Direct Idiom Translation

I think some of the funniest things for any bilingual person to do is to directly translate idioms from one language into another. So here’s my crude attempt at doing so..

Arabic Idiom: Ra2bti saddadeh (you can rely on me or I got your back)
Direct Translation: My neck is a cork

Arabic Idiom: 3ala rasi (It’s my pleasure)
Direct Translation: On my head

Arabic Idiom: Sa7a (bless you)
Direct Translation: Health

Arabic Idiom: ta3abak ra7a (a courteous way to say “no problem”)
Direct Translation: Your tiredness is comfort [to me]

Arabic Idiom: sho jab la jab (there’s no comparison)
Direct Translation: what brings to bring

Arabic Idiom: Il ird b3en immo ghazal (said to one who believes all that’s associated with him/her is the best)
Direct Translation: A monkey in his mother’s eye is a gazal

Arabic Idiom: mitl il sha3ra min al 3ajeen (said to note how easy something is to do)
Direct Translation: Like a hair out of dough

Arabic Idiom: tehriya bil hana (said to someone who’s showing you a new article of clothing or shoes they just bought)
Direct Translation: wear it out in happiness

Arabic Idiom: Mabrook (congratulations, a more common way of saying the idiom above)
Direct Translation: Blessed

Arabic Idiom: m7ammelni jmeleh (said to someone who did something good to you and keeps reminding you of it)
Direct Translation: Load me a beautiful

Arabic Idiom: Ma bisadi2 il khara gher la yara (said to someone who won’t believe what your saying to them)
Direct Translation: The shit won’t believe until he sees

Well, that’s all I got for now. I’m sure more will cross my mind, and perhaps some will comments with funny ones they thought of.

technorati tags: langauge, arabic, english, idioms, translation, idiom

The Media's Biased Coverage of Gemayel's Assiassination

I can’t help but notice the sheer bias in CNN’s, as well as other news agencies’ reporting, on the recent assassination in Lebanon. First of all let me clarify that I’m not here to lay blame, or defend a certain party, country, or coalition for that matter. What I have noticed though, is the quick condemnation of the assassination, and the even quicker accusation of Syria’s involvement.

I was surprised to see headline titles on CNN saying “Anti-Syrian Lebanese minister assassinated.” The newscasters always mentioned “anti-Syrian” next to “assassination” in a clear attempt to get the viewers to connect the assassination to Syria. There are many ways the minister could be described other than “anti-Syrian” unless you purposely want that characteristic to stick in peoples minds. As a matter of fact, I learned that Gemayel was an anti-Syrian, before learning that he was the Industry Minister!

In an interview with Rime Allaf on the day of the assassination, CNN’s anchor was not satisfied with Rime’s comment that “it’s too early to start pointing fingers”. In her relentless attempt at condemning Syria, the anchor presented all kinds of arguments all of which lacking depth, and for that matter, fact. It’s as if the anchor was instructed to accuse Syria no matter how logical Rime’s counter argument was. Rime, by the way, is a harsh critic of the Syrian regime, and in my mind, will never go out of her to defend Syria if she didn’t truly believe that it was genuinely too early to tell who to blame. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for other critics of the Syrian regime.

The ignorant, plain biased coverage, reminded me of the days when CNN repeated the “facts” pointing to Iraq’s involvement in the 9/11 attacks, and the obvious, and quire eminent threat that Saddam’s “stockpiles of WMD’s” presented. Weapons that were ready to be used any minute against innocent American civilians. Of course, no weapons were ever found, and the only civilians dying are innocent Iraqis, as a direct consequence of an illegal American occupation.

I honestly feel as if the major networks don’t even care about their journalistic credibility anymore. Anchors ask carefully worded questions, such that their answers fit the pre-determined notion they initially wanted to hear. The way the recent assassination has been covered is a perfect proof of that.

technorati tags: media, bias, coverage, assassination, lebanon, syria, politics, gemayel, cnn

Saying farewell to the Dokaneh

You can see a dokaneh on the right of this picture. This is not the dokaneh talked about in this post

If you know anybody who grew up in Syria, then chances are they will have many stories to tell about the “dokaneh” they used to frequent as kids. Dokaneh is a term that describes a mini grocery shop selling common everyday supplies, and most importantly: chips and candy. In any typical street in Damascus your are bound to find at least one dokaneh, where the owner is sitting outside sipping tea and eating (fasfes) sunflower seeds.

As a kid I would visit the dokaneh nearest to my house on a daily basis. My mom typically gave me my daily allowance after school (which ended at 12:30 in the afternoon). I would then run, or later, bike to the dokaneh to spend my allowance on chips and candy. Upon arriving to the dokaneh I would quickly figure out the best combination of candy and chips that I can get for my money. Everyday would be a slightly different combination, all depending on what I felt like eating on that particular day.

