Chronicles of the Newbie Expat - part II (Dreaming of Wheels)

So here I am, settling in - in a far away land that rains and thunders in the summer and is filled with wildlife and lush green landscapes :). I've just gone through a hectic orientation week and my first week of classes.

The transportation is good. It's better than having a car :). The walking and biking is healthy and fun. I bought a bike the second or third day I was here because I was fed up of getting soaked by torrential rain on my 30 minute treks to downtown.

I went on lovely trips to NYC and Philadelphia! Princeton is up next :).

After a long, never-ending walking excursion to NYC I got off the train and was looking forward to riding my new bike home. I exited the station and scanned the bike racks for my precious bike.

Hmmm ... thats not my bike ... nope, not that either or that or that or that ...

I went back and forth for a few seconds around the area where I remembered I had parked it and locked it up. Then I started focusing on each one in the rows of metal bars, seats and rubber. Then I saw it! My precious bike was there :) but it was no longer fit for the definition of bike :(. IT HAD NO WHEELS! I blinked once, twice, again and again. I laughed to myself to overcome the disbelief. My bike's front and back wheels were gone!



I had bought a lock that locked the wheels along with the bike frame to a pole. Before leaving for NYC in the morning, I thought to myself who would steal the wheels in front of the train station. It was a lively public area. There was no way someone would risk stealing them here. I was wrong of course. I ignored the wheels and just locked the frame of the bike to the rack. The wheels were actually designed to be easy to clip off. I didn't know it was that easy :D.

Now I have to get myself a new pair of wheels :D

Chronicles of the Newbie Expat - part I

My journey of becoming an expat started last Saturday. I flew out of Egypt (my primary homeland) and headed for my second homeland. I hadn't been to the UK for just less than 2 years. As usual I loved it and loved the spirit of adventure that came hand-in-hand with travelling and discovery of new places. Despite this, I couldn't help feeling a longing to go back to the life I was leaving behind. It was a stable life - el humdulilah. Now I felt like I was stepping into the abyss of the unknown. These bubbling emotions were not much to do with the fear of being alone and fending for myself. I didn't fear living or surviving on my own. I looked forward to building up my life and career in my new home. It was more to do with the deep longing to stay with what I was leaving behind. There are numerous things I will miss dearly.

I look forward to the day I reunite with these things...

Dwarf Planets (Poor Pluto)

In 2006 formerly classified planet, Pluto was striped of its planet status and reclassified as a dwarf planet.



The key difference between the otherwise identical planet and dwarf planet is the fact that dwarfs share their orbit space with other objects with similar sizes. In the end stages of planet formation, a planet will have cleared the neighbourhood of its own orbital zone, meaning it has become gravitationally dominant. This means that there are no other bodies of comparable size other than its own satellites or those otherwise under its gravitational influence. The current definition of a planet adopted by the International Astronomical Union only includes those bodies which have "cleared the neighbourhood of its orbit." A large body which meets the other criteria for a planet but has not cleared its neighbourhood is classified as a dwarf planet. In Pluto's case, it shares its orbital neighbourhood with a distinct population of objects called the Kuiper belt (Pluto is the largest of these objects).

NB: Astronomers and other experts are debating the definition of a dwarf planet and whether or not Pluto should be classified as one.

Persistence...

“It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer” - Einstein

Circadian Rhythm - The "Biological Clock"

The Circadian Rhythm is what we call informally - the "biological clock". This rhythm is a roughly-24-hour cycle in the biochemical, physiological or behavioral processes of living entities. Circadian rhythms are generated from within living organisms and can be synchronized by external events, called Zeitgebers. The primary Zeitgebers is daylight. These rhythms allow organisms to anticipate and prepare for precise and regular environmental changes.



