In the corners of the red sea, a school of fish is swimming doing what they do best, swim around. They play and feed on the smaller fish and whatever seems to be available. Boys and girls in total harmony, they have had their formal education at community colleges and the lucky few at the hall of fame upscale schools.

Survival is the key to their success, the fittest and leanest will see another day, every day is a new and enjoyable experience and chance to do all that you can do in your life. One hour in fish time is treated like a lifetime.

They give new meaning to “ a life time experience”.A new couple are introduced to one another by the reef, they chuckle and acknowledge one another, cheers they wave their glasses high in the air, and exchange winks.

They can see the humans at the surface on top of a cruise liner celebrating this one year thing they call new year, every year, same time they see the sky above light up to the sight of firecrackers and extravaganza shows. They know it ends when they see the drunken humans bottles hitting the seas floors with a thump and the big ship moves away with its annoying engine sounds.

The new kids start seeing each other at the local hidden seaweed cafe, they sit and chat, bubbles every where with their messages appearing inside like some cartoon. “You have your mothers eyes, I like the way you move, your fast and sexy” she looks down in a shy manner. “ what do you do for a living?” she asks. “ I’m a scout, we patrol the area making sure no predators are too close” with a sign of proudness he declared. “I know this place by the reef which is very romantic at dusk, wanna come check it out?” and off they go.

On the way they share a ipod swinging to the beats of 50 bones new album, the most notorious rapper in the red sea, known for his in your face raps and controversial lyrics, his latest hit “ mermaids want me” was on WTV’s top charts for 6 weeks( unheard of in the under water world) earning him Platinum status. All the teens love him for his out of the water attitude and way of life. Fish live and move in schools, he is their one way ticket to bad boy land.

They get to the reef and the sights and sounds are just irresistibly romantic. The silence and view is gill blocking. They look into each others eyes, they have no time to waste, this is the time, this is our time, we know it, its that feeling you get when you see someone and think you know them. They tango. The music has changed to more romantic chill-out lounge moods, they dance and romance the stone. He tells her to close her eyes, she smiles.

He runs away looking for those oysters in danger land, he tickles them open, he steals the pearls one after the other, he finds a small human fishing line, bites it right, drills the pearls and one after the other makes way for the most amazing necklace fit for a queen and swims back.” open your eyes” he bubbles, “what took you so long? OH MY GOD!” she screams.

In our lifetime days are numbers, in fish lifetimes days are lifetimes. They embrace the moments and move fast, they are the talk of the town, they love it. They have contained the issue and it is theirs, they don’t mind the hollywood gossip, let them fish off! they think, its our life, and we do what we do best, make babies.

They marry and leave to make their home in the anemone area, an upscale area where only the rich and famous clownfish reside, clownfish make people happy, so they make the most money, fish need to laugh you sea, living with the daily dangers the face. These fish got it right you sea, only what matters counts. The listen to the customer, and deliver, and the customer in return pays top dollar.

The babies arrive, all cute and adorable. Boys and girls in a 50/50 split. The children grow up and are soon on their own to discover the sea world on their own. The personalities are very different than the parents, the parents are proud of their produce( remember this word).

The children escape their surroundings, swimming here and their, fast and furious best describes them, they are fat yet nimble, nice and juicy catch as we humans call them. The no swimming area is where the deadly fish swim and lethal humans come to catch. The reason for the crowd is simple,food! the fish can’t seem to remember anything, or who their deadly others are from time to time, everything is based on today, what happened yesterday or last hour is history.

If it was one thing i can say that is the deadliest thing that fish have its their memory, what memory?

Anyway, the young ones are all heading home as they notice their missing adventurer brother? the time is getting late for our games and fun, and he has been missing for hours.

“ How would you like to have it sir?” politely asked the waiter to some family at some fancy sea food restaurant in some 5 star hotel. “ Have it baked and add some herbs to it only, this fish tastes good like that”. replied the mother on the table.

Two families, two tales ;P

Enjoy the moments.

mamdooh.alradadi

me@mamdoohalradadi.com

My life has witnessed many ups & downs, more downs than ups, down’s pave my future ups, each one higher than its predecessor. Dips they call them. Some small, some steep & deep. I eagerly await my next dip, for behind each dip, there is a valley, and with it comes my new mountains to climb & conquer, keep climbing!

