MBC

My term as a financial secretary for the English Language Club has officially ended this week.  I spent wonderful years in the board of directors. I learned a lot during these three years, from the day the club was established to this moment. 

I wanted to nominate myself to be a part of the new administration this year but unfortunately I have expired and I cannot do it one more time.  I cannot take that forum and fill in my information again.  Guess I have to move on.

I was Nothing, then became the Secretary General and after that I moved to be the Financial Secretary and I am back to Nothing.  That is the cycle of life  (BTW I am something but outside the club :P)

Anyway, I wish that the club improve under the new administration and more members get involved in organizing events.

What a ride it was!

I want to talk about many things :P, but I want to post once only!

1. Better World Books

I came Across this website accidentally.  It is a great online bookshop which offers cheap shipping (almost 3$ (almost 1BD)).  Now I can buy books online without worrying about the price of shipping.  If someone wants to buy a book from Amazon, the shipping can cost more than the price of the book itself!

They claim to support literacy by sending part of their profit to several organizations.  In addition, they use Carbon free packaging which is friendly to nature.  They collect most of the used books from libraries which want to get rid of those books.    

Anyway, after looking at the website, I decided to try their service.  Therefore, I ordered a used book, whom Intrinsic Value I value.

After 2 weeks exactly I received the book, it was in a perfect condition although it appears that someone tried to open it.  

(By the way, the word (Dick) is a nickname for Richard)

Anyway, After receiving the book I ordered two more books.  I guess I will deal with Better World Books from now on. 

2. The English Language Club

I have just finished uploading the pages which contains the stories which was submitted for last year’s Short Story Competition.  I should have published them last semester but due to uncontrollable circumstances I could not done so(IE: laziness).  It took some time to find a suitable design which fulfill the requirements of the competition. I also removed the tracking code from the website of the English Language Club because annoying Pop-ups appear once the page is opened.

By the way you may participate in the Short Story Competition if you are a student at the university of Bahrain.  For more information visit the following link

http://www.english-club.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=40&Itemid=1

3. My Website (www.mbsee.info) and other stuff

I haven’t updated my website for a while.  I have localized some Softwares months ago but I have not created pages for them in the localization section.  i just finished localizing Mobaphoto lately.  It is a handy software for digital photographers which contains four tools.  Image resize, editor and batch renaming tool.  Moreover, there is a tool which creates great HTML photo albums.  The Arabic translation would be integrated in the official version very soon.

I have also updated the blog to WordPress 2.5.  it will not change many things because I already use Windows Live Writer to blog.

I tried to update the Guest Book, however, I missed it up and do not feel like fixing it very soon.

That’s it for today, I might blog again next month.

Have a nice day!

Beloved is a novel which was written by Toni Morrison.  I just finished reading it.  I can declare that it is one of silliest that I have read.  The novel tells the story of a mother who escape slavery with her children and when the slave master locate her and go to claim  the family back; she refuses to go with their master and instead she kills her own daughter to prevent her from going through slavery.

The mother goes to jail, then after spending her time there she returns home.  Once she return home she discovers that the house is haunted by the spirit of her daughter.  Anyway, she live with the ghost for a while and then the ghost returns as a girl who demands to have her mother’s love.

What I did not like about the story is repetition, the plot is repeated many time in form of flashbacks.  The author tends to make the characters repeat the story again and again.  Every time  a character tells the story he/she add more information about the story, or tell it from another prospective.  This is nice when it is done a little, but when you have to read a whole novel whose story is repeated more than twenty times it is unlikely that you will like it. 

Slavery plays a major role in the novel, the characters keep narrating their experiences with slavery and how they feel after being free.

The plot of the story is nice.  However, if the novel was sequential I would have liked it.

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I began reading The Picture of Dorain Gray by Oscar Wilde, which is basically about two homosexual men in love.  It appears to be an interesting novel.  The relationship between the two men appears to be just like a normal man and woman even in the way they met.

