so this is me :)

so this is a little about me.. this is what happens when work comes in waves.. :) ahahahahahaa..

The Best Myspace Survey
* . . About You . . *
Eye Color::	dark brown
Hair Color::	shades of brown (depending on the sun)
Height::	a whopping 5'1"!!
Favorite Color::	shades of blue
Screen Name::	depends on which service..
Favorite Band::	hmm.. band?? ok.. i'll go with coldplay.. but i love Dido and James Blunt!
Favorite Movie::	dirty dancing.. oh yeah baby!!
Favorite Show::	grey's anatomy
Your Car::	toyota rav 4 (aka bubbles)
Your Hometown::	hmm.. i'm a gypsy.. but maybe Lebanon?
Your Present Town::	city of angels..
Your Crushes First Name::	vincent
Your Grade::	grade? i finished way tooo long ago!
Your Style::	casual?
* . . Have You Ever . . *
Sat on your rooftop?:	yes - tanned there as well!
Kissed someone in the rain?:	no.. how sad!! :(
Danced in a public place?:	yes.. of course.. too many times!
Smiled for no reason?:	all the time..
Laughed so hard you cried?:	aha.. among other things! :)
Peed your pants after age 8?:	ooh.. ok.. so yes.. (from laughing too much!)
Written a song?:	yes
Sang to someone for no reason?:	of course, i do it all the time!! (sorry d.!!)
Performed on a stage?:	yes
Talked to someone you don't know?:	absolutely
Gone out of your way to befriend someone?:	yes
Made out in a theatre?:	no.. but that's on my list!!
Gone roller skating since 8th grade?:	no
Been in love?:	sadly, i'm thinking no
* . . Who was the last person to . . *
Say HI to you?:	linda (at work)
Tell you, I love you?:	my brofo
Kiss you?:	jeremy
Hug you?:	my roomate's mama
Tell you BYE?:	maria (the roomie)
Write you a note?:	my boss
Take your photo?:	jelena
Call your cell phone?:	d.
Buy you something?:	my mama
Go with you to the movies?:	jeremy
Sing to you?:	no one sings to me!! :( ok.. sometimes diora! :)
Write a poem about you?:	alex
Text message you?:	jeremy
Touch you?:	maria - obviously non-sexual.. ahahahahahaa :)
* . . What's the last . . *
Time you laughed?:	a few minutes ago
Time you cried?:	pshhhh.. a loooong time ago.. i don't talk about these things
Movie you watched?:	the world trade center
Joke you told?:	can't say it here
Song you've sang?:	sexy back
Time you've looked at the clock?:	11:12 am
Drink you've had?:	water - how boring!
Number you've dialed?:	the beverage warehouse
Book you've read?:	ooh.. a book on magic.. i liked it! :)
Food you've eaten?:	a plum
Flavor of gum chewed?:	spearmint?
Shoes you've worn?:	flip flops
Store you've been in?:	cost plus
Thing you've said?:	ok
* . . Can You . . *
Write with both hands?:	kinda
Whistle?:	yup
Blow a bubble?:	aha
Roll your tounge in a circle?:	sure can!
Cross your eyes?:	yes
Touch your tounge to your nose?:	no.. can anyone??
Dance?:	i like to think so
Gleek?:	huh?
Stay up a whole night without sleep?:	yes.. i LOVE doing that!!
Speak a different language?:	claro que si!
Impersonate someone?:	nyeesss (that's for you brofo!!!)
Prank call people?:	way too much back in the day
Make a card pyramid?:	yes
Cook anything?:	i'm the cook at home :)
* . . Finish The Line . . *
If i were a ...:	supermodel i'd never wear clothes.. ahahahah.. wait, is that not what we're going for here?? :)
I wish ...:	that people would be more aware of themselves, their surroundings and basically what's happening in the world we live in
So many people don't know that ...:	-- i am always testing them? i know.. not a good thing.. but it's the truth..
I am ...:	hilarious.. ok, fine.. maybe not.. but my roomie thinks so!! but i guess i'd say i'm a good mostly positive person..
My heart is ...:	whole - yup.. nothing broken here.. trying to keep it that way :)
Take this survey Find more surveys You've been totally Bzoink*d

hmm..

what do you think of this quote??