I never saw a straight line climbing success. If you analyze the line closely you will see the downs and dips, with all the pain and suffering, the anxiety, the stress levels at boiling point, its al there cleverly disguised. People sometimes need to fake it till they make it, or in other occasions just contain and never complain about their day, while in reality they suffer as you speak.

Every two and a half years you will face a major crisis in your life, sometimes earlier says success guru Brian Tacey. Not just problems, major crisis and life changing happenings, you will be rocked, Your boat and everything in it will be rocked and rattled, shaked and baked, taken for the life thrilling test drive. To see what your made of.If you manage to stay afloat after this experience, then you are granted a gate pass to the next level, if not, you sink, and remain in the dust of the successful few. Success has a price you know, like everything else in life.

The only difference between success and anything else you buy, is the payment structure. For everything else you pay and receive on the spot or in a few days, for success you pay today in hard work and major contributions and sacrifices, and wait for your turn to receive it, no guarantees!

So why do people still pay upfront for this so called success? with all its pain and hurt, suffering and never clear roads. With all the books and papers, with all that waking up early and focus pokas training. With all those lost friends and fun time, You had to give up so many great activities, including just being a bum! Why?

If you ask me, I can tell you one thing I know, it has a great taste and after taste to it, one that stays long after you digest the fact. Success has a sweet smell and flair to it. Success moves your senses, sometimes you feel areas in your body that you never knew existed. Success is the potion that you rub onto anything you touch and it turns to gold. Success leaves trails and tracks, imagine they are yours? You write it, you ride it. “You can do it!” is one of the many driving factors I used along the way, and I scream out to you all, you too can, so what are you waiting for? start walking that winding road.

They say it has unknown lengths, it does not use miles of kilometers, it uses sweat, hours and more hours,sacrifice, focus, target setting and milestones all mixed up in a big juicer and then whatever comes out is the new measure for that part of the road.

When faced with doubt, doubt that doubt and cross it out. Go with the GROW and follow your gut feelings, your internal success compass knows more than the average friends that surround you, respect yourself and listen to your guiding systems at all times.

“If you want to take your mission in life
to the next level, if youre stuck and
you dont know how to rise, don’t
look outside yourself. Look inside.”

p.s. sorry for the short note, 1+1=2 and not some essay elaborating on the exact answer. Now you have saved more time to enjoy your day

mamdooh.alradadi

me@mamdoohalradadi.c

Where did I put that manual on life again, I can’t seem to find it when I need it most? OH! I forgot I don’t have one. They never told us that we could do it again after falling down, they never gave us permission for another go, they never gave us the rules of engagement in this oh so ever exciting life. If you were to sum up all the various directions we got when we were young and wild, it would have to be GO!

If the only direction is forward, with some back momentum for push, then GO! would be it.

We seem to have a never ending supply of “Go, bump, move away, continue, go some more, walk,run, slow down, stop, look around, GO!” we know that one, but what happens when we have a head on collision and seem to be a bit dizzy and have a loss of direction and start to just walk on, in any direction, then we find that the road travelled has unfamiliar terrain, and is getting more and more harder to cover. We stop, analyze, think about the situation and sometimes get lost in the analysis.

We stall. Don’t! just GO!

Don’t take too long to uncover the bleeding and suffering, don’t take too much time analyzing the hurt, the betrayal, the shocks, the losses.. you need to keep moving, you need to think and move, we had a laid back life, now its faster and only the fit can survive or be left in the rubble, get up and move. Go!

People will not forgive you under any circumstances. They will laugh at you on your way down, and envy you on your way up, at least give them a hard time. This is the real exam in life to move on to the next level, you change course in due course, you take the first step up, you wave and smile, you GO!

When you concave upon yourself, you start the manifestation of a nation of negative village people, burn the village down, it will not be a criminal act, on the contrary you will be helping yourself and remember they are all temporary useless friendships based on that energy sucking I talked to you about in the past. They will suck you dry to the last drop, use whatever it takes to keep at least one spark of positivity and ignite yourself, GO!

Travel light. Dump the luggage. Use minimal tools. GO! back to basics. Reveal your true potential. Get close and personal with success. Fake it till you make it. Find laughter in your mishaps. Seek energy from food and sports, read, watch uplifters. Shy away from sad, explore happiness. Enroll in life’s bounties. Watch what you hear. Be clear and definitive on your goals. Unleash the beast within you. GO! back to age 4 if you have to. Pull on your wonderful memory. Hold that thought, GO!

