I’ve got to admit. Three things Parisians do better than anyone else in the world: everyone dresses in style – hair, garments, and shoes; men and women in general seem more in touch with their senses, emotions, and fine arts; lastly, restaurants, waiters, bakeries, and consumers – the whole food industry – in its taste, presentation, and mechanics all come together as one splendid delivery. Even the simplest pastries had me chewing, pausing, and looking to the heavens to ponder how delightful a simple pleasure could be…in a completely new way! Anybody who has been to Paris will understand. Eating in Paris is an exercise of the mind and a festival for the stomach…I’m thinking colorful balloons, small kites, and dancing penguins.

We accidentally simulated a brilliant local lifestyle by renting a room in La Defense, buying our supplies from the local grocer and doing the daily bakery shop breakfast routine. Strolling through town with Nadine, we slowly got the hang of things. Many friends said traveling with a baby would be difficult…and they were right! The main learning is to exercise patience and teamwork, level your expectations, pack a smart day bag, and plan at a high level where you want to go and what you want to achieve for the day.

Here’s the checklist of what we did…so tourist-snobby of us!

• La Defence
• Versailles
• Louvre
• Eiffel tower
• Notre dame
• Arch du triumph
• San Michele Latin quarter
• Opera
• St. Germain

As soon as we arrived, my cousin Banan’s husband Mahmoud Malakani greeted us in our room with a fresh baguette, fruits, and a morning tour through the neighborhood to get acquainted with the local amenities….

The rest is memories…will write more next time..

Got to run!

We just left Brunei…for good. (Sad face.) My work contract is over. Time went by so fast, the last year especially. I spent four years of my life on that island: I came as a bachelor, got married, and started a family with my first child in Brunei. Yes, we made some amazing friends, immersed ourselves in the intriguing culture, made a lot of mistakes, and learned more than a few lifelong lessons that we will never forget. Now, 5 days before her first birthday, Nadine accompanies us as we leave Brunei on our way back to the US.

But first…we’re going to Europe! The plan is to land in Paris in a few days and hit Spain and Italy as our main attractions. We may touch Southern France and Portugal along the way, all depending on logistics. That’s our high level plan – the details we leave up to our good friend, Serendipity.

Thanks to our world-famous, authentically-bearded Norwegian backpacking coach, David Gullhav, we have come to terms with what we’re going to call this experiment. I’ve been practicing my alibi in front of the mirror every day to make sure I get it right: “We’re going on a trip through Southern Europe for a few months until something stops us- money, health, or an opportunity.” I want to say backpacking, but a bit more refined with proper baby travel gear, etc. I will be interviewing for a job and taking care of some family business along the way. It’s a spiritual journey of sorts- something I’ve wanted to do all my life. I figured why rush to move back to the ‘burbs? Eventually we’ll settle down, accumulate nice worldly things and enter the rat race again in my beloved, industrious, insatiable land. Oh how I love and hate you, America. Looking back at it, living in Southeast Asia has changed me forever. Let’s see what Southern Europe has in store for us. I can’t wait. Got any travel tips for us? Let me hear them in the comments below.

Android market link

Membership will cost you about 80 BND a month. Those ringgits give you access to the gym, this futuristic virtual golf thing, 2 fitness classes a month (kind of stingy) and more. It’s important to note there is more to this place then just the gym. It’s got an event hall and some other mysterious amenities in the works. But half of the place is under construction so I can’t comment now.

I’ve been waiting for a century for this place to open. My friend Bassam says his wife came here on the basis that the gym and cinema would open soon (that’s talk from 6 years ago). They say after the Sultan’s birthday, July 14, 2011…some big news should be hitting yall, including news on the grand opening of the 3D cinema. Access is currently restricted to SKS-Wood staff. Bummer. BSP staff is in the process of getting access. They told me we need to poke the BSP administration staff to accept the invitation they were apparently sent. Thereafter…the place will be open to the public. Sounds like some Google marketing tactics to stir some excitement. Clever.

