* No, I’m not going to talk about the show “24″ or Jack Bauer (Sorry, Marzouq!)…

I’m turning 24 on August 12th, and I’ve been planning a birthday party ever since the 12th of July lol

It’s going to be a costume party so all the people I’ve invited have enough time to decide, design and get creative with the costume of their choice… The only rule I have is that nobody should dress anything cat-like…

Nobody knows what I’m going to be since I didn’t specify what cat-like thing I’m going to be, it could be anything.. Catwoman, a black cat, a white cat, a black & white cat, sheraaziya, a tabby, a lion or even a cheetah with spots lol

The only thing that’s bugging me out is that everybody’s away in August.. I love having my birthday on the exact specific date since it’s pointless if it’s a few days before, and I don’t want to stretch it out for a week or two if the party’s waaayyy after the date…

And everybody’s either away already or about to travel around that time.. the only people I understand are the ones away on serious business like Juju (hope your dad feels much better soon :D) but the others are malaaqaaaa *rolls her eyes*

I’ve been getting sms messages from friends asking what to get me and to put together a wishlist so nobody gets me millions of perfumes or something…

I thought that was a great idea since I always wish everybody had a wish list for their birthdays.. I’m not a personal fan of perfumes, I know 100% that that person would want something better… So if you’re coming to my birthday and you want to get me something, I’m a size 14 (UK) and my shoe size is 38 lol and if my old Amazon wish list helps out, then why not, just click on this button…

* I’ve been quite busy with Toastmasters these past few months.. Laialy & I have been running around tweaking some things here and there and I’d just like to use this personal space to thank her.. You’re my TM partner-in-crime and we work great together, so thank you

* Why’s my Mac’s software update freezing up?! It used to freeze up when it reached 80% or 85%… I fixed it after reading Carolyn Samit’s suggestion here and it loaded just fine, no problems.. now it’s updating iTunes and it’s just stuck here…

And it won’t budge!

* I’ve been playing around with StumbleUpon and it’s so much fun!

It’s amazing how the internet is full of these really interesting websites that match my love for photography, crafts, humor, books and movies… I’ve been stumbling for a few days now and that’s all I’d be doing all day, with small breaks here and there to check my e-mail or feeds reader… here’s one of those gems I found:

* I’m preparing for the upcoming semester (yes, I’m that much of a geek).. and I have enough exercises to shut up any complaints from the senior teacher or tawjeeh.. and for the new school year, I have a resolution, ba9eer na7eesa and I won’t share whatever exercises I design since I’ve noticed that some teachers scribble over the names and use the papers as their own.. wela chena ta3bana 3alaihum during the summer.. so no more of that generosity when it comes to people who don’t deserve it…

And that’s about it… what’s new with you guys?

(Warning: A Very Long Picture Post Coming Up)

So I’m back… last night I went out with my girlies and it was a lot of fun.. one of the things that kept the laughs coming was the pics I took of my students’ badliyat.. And that reminded me to share them with you :p

One of the really rare things that kept me amused during corrections is the way the girls wrote specific things.. Here are some of my favourites that I took pics of (yes, i take pics of badliyat on exam papers… who doesn’t!?) with their translations…

Keep in mind that these girls have just graduated high school and are coming to a University/College near you…

more…

* The Open Day went great in my opinion.. We had lots of fun and lots of food… I enjoyed meeting two bloggers in real life… I made a Caesar salad, a cheese bee-hive with sesame seeds on top and a pineapple cake… Can’t wait to hear reviews about the whole gathering from the people who attended

Onto the post…

So wedding season is upon us, and as a girl, it’s very very exhausting.. how, you say?

Well, you have to have a bunch of outfits, shoes and accessories ready.. and if you go to family X’s wedding in an outfit, and you see a big bunch of people from family Y, you can’t wear that same outfit for the upcoming week’s Y wedding cos a big bunch of them already saw u in it… Kill me now…

So I have.. lemme count… 8 outfits, and I have to do the math and try not to mix up the families and who saw me in which outfit and where and when.. Why can’t I just be Sex & The City’s Charlotte and have a never ending closet of elegant clothes?!

Something like this, maybe? Allahhh, pink heels and dangly pink earrings… yum..

