As I was walking just before dusk today I walked by an old man with a wooden cane and his driver walking slowly looking at the sun setting in the horizon. To the naked eye an normal sight, to me a slow film that took place in the blink of an eye.

You see this old man was a young boy once, born on the western coast of Jeddah, an ancient city, a port, a business center for all the pilgrims who come in millions to this country every year for pilgrimage.

He was just another son to his family, he was loved, he was brought up right, he went to school like all the others, he decided at his early age he wanted to seek the treasures of the sea for a living, he became one of the fishermen in a blink of an eye.

He worked his way from the filthy fish smelling docks to the fresh aired little fishing boats that set out at the break of dawn daily to see what they can catch and feed their families back on land.

He loved it so much, he gambled with his life many times, but with each risk he took, the rewards were merrier. He soon owned his fishing boat, hired a helper, and set sail daily, when he came back, he had whatever the sea gave him for sale for a few riyals.

He soon owned another boat, and another and then some more. His secret was honesty, honesty amongst traders was key, I wish it was still the case today. He had his little fish shop that sold his daily catch, he also added some flair to his business and started cooking fish dishes for people on shore and shoppers alike, a hit amongst the crowd, his secret recipe: His wife was the cook, Jeddah woman are great at preparing fish dishes.

The years flew by, the changes happened so fast, the children grew older, diversified his wealth into better investments, they bought land and more land, they grew rich as time went by, the father who was once a young boy, admired his children for their support, and loved his wife for her never ending belief and sleepless nights when he was gone.

“ We did good my love, we did good” he once told his wife at the marriage of their last bachelor son. He misses his wife, its been 10 years now she’s been gone, he wonders when his time will come? he prays its in his sleep, so he won’t see his children suffer for his suffering on his dying bed.

The years seem to have flown by like those passing clouds on this breezy day at the beach he thinks to himself. Last thing I remember was starting my job at the docks, now here I am 60 years later, all grown and old, barely moving with a driver on my side to help me around.

The days are numbered, the time will never reactivate and start from zero, your hours are counting to do something, don’t let the silly things bog you down from exploring your body and world while young and able, what you can do is everything and anything, the sky actually is not your limit if you wanted to!

As I walk on by this man, that story actually took place in my mind, my pace was faster, my dreams expanded, the full force of energy levels rose to new heights, the possibilities are endless, the days are numbered, and I want to make the best of them, and I hope you too take a new look every day at what’s important and just GO FOR IT!

mamdooh.alradadi @ home wondering what’s next? in Jeddah, the city by the sea on the 27th of August 2010

me@mamdoohalradadi.com

As I shovel one more heap of soil to cover her grave I see her sitting there pouring her whole big family tea and extra sugar for us kids. Her three sons just came out from her grave to make sure she is in her favorite position for her final sleep.

The brave sons did what no one dare do, all with one hand place their mother inside on her back and kiss her one more time, imagine, they will never see her again, may Allah rest her soul. They barely make it out, the eldest first, and her youngest second, and suddenly I feel scared we need to get one of them out fast, he also makes his way out and crashes upon me.

All dressed in white and smelling her best, no movement, no breath, her soul is to descending to her maker, she can hear us praying for her, from our deepest places, we will miss her, and wish her only the best, for she came, she had her life and now she bids us farewell to meet her husband and others.

My mother and her sisters have no clue what awaits them, for the true pain comes after the fact has sinked into ones self. I do not know what they are feeling, but I can only imagine, and with my imagination comes rivers, rivers of tears and still I am no where near their suffering.

The days and nights are simply the best for her journey, we pray and pray for she is gone, never to be heard of again, the only place she has nested for eternity lies within us, farewell grandma, or sitoo as we once called her, yes, once called her.

Her death like all deaths came sudden, but then again what is sudden? each soul has an expiry date attached upon birth, its the one way ticket with no return that kills us. We live our days as forever, and should work for our end as if we die tomorrow, easier said than done.

I know all of you have or will face the consequences of us being human, sorry to barge in on your day like this, but I know you feel my pain, I know you share my sorrows, I know you too have prayed for her, thank you for your support, and live life to the fullest.

Our most loved are least seen, our most loved are the people we never show how much, our most loved are the ones that forgive us for our forgetfulness, our most loved are right there before you waiting for your hug, our most loved will never leave us, we always leave them, and they still wait for our return.

