soon.

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