The main biological clock in mammals is located in part of the brain (the suprachiasmatic nucleus - SCN). Destruction of the SCN results in the complete absence of a regular sleep/wake rhythm. The SCN receives information about illumination through the eyes. The retina of the eyes contains not only photoreceptors but also photoresponsive cells. These cells, which contain a photo pigment are linked to the SCN. If cells from the SCN are removed and cultured, they maintain their own rhythm in the absence of external triggers (interesting!). It appears that the SCN takes the information on day length from the retina, interprets it, and passes it on to the pineal gland. In response the pineal secretes the hormone melatonin. Secretion of melatonin peaks at night and recedes during the day.

There are many health problems associated with disturbances of the human circadian rhythm. Disruption to the rhythm usually has a negative effect. Many travelers have experienced the condition known as jet lag, with its associated symptoms of fatigue, disorientation and insomnia. A number of other disorders are associated with irregular functioning of circadian rhythms. Disruption to rhythms in the longer term is believed to have significant adverse health consequences on peripheral organs outside the brain, particularly in the development or exacerbation of cardiovascular disease. The suppression of melatonin production associated with the disruption of the circadian rhythm may increase the risk of developing cancer.

NB: A number of studies have concluded that a short period of sleep during the day, a power-nap, does not have any effect on normal circadian rhythm, but can decrease stress and improve productivity.


[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circadian_rhythm#Origin]

Savant Syndrome & Extraordinary People

Savant syndrome is not a recognized medical diagnosis but researchers define it as a rare case where a person has developmental disorders but has one or more areas of expertise, abilities or brilliance.

A well-known case is Kim Peek the real person behind the character played by Dustin Hoffman in the film Rain Man. Around 50% of savants are autistic and the other half suffer from various disorders. Kim Peek is a savant but is not autistic. He has a photographic memory and can read a book in about an hour (speed reading) and remember about 98.7% of everything he has read. He can recall the content of 12,000 books from memory :D. He is also a natural calculator. The fame he received due to being the "real rain man" has improved his social skills.

There are other well-known savants including writers and musicians. Some people develop their abilities later in life as a result of an accident, illness or trauma. Alonzo Clemons was a normal boy until he suffered brain damage as a result of a fall. After that he could build accurate animal sculptures from clay using his photographic memory. Some scientists believe the potential to become a genius is actually in all people but is hidden by normal functioning intellect. Savants suffer from damage to the brain which disrupts normal functioning and allows the brain to access these hidden skills.

There are some extraordinary people out there. I saw some documentaries about these people. A young boy who lost his eyesight due to disease could actually "see" using sound waves. A man that can survive unbelievably cold temperatures. A woman that can see sound in the form of color ribbons. Rudiger Gamm is a mental calculator who gained his amazing ability at the age of 21. He can calculate complex math in his head. He can also speak complete sentences backwards :D. He can also calculate calenders and has proved mathematic theories due to his remarkable ability. Rudiger Gamm gained his ability almost overnight as he was reading a book of numbers which had a table of the powers of numbers. He says that anyone can do what he does, "There is just a table of numbers to learn then anyone can do it". His case was examined and he was not classified as a savant but rather as a case of genetics. You can see a clip about him here. You'll find more links to extraordinary people from there.

This is interesting stuff!

Types of Intelligence

Psychologist Howard Gardner proposed a "theory of multiple intelligences" to more accurately define the concept of intelligence and to address whether techniques of measuring intelligence were scientifically sound.

He classified intelligence into the following:

1. Bodily-kinesthetic (intelligence linked to physical activities)
2. Interpersonal (intelligence in interaction with others)
3. Verbal-linguistic (spoken and writing intelligence)
4. Logical-mathematical (intelligence in logic, abstractions, reasoning and numbers)
5. Naturalistic (nature, nurture and relating info to one's natural surroundings)
6. Intrapersonal (introspective and self-reflective capacity)
7. Visual-spatial (visual and spatial judgment)
8. Musical (intelligence in rhythm, music and hearing)

The classification was originally seven but Gardner later added an eighth (Naturalistic intelligence).