When down, lower your negative intake. Claim the victory and celebrate your small wins. Strike evil between the eyes. Push and shove for your smiles. When you smile the whole world smiles back. Powerful emotions and eruptions take place when you strike X that marks the spot. GO!

NIKE says Just do it! we can do that, we can do it, we did it so far, we do it day in day out, doing is believing, just did it was what you did, you know how its done, you can move faster than before, doing it over and over again means you can, why not do it again?

Nothing beats a good days GO!

When we know, we grow, we show, we flow, we glow, we always GO!

March on. Do not tarry. To go forward is to move toward perfection. March on, and fear not the thorns, or the sharp stones on life’s path. Khalil Gibran

mamdooh.alradadi

me@mamdoohalradadi.com

ALBAIK is a fast food company that sells fried broasted chicken meals, it is the pinnacle of success in its industry and has given kentucky fried chicken or KFC a run for its money in Saudi Arabia.

The Ministerial Agency of civil affairs is a government entity that handles the births, deaths and issuance of ID’s & Family ID’s but not the passports. It is the pinnacle of bad experiences.

ALBAIK manages to sell thousands of meals daily across the western region daily in a very affordable, pleasant, value for money fashion. They sell SAR11 meals with their famous unique garlic sauce in record time, every time. They also smile while they work and deliver, sometimes fake, but they smile.

The civil thing place, makes you sweat, literarily, you sweat to deliver your papers, you wait 2 weeks for your ID to arrive from the capital, let me try and contain the issue and show you how they function.

You come in, you take a number to be seen and the requests are written in some kind of maze around the walls, they have 2 information and ticket dispenser workers( who think they own the place)after you have your photos, your file, your copies of old or family ID’s, you are seen by a ministry official, if you are lucky… it takes more than 6 hours of waiting, ok maybe 4 until prayer time, then move on and come back in the morning with a new set of numbers.

ALBAIK: you step up tp the counter, place your order, pay, get your change, look at yor number, notice its far out, have no fear! these are masters of fast delivery and experts of process management, and they fight to get better.

Today:

Civil affairs agency: I arrive at 8:15 am I am already late. The crowds are growing, the noise is growing and the people are wasted. The staff are dead, some still in the process, or pretending to be dead, the numbers front line offices are wearing swine flu masks, very angry faces, extremely angry service people, did I say service( SORRY!).  I am treated badly when I asked a question slightly away from the line( only one guy ahead of me and he was done), I was ordered to get in line if I was to be served.

I asked for delivery area of new ID’s, I get a number 280, I run happily jumping up and down like a 5 year old high on 2 bars of chocolate, really jumping, as high as I could in my saudi gear and head thing, yeeeeha! I’m getting my ID today. Then the shock, the number was 163, that’s ok I thought ALBAIK finishes that number in less than half an hour.

I quickly scan the wide waiting room which can only handle 50 people or so, three windows for delivery, one man standing only. He barely is breathing, let alone moving, he is young, not energetic and extremely slow, just like grandma!

I calculate his handling of one transaction, 10 minutes at least, to deliver a card. I take 280 and minus it from 163 it equals 117 people, only. I multiply that number by 5 minutes, not 10 and the total time I would have to wait on average is almost 10 hours. Not bad for a guy who has only one refined, focused goal in life to get a citizen ID, he would actually be a lucky person. He would only have to wait 10 hours in his whole lifetime, imagine?

Now since we normal people, do have more goals than one, I figured they would shut down for the night, open again in the morning, and still it would not be my turn. And the funny part would be a twist in their ticketing system, valid for one day only!

So if ALBAIK fast food would handle his delivery in 10 minutes per customer, I assure you he would be studied in history books.the actual average time to pas 78 orders today was in less than 25 minutes, you do the math. If a company can do it, I guess a government entity serving people should learn a few tricks, and I bet the staff in that civil place all buy ALBAIK for dinner or lunch.

It only took some old fashioned process engineering and planning, a little bit of this and a little bit of that. If there is heavy traffic, increase manpower! cut the unnecessary work, make it faster from point A to point B…duh!

The irony of the matter is all the people that come into this area of work are doing it for the sake of work, the end user, he is just another number. I accept to become another number, but please do something with the time, I am willing to even pay…. THINK!