Last night I went to a wedding, and of course, because the family knows us, we were supposed to dance.. and which song did my aunts choose to get up to?

That stupid “Taxi” song… I HATE that song.. it’s not even a song!! it’s stupidity that happens to rhyme! How can you dance to something about dating in a taxi!? Who the hell does that anymore in the first place?!

It’s like the dude was trying to win a stupid bet! “Let’s see if we can drive people crazy with a song so stupid, it’ll make everyone look hilarious while singing along… oh yeah! a song about “el tttaaaaaaaaaaakehseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

Oh, and while i was dancing (to a completely different song!) I noticed some girls who wore their tan with pride, whereas some chicks were sticking to the whole white powder/concealer/foundation routine and they look like they were dipped in flour… why tan if you still want to be white for a wedding? Blekh..

Men have it easy I guess, elbes el dishdasha and leave the house, say hi to the groom, kiss some men hello and then have dinner and leave! During a wedding, I hate just sitting there and watching people dance, talk, fix dresses and take pics.. I eventually end up really really bored..

I guess the only fun thing to do at a wedding is to observe the behaviour so I could report it here.. so help me God!

STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT THE DUST!

I know, I know! I’m sick of the dust too! But it can’t possibly be the topic of EVERY conversation, ur facebook status, your opening line to every MSN conversation and all you post about (ili 3ala rasa ba67a)!

Khalas, daraiiina, the weather sucks! GET USED TO IT! Plan around it! Travel! Get your friends over and have a fun movie/food/gossip night!! I wouldn’t mind, i’d love to hang out with the girls sans hjab on my head/dust in my face!

Am I the only one who knows the weather sucks and doesn’t need to point it out over and over and over again?

Everywhere I turn, the word “DUST” is in my face! The real thing is always in my face/eyes when I go out already, I don’t need it in the comfy, cool, air conditioned privacy of my own room too!

*takes a deep breath and calms down*

Things I Hate:

1* When a teacher asks me about a students’ grade and she’s not related to the student.

2* When bloggers/non-blogging commenters aren’t nice. (Shame on you!)

3* When people give me strange looks when I say “Thank you!”, “Please?” and “Can I help you, 7ajiya?”

4* When a guy calls a wrong number and won’t hang up until he knows my name. (that’s when I pull the “Ello dear, you seem to have a wrong numba, daaah-ling… My name is Eliza Doolittle, would you like to speak to Mr. Higgins?” trick.)

5* When Hollywood tries to ruin classics like “My Fair Lady” (site has some language you may not like)… Who can ever replace Audrey Hepburn? Nobody.

6* When a person thinks that he/she has every right to be a racist bitch/bastard just because they can.

7* When I see my students at the co-op, they come up to me to say hi but are trying to glance at my brothers.

8* When I invite somebody into my own house and they yell at me and then giggle like it was nothing.

9* When somebody constantly (constantly constantly) complains about a specific country they’re living in (and its nationals) but still continues to live here and interact with the citizens. If you love your country so much, why didn’t you just stay there! 7emdaw rabkum 3ala kil ni3ma! If you don’t like it here, get the fuck out and never come back!

10* When my younger brother treats me like a child. I changed your diapers and wiped the drool off your face when u were a little kid, punk! So try a little respect, will ya?! Don’t make me slap it into you and you know I can, I don’t care if you have a moustache!

Things I Love:

1* Finally getting my own car. I can’t believe a hunk of metal just gave me my freedom. I hate sharing cars.

2* When I use the cigarette lighter thing in the car to burn incense… my car smells niiice :p

3* When me and the girls finally agree on an outing! *can’t wait, can’t waiiit*

4* When I do something I’d promised and the look on the person’s face is “I can’t believe you still remembered!“

5* Running my own errands without waiting for somebody to let me borrow the car. (It’s related to 1, but I’m still happy about it hehe)

6* When I play with Photoshop at work on my own laptop or work on a sewing project and sink into my own world.

7* When a beloved friend of mine finally posts again with amazing news.

8* When I use a bag I’d sewn to carry stuff around and somebody thinks it’s cute *yay*..

9* The TEDTalks podcast on iTunes.

10* When I’m nominated for awards related to creativity. I’m very very flattered *turns into a 6oma6a* Thank you Purg & Jewaira!