Gardner also suggested and explored other intelligences including spiritual, existential and moral but excluded them from the classification because they overlapped with the 8 above and were hard to determine compared to the other intelligences.


So which is your strongest intelligence?

Full article: here

Movie Mania: Benjamin Button and Slumdog

I've watched two movies this past week and both have blown me away.

The first is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and the second is Slumdog Millionaire.

My advice is go watch them both! They're both intriguing films.

The first one started me thinking about how if we had experience in life at a young age, how different we would live our life - in other words - If I had all the experience of years of living, how different would I live my life as a youngster. It also got me thinking about how similar our lives are at the beginning and near the end. We need to be taken care of and nursed on both ends of the line. We loose control over our brain. We no longer become conscious of our memories.

The Slumdog movie was thrilling! It's a symbol of love and hope. Lots more in there by the way, so you should check it out.

Pretty interesting films!

Farewell of Fury

Farewells...I hate them but we can't live without them. Unfortunately we have to bid farewell sometimes and take alternative paths in life. Today is my first day in that alternative path and I'm caught in a nostalgia of the past year and eight months. I'll miss is, but after all, changes are the spices of life. Without them life would be dull and monotonous. A change is needed every once in a while :D.

I was given a farewell fit for the famous :D. I was beaten up, written on, pushed around, sat on, poked with a fork, chased around, given a beautiful and tasty cake and was about to be put in the shower with my clothes on. There was even an attempt to take off my shoes and tickle me to death :). What a farewell!!!! :D. It was fun.
All in the name of fun and the expression of joy to see me leave...lol.

This is what I looked like after the farewell. Unfortunately i didn't have my camera that day so you'll have to accept the primitive quality of the cake-picker's iphone :P.

Facebook Withdraws New Terms

Facebook, after much opposition, has reverted its terms to the old one prior to the recent changes. Thank goodness!

See the previous post for information regarding the changes Facebook made to its terms of service.

Facebook Owns You

I just heard the news that Facebook has updated its terms of service.
Now it claims that it owns or at least shares your uploaded content!!!
It gives them the right to use and sublicense your uploaded content in anyway they see fit (though they claim fairplay!) even after you "delete" anything. They can use your photos in ads for example. They can use your name, image and likeness for commercial purposes and advertisement.



Of course a reaction has been boiling up against this change. 80,000+ users joined a group protesting these new terms ("People Against the new Terms of Service (TOS)"). What happened to Facebook! It is no longer the little innocent startup; they have transformed into another evil empire :S. They even hold the right to use content you have deleted from their network!!!!! This is outrageous! The other social networks are not like this. Twitter has no intellectual right to your content. Myspace can use your non-private content for myspace services only and this right is deleted with the deletion of the content. Youtube also claims a limited license to your uploaded videos and this halts after deletion.

This is an insidious move by Facebook!

For a detailed description, visit here

The Slow Suffocation

I was on my way to a shop in a populated district of Cairo one day. I usually try to avoid this area due to its packed streets and traffic-jams. I had to circle a number of times around my target destination to find a parking spot. The streets were unbelievably packed, either side. Rows and rows of cars lining the tiny streets. In many cases there were two rows of cars parked and cars parked on the sidewalks. Sidewalks literally do not exist in most of Cairo. This left only one tiny lane for cars to move through, and in many cases for the cars to move through both ways.

Its an absolute disgrace and should be at the top of someone's priorities. In some cases in Haram (a Western district of Cairo which contains the Great Pyramids of Giza) there are roads that to me look more like a mountain range of dusty asphalt than an actual drivable road. I seriously can't believe that there is governance that have overlooked this for a very long time. Its more like the place is governing itself and the people are struggling along.

There are two vital roads that are traffic arteries in the Haram area. They decided to build a flyover connection which goes along one of them. Fair enough. This has been going on for a long time now and has literally blocked the this artery. I try to avoid it altogether. To make things worse they have decided to also start construction on the other vital road. They are doing something about the rubbish-filled Nile tributary which runs along the middle of the road. They are filling it up or something. So now you have two critical routes blocked with construction. I spent a hell of a long time in one of them a few days ago. Unfortunately I'm going to have to make that same trip again so I'm praying for a skycar or something to get me passed the hordes of cars, trucks and lorries.