Now if you excuse me, its 1.30 in the AM over here, and I have to be at that dreadful place at 6 in the morning, and try to get what’s mine, if I am lucky, good thing I got my sons too so he wont go through the amazing experience I had.

Why don’t they let ALBAIK chicken handle the process for the issuance and delivery of ID cards, just take a visit to one of their offices.

1- Bad location, Bad locations, Bad location

2- Dumb people working like zombies.

3- Not one smile to be seen in a million miles.

4- Extremely bad, extinct dinosaurs working the front desks.

5- Excellent ticketing system that is put there to tell you how slow they are, so they can serve the idiot after you for actually staying the full 6 hours!

Let’s just hope no one from the civil affairs is awake reading my blog, I need to first get my card, then run, and jump in the air like I just don’t care…is this an ID card I’m talking about or the winning 100 million dollar lottery ticket?

And so many more areas that could learn a lesson or two from other areas in life, sometimes even from ants. I know ALBAIK was good tonight, I hope I get in and out in at least 2 hours, imagine someone being happy for being served in just 2 hours.

People; they come in good, bad and disgusting.

mamdooh.alradadi

me@mamdoohalradadi.com

This is the story of a little girl who grew up in a country called saudi arabia, another country in the planet with opportunities for those who seek them. Why did I relate it to opportunity? because it is and always will be, very simply put any place on earth is, some more than others.

She grew up here, studied some time outside, came back and refused to sidetrack from her friends negative vibrations that seem to have doubled ever since she left them four years ago. She had one friend that adored her, believed in her, knew she was going places. This other girl was a local by all means, and studied at local schools, local colleges, even had a few gigs on the side to help with her expenses, some secretarial, hospital, sales to name a few.

Two girls one mission. Who are they up against? the rest. They know how hard it is to succeed in a country that had nothing in store for ladies and was trying hard to fill the gap steadily.They know many girls who made it to the top of businesses across the country, these girls were not doctors( they seem to have had no problems). They pin pointed their targets in terms of success. They identified the models, the goals they went for, the average time it would take them, and most of all saw the end, felt the success, actually breathed it in every day from that day onwards.

They would meet up casually to talk about their milestones covered, obstacles removed, threats that lay ahead of them. All this while their friends whined some more and stuck to the crowd doing what they do best, follow like a herd. The two girls enjoyed it day by day and had sweet little victory celebrations every once in a while.

They faced society with all they had, faith. They saw every problem as a challenge, tough or soft, they knew it when it came and handled it with care. Many people tried putting them off, including their families and closest of friends, asking them to get married and settle down, they had greater visions not apparent to the eyes of the jealous and clueless many.

As days are numbers and months are more digits, years come and go, a few years later, the two are celebrating their major milestones. Each has managed to carve a place for themselves in prestigious corporations head to head with their rivals, men. Although men seem to want to help, they also have their own back to handle in a fast paced ever so changing competitive business atmosphere.

They start to seek mentors for their coming years of success, all by the book, every inch of the way clearly planned and put to practice. They know that they have moved mountains so far, now its time to move lands,change the face of the earth preparing the arrival of the next generation of female workforce which make up for 50% of the population or a bit more based on some late figures.

Who ever said it was easy they think out loud, but it was real fun and what kept us going was the following major points they write:

• A true visible vision of our dream.
• Real faith in our abilities.
• Not to walk on previous peoples failures, walk around them.
• Keep our vision on track no matter what.
• Leaving the box and living out of the box, wether people liked it or not.
• Faced our fears head on, eye to eye and spoke up.
• Used our brains as well as our hearts on our quest.
• Never looked back only to see how far we have covered.
• Took the negative words and down force communication from people and recycled them positive.
• Worked smart not hard.
• Thanked people for their help all along.
• Always asked questions and respected peoples views, that way we always got the very best.
• Were grateful to be living in such great moments in mankind’s history.
• Networked like bees, always giving then receiving.
• Used the buddy system.

You see it can be done, stop penalizing yourself for false things you think that keep you tied down. Things that only live inside your head, always growing heavier never moving you forward. Just as there are girls with no future in the near horizon, many boys face the same perils due to ignorance and giving up too early. Billions of words have been written on this subject, but few go digested. There is only one way in my opinion to move, make things SIMPLE!

