About two months ago, I submitted an application to the Bread Loaf Writers Conference. The event is held between August 15 and 26 at the Middlebury College in the USA. I had just heard back from them. And it's not good news. They informed me that my application was rejected due to limited space availability.
Ah, well, better find me another one then.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Oh Please Dear Cyber Gods Not Again
Ok. I am starting to panic.
It's been two days since I last managed to loginto my yahoo account. For some reason I just can't access my inbox. And memories of my horrible experience with gmail are all rushing back to me! I can't go through another such scaring ordeal.
I am down on my knees praying to the Cyber Gods to spare my account and deliver it from the etheral cyber blackhole.
Anyone else out there having problems with their yahoo accounts? Any idea what's going on?
It's been two days since I last managed to loginto my yahoo account. For some reason I just can't access my inbox. And memories of my horrible experience with gmail are all rushing back to me! I can't go through another such scaring ordeal.
I am down on my knees praying to the Cyber Gods to spare my account and deliver it from the etheral cyber blackhole.
Anyone else out there having problems with their yahoo accounts? Any idea what's going on?
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Hollywood Can't Speak Arabic
It really pisses me off when I hear bad/broken arabic spoken in Hollywood films. I mean, whats the deal with that? Do they do it on purpose? Because, come on, they spend millions of dollars making these tacky films, and they can't even find one proper Arabic language coach! Seriously, some of the things they say aren't even close enough to resemble Arabic. It is so broken that it ends up sounding like inconsistant grunts rather than words.
The examples are way too many. Perhaps the most known and popular recently are the 24 television series, which are basically about bad-ass Arab terrorists! The list is big but other films that come to mind now are The Mummy and Hidalgo (last night there was a film called Live From Baghdad which also had strange sounding Arabic).
Also, what's up with mixing dialects! If the person is from Iraq, then he wouldn't sound like an Egyptian, and if they are from Egypt why the hell do they sound Lebanease... and for god's sake, Persians are NOT Arabs!
I am sure that there is at least ONE person who can speak proper Arabic in Hollywood. There must be! If not, then I'll move there tomorrow!
The examples are way too many. Perhaps the most known and popular recently are the 24 television series, which are basically about bad-ass Arab terrorists! The list is big but other films that come to mind now are The Mummy and Hidalgo (last night there was a film called Live From Baghdad which also had strange sounding Arabic).
Also, what's up with mixing dialects! If the person is from Iraq, then he wouldn't sound like an Egyptian, and if they are from Egypt why the hell do they sound Lebanease... and for god's sake, Persians are NOT Arabs!
I am sure that there is at least ONE person who can speak proper Arabic in Hollywood. There must be! If not, then I'll move there tomorrow!
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Fork in Hand
I was busy being young
Until you woke me with a fork in hand
We need a translator
To make sense of this world
Would you be my Yoda?
And teach me how to fight
Those blasé monsters
With forks in hand
You were busy being in love
Until I showed you the other side
They needed a painter
To paint a picture of their dream
Would I be your Travis?
And teach you how to love again
And to remain young
With a fork in hand
Until you woke me with a fork in hand
We need a translator
To make sense of this world
Would you be my Yoda?
And teach me how to fight
Those blasé monsters
With forks in hand
You were busy being in love
Until I showed you the other side
They needed a painter
To paint a picture of their dream
Would I be your Travis?
And teach you how to love again
And to remain young
With a fork in hand
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
How To Write Fillumms
Over the space of a couple of hours I managed to write a 9-page screenplay; an adaptation of one of my recent short stories which is kinda/sorta about love and loneliness. I did this because I was thinking of making a short 5-7 minute film as soon as possible. I want some action and I want it now!
The whole idea was to come up with a script with no more than two charachtars and one location. The only issue with this script is that it is heavy on dialouge, which means we'll have to find a couple of decent actors... anyone interested out there!??!?! We are looking for a man and a woman. That's it. If you fancy being in a short film, drop me a line.
Speaking of scripts, remember the TV/short film thingy I mentioned here months ago. Well, its back to square one with that. We had a completed script which we realised isn't working anymore so we had to abandon the entire thing. So we'll begin working on a new one with the hope that we learnt from our mistakes. Now the good news is, I might be able to post the old (abandoned) script here for you to read, coz, I figure, what the heck aye?