Hoping for the best...

Indians in Space (Chandrayaan)

October of last year, India sent up its first space mission. It sent up Chandrayaan-1 which consisted of a lunar orbiter and an impacter. The impacter separated from the orbiter and hit the surface of the moon releasing debris which was analyzed for water/ice. The orbiter will map the surface of the moon. Already images of the deep moon craters have been beamed back.



India has become the fourth country after the US, Russia and Japan to put its flag on the moon. This is quite an achievement. It shows that India is a force to be reckoned with. In the 1960s American products were boosted by the US missions into space. The missions were seen as a sign of technological advancement in all aspects, not just space flight. Japan visited the moon in 1990, China sent probes up into lunar orbit and now India successfully completes its first event in the exploration of our moon. This definitely gives a boost to Indian technology. They have already developed the worlds cheapest car. Despite the enormous poverty they are on the right track in the technological sector.

Stellar Navigation (Finding Polaris)

I don't think many people know how to navigate using the stars. I know that there is a one in a million chance that you'd be stuck in the middle of nowhere and only have the stars to guide you.

I think its just something interesting to know which may, you never know, save your life. It's very simple. To find North you need to look for Polaris (The North Star). People usually think Polaris is very bright. It isn't actually. It is just surrounded by rather dim stars so it stands out a bit.

The first thing you have to do is look for a particular constellation called "The Big Dipper". It is also known as "Ursa Major". It looks like this:



Once you have found this constellation, you should line up the two stars at the end of the bowl part of the constellation. If you line them up and extend that line you should meet a star directly along its path that is brighter than its adjacent stars. This is Polaris. This star always points in the Northern direction.

Disturbing Times...

The UK has officially gone into recession. The world is feeling the pressures of the credit crunch. The financial situation is on the edge of peoples' minds and tips of their tongues. An Egyptian man reportedly lost a large sum of money and killed his sleeping family with an axe to keep them out of the misery.

The conflict in the Middle East still pluming with smoke. Israel has left many people dead, injured and suffering in Gaza. With the hypocritical withdrawal of Israel forces from Gaza a day or two before Obama enters the white house, the region is far from stable. Rumors of spies has been reiterated around Gaza and there have been reports of acts of retaliation against accused spies who helped the Israeli bombardment.



There was a sign of hope with Obama's win and promise of change. He took office and signed for the closing of Guantanamo Bay and halted all prosecutions there. Despite this he did not mention anything about the crisis in Gaza. He did not utter a word. There have also been two strikes since he took office on an area of Pakistan suspected of having links to terrorism. People have died because of the strikes.
Maybe there won't be any change!
I really hope just foreign policy and rightful diplomacy is displayed by the Obama administration.

I truly hope there are bright jovial days to come.

Forgotten Fun

I went sandboarding again yesterday. This time we went to a place with higher dunes called Kataneya. I have to admit I haven't had that much fun in ages. I think I forgot what it was like to have fun :). Seriously...the scenery was breathtaking, the boarding was thrilling, the company was hilarious, the picture taking was great and the weather was crisp. The azure skies and the yellow sea of sand engulfed us into its beauty and spellbinding silence.

Night fell...slowly but surely the sun went down below the horizon leaving its trail of red tainted sky and cotton wool clouds. The shadows grew and the darkness slowly spread its cloak over the surrounding desert. The stars and planets came out of hiding and twinkled with a brightness and clarity unknown to city dwellers.

The trip was almost perfect :D







You know how much you enjoyed a trip by the memories it leaves you...

Whale Valley & Sandboarding

I had a blast yesterday! I went on a trip to Wadi el-hitan (The Valley of Whales). It was a trip of many first-timers. It was the first time that I went on an off-road trip in the Western desert. It was the first time I sandboarded.