Big ups to my swole friend Bol for the tour…he’s the guy in the video. He’s a gym instructor there. You heard me, ladies. I found out he runs a nice fitness blog and yes, he’s packing.

Also met up a real dope Hip Hop instructor…the one and only Fakhrul Islam. Really down-to-earth guy.

All these friendly people are staff at the place. Some of the nicest people I’ve met in Brunei!

The sexiness…

Super Bol…

Yes, you’ve driven past the place on your way to Kaizen Sushi…

Is this enough to convince you to get a membership or is Panaga and BSRC enough for you? Share your thoughts below. I’m still weighing my options…

Why is this useful? I use this in Gmail to make e-mails stand out that have financial impact.

The best part of this trick is that the implication is small and unobstrusive and helps you organize your e-mails by what I find is a key driver: money!

Near the Gmail search bar…

1. Click “Create a filter”
2. In the “Has the words” textbox, copy and paste the following…

$0 OR $1 OR $2 OR $3 OR $4 OR $5 OR $6 OR $7 OR $8 OR $9 OR money OR fee OR bill OR investment OR tax OR salary OR shipping OR statements OR expense OR transaction OR overdrawn OR SYP OR BND OR USD OR cash OR dollar OR price OR sold OR paid OR bought OR deduct OR credited OR debit OR bank OR banking OR payment OR deposit OR buy OR rent OR sell OR purchase OR withdrawal OR debt OR owe OR loan OR receipt OR invoice OR sale OR “amount due” OR “monthly statement” OR “online statement” OR “wire transfer” OR “external transfer” OR “credit card” OR “checking account” OR “order confirmation” OR “american express” OR “low balance” OR “mint.com”

3. Leave the rest of the fields blank. Click Next Step.
4. Select “Apply the label” and in the dropdown box, select “New label…”
5. Enter “$” for the name of the filter and click Create.
6. Click Create Filter and you’re done!

I use stars to mark e-mails that require my action. What I’ve found missing in Gmail is a way to track who owes you replies. So for e-mails that I require an action from others, this is where this tip comes in handy. Create a label called “Standby” and you’ll be keep tabs on e-mails like a bouncer at the Grammys.

This is not rocket science, but a useful trick.

1. Create a label called “Standby”
2. Color the label bright yellow to make it stand out
3. That’s it. Next time you get an e-mail that you want to keep on the radar as expecting a reply from someone, apply your “Standby” label. See below…

Ways this can keep you organized…

• Waiting on confirmation that your friend received the check you sent
• Waiting on a reply from customer service
• Waiting for a client to reply to a proposal

Why the hell do I need this label?

• Separate messages that require action from you from those that require action by others
• Make sure you don’t lose track of whose action is required when you e-mail back and forth on important matters, especially ones that take a long time to resolve
• Turn Gmail into a CRM-like or problem ticket management experience

Nadine is more alert today slightly responding to visual and audio stimuli for the first time. She seems a bit new to her senses still and slowly absorbing the world around her…

Making all kinds of oral sounds…hiccups, sneezes, noises:

We sit her down for an interview and she falls over. How am I supposed to put her to work if she can’t sit up straight? I want her to grow up quickly so I can put her to work!

Sunbathing here. She’s starting to move more, sleep less, and open her eyes more. And let me tell you, she’s pleasant in the morning like fresh daffodil flowers.

Nadine, now fortified with 10.5 pounds of bacon!

OK, first month is over. Here are some new pictures…

More pictures below…

She’s like an angel resting on a cloud of eternity. I have included on this blog some pictures from the precious first moments of birth to a fresh 30 minutes ago. She smells awesome. Her skin is like velvet peach. She is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I can’t get enough of looking at her face. The joy is indescribable and hard to contain. Her lips are 2 toothpicks in width and her fingers are like beads on a necklace. She’s mini fabulous.

No need to spend a lot of money buying the original book (although it’s truly  awesome). I’ll show you the ropes.