Like an angel she sleeps, she hears our voices and footsteps, she hears her sons and grandchildren flock around, she knows who is there, she can’t tell us how happy she is to see us all gathered round her, like old times. The old faces of the little children she once fed and served tea have grown white hair and look much older, her little boys have their children to support them, her smiles and laughter fills the air, her sounds are now trapped in our minds never to be heard.

As the years flew by, I cannot recall the farewells of the many people I attended. They say a person has done good when his funeral is light and heartfelt, she was no exception. From the moment we knew, to the last pice of dirt on her grave, in the hottest of weather, in the worst of feelings, she was as light as a feather, may her lightness take her to her destination with ease, farewell beloved.

mamdooh.alradadi @ Jeddah on the 21st of August not knowing what to say, in memory of Fatma Khomais

We all seem to focus on the good in things today, and that’s a good sign. The issue is sometimes taken for granted by many folk. If you say you will do something and you don’t, and see something else you like to practice and you don’t, then you become worst that your original state.

So I will attempt today to show you what not to do, at least a few that will get you ahead of the many crowds surrounding you in 10 easy Do Not’s, remember Do Not!

1. Do not look around a person when talking to them, do not look or take a sneaky glimpse at your watch, unless you want the meeting to end, or signal their time is up!
2. Do not yawn, and if you do excuse yourself for doing so, and state why.
3. Do not pretend to listen to what they are saying, if you already know the information being said, say so, and move on in the conversation.
4. Do not keep repeating “ Yes, but!” “ I know, but” “ Listen to me” “ You don’t understand” take a moment and imagine someone is using those words with you in a conversation you are so excited about.
5. Do not belittle people based upon misconceptions, rumors and stereo typing. I still fall into that trap, and I have been working on it for years. Here is the good news, the more I let my analysis guards down in conversations with new people, the more fascinated I become in the wonderful people that come in all sizes, ages, shapes & color.
6. Do not wait for your time to talk. If you want to talk about yourself talk to yourself and save us the boredom and agony.
7. Do not assume you are better than the talker, instead become interested in them, ask more, talk to them more about them! as they say “ be interested, not interesting”.
8. Do not ignore cultures within cultures. Ask more and observe more, learn from your mistakes. There is a big difference between how Arabs communicate and Japanese. Even within your own country there lies many cultural ways and what’s normal in your part, could be a pure insult a few hundred kilometers south!
9. Do not focus on the other persons defaults or scar, or balding spot, or black spot on his white shirt, or her smudged mascara…  look them in the eye and focus on what’s being said, bodily and wordily.
10. Do not interrupt people when they talk, and do not accept interruptions, respect is a requirement for free flow of ideas and great communication.

And one last one for the road:

1. Do not be known as:

• a conversation hog
• a long meeting individual
• an Egoistic individual talking about your glory, let it speak for itself
• a me, me, me person
• a fake smile
• a gossiper, enjoy it every once in a while, but never be known for it
• a person that talks with food in his mouth, disgusting!
• a boring person, read more, examine more, investigate, understand, ask… you have to believe that people get bored with dull people you know, its true!
• a person that starts conversations with the same line every time i.e. “ here’s what I think!”
• an envy kind of person, everything they say they bought or did or managed makes your face turn blue, I know cause it shows! people read bodies, faces and words, remember that.

mamdooh.alradadi @ his home in Ramadan thinking of a better way in Jeddah, 18th August 2010

me@mamdoohlaradadi.com

How do I know you?

How can I tell if its you?

What signs must I look for?

What feelings must ignite to know Im on the right track?

Where do I go to find you?

Do I just bump into you?

Is that you? or is that you?

What if you passed me and looked back and I did, but later?

Is it a heat? is it a chill? is it a thrill?

When will I know I missed you?

What do I do when I am surrounded by the many forms you take?

Is my soul involved in this search? what if its too tired to look?

Are you exactly the opposite of what I have been looking for? or exactly it?

Why the chase? why the pain? why the lonely nights? why the wasted days?

When does this game end? when will I surrender? what if I raise my flag now? will you show yourself?

What if I fall into enemy lines, like the many times I fell, what if they keep me imprisoned till its too late? won’t you come and save me?

Who will comfort me in my pains and hurt? I know you watch over me from a distance, I know it because I can feel it, stop it and come to me.

You know Im good for you, I know Im good for you, why not see what it feels like to be one.

