Dear watchers and all, I would be glad if you would help me by filling out my survey on the research im conducting The email address to send the survey to is listed at the end of the survey

Here is the link to my survey
[link]

This one is the same but for older versions of windows, also Vista compatible

[link]


Its just a series of questions concerning photography. Pass it on please to your photography buddies.

Little Boy Blue
Come blow your horn
The sheep's in the meadow
The cow's in the corn

Where is that boy
Who looks after the sheep ?
Under the haystack
Fast asleep

Will you wake him?
Oh no, not I
For if I do
He will surely cry.


To all the little boy blues out there, including myself

Things you should maybe start to consider doing:

- Instead of throwing away water bottles (or other plastic bottles) collect them so that you can recycle them *

- Instead of throwing paper in the trash, also recycle it ( and the same applies to cans as well)

- Be more efficient in the supermarket and at gas stations and use LESS plastic bags. If you just bought gum, put it in your bag/pocket instead of taking it in a plastic bag.

- Stop throwing trash out the window of your car, it does NOT disappear just by throwing out the window. Keep a bag in your car for trash and when you're home throw it in the trash can. Are you really THAT lazy that you can't do this ?

- Close the lights and electricity sockets if you're leaving a room.

- Do not drive aggressively and stop harrassing people through aggressive driving ( la tlaflefoon 3la 5alg allah w tekseroon 3laihum ) remember that you could be not only putting yourself, but others in great danger. Imagine if someone was harrassing your parents, eylef 3alaihum, eydayemelhum fe share3 daa5eley o mb share3 3aam, ye'6rebelhum haranat 3ashan yesre3on o hum mb majboreen yesre3oon, how would you like that ?

- Acknowledge that only YOU are capable of making yourself happy, and do not expect someone or something to swoop into your life and make you happy.


*There are recycling stations at some gas stations.
I will make a list of the gas stations that do have recycling bins, in the meantime if anyone would help out and tell me that would be great

There is a recycling station at Aswaaq that is nearby Al Mizhar Mall in Al Mizhar.
Also there is a gas station in Al Twar that has a recycling station but I do not know the exact location.

There is also a recycling station in the parking lot of Beach Center in Jumeirah

Will update once I get the correct information

A couple of days ago something happened that really, REALLY bothered me.

I was sitting in the computer lab with my classmates waiting for our professor to show up. Girl # 1 says "I'm broke"
Girl # 2 says: "Its ok, university students are always broke"
Girl # 1 says: "Yeah, but thats never the case here."

Anyone else would not see anything wrong with what she said, but you see, I've noticed that girl # 1 always throws around sentences like "yeah theres so much bullshit in dubai".

So I just wanted to make sure if this girl was a racist/bigot, or just someone who doesn't like dubai, which is okay, she doesn't have to love it.

I said: "Why would you say that?"
Girl #1: "Say what ?"
I said: " That its never the case here?"
Girl # 1: "Because the most people have to worry about here is oh my dad didn't buy me a ferrari"
I said: "So even if that MIGHT be the case of the majority, that still does not mean you can say its the case of all."
Girl # 1: "You're one of them"
I said: " Why would you say that? Why would you assume that I am one of them? Because im a local so I must be filthy rich? You don't think I have an allowance like you do and I dont go broke like you do?"

Making the whole conversation short, she shut me up by saying that "Anyway, I wasn't talking to you I was talking to girl # 2" when she had no other way of justifying the fact that she just stereotyped me, and all the people who attended the university. That they're all spoiled brats who never went broke.

We have people from all different backgrounds in this unversity. Some who can barely afford the fees or are in on a scholarship, and people who CAN very much afford the fees and the whole university, but are not spoiled little brats. Should people of higher income be judged directly as spoilt? They have fairly worked and earned their money, so what gives others the right to judge them like so. Is it out of jealousy, spite or racial prejudice? I can't really tell in this case.

And if a man spoils his son/daughter by giving him/her an undeserved car should the man's personal choice affect the way the whole society is seen ? Is it fair ? I do not agree with the man's personal choice but I will not use HIS personal choice and personal life to LABEL ALL OTHERS in the society.

Which brings me to another issue. Why do people assume that all Emiraties are filthy rich, materialistic, spoilt and lazy ?
They might not say it to your face, but they say it alright. The hypocritical thing about it is that their lifestyles are very similar to ours if they are UAE residents.

Its simple: They come to live and work here, earn higher income, can afford luxuries, buy luxuries.
Emiratis live here, the majority started from the bottom, started from scratch, earned a higher income, were able to afford luxuries, and bought luxuries. Why should we be labeled as spoilt then if we have the same lifestyles ?

Second of all, there are so many emiratis that have financial issues and are not necessarily rich. And i bet they would be angry to hear that people are judging them before knowing their situation.

IM SICK AND TIRED OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT DUBAI. STOP BITCHING AND WHINING, YOU CHOSE THIS LIFESTYLE FOR A REASON AND MAKE THE BEST OUT OF IT, APPRECIATE IT AND DONT BE A BRAT.

SICK AND TIRED OF PEOPLE STEREOTYPING LOCALS, AND EVEN JUST STEREOTYPING IN GENERAL

IM SICK AND TIRED OF PEOPLE WHO MAKE NO EFFORT OF HAVING THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM, AND THINKING THAT THEIR CULTURE IS SUPERIOR TO EMIRATI CULTURE: JUST BECAUSE IT SEEMS RIGHT FOR YOU DOES NOT MEAN IT SEEMS RIGHT FOR OTHERS

AND IM SICK AND TIRED OF PEOPLE THINKING LOCALS ONLY ARE MATERIALISTIC

I DO NOT AGREE WITH MATERIALISM BUT SHMA3NA YOM AY JENSEYEH THANYEH TELBASLEK MARKAAT MN FOG LAIN TA7AT MA7AD EYGOL SHAY BS YOM MWA6EN YLBAS MARKAAT GALO MATERIALISTIC?? ISNT THAT HYPOCRITICAL??

AND IF YOU DONT LIKE DUBAI THEN FIIIIINE YOU DONT HAVE TO LIKE IT Y3LKUM YOU NEVER LIKE IT B3D BS THAT DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO LOOK DOWN ON LOCALS, JUDGE THEM and HATE THEM

no one has the right to stereotype ANYONE. Stop stereotyping.
Nas mafeehum 5air wallah.

I think my head exploded a little. But I'm actually in a good mood today despite my rant

Maybe my cynicism was toned down a little, but three years later and I still find myself to be a cynic. Only, I dont show it as much as I used to. I still have the same thoughts running through my head, the possibly very pessimistic thoughts, however they don't come rushing out of my mouth anymore. Not because I am less of a cynic than I was before, but I became so much of a cynic that I don't even want to bother saying those thoughts out loud. It's much easier to save myself the energy.

Thats the most I've ever said cynic in a while

Pushing my personal issues aside, I've been trying to be more active in DA again and reconnect with my fellow DAers.

I want to talk now, let my thoughts out and have them clash (or run aside) with other's thoughts.
I want to listen to what others have to say, how others feel and what they have to offer.

To whoever was reading my journal.. tell me what you have to say for today
talk about aaaaaanything you want