Tip of the week: Have you told your baby she gets wifi in there?

This year your ass will grow tenfold. Your cheeks will look like farm-ripe tomatoes. Try playing games on your husband acting lazy. This is your last chance to do it so take advantage, ladies. You deserve it anyways for putting on the extra pounds.

You don’t give a shit about anything but your baby. You deserve to be selfish. If someone tries to touch your belly, back-slap the shit out of them and tell them “Give me 50 feet!”

This week you will be having a lot of aches in your back. Look at yourself in the mirror and say I’d do me if I were me. You are beautiful.

This week your baby can tell if you’re lying and you’re eating sushi or crap food. Don’t fool that bitch. Make sure you starve him or her as much as possible because now they don’t have voices to complain. Food is expensive and he or she should be thankful they’re getting a free ride.

Until next week, keep childbearing and putting up with all the things that you do. One day your baby will appreciate it.

klj

I had a quick “bow & arrow” session yesterday to give it a go and was very satisfied with the safety, performance, and professional quality of the place. I’ve posted some flyers on prices & packages below. I can already tell I’m going to get addicted to this.

Here’s what you need to know to get started:

• Time required: Takes about 30 minutes to try it out for the first time
• Price: For 30 arrows it will cost $12 per person; you can buy more
• What’s included? For the package above you get the bow, 30 arrows, safety gear, and a quick 5-minute tutorial

If you’re bored after work or in the area of Panda 5 in Kuala Belait, stop by and check out this place. You won’t be disappointed, I promise.

My overall rating: 5 out of 5 stars

With Evernotes, your notes can consist of text, PDFs, audio, or drawings.

Best of all…it’s FREE! I love using it especially for storing vital information, expenses, and property records. (I wrote an article about accounting with Evernote and using it store receipts and track debt.)

Evernote also works great for your field whether you’re an attorney wanting to snip an opportunity/legal document note, a designer wanting to snip a good design graphic, a mom/wife/husband snipping a quick recipe/household/chores note, a physician taking health notes, or a student conducting research. There’s a use for everyone. Thanks to its tagging system, you can customize the database easily to fit your needs.

You can access your notes through the desktop application on a PC or MAC, through the web online, or on your iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, or Android Phone. It also synchronizes your changes automatically.

See screenshot of my Evernote application in action below. You can get started by going to www.evernote.com. You’ll love it. Let me know what you think of it.

I discovered Goodreader today while looking for a PDF reader for my wife’s studies. It’s great! You can make comment boxes, create markets, and draw freehand. All the changes get saved on the PDF itself.

Here’s the process to equip yourself with this study tool:

• Download Goodreader from the Apple app store
• Upload PDFs to your iPad via wifi into the app
• Read and comment/draw/highlight terms
• Close the app when done (it will save your place)
• If you want, share your study notes with friends or reviewers

You can connect to your e-mail, Google Docs, Dropbox, and more data sources for exchanging files.

Goodreader can be used to share study notes in class. Thanks to the iPad’s home button, you can exit and enter the app and the application will remember your place, as noted above. This is very convenient for short bursts of studying or getting some reading done on the go or while waiting in line.

I predict in the next 5 years textbooks will be eliminated and tablet PCs like the iPad will be required in academic institutions. Do you think we are ready for that at this point?

Well, I hope you benefited from this. Yet another reason to invest in tablet computing.

Now you don’t have to worry about where you saved your bookmarks because with Xmarks your favorite sites are backed up to the web.

Best of all, this tool is free and available for download here.

Supported browsers include:

• Firefox
• Chrome
• Internet Explorer
• Safari (Mac OS)

In additioning to syncing your bookmarks, Xmarks can sync your passwords, browsing history, and remotely open browser tabs wherever you are. I’m telling you, Xmarks is kick assets.