"life is inexpensive when you're happy" - CFF (a really good friend of mine via a messenger chat!) :)

discuss among yourselves :)

i love it!
nounou :)

and i'm back..

this time.. from LA people!! yeah.. i made it back.. through the INS, through the US embassy in Mexico and through the Customs officer at LAX.. all that and i'm right here blogging from my nice air conditioned (THANK GOD) office in beverly hills.. it's a good time :)

since i've been back.. i've spent lots of time with southern comfort.. we went out for the roomie's birthday on friday night.. went down to san diego on saturday morning.. went out that night with his sister and one of her friends.. both super cool people.. had a whole jerry springer show happening right behind us.. seriously.. grown women with children calling each other b*tches and wh*res.. best part.. the kids were sitting right there at the table and just kept their heads down.. how crazy is that?? we then ended up hitting PB.. and i had my first jagerbomb.. let me just say.. props to those of you that drink those like it's water.. i almost died.. the rest of the night is a bit of a blur.. or at least.. that's the story i'm sticking to! :)

sunday was great.. woke up.. breakfast in bed.. and then went to a Padres game.. i need to explain what i was wearing so you can all laugh at me.. i had on a tube top type thing.. and like capri jeans.. and i got the world's worst sunburn!!!! we all put sunblock on.. and me.. the one from Lebanon.. you know.. we're supposed to get tanned nicely and look super great.. yeah.. i got totally burnt.. not my best look.. but of course.. sourthern comfort thought it was hilarious.. he's nice, that one :)

got back sunday early evening.. hung out a bit.. and then it was time for me to finish unpacking.. which i'm like 90% done with.. now it's just organizing the few things that i still haven't put away.. that'll be done tonight.. before i go out for dinner with the girls.. 4 birthdays were celebrated in the last 3 weeks.. so this is catch-up time.. should be fun! :)

k.. i'm back to work.. things in Lebanon are still going well.. and that, of course.. makes me happy :)

nounou :)

a fragile truce..

war is over! war is over!! or so we hope.. the citizens of the south of Lebanon have been moving back home since 9:00 am yesterday, one hour after the cease-fire or cessation of violence, came into effect... so far.. it's looking like it's holding.. please please please.. let it hold..

in other more personal news, i will be heading back to LA in the next few days.. and i CANNOT wait.. i have a billion things planned for this weekend.. it's the roomie's birthday on friday.. and i'll be seeing southern comfort.. before and during and after that.. we're actually heading down to san diego on saturday.. it's going to be amazing.. and plus, i get to meet the sister.. and go to a Padres game.. all in all.. i'm thinking it's the perfect weekend to go back! :)

ok.. i'm a bit excited today.. i can't wait.. Lebanon is looking better.. i'm going back to LA.. it's a good day :)

nounou :)

this could have been a cute story..

so yeah, it COULD have been.. and if this was a just world, it really would have been just a simple story.. but it's not.. the fighting's in its fourth week.. and honestly.. i can't see it ending anytime soon.. finally, a resolution is being discussed.. but again.. it only addresses one side of the problem.. and then they wonder why there is no sustainable peace.. maybe the powers that be don't want that.. who knows.. i'm Lebanese.. we are conspiracy theorists.. fyi..

so.. back to the could've / should've been a cute story.. one of my best friends.. i've known here for 11 years now.. we were in college together and she's just awesome.. anyway.. she was in Lebanon (for her summer break like many other people) when the sh*t hit the fan.. her family left exactly as they did 17 years ago.. before the sun was up.. in a high speed car.. just hoping and praying that they'd make it.. her entire family includes two nieces.. one 5.. and the other almost 3..

they hold dual citizenships.. so they were part of the "american" evacuees.. they boarded a ship and landed in Larnaca, Cyprus.. they ended up staying there for a few days before they flew out to Dubai.. where her sister's husbands are working.. so picture this.. it's my best friend.. her mother, her brother.. her two sisters.. and their two little daughters..