What do you want? what do you really want? do you want it really bad? does it ache when you don’t have it? do you see yourself having it day and night? does it shake you inside out? does it hurt you? does it live in you and all you can see is IT? if it does then you are ready to move, if not work harder at what you really want.

We all know it, we all feel it and I have rarely been wrong on things to come in this world, only because I listen

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.  ~T.S. Eliot

Goals are dreams with deadlines.  ~Diana Scharf Hunt

mamdooh.alradadi

me@mamdoohalradadi.com

Have you ever paused while on vacation in the middle of the night when the music is loud and the lights are fading away the more you drove into the night, just like a mirage? Have you ever thought about that exact moment? the very moment you are dancing the night away and in some distant land at that given moment meetings are being held, people are being killed, babies being born, an old man passes away at the age of 87?

Have you ever wondered about what is going on as you are landing in Heathrow airport? have you ever noticed the sights and sounds that you could have missed if you were back home? or the rain pouring on your head while someone is scorched by the sun in the desert? How about that cry in the delivery room, that smile on the new applicants face when he is hired, or even that football game on the side of the road with all those supporters.

The people on the road making their way to work, the children getting off the bus starting their day, the chewing gum that got stuck to your shoes, the first snow flake that lands on your nose, that cool refreshing drink after a hard workout,the smell of that new car you drive off the car dealers parking, the smell of winter after a long flight from the middle east.

We tend to have these moments and  take them casually, we tend to fast forward the lovely sights and sounds that make our life. Those bits & pieces that make up that portrait we remember as a whole. We love the silence once we miss it, we fear that same silence when it continues longer than anticipated. The battle of the thoughts and priority shifting of ideas wastes my focus. I remain a silent observer of what goes on around me.

Have you ever taken yourself to the invisible balcony that oversees your every move and reaction? They say once you gain access to that vip view, you rule the new you. You manage effortlessly to control your every move and avoid the pitfalls that you dive into. At any given moment you are moving towards or away from your dreams. At any given moment you are writing your own story. With every twist & turn you end up at the corner or fork of the road. Is it right or is it left? I can understand your confusion, bare with me till the end.

When you witness your every move, imagine most or a random selection of your living day, you manage to get a brighter picture of the things that make you go tick followed by a tock. Remember that the faster you go, the faster you are likely to miss a turn in the road that can cost you years of your total balance. Learn to slow down every once in a while, take it easy, take to the slow lane, relax, inhale, exhale,breathe.

When you learn to do that, you are suddenly a wiser person, a concerned person, an involved person, a nurturing person, a feeling person, but most of all, an admirer of the gift we call life.

At the rate things are going, real face time will deplete replaced with cyber warp speed interactions. The now common netiquette and symbols are only the start of things to come, soon our smileys and emoticons will be out-fashioned just as DISCO is today. Yes, more people will be able to display their true feelings hiding behind a screen or mobile, screaming and sharing true feelings in cyber space. But is that what we run to? is that our aim in life? is that what you wanted when you were a young kid? or even a teenager with all that might and fearless soul?Do you know what goes on in your mind? do you focus on the subconscious messages you receive? or do you move them to the trash folder upon arrival because they irritate you?

Its time for you and me to take a back seat for a few minutes only every day and reflect, make sense of our purpose? imagine the outcomes of our actions and those funny little ideas.You never know what you will end up doing in five years, so tell me again what will you be doing in ten again? one little thought caught on tape is all it takes for you to manage your life better, take your foot off the gas pedal, and ease on the brakes, slow down, come to a complete stop, relax, take those breathes and look around you.

Well have you ever wondered

how we ever came to be

Have you ever wondered why

there’s still a you and me

Have you ever wondered why

I haven’t turned and walked away

And why I stayed

Gabrielle- Have you ever wondered

mamdooh.alradadi

me@mamdoohalradadi.com

Have you ever been in the position of almost breaking into a 1000 pieces, and then some more? Have you ever been in the position where you wished you could make a strange magical move and disappear? Have you ever been wondering what it would be like to be a kid in high school again and run away from your responsibilities? have you ever been thrown into a road where everything on it spells disaster? Have you ever been asked to act when your actions were limited? Have you ever thought about why the whole world was against you?Do you know the word helpless? Have you lost track of your dreams and goals due to walking on the wrong side? How about that time when you wished there was something more than crying to take the pain go away and restore one night of peaceful sleep in exchange for a 100 restless nights?

Prepare for an important news flash!