In today’s age of mobile/web/TV/tablet convergence, you need your data at your fingertips fast. Xmarks helps standardize where you save your internet browsing assets. Want the same browsing experience whether you are using Firefox or Chrome at home, at work, or on the go? No problem. Now you can sit back and puff a cloud of data as you sit back and watch the browser wars fight over who owns your data. Now you have an intermediary. (Little did they know, you were playing both sides, you tricky bastard.)

Xmarks also has a web interface so you can login and search your bookmarks online if you are away from your computer. If you’re at a friend’s house or at work, now you can access your favorite websites with the click of a button.

For the mobile experience, Xmarks has an iPhone app that lets you access your data. My favorite feature is being able to see what Firefox tabs I had open at work once I get home so I can pick up and resume work where I left off. Now that’s cool.

We ordered 6 large pizzas. The crust, toppings, service, and quality was all top-notch. The experience reminded me of the creative slices you would experience at Cici’s Pizza in America but with a deluxe twist.

Imad told the chef to get creative and serve us whatever he felt like. We were served:

• Seafood mussels pizza
• Mozzarella pesto pizza
• Chicken and pineapple pizza
• 3 other pizzas; they were so good I forgot what’s in them because we ate them so quickly

I have attached the place’s business card for your reference. Next time you’re near Bandar, check out this place and take the whole family. Your taste buds will thank you.

See before & after pictures below.

Notice how in the “after” shot below, we have removed the motorcycle, street sign or pole, antenna above the roof, satellite dish, and pipes in the foreground…

OK, here’s how we do it.

1. First select the polygon lasso tool from the Tools box:

2. Then create a selection around the object you want to eliminate, i.e. this antenna:

3. After you make your selection, goto “Edit > Fill…” like this:

4. Make sure “Content-Aware” is selected and press OK:

5. Like true awesomesauce, Photoshop will remove the item you selected:

That’s it! Let me know if you benefited form this tutorial.

These 3 things changed my life forever; the 1st relates to business, the 2nd to self, and the 3rd to family.

Click the link above for details.

Yep, and click the link above for details as well.

You guessed it. You know what to do.

Click the links above to access the content for each section. Let me know what you think by posting comments below. I hope you enjoyed this series as much as I enjoyed writing it. Happy new year! 2011 will be awesome, trust me.

First, it started as a 6-month assignment. I never even got the chance to say goodbye to my friends in the USA. Next thing you know it, I’m here at Brunei Shell Petroleum for nearly 3 years. I’ve set myself up in a house with a car and new life and everything. It all happened very quickly.

I must say alhamdulillah I was very proud of myself for having completed my 1st ever independent consulting contract. Among naysayers of my youth, I prevailed and gained some of the best experience of my life quitting SAIC to start my own company. My dream came true!

What blessings are you thankful for this year?

Noura and I traveled all around Southeast Asia trekking Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand for nearly 2 months. I learned a lot of life lessons from backpacking and met people from all over the world that truly touched me.

Those were some of the best days of my life with Noura. I never knew how adventurous she is! Notwithstanding stereotypes aside, my Syrian friends in Brunei were pretty impressed that she had the aptitude and athletic prowess to backpack with me. She’s definitely a guy’s type of girl.

If you missed it, you can catch all of my backpacking adventures organized here.

What blessings are you thankful for this year?

I know what you want to hear: that I was excited and everything. Well, at first I wasn’t. Keep reading.

When I first heard we were having a baby, I was happy of course. I was kind of sedated though. I was sort of confused. Actually for the first 2 months I didn’t know what to feel. I was like OK. Cool. I guess you can say I was still in shock. Not that it was a surprise, it was all planned for and thank God we couldn’t have picked a better place than Brunei, baby factory of the world.

Anyways, the 6 months that followed turned out to be the most interesting months in Brunei. I have grown to love my baby and grown closer to Noura through this beautiful period of pregnancy. I am now thrilled knowing with my daughter entering this world soon…the kicks and thoughts of her playing in my lap soon is all too much. I can’t wait to see her.