I enjoy my days but miss you in them, come see what it looks like from where I stand.

Must I search in total darkness when you can light my path towards you? honestly.

My feet are my carriage in this long journey, I have space for one more passenger, join me.

Don’t you want to watch the moon set on some distant Island with me?

Don’t you need to know what love is? let me teach you.

Don’t you miss those hugs you never knew existed? come closer.

You know I love to whisper through your locks of hair all the way up your neck sweet little nothings.

Don’t you understand that it takes two to do the sweetest things in life, combine with me.

Don’t you know it was me from the start? it always was, always will be, it was meant to be.

Being the cat I am, play is my middle name, playful souls flock together, come to my playground let me show you around, its all fun and games, come play me.

That special table for two in the moonlight awaits your arrival, I know you won’t let me down to drown without your presence. The candles continue to burn awaiting your breath to tame that ever growing flame inside me, killing me softly with your breath is what I die for, blow this way, all the way, everyday.

Don’t you wish you were here?

mamdooh.alradadi wishing you were here in Jeddah in these lonely nights 13th of August 2010.

me@mamdoohalradadi.com

We live and learn daily, sometimes on an hourly basis. We reflect to detect what’s new and   what changes it has caused. We try to know what it’s like, we travel to discover, we read to expand, we continuously chase the unknown.

We laugh because it feels good, or is it we feel good because we laugh? we know what its like, we seem to get bogged down with life’s challenges disguised as momentary misery and pain. We dare to uncover the untold, we hide and seek, but we love to laugh.

I have witnessed many forms of laughs from many people in my life. To some it comes naturally, to others they fight it. Some manage it, some exploit it, some live by it, everything in the end is a laugh, some control it because they were told laughing with no reason is bad manners.

Laughing and smiling, enjoying, living life to the max, accepting diversity, challenges, cultures, humor is all good. Learning to laugh at ones self is the best form of joy you can find. People seem to find the laughter in others, while in reality all they are laughing at is themselves, only this time someone else is making a fool of himself.

What is better than laughing? it’s making others laugh or smile, go ahead and see for yourself, make a person laugh, smile, feel good about themselves, instead of focusing on what’s wrong with people, find what’s great about them and say it as it is, in their face, after that by about one second see their face light up!

Don’t you agree with me some cultures and societies are happier and laugh more than others? which one do you belong to? and if you don’t fit, will you contaminate them or move to another happier crowd?

I bet you can’t wait to try this out right now, go ahead and light up someones day, and while your at it, share a laugh, laugh loud and from your heart.

mamdooh.alradadi laughing out loud in Jeddah on the 13th of August 2010

me@mamdoohalradadi.com

How many times have you heard that in the last year? I have been hearing it forever, said it for a bit, found the answer twice, and still wonder why people still say it?

The idea of writing this piece came to me while listening to a song that R.Kelly sings named ” be my #2” where he bluntly tells his new girl that she will never be his #1, because he has a special person in his life, he also tells her he can’t be seen everywhere with her, but still there are other places, like Islands and other destinations his #1 doesn’t know..and so on.

Why would someone who has a number one, look for a lesser number? a number two or four for instance? is it a numbers game? or is he not sure about what he has? is it that they lost the spark? the fire? the thrill? has the thrill gone? many ideas and questions and excuses, sometimes its just a fact the person loves to play!

Let me focus on one of those, the thrill factor, the magnetic force that pulls two together, the real deal feeling. What seems to happen to many couples I guess is a plague called routine. This little devil crawls in uninvited at first, but persistence always pays. So when the couple finally understand each other, and finally get to know each others like & dislike buttons, they suddenly get sick of each other, same old thing day in day out.

Some couples actually know what their partners next move or reaction will be, so they play to that for a while, and just like a new toy to a kid, that also becomes boring, especially if the other partner is in on the game. So boredom does shed its wide and vast shadows on relationships.

After a couple of years of being together, they start to wonder what is happening on the other side of the relationship barrier. They have singles that mingle and give them the latest scoops in society, who’s with who, who’s cheating, who’s divorced..blah! blah! blah!

So here in this fraction of time, the devil himself finds a window of opportunity to have a new puppet that thinks its always rosier on the other side, forgetting his wonderful wife who is the envy of all surrounding females & males! with her awesome smile, her wonderful body and looks, her wit & humor, her mind, even though she’s a blonde..you know the good stuff we all dream of.