They say that serious & life changing situations will hit you every (2 1/2) years for the rest of your life. This is the latest research on human behavior coming from the mouths of the greatest success gurus of our day & age. This is so true due to the many changes we have endured of the last 30 years or so and the speed we are moving at.

• Is it not true that days seem to be numbers? Is it not true that some time back, we heard the Japanese who rule the world in technology and production measures asked for a 26 hour day? We thought they were crazy, then stopped before the laugh ended remembering we belong to the same global neighborhood.
• With change comes frustration, with frustration come high anxiety levels, more disappointments, more expectations when things are going south, getting lost has never been easier.
• The hours seem to be bundled together in 3 hour batches, the little ones seem to be getting married faster than we anticipated, a decade seems to be a year or so, information seems to be outdated before we finish reading the books content page, music changes faster than our moves and grooves, we seem to be moving on a super fast escalator in all directions.

Now the good news. With every single stone in the road there’s a suitable kick to remove it. With every obstacle there lies an opportunity or moving experience. Knowledge is the key and the power we need to arm ourselves with. Networking and getting answers at any given time is nothing but a click away. Opportunities are now for the educated all around informative person and not by the background/status quo/college. The finest run business models in the world came crashing to their knees in a fortnight by the mistakes of the very fine people who graduated with honors and run those models. Never blame your self for the worlds actions against you. Take the message in a reverse mode and use its power to propel you to your next level up!

I have personally gone throw a string of up and downs in all directions as if attached on one of those catapult rides in orlando with a full stomach of junk food. It all seems to boil down to a few things:

• What you think of most of the time stares you in the eyes. So if you stare at your emotional levels, it stares back. If you stare at your financial worries, they seem to grow. If you take your fears and worries seriously  they tend to get multiplied and come back and haunt you.
• When you imagine the possibilities, dream a little, surround yourself with a (FFP’s)few positive fun people to get you through the day and remove the (NAM’s)negative annoying many, you seem to see clearly one day. It seems to brighten up, the light seems to shine more, the opportunities peek at you as if to make sure you are ready for positive change.
• Suddenly as if someone is checking to see if you break, or they break you, comes over to you and pats you on the back and says” Well done, you are worthy and shall be rewarded for your brave standing and weathering out of all that we threw at you, Good luck on your journey!”

Positive vibes and people enter your life, they surround you, joy you, help you, magnify your greatness, make you shine and rise above the rest.

Opportunity welcomes you in. You are rewarded from the least expected places and faces that seem to have slipt through you like sand in an hour glass.

Trust me on this, there is great potential in belief, believe in your self, if you won’t, who will?

Grab life by the horns!

days are numbers

p.s. Thank you Dodge for that great slogan.

mamdooh Al-Radadi

me@mamdoohalradadi.com

I am not talking about a wedding here, Im talking about a totally other kind of maid, the famous house maid. You can’t live with them and you can’t live without them I say.In this part of the world it is almost unheard of to not have one, even if you are starving to death, I have to admit I missed them for a while. Being a single guy does not really qualify me for having the luxury of a maid, but what do you know I am a bi-product of this society, I fought away many things, but this one keeps hunting me down. While I was married I had 3 people working for me: A Driver, A maid/helper, and a Nanny.

No wonder I never saved a dime! The funny part is we are a family of 3 only in this household, yes 3. It is a no no to not bring this kind of help when married, she will dump you in a jiffy. Now to make things clear, in this country we differ in so many ways than the west. We are a lazy society by nature, not due to the scorching hot weather, by our nature. We opened our eyes and found a certain helper taking care of the cleaning and washing in our house.

Over the years the nationality changed as the incomes and discoveries of new lands grew. In my days, and that was long ago, they were the africans coming for pilgrims that performed haj and never left. They would come in during the day and leave at night for a small amount of money( I think it was comparable to today if we put in place inflation). All I can remember was a huge ball of human moving with grace from one corner of the house to the other cleaning and fighting with mom day in day out. My mom would fight with them, until they leave her lonely, then she would beg them to come back for another day, and another fight.

She would command her in every little detail, as if she was actually her slave. I don’t say this to point out a cruel treatment, absolutely not, that’s another story( not in my home thank god) actually they were family, the ones that had a chore to do every day. We then started witnessing in the 80’s the arrival of the first batch of asians to our shores. This was new to us, cleaner and smarter I was told. Educated also, that is where most of our young population gets there first home education these last 20 years or so.

