If the sales guy at the Baskin Robbins shop says the new soft ice cream on the cone is just like the ones at Micky D’s then you know who the big papa is on that frontier. I told the young salesman your not supposed to say that, especially your speciality is ice cream, and theirs is burgers! he said they started it first…end of story.

No its not!

The truth be said, mcdonalds has conquered the world with its two golden arches, when in doubt of a countries food, jump into any of their shops and have a decent burger that almost tastes the same in every shop. The kids from the age of 3 know the place, the 70 year olds know it by heart, talk about a very wide segment, especially with the approach they took recently towards better healthier choices.

The thing with branding and expanding into new side businesses is that your overall brand portfolio has to make sense to the consumer of your product of service. So if baskin say’s there’s a big opportunity in the ice cream cake industry and they jump in, cool as long as your people working there get where they fit in the big picture.

The young man selling me the ice cream came from pakistan, he was semi well trained and a nicely groomed young man that seemed to be in command of his job, seemed. Once we started to throw several silly customer questions he concaved in and gave us a hint of attitude, you know the one that happens when you don’t know and insist on showing you know… I don’t like to attack service people, being one myself, rather educate when I buy, maybe it works some day.

Back home the number one fast food place had to be mcdonalds, so in his upbringing this was the only apparent American icon. Everything else was a wannabe. The one thing that this young man did not know was the place he works in today is an Icon in its own industry, so you either get it, or you don’t, if you don’t you compare it to a burger place.

Now mind you, this is an international franchise operating on Saudi soil so the standards are quite high to keep the franchise. I wonder what other branding is being raped while we focus on the good fellas? what about the other brands that are made here, or the ones with different segments, or the famous luxury brands, are they really giving us our moneys worth?

To me when you brand something, that something touches every spot that has to do with a customer, inside and outside the brand. When a brand has blossomed, it takes care for itself with minimal maintenance, but the journey is long and consistent, and only the strong survive.

I once had an argument with a burger king store manager who insisted that the pack of six mini burgers was ONE burger. I told him count them, so he goes “ 1,2,3,4,5,6” “ That’s one burger!”… I took my meal, called him over to my table, told him I was a senior consultant at burger king for the launch of the mini burger package. He went into rainbow colors, said sorry till I felt guilty, and the end result.. They killed the idea 6 month’s into it!

So you see, branding, marketing, advertising is such a tough world, that being said, its tough on the people that work in the brand let alone us clueless, idiotic, demanding customers….

They say if all else fails, lower your standards and expectations, I say higher everything and let the bad rotten brands leave the market and make way for a better tomorrow with brands that we feel proud associating with, all made here in Saudi Arabia.

mamdooh.alradadi in Jeddah after craving for ice cream, on the 28th of August 2010

me@mamdoohalradadi.com

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

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

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

Watching an episode  of  ”The Office” drives me into laughter every time for its relativity to working in organizations. The crew on board the show almost represent the majority of the working force out there worldwide.

Giving the manager and his sucking up assistant the spotlight guides you in a magical effortless way to recognize that people know about the stupid things that go on behind company walls.

It’s one of those series that as soon as they release a season I buy it all and watch it back to back, then come back to it over the year, enjoyable every time. The reason why I think I really like it and my son might not, is the relativity factors. I have been there, live there, he has heard but never worked it yet, so he might laugh at other things in the show, while I feel it in my bones.

While rising up corporate ladders I had my share of learning things the hard way, sometimes when its too late, but in the end its all good, as long as I can laugh at what I used to think was right.

I have watched all the original English series, all the American version, waiting for the Arab version to literarily crack up! that is if they ever do it right and do a thorough investigation across the whole region and not just one country to give the international a real deal feel kind of show. If anyone reading this ever makes up her or his mind to make the show, count me in!

Actually that just gave me an idea for another book! wish me luck..

It’s all a market this business world, that was the original idea originally wasn’t it? then we complicated it and made it into the corporate world and a lot of other bi-products, industries, sectors, segments,tiers,layers, boundaries..etc.

The people managing companies(managers) try and sell interested people(customer & workers) that they are the very best out there in this specific time and age, comparing only their strong points, camouflaging their weak points as work in progress.

The worker wants the money, the knowledge, the experience. The Owner want the productivity, the best deal he can get, and the results to achieve his goals. What they both know is there is something missing from the negotiation table, the real story.

Well.. lets jut say that the real story is yet to be told and then discovered. So much fun and action goes on in corporate boundaries I am surprised that no one has jumped to the occasion and said “ now that’s funny!”. Take for instance the following examples:

• The smoking room: Since smoking is being more and more frowned upon and smokers face the sad and ugly truth of the smoking chambers placed strategically in the worst locations and as small as possible for a quick puff of death.

If we take a sample of the daily visitors over a 30 day period, we will find them mostly staff and not managers. Is it because the smoking managers know better and quit smoking? or is it they can actually smoke in their offices because the can? you figure.

• The team work efforts: Managers on their way up scream and talk about team work, team discussions, team efforts, team whatever, and guess who makes up the final decision, uha! the manager you smart person you!

