Abu-Abed

Abu Abed khalas shoghlo wa ija 3al bait wa la7a Em Abed a3dah 3al takhat bala tyab.

Abu Abed sa7alah, "Lash ma labsa tyab ya Em Abed?".

Aleet, "Walah ya Abu Abed, ma 3anda tyab!"

"Shoo, ma 3andeek tyab?!?! Ta3a la hon." Wa akhada 3alal khzaneh.

"Layka---hay fastan, hay fastan, hay fastan, hay fastan, marhaba jar, hay fastan, hay fastan....."

Trust Thyself, Every Heart Beats to that Iron String

If there is any piece of literature that I would recommend to anyone, written words that strike me in ways unimaginable, thoughts so provoking that it continues to inspire me since a decade ago.

This is a 20 page essay called Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

The essay has some points that I agree and disagree with, however. What I really enjoy about this particular work is what the message is:

imitation is suicide and we have to break free from what society wants to make us, to believe in ourselves, and maintain our identities, which is a constant struggle for a Lebanese in the West

I am sure it happense to all of us. We always immediately get asked, where are you from? What is your religion? What is your's (or your dad's) occupation?

People who ask me these kind of questions trigger something in my brain: they are looking for a way to identify me, box me up in one sentence. Sum me up in a few words.

Well, that is not going to happen.

Anywho, I am digressing. What I wanted to talk about was why you, yes you, should read this essay.

It is easier in this world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude, says Mr. Emerson.

He gives examples, for example, have you ever wanted to answer a question but were hesitant to say something infront of everyone and be wrong.? Then, the person next to you says the answer in your head and you are forced to give him/her the credit of the idea that you thought of first. That happened/s to me all the time.

Also, one more thing about consistency. Emerson has taught me that being consistent is sometimes a good thing, but changing is ok. We sometimes fear that by changing our opinions, we fear to be viewed as capricious and fickle people. My opinion is that of Emerson's and that is the brain has nothing to do if it does not occasionally reevaluate its thoughts.

That said and done, I must go study for my beloved exam. Speaking of which, I took my first diagnostic exam today....six fun hours of test-taking excitement..ok, ok, ok I am going................

Xtreme Days

Highs and Lows

Ok, I was thinking about it: we have high points and low points in our lives.

When we are at our lowest, when we feel that absolutely noone understands us, when we feel all alone, desolate, and invisible, we forget that the situation is passing. I try hard to ask myself, "Will this be important in five years?"

Will it?

Today

Today, I will be productive.

Well...at least it will be quick

You scored as Gunshot.

Your death will be by gunshot, probably because you are some important person or whatever. Possibly a sniper, nice, quick, clean shot to the head. Just beautiful.

Gunshot
100%

Suicide
80%

Stabbed
73%

Eaten
67%

Posion
67%

Natural Causes
67%

Bomb
53%

Accident
40%

Drowning
33%

Cut Throat
33%

Disappear
27%

Suffocated
13%

Disease
0%


http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=8960

Thanks Eve!

Sensitivity in the Field of Health

Each Friday, I volunteer at a clinic that helps underserved people in my area. I take the usual vital signs and chief complaints that patients may have. My first patient was a woman whose son died of leukemia last week. She cried and cried and I all I could do to comfort her was to get her some water then prick her hand to take her blood sugar level. More and more, I am beginning to realize that patients are looking for someone who cares, who truely cares. We all want someone to care about us. It's human nature. I just wonder how much we reciprocate that feeling towards others. I vow that I will continue to be a compassionate person, to genuinely care about the welfare of others, and to continuously assess myself in my attitude towards others. Occasionally, you run into health care workers who have heard every tragedy known to man. These workers begin to see these tragedies as commonplace and a part of the circle of life. They lose the compassion and say the same phrase, "I am sorry to hear that," over and over again. It is when these workers begin to react this way that they need to take a good look in the mirror and ask themselves why they are in the profession in the first place. What goes around comes around. The way you treat people will be the same way they will treat you one day.

Grammar and Spelling Mistakes

My two new posts have some mistakes in it..I tried to edit both but it won't work.

I would be much obliged if anyone can tell me how to fix it cause it is driving me nuts!

April

Ok, the most important test of my life is in April...there is no need to panic, but my palms are clamy and cold. I am partially hyperventilating becuase I don't know sh*t and and and ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... Ok, must focus, here is what a dear friend of mine read to me last night, which gives me some serenity:

Always remember the hills ahead are never as steep as they seem, so with faith in your heart, start upward and climb until you reach your dream, for faith is a mover of mountains-there is nothing that you cannot achieve if you have the courage to try it and then have the faith to believe.