It was amazing to see the flat plains just West of 6 of October city turn to rocky formations of cliffs and wind carved structures. The terrain then morphed into a flat pebble filled desert. Then we came to the valley of whales which once was home to numerous prehistoric species and the Tethys Sea. This was a feeding ground which brought together many species some 25 million years ago. The whales had scrawny legs back then! :D. Although some on the trip disliked the notion of going through all this trouble to see a pile of bones, I was lost in imagination. I could picture the water beasts and amphibious creatures of age and was astonished at how different it had become.



The day was running late as we dined on barbecued burgers and kofta. We were dreading the sun setting on us without us experiencing sandboarding. We got to a dune some time later and made our way up. OUCH! for me and my full stomach, it was 1000 times worse than the worst workout I had ever done.

The first time I went down I stubbornly insisted on sliding down with my shoes on. Unfortunately my shoes were not properly fit into the straps and so I fell like a boomerang across the face of the dune. The board was attached to my foot by a heel strap and so I couldn't get loose. I learned my lesson and did what everyone was doing. I took off my shoes. Thank goodness I was able to actually sandboard then. I didnt fall much after that until after I completed the dune and hit level pebbly sand.



The journey back to Cairo was a blast too. We sang all the way back. We sang an African camp song which Pablo (our Spanish trip-mate) taught us...:D.

I will hopefully be doing this soon isA. I look forward to it.

Ghandi's Seven Evils

Mahatma Gandhi's wisdom on "Traits Most Spiritually Perilous to Humanity"

Wealth Without Work

Pleasure Without Conscience

Science Without Humanity

Knowledge Without Character

Politics Without Principal

Commerce Without Morality

Worship Without Sacrifice


Wow, very intense words. If you think about them you'll find that they are indeed true.

New Pyramid Discovered!

Egypt truly is the land of the pyramids and hosts one of the greatest heritages man has to cherish. There have been 100+ pyramids discovered in Egypt. I'm sure there are many more buried in the dunes of time. Two alone were discovered this year - one this last month.

One clear day I went up to the Moqattam plateau in the heart of Cairo and could count about five pyramids lined up across, where the western desert meets the Nile banks. I could see the three on the Giza plateau, the Djozer stepped pyramid of Sakkara and as I recall two from the Dahshur pyramids (the bent and the red pyramids). The great pyramid of Khufu is the last remaining ancient wonder of the world. The bent and red pyramids were built for king Snefru (father of Khufu). I haven't actually been to Sakkara and Dahshur. I can't believe I haven't...hopefully soon...



I'm surprised I haven't written more about Ancient Egypt, especially since I've been deeply fascinated by it ever since I was a kid. I even contemplated doing an Egyptology major in university - that would have really changed my life! :D

The link to the latest pyramid discovery:
HERE

Speak Up!

Sometimes you speak up and express your opinion and find the whole world opposing your views and ridiculing them. This is unpleasant and sometimes hard to deal with. However hurtful it may seem it is much better than being perpetually silent and keeping yourself shut up for the fear of ridicule. As long as the words you say are carefully measured and fit between the boundaries of the context in which they are inserted then you can feel confident to speak up and be heard. Make sure that the words you speak are also hurting in anyway to anyone your listeners.



Just as a warning somethings should not be said at certain times, at particular places or to specific people. Carefully weigh your words before you say them. Remember the adage, "look before you leap" and "think before you speak". If you are speaking in the context of a meeting about a certain subject then don't hesitate to challenge others and express your point of view of course without saying anything that could be found religiously or personally offending. Keeping yourself shut up is contagious to ones self. You'll keep taking the easy way out and silencing yourself.

On another thought, some people are amazing talkers but horrible listeners. I think to make a good speaker one must possess the patience and ability to listen to others and absorb the information before reacting. Speaking and listening compliment each other. People think and speak at different speeds so adapt yourself to different types of people.