Everything starts with an idea, ideas nest and infest a big part of the thinking, ideas need actions to become reality, actions start off small with off track routines back home, wandering eyes, checking if they are still capable of drawing attention of the opposite sex, what kind of girls or boys do these wandering eyes lure in for lunch or supper..and the rest is history.

Some stop their actions right there and come back home to their partners and make up for their bad ideas..some, take the next step…

Ideas have lured small actions, small actions have investigated the scene and it gives the coast is clear signal, the partner is occupied, the targets acknowledged and acquired, what next? “Are you married?” asks the pretty young girl… “what do you think?” replies the sinner. If he say’s yes! he has a 50/50 chance this thing will go south, if he say’s its complicated..his chances go up 25% if he say’s No! then he has 100% chance of keeping the target engaged until further notice.

I would love to give you more information about what goes on after that, but it would consume so much time, let me speed it up for you. If he said No! the obvious comment would be why not, you have a good job you say, your over 30, you seem decent…why not? the key word here is DECENT! hahahaaa. anyway, I’m supposed to stay in writing mode, not facebook mode!

The man gets so deep that he can’t manage his life anymore, believe me on this, only a few have managed to call it quits and come back to their loving wives or husbands, only a few…HEY! get the idea out of your mind! I said only a few, and the rest get roasted for dinner!

So let’s get back to the main idea behind why happy people tend to seek other stuff from outside the relationship, if it sucks try and fix it or leave it behind and move on, its that simple, we tend to complicate things.

Here are a few things I think can help anyone keep what they have and enjoy it, even if it becomes boring sometimes, you can keep it spicy and fill it with surprises:

• Change is good, keep evolving.
• When you see your husband liking something on tv, maybe, just maybe try it for him.
• That lovely hair of yours, you know you can do magic with it, just do it!
• Your body, well it could have changed over the years, but you have to maintain in order to be sexy! maintain is the name of the game, it goes for guys too! why does your wife have to put up with the truck you call a belly, looking like santa ain’t sexy, except for perverts!
• Your smell and odor, keep in control, not because you live together you can fart and laugh you know! not funny…. gases belong in containers or open air sicko!
• Experiencing new things together is always fun, accept her as your buddy and explore as if with friends, you know what I mean.
• Buy her stupid things, make him laugh, run after him, chase her in a mall instead of being adults, talk dirty to him, talk sweet to her, change and be young forever.
• Go on secret vacations, don’t let anyone know, just you two, leave the kids behind, make excuses.
• Cook for her, shop for him, clean with her, splish and splash with her, dress up for weekends, dress down for work at home, buy the latest perfume, stop using that 1980 ARAMIS for god’s sake! and you girl dump the Channel for a while.
• Teach her new things, laugh with her, take classes and challenge each other, do stuff that you never did before.
• Take an equivalent to $5 and take her out, do not over spend! check out that old beaten falafel place.

The options are many, only if we want to.

mamdooh.alradadi wondering if he could pull that off! in Jeddah June26th 2010

I have a close friend who asked me one of those questions that makes you wonder, not that I don’t know the answer, on the contrary I fully know the answer, but still wonder.

The question was in regard to the social changes that took place over the last 20 years in the males,females,couples & families of today. He asks why are the mothers and husbands of today not even close to our parents lifestyle and parental style? in this case he is talking about the way of life they lead, live, choose.

He states that his mother was shopping with him, and as they added the chicken breasts to the shopping cart, his mother smiled and actually laughed out loud “ these are the good days” In my days I used to get the chicken as is, I cleaned it myself, plucked it myself, made sure it was clean myself, today its ready made and packaged in sections to your liking and choice”.

That brought us to the associated things that go along the same line, in terms of what we saw our parents  and families doing and what we do today, guilty as charged I say on my part. If you look at any home back in the days, cleaning the house, cooking for the family all meals on time, every day of the week, not just fridays or sundays, catering to house guests, visiting relatives, bonding, helping the children study, raising girls and boys, more than todays couple of children( the norm in this part of the world was five).