Maids and drivers are every woman’s nightmare here. I bet that most women cannot and will not get married if no maid is available in her house. They cook and clean and take care of her children while she goes about her ways from day to week.

After the divorce we split up and she got her maid( the most amazing cook ever and handyman) and I got to share my girls Nanny, who doubled as a personal helper at home, so that meant I get my home cleaned and my clothes washed and ironed 50% of the week, not bad I thought.

Then one day my little girl outgrew her childish ways and started to think, she decides when and where she wants to go, even if she decides to dump me for her little cousin for a week or 10 days, then remembers me. So, I, of all people can not sit in a dumpster of an apartment like other single men, I would die. So I tried not to use or dirty anything for as long as I could take it, then the weekend comes, and with it comes chaos. The next day is a nightmare to me, I quickly make myself a coffee and wear my cleaning clothes( I dont have any) and get to work, starting at the kitchen and making my way to the other areas. yes, I do mop the floors and take out the garbage.

The people from the west are thinking is this guy showing off? yes I am, it is the worst habit you can have in our area of the world, laziness of the worst kind! I make freinds with the doorman so he can pass by daily to pick up the Garbage after the fight with my neighbor on the location of the dumpster. I have been a decent shopper of basic survival needs, called my mother to learn how to operate basic units in my house, like the washing machine and the microwave.

We have fell to the lowest levels of helping our selves in history, I can now state proudly that I can and will survive without a maid.For more than 12 months I managed, and now, I am finally rewarded with a maid, a helper, a saver, a wonder woman, a self help buster, a black magical woman, she came and saved me. Now old habits have kicked in again and I tend to lose myself from time to time, I actually tell people how happy I am these days. I am planning to throw a party for her soon.

Enough of the wise guys remarks, I have a question for all the newly weds and single guys and girls out there, the area I am referring to is from Saudi Arabia and all over the Gulf region, The neighboring Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt to an extent, basically the Arab world. The question is as follows, Can you or will you do the following for the next 12 month’s or worse yet 3 or 5 years? all your life?:

• Wash the dishes?
• Wash the toilet till it sparkles, 3 times a day?
• Clean the clothes?
• Iron the clothes, especially those Long thobes your husband wears and his head gear?
• Vacuum the carpets and shine the floor with dettol?
• Change the bed covers daily and wash them every once and a while?
• Beat the furniture to kill those little bed and couch bugs every other day?
• Take out the garbage and clean its place daily?
• Clean all those ashtrays daily?
• Cook and serve breakfast, lunch and dinner?
• Fix all the problems that any house has?
• Clean the AC filters?
• Prepare a dinner for the whole family gatherings every week and clean up after?
• Throw parties and clean it yourself?
• Clean the car inside and out daily?
• Drive everyone to their destination and pick them up after school?
• Have time for yourself?

I know that many civilizations laugh at our lifestyle and make fun of our lazy asses, sorry people of the world we failed this one, BIG TIME! but you can’t blame us, we were brought up like this, and will also pass it on to our children, until one day one of them starts a new cool thing called self sufficient households. Yes I know that in the west a family will consist of a doctor, a business woman, 3 children at school and they would manage to not have a maid, its a secret to many, to me its discipline and time management.

Now tell me, why do you treat them so bad when you need them so bad? I also question the real need, does it exist?or is it a simple fashion statement each one of you boys & girls need? Can you or did you ever be the sole servant and housekeeper of your own home? If yor answer is yes, I bow in respect, if no, why?

In our Arabic quotes we have a saying “ He who serves the people is their master” I second that and agree.

Have mercy on the rest of us.

P.S. I know all the husbands will never mind a helper like the one in the picture, I know I never complain!

Anything you missed during school is sure to land on your lap at the local coffee shop. Small whispers of politics and other social blabbering is a part of the daily ritual. People tend to meet up at neutral grounds to release the days load, or get ready for a new day with the famous paper and mug sight.

Coffee shops will always be around, they are a gathering of the minds, just like the playground was our former sweet spot when we were younger. We gather to share and boast our daily or weekly gains. We gather to share our wisdom. We gather to spill our milk on someone’s lap. We make way for a new day by loading up on caffeine or nicotine and OJ. We digest as fast as possible our daily sports gossip, political moves, cultural debates, and a big chunk of knowledge on what is going on.

