535) Volume III: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY M.O.H.@.L.Y.I.C.S!

Today M.O.H.@.L.Y.I.C.S starts its 3rd year. At 12pm on the 27th of February 2007 in SpotLight Street in Hurghada, this blog was born.

Since then 535 posts, 3859 comments were posted in 1035 web pages, 19788 visitors paid 76927 visits creating 151,546 pageviews from 112 countries.

Most visiting countires are Egypt (59%), USA (14%), UAE (5%), Morocco (4%), UK (3%), Germany (2%), Australia (2%), Saudi Arabia (1%), Switzerland (1%), & Canada (1%).

Average Time on Site is 4 mins per visit; i.e. visitors had spent 2603 hours on this blog since it started. 31% is the average perecentage of new vists.

Most Visited Posts: 7eena Maysara (post 350), Reem Abaza (post 250), Hassan we Morcos (post 438), Kiss wala 7araj (post 374), Gumus-Noor Mania (post 457), Toltomeya we Talatashar (post 313), Sex Education (post 443), El Shabab wel Hegab (post 417), 3ayza Atgawez book (post 394), Obama dream and reality (post 493).

Not bad for an English blog in an Arab country I guess :)

Thank you for keeping me posting, without you comments, it would have been dull. Special thanks to the 12 main followers, and the frquent visitors... Thanks Omar for your presense and quick comments, Thanks a lot MONA for the valuable contributions, Thanks to El Za3eema Shaimaa & the presistent Elham. Thanks Ola (frustrated), Noly, Nerma, Nerro, the beautiful Nourita, Amr, Yasmine, Amina, Gjoe, the naughty Titi, Brownie, Gee, Fatima, the Geeks Bo2bo2 & Embee, and all frequent commenters and visitors, and of course the princess of Humor: Saralona :) I miss some people from first year mainly Khateeb, Gypo,Yasmine Farahat, and Yasmine Ismail.

I hope that we will be together till we celebrate the completion of the 3rd year as we started it together. Wish you all the best, and Happy Anniversary :)

Mohaly

534) Egyptians & Mubarak: 10,000 days!

I don't know if it is a coincidence that the reputable Galal Amin publishes his new book about Egyptians under the rule of Mubarak with the 10,000 day of his presidency! But in all cases, Galal Amin - as usual- has presented a beautiful masterpiece analysing all the different aspects of the life of Egyptians during almost 30 years.

The book covers social, cultural, political, and mainly economic aspects and changes that happened during this period and its roots since the Egyptian Kingdom era. I really recommend this book if you are interested in Socio-Economic issues, or just interested to try to understand the Mubarak's era as a whole.

Ibrahim Essa on the other hand didn't miss the occasion, and published a hypothetical novel "Death of the Big Man" about a president who died in office after 30 years or ruling ;) If you like sarcasm, you will like it!

Anyway, I personally believe that one can't really judge an era unless it is over, and I don't think we are over with Mubarak's era yet. Wala heya over wana mesh wakhed Bali?

Mohaly

533) FUN ::: Lonely Donkey Quiz!

Can anyone explain such scene: A donkey standing in a small boat in the middle of a water surface, ALONE!

Mohaly :)

532) Masr Mesh Na2sa!

I am saaaaaaaad. 

Masr mesh na2sa erhab, wala bombs, kefaya 3aleena el hokoma! Kolo beyeegi 3ala demaghna socialy, and financially.

Rabena Yostor :(

Mohaly

531) Ayman Nour, & the Khelf Khelaf system!

Although Ayman Nour dah mabyenzeleesh men zor, but I am glad that he is set free, still there are some questions though:

- Why did he enter the prison?

- Why is he out of the prison just couple of months before it is over?

- Why now and not before?

Many speculations, may be the new US admin, may be internal, but the thing we are sure of that this regime just loves doing the stuff when least expected and resisting it when it is most demanded!!

Mohaly

530) Personal::: E3terafat Mohaly - Part 2 !

Ana gaban...

Aiwa ana gaban..


I am afraid of having a new relationship...
I am afraid of failure...
I am afraid of rejection...
I am afraid of not being fair...
I am afraid of boredom...
I am afraid of loosing time..
I am afraid of the overall experience...

I am afraid of the past...
I am afraid of the future...
I am afraid of regret...
I am afraid of everything....
BUT I am NOT afraid of HER ...


Mohaly

529) Personal ::: E3terafat Mohaly - Part 1 !

Since the time I was writing the Valentine's week articles, I had an urge to run this e3terafat.. May be because it comes with the start of a new year in my life, and the 3rd year of the blog's on the 27th of Feb, or because I feel so much changes going on in my life these in 2009 and may be will last to 2010.