This is definitely, above all, the single blessing that will change my life post-2010 for the better. Here we come, 2011. Come on, daddy – reel in fatherhood!

What blessings are you thankful for this year?

I bet you can’t because (a) that’s a mouthful, and (b) it’s probably never been done before. This is the context of this article on how to use social media networking tools to empower your knowledge workforce.

Can you relate to this? It’s 6 AM. As you wake up in the morning, you rub your eyes, reach over, and pat the bed down for your iPhone. Your daily morning routine always starts the same. You check your Facebook, your twitter, your e-mail and your favorite news reader. Before you’ve gotten out of bed, you managed to reply to a few e-mails, found out your friend is getting married, and uh oh, there’s trouble in the Middle East again.

Now think of yourself as an oil & gas operations manager.

Putting things in new perspective, here’s the few things you really care to know about in the morning:

• HSE issues to report (hopefully none)
• Drilling campaign status & issues
• Production volumes & up-time
• Surveillance & intervention jobs
• Facility status, integrity issues

Imagine this. Now let’s replay the morning scenario as you. It’s 6AM. As you wake up in the morning, you reach for your iPhone. Your daily morning routine always starts the same. You check your company’s social media network to see what work has been done on the rig, jobs in progress, and surface- or well-related problems to report for escalation. Here’s what you find in your dashboard…

If you are interested in implementing this idea, please get in touch with me as I have started development on a prototype solution.

This recommendation is about German Shop Brunei. I was not paid to write this. I’m just a happy customer. As a Syrian-American working in Brunei, it’s very hard to find a place that really pays attention to what the European and Middle Eastern market is looking for and when you do find such a shop, it’s a keeper.

We just bought the following and were really pleased:

• Turkish Coffee
• Olive Oil from Italy
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Various Pickles
• Arabic Cheese
• Shawerma spices
• Zaatar (Syrian grains mix)
• Dibs rumman (pomegranate molasses)
• Maghdoos (pickled eggplants)
• Tahini (sesame seed paste)

Go visit the place if you are fed up with the limited food selection in Brunei and want to try something new at home. Tell them I sent you. Here’s the info…

Store Address:
German Shop Brunei
Unit 25 Ground Florr, Block C
Simpang 440 Jalan Muara
BC 3315 Brunei Darussalam

My overall rating…
5 out of 5 stars

But back to the story. Seriously. Jeita Caves (also known as Jeita Grotto) is an 8th world wonder. Mammoth and mini calcium formations of every color, shape, and size surround you as you walk through the silent mysterious caves that hide well-kept secrets of the past…humbly kept in their bosoms. This is Earth speaking in all its’ wonder and infinite natural power.

When I was surrounded by this miraculous structure, all I could think about is how loud, annoying, and tyrannical mankind is compared to a peaceful, silent, and forgiving Earth. Maybe nature was trying to teach us something?

So the water drops taught me a lesson. The one incredible thing that inspired me from the cave’s silently active demeanor was how a small effort over time can be multiplied infinitesimally into a large yield with patience and persistence. No matter how small you are, you can make a big difference. That’s how these caves were formed after all: trillions of consistent mineralized water drops forming at the bottom of stalactites.

My takeaway: “The next time you feel like nothing better than a meek calcium deposit, put your head to the grind and never give up…”

What really gave me a rush was looking down through the cave abyss and seeing that there were actually layers and layers of caves underneath the surface we saw. Whoa to what lives beneath – how small man’s wee-wee is compared to that of nature’s!

Jeita Grotto is located at Qornet El Hamra near Beirut, Lebanon.

View location in Google Maps

Go visit this natural wonder…the BBC-featured, one and only: Jeita Caves. [Insert Reading Rainbow theme song here.] If you’ve been there already, tell me what you think of it.

Wikipedia entry

Buy it on Amazon

I thought the book was a bit outdated in some of its references. The world has progressed so much further whereas the book addresses some things as “future possibilities.” But still a great read.

Have you read this book? Let me know what you think of it.