The whole idea was to come up with a script with no more than two charachtars and one location. The only issue with this script is that it is heavy on dialouge, which means we'll have to find a couple of decent actors... anyone interested out there!??!?! We are looking for a man and a woman. That's it. If you fancy being in a short film, drop me a line.
Speaking of scripts, remember the TV/short film thingy I mentioned here months ago. Well, its back to square one with that. We had a completed script which we realised isn't working anymore so we had to abandon the entire thing. So we'll begin working on a new one with the hope that we learnt from our mistakes. Now the good news is, I might be able to post the old (abandoned) script here for you to read, coz, I figure, what the heck aye?
Monday, May 14, 2007
The Boy With No Name
Travis are back. They are back and I'm in love. I'm in love and I'm happy. I'm happy so much I'm crying.Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!
After the rather disappointing fourth album 12 Memories, Travis have somehow managed to put together what can be arguably their most gorgeous, perfect, powerful, solidly, wonderfully, beautifully meorable record to date. The Boy With No Name is so heartbreakingly, endearingly sweet that you'll literally feel your spirit lifted!
No person should be without this album.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
I've Gone All Nano!
I am a recent convert to the iPod. A couple of days ago I bought my first iPod nano from the Apple Centre and I'm loving it! I got the 8GB black one for BD110 which is fine, as a) I don't like the colored ones, and b) the colored ones have only BD4 and cost BD104. So the way I look at it, I got an extra 4GB for BD6 only! Bargain aye.I already got 400+ songs on it. My previous MP3 player was a 2GB Philips one that I got from the UK (cost me about BD55 I reckon) and suddenly it died on me a couple of weeks ago for no apparent reason.
And speaking of MP3s, the Fabulist website has some of the finest music you'll ever find anywhere online. The website is updated often with wonderful music videos and gorgeous tunes to download for free. Check it out. Go on.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Unfair
Do you even care what your voice does to me
Shakes my blood, perforates my heart
Do you care what your eyes make me see
Oceans of stars, skies of cream raining rose-petals
Do you know what it means to be me
Lost, heartless, confused, loveless
Do you know it, or you pretend to disregard?
Shakes my blood, perforates my heart
Do you care what your eyes make me see
Oceans of stars, skies of cream raining rose-petals
Do you know what it means to be me
Lost, heartless, confused, loveless
Do you know it, or you pretend to disregard?
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Signing Little Hands & Stories
The little girl sat on the chair next to me and watched as I signed copies to a couple of people at the bookstore. She then posed next to me with a copy of my book in her hand for the photographer.
"Your wrote this?"
"Yes."
"This is your name?"
"Yes."
She got excited about the prospect for some reason. Her other friends gathered at the table too. I normally get quite anxious around children.
"Can I get your book for free?" she asked me.
"I'm afraid you can't," I said, "They belong to the bookstore. But I can give you this!" I handed her a couple of Moments bookmarks and signed them for her and her friends.
Then, Yara offered me her hand and asked me to do the same.
"Sign on your hand?" I asked.
She nodded excitedly. I obliged with a big smile.
She then sat back on the chair and began going through the book. She wanted to read something so I helped her find a story. She read the first couple of paragraphs from Lemonade & Snowflakes.
I had a wonderful time at Friday's book signing. So for all those who turned up and bought Moments, and those who stopped for a chat, thank you.
"Your wrote this?"
"Yes."
"This is your name?"
"Yes."
She got excited about the prospect for some reason. Her other friends gathered at the table too. I normally get quite anxious around children.
"Can I get your book for free?" she asked me.
"I'm afraid you can't," I said, "They belong to the bookstore. But I can give you this!" I handed her a couple of Moments bookmarks and signed them for her and her friends.
Then, Yara offered me her hand and asked me to do the same.
"Sign on your hand?" I asked.
She nodded excitedly. I obliged with a big smile.
She then sat back on the chair and began going through the book. She wanted to read something so I helped her find a story. She read the first couple of paragraphs from Lemonade & Snowflakes.
I had a wonderful time at Friday's book signing. So for all those who turned up and bought Moments, and those who stopped for a chat, thank you.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Lets Have a Moment Together
I forgot to post this earlier. That's how disracted I've been. Anyways, it was in the papers today (GDN and Gulf Weekly) and you might've seen the flyers around!
Be there - at the new Jashanmal Bookstore - tomorrow from 4pm to 6pm. Even if you wana come for just a chat... just don't forget to bring with you a cup of coffee from Caribou on the way!
See ya folks
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