in order to keep the little ones entertained.. they'd take them to the beach.. you know.. give them some of their "normalcy" back.. and one day they were bored so decided to tell stories.. no one was really in the mood.. but the 5-year old.. let's call her "z" said she had one.. and here it is.. (i'm paraphrasing)

"once.. there was this beautiful garden.. there were so many flowers in this garden.. all kinds of flowers.. there were rainbows and sunlight and it was beautiful.. when the flowers grew, they became princesses.. and all the princes would come and dance with the princesses.. and then.. one day.. a bomb fell on them and killed them all"

she's 5.. think about that.. that's what war does..

nounou

another voice..

so, i don't know this girl.. her name is rena.. i bet that if i saw her, i would know her.. but i got the link to her blog through zena's site.. here's the link.. she's in beirut right now.. and these are her words..

http://frombeirutwithlove.blogspot.com/

here's a part of what she wrote that really touched me because i know how true it is.. she is currently volunteering her time to help fill up bags of food for all the refugees..

"And we were no longer giving schools as the welfare of the government had kicked in and was helping the schools. The problem was with all the people living in normal buildings. A flat here, a flat there…and no one really knew where they were or the conditions they lived in. It is truly heart wrenching to go to these places when we delivered their bags and hear their offers to us of 'stay…have a cup of coffee with us'…and we knew they had nothing but they still were generous and typically Lebanese with their offers…the first time I went to deliver the bags…it was hard…I tell you…I am not one of those naturally eloquent people…and I do find it hard to say the right things….but in these situations…I found…nothing needs to be said really…you see it in their eyes…in the children's eyes mostly…"
---

and readers.. this is what it is.. i know the news channels have reduced their coverage of this situation.. but the time is critical.. food is running out.. this is a fact.. gas is running low.. for example, the American University Hospital is running low on their back-ups.. the hours that there is no electricity they are using their generators.. gas runs these generators.. so just think.. and this is just one example.. and it is a hospital in the middle of beirut.. right next to the American University of Beirut.. time is critical..

nounou

and now in our 4th week..

i hate what's happening in Lebanon.. i hate that there's really nothing i can do about it.. i hate that i am sitting here comfortably at home far far far away blogging about this.. it feels fake and hypocrital.. does that make any sense??

the last few nights.. i've been chatting with southern comfort.. and i won't get into that.. because.. well.. it's private.. but those are the only hours of the day that i am not thinking about this.. so.. sc.. thank you for that.. and well.. pretty much everything else :)

other than that.. my days consist of getting up.. seeing what work i need to get done that day.. doing it.. and basically just hanging out.. i have my appointment this friday at 7:00 am.. so hopefully it will go smoothly.. here's what could go down:

us embassy: so, a lebanese passport, huh?
me: yes
us embassy: why are you in mexico?
me: my dad works here
us embassy: and what is your purpose in moving to the United States of America? (they always say the whole word!)
me: to work
us embassy: interesting, and what is your view on what's going on in your country?
me: it's a shame and a tragedy, i am optimistic though that there will be peace soon (wow, what a miss universe response! ahahahahaa)
us embassy: is that how you really feel?
me: yes (in my head.. are you freaking kidding me?? how can your govt. block a ceasefire and let innocent people die every single day.. are you really that blinded by what's happening?? open your eyes!!)..
us embassy: good, your passport will be ready next week
me: thanks

that's one possibility.. i will write down how it actually goes after i get back.. hopefully it ends with your passport will be ready next week.. and not.. can you come back in for some further questioning? imagine?? oh my god.. that would be horrible.. but i will be positive.. there's no need for that.. my papers are in order.. and they seem to like american accents.. so that gives me some sort of edge :) hey.. you work with what you have.. what more can i say?

k.. well.. i'm off.. to read some more news and get a bit more traumatized.. hope everyone's well and that you and yours are keeping safe..

till the next time,
nounou