Feeling Euphoric...

The dream started a month back when I got a call from Mr. Saeed the managing director of LOGIC Holdings telling me that he wants to hang 20 of my photos in his cafe on the prestigious Rawdah Street here in Jeddah. Since that time I was in a tornado of decisions... Which photos to pick, what sizes to print, framed or canvas... oh so many choices and so little time...

I finally picked my 20 photos... 3 of them were actually settled upon minutes before I entered the print shop! The guys at Sahara were very precise and professional... 20 photos were done and framed in only 3 days! We then had to stay at the cafe from 2 AM till 6 AM hanging up the photos and making sure everything was ok... A big thanks goes to my lovely wife who endured the tiring stay and struggled to keep awake till we were done.

Then came Friday... the big day... the opening was scheduled at 9:30 PM but people actually started coming since 8:30! Thank God I was there since 7 making sure everything was perfect... I started getting a bit uneasy when only a few people showed up... but as soon as the clock struck 10 PM it was like a pipeline of people burst! Tables were filled, people flocked in, and I couldnt keep up as I was flying like a busy bee from one group to the other giving them a quick tour and answering their questions. Even the famous "Layalina" magazine was there to cover the event.

By 12:30 midnight... the last guest left the cafe and I collapsed on a chair near by.. what a night! I stared at my work hanging on those walls and felt a wide grin come over my face... This is what I dreamt of, this is what I was waiting for... my art and my passion hanging for all to see and enjoy...

In the end I just wana thank everyone who came and everyone who supported even if they were in another city or country... I cant find the words to thank you enough, you're all amazing!

What a Shame...

59 arrested after Egypt clashes

Published: Sunday, 13 May, 2007, 09:04 AM Doha Time

CAIRO: Egyptian security forces have arrested 59 Muslims who took part in clashes with Coptic Christians over church construction in a village south of Cairo, security sources said yesterday.
They said prosecutors ordered the arrests after taking the testimony of 10 Christians who were hurt in the clashes on Friday in which hundreds of villagers from both faiths fought with sticks and hurled bricks and firebombs at one another.

The sources said at least 10 Christian houses and five shops were gutted by fire during the clashes in the village of Behma, about 60km from the capital. Egyptian authorities were still assessing the damage.
Relations between Muslims and minority Coptic Christians in Egypt are generally peaceful despite sporadic violence, but restrictions on building churches have been one of the main grievances of Egypt’s mainly Coptic Christian community.

Christians comprise up to 10% of Egypt’s roughly 75mn people, with the remainder being primarily Sunni Muslim.
Security sources said rumours that village Christians did not have a permit for church construction had sparked anger among Muslims that turned to violence after Friday prayers when about 300 Muslims clashed with a group of about 200 Christians.

Security sources said Christians had told authorities that the Friday sermon at a village mosque had discussed ongoing church construction, sparking anger among worshippers who emerged from the mosque in a large group and then moved to the church, where clashes erupted.
Police intervened to stop the clashes and sealed off the village, initially detaining 17 people of both faiths, the sources said. They could not immediately say if any Christians remained in police custody.
A spokesman for Egypt’s interior ministry confirmed that around 500 Muslims had gathered after Friday prayers, and that the entrances to three homes had been set on fire. He said three people were hurt in the commotion but declined to characterise it as a clash. – Reuters

Cause Nothing Else Matters...

No I am not dedicating a post to this amazing song by Metallica... but actually to share something that happened in my office 2 days ago, which made me realize that what was worrying about the last week or more just isn't worth it...

An old Yemeni man stepped into my office, he looked tired and his clothes were dirty and torn... At first I thought he was going to ask for charity, especially when he handed me a piece of paper which I thought was going to contain some medical condition or plead... He gently asked me if I can dial the number that was written on this small piece of paper... I asked him to have a seat and dialed the number and entered the extension... once, twice, three times, no one was picking up... I told him we will give it one more try, and then the other party picked up the phone and I handed it back to the old man...

I turned away to my PC screen and left him to take his time talking... But my ear couldn't help but hear what he was saying as he was just a few steps away... It seems he called a secretary for a prince or maybe a high society VIP man... he was asking him for the rest of the money which the VIP had promised to help him with... It appears this man's daughter was in the hospital and suffering from kidney failure... she had an operation which cost around US$ 8000 and still needs another operation which will cost US$ 5000.... and to make matters worst, it seems this man and his family will be evicted soon from their home because he is late in paying his rent...

The man was close to tears as he was telling all this to the man on the other side of the phone line... I myself felt myself close to tears as I imagined myself in his shoes... You flesh and blood lying in the hospital in need of care, you are about to be sleeping in the streets cause you don't have rent money... At this point I felt all my problems and all my worries are just a grain of sand compared to what this guy is going through...

I felt I don't care about my problems at work (at least I have work, and it pays well) , I felt I don't care if some people misjudge me or don't accept me (at least I have a family and friends to care for me in time of troubles), I felt it doesn't matter if I don't have enough money to buy something I want or go out (at least I have a roof over my head and a warm bed to lay in), I felt I don't care if the medication I was taking for the past 6 months didn't give the proper results and I may not have children of my own (at least I am in perfect health and can enjoy life) ...

We always seem to get wrapped up in our own world, and forget to actually look at what we have, and just focus on what we don't have... If we just take a moment to remember those who are less fortunate, I think everyone will not feel depressed or down... We have a saying in Arabic, which roughly translates to: "He who sees the problems of others will feel that his problem is bearable"... That is so true...