Today things have become easier and to some they worked for it, for others they just follow what everyone else is doing, even if they can’t afford it. To the many people living in the middle east the following are no longer luxuries but necessities for a strong marriage and future family:

• Maid
• Driver
• Nanny
• Entertainment system
• Yearly travel
• Allowance
• Second car
• Private schools
• Extravagant marriage rituals
• Honeymoon packages that break a back
• Weekly dinners and brunches
• Weekly/monthly beach cabin rentals

Just looking at the list will turn the switch off to any graduate making a starters salary, and make an established partner think of it as an investment sometimes, even if she’s worth it. Most men are not stingy or love money, and most girls are not greedy and materialistic, although this pattern is on the rise, where they believe money can buy you love!.

Even if you managed to pull it off, is it real? is it really you? is that what you got married for? marriage was a partnership struggle back then, and that in my opinion made it stick! today, letting go is easy, the basis and foundations are rocked by materialistic and social influence with the occasional running away from life marriages, not on personal satisfaction , preferences and strong feelings.

I know its out there with some people, who live happy marriages and have what we had as kids, but they are clever to hide it from the community for superstitious reasons, they appear normal, by normal I mean they complain of fights, not getting along and financial worries, but in fact they live a great life! two thumbs up for those lucky people.

I miss hearing or witnessing big family get togethers, mother managed homes, father figures who respect their homes, mothers and daughters cleaning homes, brothers doing manly things in the house, brothers driving sisters and little brothers to school, and I do not miss the new packaged noodle lifestyle young ones live under nanny supervision.

Missing something is not necessarily the only way it should be, but have you ever wondered what its like to being brought up in a solid family foundation? life is changing faster than we are able to realize it.

Things are being thrown in the face of parents, who are not able to take quick action so they file it under “ later”, later never comes until the children graduate with that folder hidden somewhere, so eventually they do it solo and you can never blame them, for it is us who screwed it up for them.

Mothers are being overwhelmed with societies calls for action, being a mother was never and will never be an easy job, no matter what we say. It is in her nature to multitask and manage different things all at once and still smile. My only cry out is for them to not forget their mothers in the process and their teachings, for they did it the hard way.

Today, everything is easier than it used to be with technology leading the way, children I hear today communicate with their parents better by text on their mobiles, talking gets you no where.

Family values are a thing of the past today, you can only manage to squeeze this much into the little ones brains with the little time you have with them daily, monthly and yearly. Mothers and fathers have so much social activities and work anxieties all caused by technology and the fast life we live today and the material aspects, that no matter what they do.. nothing will make up for lost time.

So how do we bring the past and the present together and mold them into one new thing that works? every once in a while you hear some kind of effort that tries and brings both generations together, but nothing in my humble opinion worked so far.

Bottom line; What we do to our parents, our children do to us sooner or later, stop the complaining and start the investigation in your own doings first, hard work? Yes! worth it? Yes! can you do it? Yes!

They say a carpenters door is always broken, let’s just say I am a carpenter trying to fix it for you, when I need someone to come and fix my problems, I seek answers just like you, stopping to evaluate the situation is one part, taking action and moving again is the real issue.

Let’s not forget where we came from, how we came to be where we are today, what got us here will not take us to where we want to be, draw from your past, learn from todays ways and techniques, identify your mistakes before its too late, look them in the eye, learn and keep moving!

We all reminisce on the past, but live in the today, that hollow feeling you feel inside is a wake up call to search deeper into your lifestyle and foundation building for the future, family is key to a healthy you, there is nothing wrong with going back to nature, no matter what people say, its your home, manage it and enjoy it, whatever you plant today, you will reap in the future.

Nothing beats a home cooked meal aroma when you walk into your home with your little ones climbing up you as you throw away all that work behind and get ready for another great family reunion, live it day by day, you never know when it will end.

mamdooh.alradadi wishing he was a little obedient boy again to enjoy it all over again in Jeddah, 19th July 2010

me@mamdoohalradadi.com

You know it when you feel it, you show it when you wear it, you bare it cause you dare it, you share it only for the care, you live it and you love it, summer.

Every year about this time all over the world people enjoy summer, with all its heat, its humidity, it crowds, its prices and last minute bookings, people die for summertime. What a great time of year it is, with it comes relaxation, the end of frustration, happiness and smiles, laughs and more laughs, it just spells summer.

I know people that fight for this month as a vacation with their bosses, who in turn have already fought with their bosses, and so on. Excuses include: My children’s vacation, my wife’s a teacher, I am burnt and need this month badly, My cousins wedding, my mothers inviting us all out to cannes, my cats allergic to summer in the country, you know.