In the summer time my cousins would arrive from the UAE and Saudi and we would make group trips to the dokaneh. Our most frequented dokaneh was Abu Ahmad’s, whose dokaneh, was, and still is, located at the end of our Hara (ally). Abu Ahmad’s brother, Abu Shawqi also had a dokaneh meters away from Abu Ahmad’s, but we never went to his dokaneh, although he sold my favourite pop brand “Jallab.” Abu Shawqi had messy hair, always wore a frown on his face, and had a grubby looking, unpainted dokaneh. Based on location, candy selection, and relative friendliness, my cousins and I decided to make Abu Ahmad’s our dokaneh of choice.

His dokaneh had a few tables at the front, where he displayed tens of items including hard candy and gum. In the back he had two fridges where he kept his commercial bought, and homemade popsicles. His homemade popsicles were made out of diluted plain yogurt, with a bit salt to give it the required punch. All in all, Abu Ahmad supplied us with the sugar and calcium needed for all the running, biking, and soccer games that characterized our summers.

This year when I visited Syria, I noticed that Abu Ahmad had renovated his dokaneh with large glass windows sealing the dokaneh from the street. I’m not sure why, but I didn’t actually go in the dokaneh, although looking back on it now, I think I should have went in and relived the dokaneh experience.

A few days ago my mom came to my room and told me “Abu Ahmad passed away.” After asking her whom she referred to, all she had to say was “sa7ib dokaneh” for me to know who it was. Farewell Abu Ahmad, you will be remembered.

Ohhh... you should have said that from the beginning

Ooops! It turns out it was a technical failure... you know the artillery shell that killed 18 sleeping civilians, the majority of which were children and women.. The IDF is so cute sometimes, don't they just kill you

We're so quick to judge sometimes... sometimes your finger slips and you push a button that your not supposed to, can we cut them some slack here?!

I guess these stats were also due to technical failures

GAZA DEAD SINCE END OF JUNE

Total: 247 fatalities

155 civilian deaths

57 deaths of children

996 wounded, including 337 children (34%)

Source: Physicians for Human Rights (28 June to 27 Oct)

It's amazing how such an advanced military power could have so many technical failures..

technorati tags: israel, massacre, palestine, technical, failure, civilian, deaths, war, crime

The Secret to Watching Reality TV

Unless you have been asleep for the last few years, you’re probably annoyed, as you should, of all the reality TV shows. Somehow designing rooms in houses suddenly picked up huge interest, along with watching people struggle to lose weight, and watching ugly people get transformed into beautiful ‘entities’. Networks are racing to come up with new ideas, whether it’s a new twist on having someone voted off an island, or to dress someone up in brand new clothes.

There must be over 40 different variations on re-decoration shows, about 20 variations on people going on diets, about 10 on aspiring artists, a handfull on plastic surgeries, quite a few on car revamping, and well over 100 on people getting voted off something!

What do all these shows have in common? You only need to watch the last five minutes of the show, to know the outcome of the episode. This is the secret about watching reality TV that networks don't want you to know about. That’s how pathetic these shows are. They rely on having the audience griped to their TV sets for half an hour or an hour, following up on mind numbing details, just so they can see the outcome at the end of the show. Let’s face it people. Do you care to know that Paul Jr. had trouble fitting the exhaust manifold on the chopper’s engine, or that the homeowner didn’t like the paint colour, or that Julie gained all her weight after a car accident, or that Jimmy caught a fish to feed his tribe?

Of course not!

I want to watch shows that make me think, wonder, analyze, laugh, feel sad, happy, nervous, etc. All of which reality TV doesn’t supply me with. I want to see more shows like Lost, the Sopranos, and Seinfeld. Shows that have more depth than “Temptation Island” or “Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire?” Let’s resist the fad and ask for higher quality television.

technorati tags: reality, tv, television, quality, shows, survivor, networks, crap

2006 Halloween Experience

The night started with me going to buy gift wrap and ribbons for my “God’s Gift to Women” costume. At about 8:30 I started making my costume, which was much more challenging that I thought. Wearing paper is no easy task, especially when there’s a 20 minutes car ride involved. Here are some pictures from last night:

I can't believe I actually went out like this in public!

First lucky woman to receive her gift

Arabs dressed... well... as Arabs

Mario, princess, and Luigi

The funniest costume that I saw was this one guy dressed as a cowboy. He had has pants pulled down, and a fake ass sticking out. He was one of the guys from Brokeback Mountain... LOL!

More pics on flickr soon..

technorati tags: Halloween, costumes, party, arabs, mario, gift, wrap