66th Anniversary

I baked cookies for my friends who celebrate Christmas not too long ago. I sat and visitid with them and they told me that there anniversary is on Christmas day. Guess how long they have been married???

SIXTY SIX YEARSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

That's so breathtaking to me...I was thinking, I have known my parents (since birth until now) for 22 years. Multiply that by three and you get this couple's commitment to each other.

You know what else? One can tell that this couple genuinely love each other-the kind of love only found in the movies or fairy tales. The way the talk about how they first met feels like it was yesterday. They knew each other since elementary school age. They both moved away and then returned to their homes for the summer. It was during the summer that they knew things were "different".

They are so beautiful, so understanding and so enjoyable.

I pray to God that I will meet someone to share my life with.

SnowBoarding in the Rockies

Ok,

So I am back from a week long vacation where I spent some time in the snowy Rockies doing what I love most: snowboarding. I cannot even begin to explain how awesome it is to sit ontop of the white mountain. The sound of my snowboard cutting into the snow still lingers in my ear...I want to go back soo badly! I must say, however, we visited a new ski resort whose name I will keep confidential. The hardest thing about this resort is the cliff that they call a "ski lift". I can't make hand motions online, but let's just say coming off those lifts was by far the most excrutiatingly painful experience. I think my butt had blue bruises like the The smell of the icy air, the warmth of the linen candle in our cabin, and the solemnity of the winter are all things that I miss dearly.

TAKE ME BACK TO THE MOUNTAINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(tears flow down my cheeks)

The Price of Life

Drug companies are not nonprofit organizations. They are encouraged by their shareholders to seek a lucrative drug so that they are not only able to stay in business but also to expand their horizons on other drugs as well.
In comes orphan drugs: drugs that are administered to patients with a rare disease such as Gaucher. The government is providing incentives for said drug companies to do research, make, and sell these drugs. 'What kind of incentives?' you may be asking...well a company, say Genzyme, produces a drug, say Cerezyme that treats Gaucher. Well Genzyme not only gets dollar incentives through funding but also protection by the FDA which will not approve a drug with the same active ingredient unless seen as better treatment. Also, there is a 50% tax credit, assistance to help products get approved, and grant money to defray the cost of testing. That's all fine and dandy...good for you, drug company, you are helping those people like Carol Lees who has lived with this disease since she was 19 and had to live a painful life that I would not wish on anyone, not even those who may deserve it. But what really bothers me is how these drug companies take advantage of being the 'hero'. Guess how much it costs for a day to live in Carol Lees' shoes? $1400 a day, which adds up to $7 million dollars so far. Genzyme makes more than 90% profit on the drug, according to the Wall Street Journal. It is just another disappointing factor in our medical system and makes me wonder when we forgot that we are here as one and by inflicting hardship on others, we are indirectly hurting ourselves.

Wadddddddddddup!

It's been a long week. A really long week. I applied for a scholarship last minute and never expected to here from anyone about it. Well, I received a call from a number that looked like a friend of mine. Without thinking, I answer, "Waddddddddddddddddup?!" If anyone knows me, I only answer informally when I know the person on the other line is a close friend. This time, it was not a friend. Oh no, it was a Doctor so and so wanting to talk to me about my application. I was so flustered and upset that I could not answer one question without stuttering. Needless to say, he was shocked at the conversation...and I highly doubt I will hear from him again. I am pretty upset about the whole ordeal. My ego has never been so bruised before. It is hard, you know? One minute you are at the top of your class and then you seek a challenge because who wants to be unchallenged in life? So I chose to swim deeper and it is certainly getting harder to swim. You find bigger sharks in these waters and you no longer see the guppies. Today, I think I may need floaties!

The Bright Side of Sickness

I have never welcomed illness as I do now. Yes, I have the stuffy, achy head, sore throat, sneezing symptoms that has hit us all at inopportune times (for me, it is before midterms). But I am able to experience something that I never was able to do: keep my mouth shut. I was never able to listen more than I talk, but I tell you that it is quite a life lesson to learn. Note to self: talk less, listen more. When will I ever learn??

Friday Night

Where shall I begin? Completely coincidental, I find myself beginning a public journal, a drastic change from writing in my van Gogh diary hidden in my desk. It's Friday night and I am taking a break from reading the piles of books that have to be read by next Tuesday. Although I would rather be with my close friends who are travelling to the beach at this moment, I chose to sacrifice my leisure time in order to work on one of my goals in life: entering into medical school. Anyhow, I think this online Blog will not only help me articulate myself better, but I hope it will provide some life lessons that I have learned and also a peek into a fairly interesting life of a Lebanese cowgirl.