This E3terafat is dedicated to me, yes, I am dedicating it to myself. I have loads and loads of stuff inside, and I can't hold it anymore. I wanna get rid of all what keeps me of enjoying my life. I work hard, love the people, and want everyone to be happy, why the hell I live in sadness! I owe it to myself.... The main notion that dominates me in this series is that "To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did".


I just hope that I am not bothering you with too personal stuff, but it is my personal blog bardo, so hatesta7melouni, I guess ;)


Mohaly

528) The Extra-Terrestial Life!

Is there life outside planet earth?

This issue may be of no interest to Egyptians, as it is common that people here believe that it is against our beliefs and religion. Actually, it is one of the hundred things that we take for granted.

But simply if we knew that there are millions of billions of stars out there in the universe, millions of which are just like our sun, and thousands of which has planets like earth., Why isn't it possible then to accept the possibility of life in one of these planets. In July 2008, scientist already discovered water in the soil of mars (wa khalakna men al ma2 kol shay2en 7ayy).

Don't tell me religion, because God said in Quran that He has created what we know and what we don't know about, and there is no verse in the whole Quran that is assertive about we are the only ones in the universe.

May be the only two extra terrestrial life examples that scientist haven't discovered yet is the "3ashwa2eyat" & "government palaces" in Egypt because both of them are definitely not living on earth!

Mohaly

527) Valentine's Week: Singles Agenda !

After second thoughts, and instead of escaping, I told myself that It is Valentine's day, and singles have the right to enjoy it too, there is a brightside there for us ...Whether you choose to have other single people over to celebrate by playing these one-of-a-kind singles games, or whether you prefer to soak in the glory of being single on your own, the goal is simply to make the Valentine's day on Saturday your day!

Wishing you all a lovely weekend, and a "Habby Falantim" as I hear it in the streets ;)

Mohaly

Some Tips from the Net:

GO TO A MOVIE... ALONE. 

There's just something about seeing a movie when most people are not even thinking about what's on at the movies! Every holiday... this is where you'll find us.

TAKE A ROADTRIP.

Get out & about and explore some unknown territory in your car. If it's warm enough, roll the windows down (or put the top down), crank the tunes, and go wherever the road leads you. You have no destination. You have no obligations today. You are free to roam the great outdoors and just enjoy the day... alone. (Want some extra adventure?... rent your dream vehicle (like a Jeep or a motorcycle) for the day!

TAKE A BIKE RIDE.

You'll become rejuvenated and feel like a kid again pedaling around the neighborhood. Don't want anyone you know to see you?... Then stick your bike in the car and motor on over to the nearest park. There, you can pedal (or wobble) to your heart's content, take in the sights, stop and smell the roses, and even burn a few calories at the same time.

TRY SOMETHING NEW. 

Some fun newactivities to consider:

Yoga... there's nothing like it for making you feel great in a short amount of time -- with very little effort on your part!

Parasailing... most are surpised to learn that this is such a mindless, effortless, no-skill-required kind of activity. You sit. They drive the boat. They add some slack to the rope attached to the harness you're sitting in. And you rise above it all. All the while, taking in some of the most beautiful sites around.

COOK UP SOMETHING INTERESTING... LITERALLY.

Whether you're handy in the kitchen or not, find a recipe (either an old family favorite, or one you dig up online), take a trip to the store and purchase all of the necessary ingredients. (Don't forget to splurge on some special pre-made dessert that's to die for!) Rush home to work your magic.

TAKE SOME PICTURES.

Hopefully, you'll feel compelled to get outdoors and photograph places that mean something to you, or some common local sights (people window-shopping downtown, kids playing at the park, animals at the zoo). If that's not motivating you, then consider these unique ways to use a digital camera. Either way, spending the day sharpening up your photography skills will surely yield some satisfying results at the day's end.

PURSUE YOUR PASSION (Mohaly's choice)

Whatever it is that you are passionate about in life -- be it a particular hobby, travel, craft projects, charitable acts, etc. -- use this day to make great strides by just doing that today. This is also known as drowning yourself in productivity... or pursuing those things that you are passionate about. As long as it's something you are completely driven to succeed at, then you will still be having FUN while accomplishing great things at the same time.

526) Valentine's Week: The Love Dilemma!

I couldn't find better than this quote by Woody Allen to describe what I think about the love dilemma!

Mohaly

"To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore to love is to suffer, not to love is to suffer. 

To suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy then is to suffer. But suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be unhappy one must love, or love to suffer, or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you're getting this down." 
- Woody Allen,

525) Valentine's Week : Love & Chemistry!