My rating:
4 out of 5 stars

It is really amazing how many different fruits there are here that I never found in America.

I will list some of my favorites here. Another reason to visit us!

Fruits of Borneo:

• Mangosteen – cherry-like banana flavor (favorite above all)
• Rambutan – grape-like flavor (once you start…)
• Snakefruit – tart, sweet taste
• Lychee – syrupy, sweet taste (try it in a drink)
• Durian – in my opinion…nasty. Banned in some hotels, airports, and public spaces due to stink

What fruits did I miss? Let me know if you have any you’d add to your list of favorites and least favorites.

I use Mint.com to track my bank accounts and properties online. It can help me set up alerts, make personal budgets, etc. It’s great at that. Problem solved with expense tracking for accounts at financial institutions. Intuit got smart about making expenses easier for dummies like us.

“What about having a personal organizer system for documenting expenses that are not so easily track-able?” This addresses just that.

Let’s say you want to track expenses after a family vacation or a personal loan to your friend, or deposits to say your fitness gym (deposits don’t get tracked by your bank’s website)? How about coupons which signify not an expense but an opportunity? Or how about a filing system to mark and record payments as complete the next time you lose a friend over whether or not so and so was paid off? (It happens!)

I created a solution I want to shared with you just by using Evernote in a new way and using tags to the max.

I’ll use as an example a receipt for a gift I gave my brother when he visited me in Brunei Darussalam. First, I created a tag under my “expenses” tag with the date and name of the transaction, in this case “2010-10-30 Dagger and Spear Gifts to Feras.” I label the tag as such to have a date-ordered list of expenses. I then apply the tag to the picture of the receipt (which I took with my iPhone). I then also drag the tag “PAID IN FULL” and there you go. You now have an expense record with a date, description, picture, and status marker that indicates the expense is now filed and can be forgotten.

If you look at my tags, you can get ideas of ways to get creative with the tags. Here are a few other examples in the screenshot above:

• MONEY I OWE
• OWED TO ME
• PAID IN FULL
• REPAYMENT IN PROGRESS
• WAITING FOR SETTLEMENT

Have fun and let me know what you come up with!

We splurged on the eating. We had some kick-butt Italian food at Little Italy. We marveled at the perfectly-baked Pizza at Toscany’s. Or was it Mai Yai Thai on the water front that stole our hearts? We hung out on Manukan Island and it was surreal seeing 3 islands on the horizon.

Back on the shores of the city, we caught The Next Three Days and Rapunzel…both great movies – highly recommended.

Anyways, we’re back in Brunei now – great trip! I love KK, don’t you?

Dirtiest border patrol I have ever dealt with. Talk about starting off on the wrong foot in Vietnam.

Here is my travel diary experience entering Vietnam through Lao Bao…

I got the full show. First, the immigration guy sneezed on my passport. Then he “accidentally” dropped my passport (3 times). Then after picking it up, he snorted mucus up his nose and hocked his throat while giving my passport a dirty look and looked me up and down like a 2 cent hooker. Then he picked his nose while flicking through my passport pages with the same dirty finger. I was like a rare game in lucky hands and I was treated like shit.

After 30 minutes of questioning about my intention to have kids and other communist trivia, a group of immigration officers started to form. First they made me smile for about half an hour to see if my picture matched that of my passport’s. My mouth got sore smiling and that has never happened to me. I mean this was a smart and creative way of torture, I was thinking. How smart of them – I could never really report this because they did not give me evidence to substantiate any significant wrong doings. It was just baseless humiliation. Then I thought, who do I report this to? I’m in there country. Technically, they can do anything they want to. I had put Vietnam on the map as a tourist destination and I was going to support their economy and this is how they treat me as a first impression?

By this time, I’m aggravated and wanted to turn back to Laos. For several hours, I was the entertainment of 7 lonely officers touting and squinting at me as if I was an alien from another planet.

