Baghdad Summers

Sometimes when I can't sleep at night I would remember my grandma. We used to sleep over at my grandparents in the summer, my cousins and I would all gather up for a weekend there.


I remember we'd each grab a mattress and put it outside in the garden right next to the gardenia bush. And we'd keep it there till it was time for bed. Then we'd all fight for the spot infront of the AC to place our mattress, you see it gets pretty hot in the summer.
And when we'd put our heads on the pillow, it would smell like jasmin and gardenia.
To be honest, as cool as it gets infront of the AC, I used to always prefer to sleep near grandmas bed. My cousins live minutes away from grandma but I used to live in another continent. So that little time I had during those summers spent there, I would try and spend as much time as I could with grandma.
I remember there are days where my tears would roll down my face, and grandma always had the remedy to make it all well. She used to make the best food. She felt like it was her duty to feed us the yummiest food. Her food can mend a broken heart, put together a hurt soul and make everything better.
The best thing about grandma is right before she goes to bed, my cousins and I would all gather round her bed and she'd tell us a story, every night it was the same story and I'd never get tired of it. Ever.


Now that she's half way around the globe, all I can do is remember the memories and they keep me warm during the night. I would give my left kidney to be with her right now.


So if you have a grandma, and you can see her, if she lives with you or if she's minutes or hours away, give her a visit. Tell her you love and appreciate her. You are luckier than most people. And you should never take that for granted.

Live from the park.

The weather is amazing, its summer all over again, if you're reading this and you are inside, you need to be outside. Now. That is all. Thank you.

Kids.

I Have lost my writing touch. Have you ever noticed how the best writers are always crazy or psycho or depressed, its like in order to be able to write about ideas, you'd have to be emotional to the point where its a little too much. I can't say I'm emotional, so I guess that would make me a crap blogger by default.


So I saw two kids on the bus with their mom today, they were ever so polite, which made me think.. Maybe polite kids these days arent born into families, maybe they're ordered online. They come in shipments, with the receipts, incase you want to return them.. That would be cool.. It would make the world filled with lovely educated and polite children, you wont have to listen to them cry or scream.. But unfortunately it seems like only unfit people are becoming parents, families seem to subside and kids are becoming more and more ignorant due to their weak upbringing.


I guess it makes you wonder what type of kids youre going to have eh?

Nuite Blanche

I've been meaning to write about Nuite Blanche forever, but I never had the time, so here it goes.
I guess I'm one of the few lucky people in life who got to visit the infamous white night event of Toronto. It was one hell of a wild night. It seemed like people from all over the province happened to come together on that night, no joke. It was a night of never ending art shows, music shows, projects and unthinkable ideas.
The weather was freezing cold but hey you get so excited you dont even notice it.
I wish I can write about how amazing the art shows were but honestly, I only saw a few upclose. I'm a little embarrassed that I'm drawing out blanks when it comes to that night..
We danced the streets, jumped up and down, and we managed to squeeze into a group of clubbers clubbing outside because theyre no room inside the club itself, now that was the highlight of the night, we saw a group of circus-teers performing with fire, and alot more fun stuff.

The best about the night was the company, goofing around with your friends, getting continiously poked in the ribs with popeyes camera tripod while he was carrying it, having laughs, pushing each other in crowds, the whole " we're sober but act like we're drunk" theme. Yeah that was fun.

Also I must mention that we came home at 4 am, I fell asleep around 5, and went to work at 10 am. Like. A. Boss.

Be a yardstick of quality

-Some people arent used to an environment where excellence is expected - Steve Jobs

It was a sad day yesterday, while I was passing by the TV, Steve Jobs picture appears on the news, my dad looks at me and says " Oh look its the visionary Steve...DEAD??!?!". As he read the headlines, and you could tell from his face it wasn't a good one, I turned around stopped and stared at the tv. Reading the headline over and over and over... trying not to believe it, thinking its a prank, or they made a mistake. But no... sadly, one of the greats died yesterday, a day I can never forget.

Steve is was a living walking example of life. Sold into adoption, where his real parents didn't want him, yet achieving what no man has ever achieved. Going from nothing to something. Changing the face of the world with a simple vision. A man who never gave up till his body gave up on him, and even though that happened, he still lives on forever. A man whos intelligence is 30 years too young. He touched the lives of everyone.


First we lost Jack Layton, and now Steve Jobs, I wonder whos next? Why is it always the good people?


Jack, Steve, I salute you.