Thursday, March 15, 2007

Being Artistic...

Photos from my last visit to Cairo... If you like them, I will post more here soon, or you can follow my work through my gallery.




Guardians of the Path by =DJVue on deviantART




Our Great Fathers by =DJVue on deviantART




Diversity of Nature by =DJVue on deviantART



Another Day in Cairo by =DJVue on deviantART

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Still wondering what's next...

No, still no blogging about my vacation to Cairo, seems it will take a while for me to regain my mood to blog about the good stuff in my life...

I met with our vice president last week, and he gave it to me point-blank: "The current situation will continue for another 3 to 4 months, even more... The company is passing through some tough financial times and even the travel agency might be the first to close down..."

Well I guess that put an end to thinking! I am on a sinking ship, and its either stay on and hope that they manage to close up the hole at the bottom... or just abandon ship!

On the other hand, I had an interview with the Business Development Manager of the company I applied to... The guy was very pleasant and he seemed to be well educated and knows what the heck he is talkin about. I actually enjoyed this interview and felt at ease talkin to him... But he did surprise me with a question in the middle of our conversation: "Who do you consider as your idol in leadership? Who do you look up to?"

I stared at him a bit for a second, then told him: my dad! He smiled and asked if I would like to add someone else... I told him I do consider Anwar Al-Sadat as a good leader... and in the Field of business I have to say Mohammed Bin Rashed Al-Maktoom.

Anyway enough with the Jeopardy game... I am expecting their proposal and contract in my email today or tomorrow, and afterwards I have the biggest and the most feared task: meeting up with my general manager to tell him I am quitting, only 2 months before high season!!! And the funny thing is, he doesn't know I met up with our vice president! So as the sly man I know him to be, he will try every trick in the book to pressure me to stay... This wont be easy...

Thursday, March 08, 2007

God have mercy on our youth

This is an actual conversation that happened between 3 young Saudi girls on the day of Ashoraa ... lets call girl 1 "L" , girl 2 "B" , and girl 3 "M"... Note that M is fasting, while L & B are having lunch...

L: Hey M, you want some of this salad?
M: No thanks, I am fasting
B: Really? Why?
M: Today is day of Ashoraa, dont you know??
L: nope, so why are you fasting it?
B: Dont you know that if you fast this day, Allah forgives your sins for the past year? Whats wrong with you girl?
L: And like... is this "guaranteed"?
B: Of corse its guaranteed! Allah said so didnt he??!! It's guaranteed, right M?
M (smiling in denial of what she's hearing) : yes of corse... hope you girls make it next year...
B: yeah of corse
L: yeah, I bet we got alot we want to be forgotten (L&B start laughing)

I would just like to add that M is only 18 years old, while B & L are in their mid 20s... I would like to leave the comment to you guys, tell me who's fault is this? And how can we build a strong Mulsim Nation with such ignorance of basic Islamic knowledge and teachings? Really, may Allah have mercy on us all...

Friday, March 02, 2007

Looking for the dream job

Seems I will break the chain of writing about my trip to Cairo to blog about a dangerous step I am thinking of taking in my life...
The situation at work is getting very bad... It first started when our salaries were late for the month of December, then January, and now February!
In addition to that... more and more employees are leaving, and our management are getting more and more strict for God knows what reason...
They are closing down downloads, MSN, increasing working hours, refusing to give us half day on Thursday (though other bigger agencies get that) ... You would think that with all the other shitt goin on, that they would try to win us over in order not to get us upset about the late salaries and expired medical insurance (I didn't mention the medical insurance did I?)
The bottom line is that its getting really bad and I have lost all will to work...

I started looking for other openings... I sent my CV to a new travel company which advertised in a local newspaper, and they called me yesterday for an interview next week...
Also my ex-manager at Zahid contacted me about an opening in a new airline company, and I am supposed to attend their training sessions the next 2 days...
I even sent my CV and applied online at companies such as Unilever and P&G...
Let's hope for the best...

I keep thinking that maybe if I managed to get the Saudi Nationality everything would be better, at least I can move as I please without thinking about the Labor Office and transfer of sponsorship and all that shitt the Saudi Government puts in our way as expatriates... Not to mention the idea of "Saudiazation" which I think is total Bull, if a person was an experienced and qualified good employee, he would sell himself and companies would hire him/her, no matter what nationality he/she carries... You don't have to FORCE a company to hire someone...
Anyway I will dedicate a full post to Saudiazation later on cause I have ALOT to say about it...

I ask Allah to help me make the best choice to help me in my career and life... I am tired of wrong decisions... So tired....