After running out of jokes, the immigration officers came up with another torture idea. They made me sign a billion blank papers to hopefully prove I forged the signature on my passport. This was insane and retarded. Cooperating with a smile, I did so. Then I was asked to show 3 other forms of ID and they were still not convinced. In the end, the accused me of counterfeiting my passport.

After pleasing like a peasant and showing them my wedding pictures, I was able to slide by after hours of appeal. I bet they enjoyed seeing an American suffer and beg. That was probably the whole point of this saga.

But even then it wasn’t over. In agonizing pain, after being painstakingly convinced my papers were all in order…the officers turned their backs to me and spent 1 hour serving all the locals that had just walked up to the immigration counter. This whole while I stood in attention, in the cold, waiting. Even our bus driver tried to intercede but he was sharply reprimanded to get the hell out of the building with the carefree whisk of Hitler’s hand.

Now that we’ve crossed the border, I’m thinking what Americans did here during the war had a deeper impact than I had thought. I’ve got tons of Vietnamese friends in Houston. I’ve never seen anything like this from them towards me. What was happening here: can someone give me an explanation?

The technologies I embed include real-time collaboration tools and cutting-edge software for better information sharing, analysis, and decision making. This all leads to cost savings and more oil production gains (more money).

So that’s what I do if you ever wondered. Brunei Shell Petroleum has been my client for 2.5 years now and growing. I’m a Digital Oilfield expert so feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about this growing industry trend of digital oilfield transformation.

Anyways, it’s a sit and home and watch movies culture here in Brunei – that kind of defines our nightlife here. During the day, you know there’s sports and all. At night, it’s sit at home and beat the kids…or watch a movie. I was joking about the kids part. Now that I think about it, I have watched so many movies here in Brunei, I feel like my life has become a movie. We watch about 1-2 movies a day. Wow, I don’t have a life and I’m loving it.

The Shawerma was so fricking awesome, I self-declared it a national holiday today in Brunei.

Noura has this bomb-ass recipe for Shawerma. I’ll let you in on the franchise secret. It’s all about…

• Greasing up the pita bread in chicken broth and margarine
• Making garlic spread secret sauce and using gherkins
• Adding the pomegranate molasses to the marinade

“I didn’t even know the man,” one suspect reports. “I was out shopping and the next thing I know is he went to the Post Office and forwarded all of my incoming mail to his address.”

Local police authorities are cautioning citizens not to flaunt their iPhones in the faces of this Mousilli double when the phone ships next month; this could incite the criminal masterminds into terminal kungfubia frenzy. One of the survivors reports that Basim is currently holding a black unlocked iPhone 3GS flagrantly displaying the words “$uckafree 4 life” on his lockscreen.

Apple has come forward and is suggesting consumers keep their new iPhones in older generation cases once they start shipping July 2 to avoid theft, kickassery, and other random acts of jealousy and delusion. Seclusion also rhymes.

Crime accessory Noura Mousilli was not present at the time of questioning. More news as the facts unfold.

Zaatar w Zeit was our first stop to eat. (That’s the name of the place, by the way.) With its childish cartoon-like menus, it made for a great place to snack and dine with beautiful pastries stuffed and grilled in various flavors including zaatar oo jibneh.

We went to downtown Amman to visit the Roman amphitheatre ruins and that was simply amazing. I paused to think about the greatness of God having preserved the makings of man since 700AD. It is remarkable to see pillars some erect and some overturned,
shaping a piece of history where people used to convene to enjoy a show of entertainment – probably the height of stimulation in their days. To see the carvings on the pillars still noticeable and to think that a man’s hand left an impression that would last a century and a half was utterly inspiring.

We dashed out of there and headed to Habiba’s to chow down on some knafeh. Not as good as Syria’s but still it’s been forever since I’ve went to a knafeh shop living in Brunei. Inside the shop it was packed like it was going out of business. A bit too sweet but hit the
spot in a crispy sweet savory package for my famished tongue.

