Dr. Sameh Abdallah give seminar to CLC students

The main message that Dr. Sameh Abdallah wanted to deliver during his seminar was 10 tips you need to become a journalist. I honestly think he was good overall. The way he was speaking was understandable, friendly, and carefree and this let people understand and pay attention to him more. Because of his way of speaking I think he managed to successfully deliver his message. I don’t really have an interest in becoming a journalist, so his message didn’t really leave an impact on me.

At the very start he stated that he does not like sitting down while speaking, got up and started right away. There was no indication that he will begin talking about tips on becoming a journalism; which was nice because it made the overall seminar inviting. He ended on a more serious note while maintaining his friendly demeanor.

While he was speaking, he used both Arabic and English. I am used to hearing people speak with both languages in everyday conversation, my classes, and even in the movies I watch, so the situation of his use of multiple languages did not bother me. I thought it was appropriate due to the fact that he was talking to a group of college students in a way that was friendly. It was as if he was one of us while directing us towards becoming journalists. His English and his Arabic were both very good. He did not use any jargon and was able to communicate successfully with the room. The only expression that stuck with me was when he kept on repeating “international standards of professionalism or go home” and continued to use the “or go home” expression at the end of any example that went against being a good journalist. The use of the expression was nice, until he started to overuse it. Once he said, “go home”, for the fiftieth time, it was irritating.

His overall body language was good because he did not stand stiffly while speaking. His hand gestures were natural and flowed nicely. I did not notice any excessive overuse of gestures. His movement was too much. I did not like his need to personally interact with the audience and get very close to people. In addition to his excessive interaction, I would have preferred that he maintain his movements within a certain area that everyone could see him at, instead of circulating the room. At one point he stood off to the left side of the room, and from where I was sitting I could no longer see him. His voice was strong, and his volume was loud, which was great. I was seated in the last row and could hear him clearly. In both English and Arabic his intonation of the words were clear and precise.

He had short presentation with the points written on each slide. There was no information under the headlines. It was effective because of his use of the visual aids. He did not have any aids that he relied on, and his explanation of each point made up for the lack of information on each slide.

Only a few people asked questions. He did answer all of them, including the girl that asked several questions at a time. Regarding her, he was more open to answering he questions directly because her voice was loud. There were others I could not hear, and he yelled at them to speak loudly because “all journalists need to have loud voices”. By doing so, I think he scared other people and that is why not many questions were asked.

Pootshi = Life

Pootshi is not a just a dog to me. He is my life partner. I call him my best friend, i call him my buddy, my brother, my husband, my soul mate, my everything. Life was never going to be the same without my Pootshi.

I received my pootshi on the 13th of November 2012 as a birthday gift from a friend of mine. It was my first year in college here in Egypt. He surprised me in a cafe, hiding pootshi in a jacket, because it was raining like hell in Alexandria.

This was literally the best surprise that ever happened to me. I loved him from the first day. Yes this might seem cheesy but come on I'm not talking about a guy I'm talking about a dog here. I knew that finally my life was complete with pootshi.

I live alone and that's why I feel that pootshi really filled my life. Without him I would go crazy. He always makes a sound and that's what keeps me safe. Knowing that someone is with me even if it is just a dog.

But the thing is, and maybe nobody will understand, pootshi to me isn't just a dog. No No, I already mentioned what he is to me and the most important thing and what he really is to me is that he is my SON. Pootshi is human. Pootshi is life.

I can’t go a day without him. Messing up and screwing my house are his habits. I come back every day to finding that pootshi has ruined something new at home. But to me, I do not care, as long as I have got him.

He is my shoulder to cry on and for real and I promise he understands me more than ANYONE. I speak to him more than I do with my friends and I trust him more than anybody else.

Pootshi isn't like any dog and eats dry food or like canned dog food. Nah pootshi eats hot dog, pizza, shawerma, basically anything we eat he doesn't mind eating at all he actually doesn't eat dog food he only eats food we eat. And when I'm sitting with my family or friends on the table, and we are eating, he wants to be sitting with us eating the same food. Why would he eat something not as tasty as ours? He even eats nuts and chips with me. Oh, and I did find him eating my makeup a few times.

He is such a smart and funny dog. And that's what I love about him. Whenever he sees anyone he is always all excited and happy and jumps so high where he can reach your face from excitement. Everybody loves pootshi so much. Whenever somebody comes over pootshi is the first one to greet them at the door with a great big welcome.

When I need someone I always go to pootshi without thinking. Yes I know he doesn't answer me, but I know and I'm sure he understands. He knows when am sad, he knows when I'm sick. He understands me. His eyes speak. When I cry, he licks my tears off face to tell me not to cry. He even makes sounds and might as well cry with me without knowing what is wrong. He feels me. I know that till the day I die, I will never love someone as much as I love this dog. He really means too much to me. I wish humans were as close to dogs and knew how to be loyal and faithful as dogs are to us.