Since it is Valentine's week, then it is "talking about love" time... Tab3an I am only talking because this is the only thing I can do since doing something this week is not possible because simply it needs two to fall in love! I have even invloved myself in work on that day from 9am to 9pm to just get rid of the "love in the air" mode!

Anyway, since we are talking about love I would like to share with you what does LITERRALY mean to have chemistry in love, take a look at this picture & content below and you can see what and where is the chemistry leading to love is created in the human body.

Since it is all about chemistry, may be I should seek help from Dr.Ahmed Zewail to know why the hell I have such a great immunity against falling in love!!!!

Mohaly

"Recent studies in neuroscience have indicated that as people fall in love, the brain consistently

releases a certain set of chemicals, including pheromones, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, which act in a manner similar to amphetamines, stimulating the brain's pleasure center and leading to side effects such as increased heart rate, loss of appetite and sleep, and an intense feeling of excitement. Research has indicated that this stage generally lasts from one and a half to three years." Winston, Robert (2004). Human. Smithsonian Institution.

524) Is it Bad to be Good?!

Is it bad to be good? Is it good to be bad?

To be ... or not to be.... that is not the question, to be what is the question!!

I once read an article that can summarized as follows:

Remember that in most cases, life isn't fully fair. Therefore the best people in terms of ability don't always get to the top. If you are the best person, that's bad news - if not, then it could be an opportunity.

If you are the best person, will you let's be a bad news for you. Never!

I am believer that great men create their own destiny. There are always risks with turning-point decisions, but without risks how can you make a difference.

If you are the best, keep fighting till you prove you are get what you deserve in or out side the Organization, and if you are not the best, you have to work hard to be so, coz no matter what, time you stay on the top, people will always remember that you weren't the right person in the right place unless you prove so.

Have a nice weekend,

Mohaly

523) Quiz - Map of Egypt!

This is the admin map of Egypt and I have altered some stuff. It is deceiving for the 1st impression, but if you take a good look, you will find mistakes. Can you at least point out 3 of them!

Mohaly

P.S> Click on the image.

I wasn't intending to cut the series "Living like an Egyptian" except if there is major news, but arguments take a lot of my energy and it seems hard to do it on one shot as I really wanna get something out of it, so let's  have a "mental break" but also about Egypt :)

522) Living like an Egyptian - Episode 2 !

) As expected Egyptians are so diversed hat you can't combine them in one category and hence I am having a series not one post but since the majority will be from the Middle and lower classes, they will have the majority of Episodes. Actually pictures will help a lot in such series so if you have some, please send it to mohaly.mail@gmail.com..

EATING LIKE AN EGYPTIAN:

Our first picture in this series is showing how "The Ordinary Egyptian" fights in order to get basic food (bread) for his/her family. I think reaching such stage means that living like an Egyptian in the C2 & D classes is more like "Fightling like an Egyptian". Although the fight may seem funny for some non-Egyptians, but it is really a misery to reach the stage of fighting (and even killing sometimes) for bread!!

Mohaly

521) Living Like an Egyptian - Episode 1 !

What is it like to live like an Egyptian?

Actually to answer this question, we need to define first WHO is the Egyptian?

1. Is he/she the one who lives in a villa in a Cairo suburb, spending summer between Europe and Marina, and winter between Sokhna and Sharm? The one whose first language is English or French, and Arabic comes second and may be last!

2. or the Egyptian is the one who works hard and collect money in order to have part or his/her dreams achieved while looking every now and then upto the people in no.1 and trying not to envy them?

3. or the one who is a mix of the first two and trying to help the rest to have a better life?

4. or he is the one who left everything and went to work or live abroad building up hopes to lead a better life when he returns if he will ever return.

5. or he is the one who can't get any proper education, health services, basic stuff, and is struggling to fulfil his basic needs, and has a mix of contradicting feelings of envy, hate, satisfaction, love, patience, hope, and depression!!!

6. or the one who can sell him/herself to whoever will pay, and acts as a Human Mall who may sell his thoughts, effort, body, anything just for money or tips?!

If we want to define who is an Egyptian, how should we choose?!!!! & who?!... 

Mohaly

(Wondering if he is an Egyptian?!)

 

520) A milestone on my Birthday!

It is my birthday again! I am starting a new year filled with hope that I can build on the stuff I have achieved, and fix the stuff that I had gone wrong with. 

I feel that I am starting not only a new year, but a new era in my life as well.

Last year was a very successful one on the mental level and I over achieved my targets, and established a reputable name in academic, training, and consulting, but on the other hand, I missed on emotional targets; friends, and starting a family.