I love summer wherever I may be, here, there, over there, right around the corner, up there, anywhere is cool in summer, its so vibrant and alive, everything is screaming joy, the fruits flourish and are ripe for picking and biting into, the clothes are colorful, the food is seasonal, the beach life kicks in and easy takes over.

Its such a laid back atmosphere, everyone is relaxed and busy getting a tan or thinking what next for the group? the decisions are mind boggling too! Shall we eat? drink? swim? play? eat some more? watch a movie? take a dip in the pool? shop? drop? the choices are so difficult!

I love to travel, I guess in a previous life I was a sailor or pirate? as long as it had to do with discovering new worlds, count me in. When I look back at my travel years, I see a certain pattern that has taken over me.

When I first travelled I wanted to go to Spain, that was the destination of choice, still is to many. We were young and in college, a bunch of five on a shoestring budget, I simply laugh at the simplicity. One was the treasurer( the money man) we all gave him our money and he gave us daily allowances, cool idea! We shared an apartment in Torremolinos on costa del sol.

The place was fine for us back then, we booked it in advance by one of our friends father. We rented a Fiat uno hatchback, which we never drove back to the rental agency, it just couldn’t make it! We did everything young people do, its that time in your age where everything is a mystery and you pretend you know it all when it happens.

We even tricked on of the guys to come in the car from the hatch in the back, claiming that all doors do not work anymore, he did, we laughed, end of silly story.

We travelled the coast up and down, we spent most of the prime time on the rich and famous Marbella’s puertobuenos, the fancy Yacht show off place. The food was  sky high priced, the people were amazing, all showing off the latest fashion and jewels, cars included. A  Billionaires playground live, you bump into every kind of human you can imagine.

The days were all laughs and fun with massive exploration, we barely made it out with our combined budget, one of the guys actually sneaked over to his family and begged for money. Simple always wins, always.

The effort and management that goes on before and during a summer vacation by some is just funny and painful at the same time. The budget is always busted, the time allocated to get ready is always enough, but last minute shopping, last minute bookings, and last minute everything only complicate the experience.

In the Arab world rarely do you encounter someone who has already paid for his summer package at 70% discount in February. It’s only in the west that sites like Expedia and Cheap tickets get used, here they are used for reference, I personally love it and use them all the time.

Going back to my main subject, how things have changed fro me over the years, I like what I have become in terms of destinations and experiences, I am actually experiencing things I never knew existed. My philosophy is simple, keep it simple.

Travel light, keep your options open, set dates apart so you can relax and see and do more in each city or place. Check the net for rates, if you see something you like grab it and think later before its gone!

• Why repeat a destination more than 3 times when you have 3000 left?
• Why not save money, and with the money you save see more?
• Why not travel first class when you can?Why not travel economy when you can’t?
• Why plan to live higher than your standards and shorten your stay and visit? spread it.
• Why not take the underground and bus and see more, cheaper, much cheaper as in London, I once paid USD$450 from the airport to the hotel in Tokyo, silly me thinking It was cooler, the bus was $30, and that’s what I took on the way back, when in Rome do as the Romans!
• Why not go off the beaten track?
• Why not go biking, hiking, walking, trekking, surfing, anything, instead of doing what they told you to do!
• Why not check for new hotels that have not yet advertised, why not walk in and ask for a room?
• Why don’t you try that far eastern country? is it the place or the people you hate?get a life and explore different societies older than yours!
• Why not eat with the locals and lower your standards to witness the real experience, not the hotel one!?
• Why not take a tour of the city as soon as you get there?

Go ahead make a splash! enjoy summer, wherever you are don’t forget the camera, oh! I forgot you have your mobile with you…

mamdooh.alradadi @ home enjoying summer, but wished he was there! Jeddah, 18th June, 2010

me@mamdoohalradadi.com

I’m getting sick of the blood suckers and parasites I have managed to trickle out of my system over the years and continue to do so, How can I escape when everyone around me reminds me of them with horror stories!

The many faces of these creatures seem to catch us by surprise, as they slowly, enter and lay their nest to infect us with slime upon slime and much more sucking than we ever witnessed. I am totally disgusted by these soulless lifeforms that thrive on our account and health. They suck you dry, emotionally, physically and financially.

As I type this I am attacked by one of them, a mosquito, at least the pest admits to its love for my blood, and yours. Mosquitos are the least of my worries, one slap on the table or clap of the hand, or spray of that “ kill all bugs” and the bug realizes that when you suck someones blood for life, your life ends soon after( even if the darn thing managed to get away, its lifespan is only 7 days or less).