When questioned about the brutal, selfish, one man show decision, you are bombarded with side tracking talk and a sudden look at the watch signaling your time is up!

• Time management: everyone knows what I am talking about. In a nutshell, it’s getting the important things that make a difference done in time. I have witnessed managers that simply are time managements best kept secrets, great examples( of the worst kind).

They seem to know how to screw a whole departments workflow with a few requests and complain about why no real results are seen over the last 6 months? management soon finds out the root of all evil and sends in a permanent solution.

• Interviewing skills: The majority of people in the process seem to rank it low on their priority list, therefore a lot of good candidates get turned off for attitude issues from companies looking to hire them. This is a two way street, always remember that, you are looking and so is the interviewee!

If you cannot interview people, hand it over to the capable, its that simple! enough is enough with this subject.

• Communication: what communication? everyone seems to have hot buttons waiting to be pressed and explode! with al the many courses available and the ones that people took, communication although in my opinion the most important sign of leadership seems to be the least practiced!

Single line emails become essays and lessons in life. One minute phone call requests becomes half hour kissing ass conversations, then end in fights on email. Management styles seem to be in favor of old school bullying techniques, not knowing there are lectures on how bad it is and how harmful it can be to the “Team work”. And much more…So much to laugh about, and so much to learn…

Some people learn by reading and investigating just before they jump, other jump and figure it out. Which one are you?

mamdooh.alradadi thinking about the funny things that happen in companies in jeddah 30th June 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

No its not some horror story or social scandal news, its not a Jackpot of any kind, its not even a bad service experience, on the total opposite side, its shocking wonderful service!

It’s 9.30 in the pm and its a weekend, my phone is the last thing I worry about, it rings, I get irritated, especially after a rough week. I pick up to this friendly mans voice asking if I am mamdooh? Yes? Have you lost your family ID card? No? Yes you have he replies! Shocking!

To my surprise this is a guy working at SAUDIA airlines (the airline that I so much hate for many personal experiences over the years) calling and telling me that he has found my card in some room in the airport with a bunch of guys, he actually hunted me down and got my private number, shocking!

The year is 2010, everything is going too fast to control, services are falling deeper in the ground, people are thinking ME! ME! ME! and then some more ME!, a lost ID card is the last thing on anyones mind, he can go and get another one, it will only take him a few month’s of pain and agony…but no! this man actually worked his way to hunt me down, shocking!

I delay the guy, and actually think of going to my car to search still doubting this man, but why? I think back to myself? problem is which why? the one where I question if I actually lost it? or the one about me not believing there is such a person going miles out of his way to save me some precious time and effort? why? the answer is shocking!

I drive up to the airport, and everytime I call his phone, he answers, on my way I was thinking could this be a new service requirement to enhance the service of this airline? is it new management? is it some kind of new training program they stumbled upon? or could it be this person is just a Go-Getter! a Just Do It kind of guy? a wonder in his own time? a religious person seeking more good on earth? to me, whatever it was it was Shocking!

I meet him at the international area, busy day at the airport, everyones flying! he still delivers, he greets me with a smile, answers some passerby’s questions, hands me the ID and we break a casual conversation, I asked him does he always do this? he shows me another lost ID belonging to some guy who lives in another city, shocking!

I just stand there admiring this young man in all respect, “where is your manager?”” what’s his name, address?” we walk over and this time I shock the managers at the airport, cause all they hear is complaints, especially on a busy season, I meet them to congratulate them on a fine example for the rest of us, the guy was shining! He deserved much more than a thank you, he inspired me, shocking!

His name was Mohammed Al-Silimy, a junior customer service guy with an outrageously great career ahead of him, wherever he goes, and yes he was religious, amazing!

mamdooh.alradadi respecting a young man who went out of his way all day, to make my days!

Every once in a while in your life you bump into another object and bump away, sometimes you keep bumping into the same object and start to think to yourself why this particular object?

You start to gather your ideas and think some more, you remember something called the law of attraction, you faintly think of birds of a feather, you pass by the old saying like attracts likes, you think of the opposites attract way of thinking, its all good you think!

Objects that are different from you and you accept them as they are make you wonder and go into the possibilities area, what if?

When objects bump, they leave a trace on you, just like when  a white car scratches a red car, you see marks on the sides or bumper, its all relevant physics, its all good.

How I see it, is when an object bumps into you and leaves its marks, you gained and they gained, you all gain, so, its all good.

When its all good we ask ourselves is it really that good? I love the additional advantage and experience, lifestyle, thinking, feelings, ideas and all, is it that good? yes it is that good, but living in a negative atmosphere makes you confused, in the end, its all good.

If you do feel the bump, bump some more, maybe someday you find a way to combine and become one, but one thing is for sure, bump some more, get a feel for the other object, go ahead and bump!

When you feel the bump, you know. When you know, you grow. When you grow, you flourish. When you flourish you shine so bright your radiance feeds, feeding is loving, bump!

mamdooh.alradadi looking for a bumping in jeddah, 20th June 2010

me@mamdoohalradadi.com

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