Five New Born Puppies Murdered in Alexandria

Five baby puppies were found two days ago killed in Roshdi – Alexandria, Egypt next to their sad mother.

The dog never bothered anyone in the street and just recently gave birth to a littler of five new baby puppies. The residents of the street always fed the dog to help her survive in the streets.

One day, a man came along while the dog was breast-feeding her puppies. He then attacked the puppies and killed each one.

The one who killed them used a stick with screws attached to the end. He then hit each puppy on the head repeatedly until they died.

People went viral on Facebook from the horrific incident of this man. Nobody can understand why would someone do that to innocent creatures that did no harm.

Yesterday a woman searched for the mother until she found her and took her to take care of her after what she has been through.

The “Engagement” idea in Egypt

Before I start anything about what I want to say, I have to mention that I am engaged.

Almost any girl that turns 18 or 19 here in Egypt, first thing she starts thinking about is how she really wants to get engaged and if she is single and not with someone by that time, then it’s the end of the world for her and she isn’t going to get married anymore.

Here in this situation I could only use the term “Only In Egypt”. This term is used towards things or beliefs you will never find anywhere except in Egypt.

Getting married or engaged does not have a specific time and that’s what girls need to understand!

We find out everyday something new about the people here that basically only they believe in.

Yes maybe you are all thinking to yourself now ‘why is she even talking, she is 21 and engaged?’ I admit I got engaged early and maybe just like the other girls nowadays but I grew up not thinking about it for a minute. I never felt for a second like I wanted to get married or engaged or even have it on my mind. It just happened. Till I actually got engaged and for maybe months later I was still not convinced ‘I am actually engaged’. My family were against me being engaged till I finish college years ago and when I opened up the topic a year ago with them as a joke, they didn’t disagree or said I am young or so, they agreed and they wanted it more than me because since he was the person for me, then so what?

And this is exactly my point, engagement does not have to be planned, like ‘Oh when I am 19, I will be engaged’ NO! No you do not HAVE to be engaged by then, maybe you will be a year or 10 years later. It should never be planned this way. IT IS NOT A TREND. Everything happens for a reason and when it’s time then it’s time, for anything, not just this issue, but for everything in life.

Getting engaged is a trend now in Egypt and if you are not engaged then your friends might make you feel like you have a problem or something in you is just MISSING.

Engagement isn’t the most beautiful time in life, as many people in Egypt believe. Actually it isn’t enjoyable at all. Ask me. Girls always think like they will have the freedom to go out with their fiancée’s and do whatever they want when it’s the total opposite. That’s not what engagement is only about. They take over your life. That is MY personal opinion. Whether men take over our lives, or we do. It’s basically the same. Not fun. You feel like OH SHIT, now I don’t have to just ask mum and dad to do something or go somewhere, now I have to first ask my fiancée too. And this is the worst part.

To cut it short girls:

My point here is, don’t get all excited for engagement. It’s shit.

Living alone sucks.

Ever since I came back from Saudi Arabia to go to college here in Egypt, life has changed a lot. I always thought living alone would be all cool and easier but it didn't turn out to be that way at all.

I moved to Egypt three years ago to come continue my studies here. I wasn't excited about coming here at all but when I did it didn't end up being so bad. I lived with my brother for the first year and a half until he finished studying fine arts and moved back to Saudi Arabia to find himself a Job. He left me all alone. I have nobody here but my puppy, named "Pootshi". 

Pootshi has become my everything ever since I got him as a gift for my birthday first year I came to Egypt. He is my dad, my brother, my boyfriend or better to say he was and is family to me, but enough about Pootshi for now.

Life is so hard right now on me since I am "the man of the house". I do everything around here. I do grocery shopping, I pay the bills, I must visit families every now and then, I must clean, I must cook, I do laundry, I can go on for days saying what I have to do since I live alone. I'm responsible for everything. Living alone sucks.

Life was way easier when I had my mum cook for me or do my laundry and take care of the house herself, but now it's such a big responsibility on me to DO EVERYTHING. I wish I could go back in time and start school days all over again. Or I just wish my family were here, or like I was there. I want them with me. I'm sick of being all alone. It's either they come back or I will just get married and have my husband do some of the house work for me. Who am I kidding, men don't do shit, it will be even harder on me.

I'm not the type of person that likes to complain and I am thankful about everything in my life right now but sometimes I just need to take a break from all this for a minute and just not think about anything anymore. Growing up made me realise that life will hit you in the head everyday of your life. I don't even know why when we were all young we wanted to grow up so fast, I really want to be a little girl again. I want a time machine for real. But oh well, that option isn't possible and I am proud of what I have been put through because it made me who I am today and it made me have responsibility in many things, it made me become a man. Yes I might sometimes need someone to help me get through these things, but if this "someone" is not there, I know I can do anything alone with nobody's help. And yes I really am proud of what I turned out to be. 

So yes, living alone might suck so much, but one day it will make you become someone you never thought you would be, someone strong and someone to depend on.