I wish that this year I can make the right balance between spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional targets, it is about time, and to be able to make more positive difference with more number of people. 

I wish that Egypt will at least stop and realize that we were going backwards, and start PLANNING for the future even if it is late.

I wish that my friends and this blog readers still like and support me as they have always done, and I wish someday I make them proud of this friendship..

Lots of wishes but it my birthday bardo, so I gotta have some :)

Mohaly

born on 27 Jan @12pm

519) He goes, He comes, & the Country wins!

It is really amazing for our Arab and 3rd world nations to see a president who has been there for 8 years just leaves like that and delivers all the power he has to someone who has a completely different ideology and background, why? Because people said so.!!

Seeing Bush -with all his faults- that cooperative in this smooth transition, and how the tradition has got 5 American presidents in the same place (while we celebrate that we got 5 Arabs on the same table in summit lunch!), this tells you why Americans have to be proud with their liberty and democracy.

Americans don't have history or heritage as we do, but they have something much more precious; FREEDOM!

Mohaly

P.S>  I was sick at home all day on Tuesday and this was good as I have seen it all (5 hrs).

518) Why is it 24 hrs a day?

Do you know why the day is divided into 24 hours, not 10 or 100, or 60?

Mohaly

517) La Torad Wala Tostabdal - Part II !

Ok, in the last post, we discussed the causes, but now the important question is: How can we enforce the after-sales culture in our society? 

There is "Gehaz 7emayet El mostahlek" (Customer Protection), that should play the biggest role, but what about the people, they should play a role too..

1. You never buy something valuable without having a documented after sales proof.

2. When you experience bad after sales, you have to report it immediately to the Customer protection.

3. If it is an international brand, send email to the headquarters, I did it before with Nokia, and they really bahdelo raya.

What else guys? We need to be more proactive...

Mohaly

516) La Torad Wala Tostabdal - Part I !

I have always wondered about why do we have a big problem in the after sales service in Egypt!

Sales people are running after you like crazy in order to buy something, and once you pay, khalas, you are trapped or in other words "lebest".

It is like someone who is chasing a beautiful woman, and when she falls for him, he dumbs her; in other words; Nadl!

Think about when you go to the maintenance center for your car, to Raya or I2 for the mobile, or when you buy clothes and discover that it is not as fitting as you thought. In all cases, you are the loser. It is never "3eeb sena3a", and they will alaways "hanfarmat el gehaz", and "el beda3a el moba3a la torad wala tostabdal"!!!

Not having after sales or bad after sales is really a strategic problem because lots of opportunities will be lost for the company if they are not satisfying their customer's needs. I don't know is it part of the overall TANASH of the country and the notion that the Egyptian is a priceless commodity in this world, or is it something we are used to coz we don't wanna exert effort and walk the extra mile with the customer?!

Mohaly

515) Managing Egypt !

Despite the fact that many things are going in the wrong direction or in no direction in this country, I have to admit that managing Egypt is not an easy job at all. However, it is not impossible as well. 

I really wanna spend a whole week with Mubarak and see how does he think, plan, & react regarding internal and external issues. Does he really have Egypt prosperity as priority no.1? who has the real power, what are the stuff that he can't do, and why? how does he see his accomplishments and mistakes? and what are his real plans for the future?

howa e7na leeh maynfa3sh ne2abel mubarak, mesh howa el rayes bet3na bardo?!!

Mohaly

514) Marriage, Top Reasons - Part II !

Now, can you list at least 5 top reasons for guys, and 5 top reasons for girls to stay single?

MohalyPublish Post

513) Marriage, Top Reasons - Part I !

So can you list at least 5 top reasons for guys, and 5 top reasons for girls to get married?

P.S. there can be common stuff between the two lists.

Mohaly

512) Zah2an menhom kolohom!

I have a feeling that I am ashamed of but I have always been trying to be honest with myself...

I am fed up with both Israel and Palestine and the whole issue, I don't have any desire to even watch what is happened, happening, or will happen!

I don't know why I am feeling this way, but that is the truth!

and ya ret yer7amo masr, e7na eli beneshrab kol el balawy dayman!!

Mohaly

511) Happy New Year 2009!

I am a new begining....

More than 31 million new seconds..

More than 525 thousand new minutes..

More than 8,700 hours..

whole new 365 days..

I am 2009...welcoming who decide to take the chance and make the best out of me, and advising those who are pessimistic before I start to re-think, may be they are the ones who need to work on themselves first before blaming it on me..

Happy New Year :)

Mohaly

(optimistic about 2009 and 2010)