Day One

My Foot landed near the exile (Building S40, the Information Technology Building) because I had an Elementary Computing class. Then, when I entered that building I started wandering inside it.  I never had any class in it before.  The faces of students was not familiar nor the building itself. 

At 8 O’clock I went inside the class which was empty and dark, lighted it with a single touch of my finger then sat and started reading a novel while waiting for the doctor to come. some students came and sat.  We waited and waited but nobody showed up.  at last all of them left but I stayed there.  I read some chapters then left the whole building.

While walking I began to think about this ridiculous course.  I wonder if there is anybody at my university who cannot use Microsoft Office! I suppose that the majority of students learnt how to use them in high school.  I hate office when it comes to learning because office suit can become very boring.

Anyway, I reached S17 (English Language & Literature Building) and I was delighted for being at home, I recognized some face and knew the employees and doctors.  Then, I went to The English Language Club and sat there for a couple of hours. 

Then I left the club because I had another class.  Unfortunately, the doctor never showed up which disappointed me and some of the guys.  Anyway, I left the building with some of the students and we had a walk behind the mosque.  The place there is wonderful.  The Green Grass was under our shoes and the leafs of trees were above our heads; and we smelled many perfumes of nature, which make the heart relax, from roses and trees.

After this refreshing walk we prayed then chatted for an hour. Then, I had to leave because I have a class.  I attended the two classes I have and I was satisfied because the Doctors appeared.  After that I went to the Club again until 4 O’clock as I went to the bus (TATA, I might mention some tales about it someday) and then reached home.

When I returned home I looked at the timetable and discovered that I do not have Elementary Computing  class today! which means that…….

117 Days left…… 

Registering courses is one of the toughest moments in a journey of a student who studies at the University of Bahrain.  First, any student have to add the subject that he wants in the Early Registration Period.  Then, when the Add/Drop period begins all the students can view their timetable online.  Most of the times students do not get all the subjects (or sections) that they registered.

This Semester, I registered early as usual through the Internet but I could not add all the courses that I want because I should take 7 courses but the maximum courses that one can register online is 6.  Therefore, I had to go to the registration building  and write the courses that I want in a special form.  I was not sure that those forms were credible because of the large number of forms in the box which was allocated for them.

In the registration night, after few months of the previous registration, I was waiting for the beginning of the  online registration to see whether I got all the subjects that I wanted or not.  I was expecting to have some troubles as usual because it became a tradition that I don’t get the desired courses.

Hours ran fast while I checked the Online registration system more than a hundred times.  the clock began to tick faster than before and I knew that the schedules will be online anytime.  I expected that the servers will be down as a result of the masses of students who want to use the registration system.  Moreover, my mind was wondering, "What would happen if they gave me six subjects only?"  soon these question marks disappeared because I checked the online schedule and I had them all. 

I was happy but at the same time I was not.  it was the last registration that I witnessed and I felt that I need some action before I graduate.

The next day I went to the university to stamp the timetable for the last time in my life ( Hopefully), I finished the procedures faster than my expectation which disappointed me.  I wanted to wait six or seven hours in the Queue, but I did not.  I wanted somebody to tell me that I have to make somebody sign at a couple of papers, but nobody made me.  I wanted to see many people that I know and complain, but unlike every year it never happened.

Anyway, I left the university after I met few guys.

The next day while I was checking the courses I discovered that a new elective course, which I wanted, was opened.  I tried to replace it with one of the courses (I hate Linguistics), but a message appeared:

I could not change anything online because I have seven subjects.  Normal students should have between 4 - 6 courses per semester.  Therefore, I had to go to the university again to replace the course.  A large smile was drawn across my face because I could write in my Auto-Biography (After I become famous, or old) that I suffered in registering a  particular course which affected my emotions negatively or crippled my career.  Other people would have written in the newspapers about this incident or blamed the students council for not solving it (Thanks God they are gone, or haven’t they?).

Anyway, I went to the registration at the University campus after a few days and went to the registration specialist  who gave me the course that I want with absolute ease.