As the darn mosquito continues sucking me to its maximum loading capabilities, I remember my humanly mosquitos and other similar social bugs. If only there was a strong enough repellent that can actually keep them off your back, if only. The good news is you can learn a whole lot from your encounters and friends who are living it, when you identify your target, your only chance to get out in one piece is either eliminate or contain.

If you choose to contain them I know of a nice big lake we have in jeddah which is made up of sewage that we can send them all for a fully paid vacation forever never to return, actually do not worry about them coming back, over there they will feel at home .

For the following slimy creatures I have two words: You Suck!

• I know someone who uses his friends place, money, cars and travels with him, calls the toys his, splashes at his beach house and does it day in day out, to that bug I say “ You suck!”.

• What about that school friend that had parents that were suckers by nature and played to the egos of young teenagers and sucked up to them, today he continues to thrive on their behalf, he sucks, they pay, nice way for suckers, You suck!

• Over to the friend that has a job, gets paid, knows another friend who is so giving and loving, money comes naturally but he does not work you see.” Let’s go to another coffee shop he complains!” his friend pays the bill and they leave, the friend paid at all the next 4 places, the sucker played stupid, and did he stop? not a chance! This friend tells me even when its pennies he refuses to pay unless he puts on a show that he is paying! By the way sucker…YOU SUCK! in case you didn’t read that, You SUCK!

• Wait a minute, with all the hypocrites hovering on our levels these days, I cannot forget the bearded ones that pretend in public to be something of wisdom and faith, and are nothing more than cheap liars and worse than the non believers, for they are your everyday hypocrites, the ones that say something and totally mean and do something else.

• The evil ex-husband that ended a rough marriage of hypocrisy, dictatorship, male brutality, mental and physical abuse and then comes back to haunt her with his side gig mistress who has come back to make sure he is not cheating like he did to his first wife, you see what goes around comes back around and all the way up your chimney! so hard you will feel it and scream no more. What kind of man ask his ex-wife what she did to the woman he was cheating on her with? you see suckers are not warm blooded like the rest of us, cold blooded creatures that live on other peoples lives and blood. Good always wins over evil, and as to our coward goat in this shameful example, If I could only pluck your beard one hair at a time and write “ beware of hypocrite” on your forehead with your victims blood, and still look you in the eye and say” You Suck!”

• How about those people that suddenly fill your walls and days when you have that extra cash or that prestigious job title and power? where did they go when you fell to the perils of their doings? what happened to them when you needed an extra shoulder to cry on? what happened when you needed an answer when you called, only to hear busy tones and no replies? Why do they chase you off and down when you were weak, and attach themselves to you when you fly? How do they have the guts to show up at your door when you rise again asking for favors?

Here is the master plan/ sucker evaporate spray:

When they come to you once you start to fly again, when you are healed and stronger, when you are back to normal, when you are busy helping the needy and making a better you, when they arrive be nice, greet them in a perfect socially acceptable manner.

Invite them over for a private dinner, have some friends over, make them feel at home, offer them coffee and dates, candy and cakes, feed them, pamper them, and when they are comfortable and feel there is no harm done, ask them “ what was it you needed buddy?” and as soon as they start to open that garbage mouth of theirs, place your finger on their mouth and stop them, look them in the eyes and say after me:

You suck!

Oh! and one more thing, if you have been offended by my words, say thank you and move on out of here! Otherwise let me know your input on the delicate subject, and for the rest of us, You Rock!

mamdooh.alradadi listening to some smooth Jazz on July 6th 2010 in  jeddah, KSA

me@mamdoohalradadi.com

Of all creations mankind has witnessed, nothing ever will beat the birth of a newborn. The confusion and mixed emotions to the whole process from start to finish is the creators way of making us understand that greater forces exist.

To me I am blessed with two angels in the making, a boy and a girl. Sultan & Leen, my eyes and lungs that I breath with. They seem to have managed to push me when down and keep me going when the road is blocked, they make me smile in every way I knew and in many cases never knew.

I see my future growing in front of me, I see bright blue summer skies. I see rainbows and flower beds as far as the eye can see, I see you playing in the fields with me lying on my back, daydreaming and sharing your laughs as you whisk past me. With you I simply see.