A couple of things I noticed. Compared to its neighboring country Syria, Jordan seems more mountainous and a bit colder than Syria all the time. The hills provide nice shade and tempting breezes for the pockets of town. The residential buildings all seem to have nice
exterior stone work and the streets have names unlike Syria. The Western influence on business is widespread and branding is taken a lot more seriously than it is in Syria. An issue apparently is water sourcing as it is rare and water gets cut off often.

Everybody seems to smoke argeela all the time. And lastly, the coffee shops and chill spots are more abundant. I would say however as we all agreed, Syria has more personality and above all is more original and peaceful and friendly altogether.

Our last stop was at Mayjanee where we enjoyed a spectacular lunch and a nice conversation under a lovely olive tree.

Amman would make for a nice place to work in the Middle East and hope to come back some day, especially to visit.

Tamarind Hill Contemporary Thai & Burmese
Phone: 03.2148.3200
Address: 19 Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur
E-mail: tamarindhill@samadhi.com.my

Here’s a summary of our experience. We were amazed by the entrance, complete with a long stone staircase winding and leading to the entrance among a sea of candles and a blue-lit river. We snapped at least a couple of pictures before entering. We were enamored by the texture, lighting, and ambiance of the place. It’s nice to have someone take care of the details for one night as you enjoy the service and splendid atmosphere of a complete getaway restaurant.

We started off the feast with the best Tom Yum soup we have ever tasted. The chicken inside the soup was grilled – high quality stuff. The fresh tomatoes in it were just the right size, not oversized.

For our first entrée, we ordered the Thai grilled chicken, a dish prepared with cherry tomatoes and grilled capsicum. I thought the dish was OK – nothing too special. What really boiled our appetite was the aromatic Kaffir lime rice which descended on the table with an attitude of its own. This was met warmly with an applause from our mouth-watered taste buds.

Our entrée numero dos was basically stir fry beef and it was really good to say the least; the meat was soft and the asparagus accompanying it made for a great combo – classic, nothing exquisitely unique. Lastly, the tamarind was tangy, not too sweet, and delicious just the way I like it.

On the ambiance, the lighting was subtle and dazzling. The music they were playing didn’t really fit with the Thai theme but it was nice – some tunes from Thievery Corporation and yeah, I shazammed a couple of hits.

In summary, one of my favorite Thai restaurants abroad. Although not entirely unique, this place is simply awesome, the service super friendly, and the ambiance and food to die for. I’m definitely coming back next time I’m in KL but next time I’ll be bringing my whole family to enjoy this wonderful new place.

Now here are 10 things backpacking taught me:

#1 Live a compact life to be flexible to change and opportunities. It also helps you keep a clean head and rid yourself of futile worldliness.

#2 Be yourself: You shouldn’t worry about being different. You are beautiful within. Really, you are! People love it when you are yourself.

#3 Don’t be scared to experiment: Explore! Yes, go for the uncharted territory. The world is full of beautiful wonders and you have nothing to lose.

#4 Humanity is all basically the same: People all over the world have the same base tendencies. No matter what language and what color, we’re all the same. God put us on earth as one family.

#5 Don’t plan too far ahead: Just don’t trouble yourself. Plans always change and you should be ready for that moment with good humor because it will happen.

#6 Life needs a companion: It was beautiful being married and having a true friend accompany me. For survival and for love, you need another person with you at all times at best.

#7 Be safe: Yes, do take emergency supplies and survival gear. You never know when you will need it, so don’t skimp on it. Be adventurous and skimp but not on the wrong things!

#8 One dollar goes a long way: Be thankful. I never knew how poor people live. In the US, people are very spoiled. I am a bit more thankful for everything now.

#9 Muslims are everywhere: It’s a great passport to have, a Muslim identity. You are greeted and treated with respect all over the world, except in the US or Europe.

#10 Work is optional: Getting a job and keeping a stable job is not the most important thing in the world. One of our jobs is to make sure we are happy on the inside and spiritually whole. Attend to yourself and take time off to do what you want to do. Work can wait!