I shall miss the Add/Drop period for a long time.

University begins tomorrow……..         

Finished doing exams last week.  and some days ago I checked the results which declared that my plan will go on as expected. I will graduate, I jumped over all the handicaps so far.

Three years and a half passed like a thunder jolt, I still recall the first day at the University.  it is queer how life runs fast.  University transformed my personality very much.  I acquired more experience and gained much knowledge. 

The vacation is cool till now.  I am teaching people how to use Flash, which is a delight for me.  I always love to share me humble knowledge with other people.  In addition, I am reading for pleasure, which is something I have not done for a long time because of the college requirements (and my laziness ).  When they tell us to read a novel at the University, I just ignore the readings and when an exam appears on the horizon I quickly start it and finish it in two days or one, which makes me skip some paragraphs .  But now I do not have to skip or scan anything nor am I obliged to finish the reading before a deadline; it is just me and the book, like the ancient times.

As for Software Localization I have not started working on a new project yet.  I am to update The World Browser (A very good browser) translation soon.  Reading seems to consume much of me free time.   another thing which takes some of my time is a web-based game called Travian.  I never liked to play an online game before, but this game attracted me for its simplicity.  just make orders and leave the Website for some time.

Hopefully (and sadly), this would be my last vacation at the university.  Next time I will be on vacation I would either be unemployed or at my annual vacation.  However, I still have 20 days to relax now, and then I will spend my last three months between the lovely warm arms of the University of Bahrain.            

In the first week of school, I saw an ugly image that cannot be forgotten. What appears to be a mother is carrying her child in a strange way at the university. She must have no experience with children, as she was HUGGING the poor kid. Anyway, I didn’t pay much attention to that scene because sometimes children becomes energetic and might want release themselves from the hands.

Later on that day I saw the woman again, she was carrying the child in the same way! Which made me conclude that SHE CAN’T EVEN CARRY HER OWN CHILD! She was hardly holding him, and he was inches away from slipping away from her hands!

After three weeks, I still remember this encounter with that unpleasant moment, and I ask myself “If the mother can’t hold her child, HOW THE HELL WOULD SHE BE ABLE TO RISE HIM?”

Motherhood is not funny game, if somebody thinks that she lack responsibility, then my advice is not to be a mother before learning basic things about children and how to take care of them. A good start would be to look how mothers look after their baby.

Finally, mothers are not made automatically, they should be guided when seen doing mistakes in their way of treating their children. Where is her family, or the family of her husband? It won’t take much time in teaching her the basic things like carrying the kid or changing the diaper!

PLEASE DON’T MAKE ME SEE THIS SCENE AGAIN!

Spring Vacation began a couple of weeks ago; I already feel boredom I have never felt before.

 
17 days left until we begin the new semester, just like every year, I wait with enthusiasm. Waiting to unleash my temporary energetic brain.

 
But before that, I looked to the mess which was made last semester.  Books are near the PC, tons of handouts which were given to me by doctors are everywhere, pens & pencils rolling all over the place.     

 
Yes, it is time to clean up, I removed the books and put them where they belong, and took the handouts to trash?  No I didn’t, the handouts are far more valuable to me than books, as I opened the box which contains the old handouts, memories of the last years rushed into my brain.  After picking some old handouts, memories grew bigger, sending me back to my first day at the awesome University of Bahrain.

It was two years and a half when I first stepped on the campus. It was queer to have a majority female classmates and a couple of guys that I don’t know, and to spend 5 hours doing nothing but waiting for the bus to come, with no friends to talk to.

 
Suddenly, I woke up from this flashback and continued to look at the handouts regaining more memories during the process.

 
After that, I placed the handouts of the last semester with the old handouts while I told myself that by doing this, I am not only putting papers inside a box, but also making some memories to remember at the end of next semester!    

Delaying is something I am used to, I delay any task given to me whether I have one day to finish it or 1 year. I can tell stories about the bad management of time, but would I ever learn from my mistakes?