When I get to a coffee shop, I tend to grab one of the favorite newspapers, go to the back check out the daily cartoon, scan fast, check out the front, go to the daily horoscope, move to the business side real fast, check the markets, check the social arena and space out. Its a matter of perspective on what you want to read in the morning. we all know what is going on in the world:

• There will always be a war in one part of the world, for peace they say.
• There will be a winner in football.
• There will be a victim or two killed by acts of violence in your area.
• There will be arguments on local ministries or municipalities.
• There will be funny stories.
• There will be millions made and lost.
• There will be cool adverts.
• There will be weather disasters.
• There will be success stories.
• There will be country changes.
• There will be a fight going on between one performer and another.
• There will be witty columns to get us started.
• There will be politicians blabbering there mouths off instead of doing something faster.
• There will be scandals and community outrage on local happenings.

What do you choose from the above to start your day. If you are a business person, you need most of the above, and sometimes you can have someone highlight the main events. But in reality we don’t need 90% of the naked truth on newspapers and TV news stations. Imagine the following;

You start the day with a newspaper that has the following news articles only:

• The stock market rises 200 points for 5th day, the average investor has made at least 90% gains.
• The war in Palestine has come to an end with both parties agreeing to move on peacefully.
• The war in IRAQ is really over all troops are back in their countries, the country is making great progress.
• The ARMS factories are filing for bankruptcy as sales for new arms fall to their lowest levels in 10 years, no one seems to need them!
• The average rate of unemployment has dropped a staggering 80% and continues to drop, meaning almost everyone is finding a job.
• There have been no traffic accidents this week, this section will be discontinued due to lack of accidents in the last few years.
• The Africa poverty levels are diminishing rapidly after 3 major companies have decided to send in each 50% of their income for this social awareness campaign.
• AIDS treatment now available for free with astonishing 1 week treatment success levels.

I can imagine the levels of enthusiasm you will have that day.

Remember that everything you read or see or feel will have an impact directly or indirectly on your well being.

Why not choose what to digest?

Mamdooh Al-Radadi

Me@mamdoohalradadi.com

• What would your face look like at age 40 if all you watched was the NEWS?
• what would it be like if you only watched comedy shows and movies?
• Would you look like a million dollars if all you watched were financial channels?Just like some people start reading the newspaper from the back to the front and vice versa, some people have watching patterns that only seem to grow into one area in life without them noticing.

Some people only watch sport channels, others only watch opera winfrey like shows. Some people pop on DVD after the other trying to finish a never ending stream of episodes like LOST and Prison break and desperate housewives and anything that comes out.Originally they were meant to be weekly episodes, no not me says the active follower, all or non!

Having a diverse sense of program/movie watching will widen ones scope in life and affect his general well being in the process. Can you imagine sitting with a person that only watches financial news for 2 hours and you don’t know what the currency is for france is? no its not the French Franc, they changed it a few days ago to Euro.

What about a combination of two people one likes Sports and the other news, I mean real hard core political news. I can imagine the dialogue:

“Did you see last night’s semi finals?” “ Oh yeah it seems like the Bush administration is falling behind, sorry! is that what you meant?” BORING!

What we should do is keep a piece of paper beside the TV and write down all the things you watch for a few weeks, lets say 21 days. Take that piece of input and see how much time you spend on each area or category. It should give you a better understanding of what you appear to other people. Why do I say appear, well you can tell allot about people from their diverse conversation capabilities, some just go blank, while other sjust amaze you with their knowledge.

I am a more a reader than a TV watcher, but I do put in hours of TV watching when i am on idle, and it seems to carry me away. I have found out that i do not shy away from seasons of new material or shows, I tend to find the ones that end daily, so I don’t have to come back for more, what about my time? So a good example here would be Las Vegas, and not LOST( who cares after a while, they’re on the island, off the island, back to the island..come on).

I can say I am 70% into humor and 30% everything else, everything! I don’t watch horror movies, had my share when I was young with the basic Frankestien, werewolves and vampires. I like National Geographic with all its amazing footage and adventure on our planet.

There is this one gentlemen who watches movies back to back, even re-runs on a movie channel for 2 to 3 days, alone. Would you like his number? very sociable young man,NOT!

So in the end, you are what you eat, what you read and also what you watch.

Mamdooh Al-Radadi

me@mamdoohalradadi.com