Author: Mohamed Marwen Meddah

Mohamed Marwen Meddah is a Tunisian-Canadian, web aficionado, software engineering leader, blogger, and amateur photographer.

My Favourite Arab Singers

I just felt like sharing some of my favourite Arab singers, in no particular order.

Marwan Khoury: This guy is really talented. I love his style of music. He’s been writing music for a number of singers for some years now and just recently got into singing himself. He and his music are very classy whether the song is a ballad or a faster catchier tune.

Kathem El Saher: I love how he’s taking Arabic poems and turning them into beautiful songs with his great voice and amazing music. It keeps reminding me how beautiful a language Arabic is. Everytime I hear a song of his, I fall in love with our language again and again.

Saber El Rbai: I love his voice and how much feelings he puts into his performances. He’s very talented and has great musical taste. Makes all us Tunisians proud.

Julia Botros: I more than love her voice, she’s totally amazing. I love her music and the meanings she chooses to pass through it. I could listen to her music forever.

Feirooz: The angelic voice of Arab music. She’s a legend and truly deserves to be. Her songs are just so beautiful, you can’t help but feel lifted.

Marcel Khalifa: Another legend in Arab music. I can’t find enough words to describe him or his music. He’s simply great.

Majida El Roumi: If class, beauty and perfection could be embodied in one artist, it would be Majida. Her voice is great, her songs are amazing and she conveys so many feelings through her music.

Fadl Shaker: He’s like a bunch of warm feelings with a beautiful voice over a soothing tune. Do I need to say more? I don’t think so.

Ilham Madfai: I truly enjoy his music, that’s based on Iraqi folklore with an added touch of spanish guitars. Great stuff.

I Hate Carrefour!

Did I ever mention how much I hate Carrefour?!
Well, there was this and then this, but now I totally despise it!!

Carrefour has become the shittiest place to shop for me.
From the time it opens to the time it closes it’s constantly buzzing like a bee hive with mad people.

Everytime, I try to go at times when it’s supposedly the least crowded, but it seems that recently there are no longer such times, it’s always overcrowded.
And what makes it even worse is that it seems Tunisians forget their manners when they go to Carrefour. It feels more like a crowded bus than a mall.

I have taken the decision to stop going to Carrefour. I’d rather drive some extra kilometers and pay some extra cash than have to go through Carrefour’s shitty experience time and again.

Pope John Paul II is Dead

Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II died today, Saturday April 2nd, the Vatican announced. The 84-year-old Pontiff, who had headed the Roman Catholic Church for 26 years, died at 9:37 p.m.

Prayers are being said in St Peter’s square, where many thousands of people are gathered to pay tribute.

He was a great man who worked for peace and justice. His pro-active style underlined the fact that a pope is not just a spiritual leader – he is also a player on the world’s diplomatic stage.

One theme of his papacy was his attempt to reach out to other faiths, in search of reconciliation after centuries of hostility and suspicion.

He travelled to Islamic countries and became the first pope to set foot in a mosque. As a symbol of religious tolerance, it took on new meaning after the events of 11 September 2001.

The world has lost a great man today.
May God bless his soul.

US Army to Produce Middle East Comic

The next US brainwash effort…

The US military is planning to win the hearts of young people in the Middle East by publishing a new comic.

The comic is to be a collaborative effort with the US Army, which says it has already done initial character and plot development.

It will be based on “the security forces, military and police, in the near future in the Middle East” and is being produced by US Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

Fort Bragg is home to the army’s 4th Psychological Operations Group, known as “psy-op warriors”, whose weaponry includes radio transmitters, loudspeakers and leaflets.

The unit, whose slogans include Win the Mind – Win the Day and Verbum Vincet (The Word Conquers), is schooled in marketing and advertising techniques.

[Source: BBC]

After Al Hurra TV that was aimed at Arab adults and Hi Magazine that was aimed at Arab youth, here comes another US effort to brainwash Arab children.

This is very serious and dangerous, all Arab families should be very careful what their children are being exposed to and should shield them from these psychological manipulations.

There is an Egyptian alternative comic for your children called Middle East Heroes, that is published by an Egyptian company.

links for 2005-04-02

links for 2005-04-01

Public Toilet Obsession

Over the past days, I’ve discovered this mad obsession I have with public toilets.
Seriously, I love everything about them: the place, the smell, the zen, the rush, the passion, the relief… Perfection!

Some of you who have checked out my photos on flickr might have come across the photos I took of some public toilets in the Syrian duty free shop, Jordan’s Le Royale hotel or other places.
But back then, little did I know of this obsession of mine, I just felt a natural urge to take the shots. Now I know why.

I realized my obsession when all I could think about was going out to visit more and more public toilets. I was constantly fantasizing about the next one. I even started dreaming of my favourites.
And so I’ve decided to come out of the closet and admit it to the world.

Really, I’m so into this that it’s going to become the main subject of my blog.
All I’m going to write about is public toilets. I’ll be posting a photo gallery of my favourite ones very soon.
I’m even thinking of doing a live blogging session straight from my favourite public toilet, the one in Tunisia’s central train station.

I’m sure you’ll all love it and enjoy it as much as I will 🙂
Looking forward to redesigning the blog to make it the #1 public toilet blog in the world.
Thanks for your support in advance.