It Has Been Crazy!
A month ago I was in Doha to visit my good friend Jorge and plan our next trip together, sadly after brainstorming countries and choosing Istanbul as out destination, two days later Jorge could not get days off work to travel. I was still taking two weeks off to travel somewhere and I was determined to visit and explore somewhere new!
Only few days after I came back from Doha I was assigned a new role and a new position at work which requires my presence at all times over the next six months at least, so there goes my two weeks vacation! I do apologize as I now have less time to blog and travel yet hopefully within the next year I can afford to travel more and take more days off.
I also thought that I would have more time during Ramadan now my shifts are six hours apart but I was wrong about that as time flies by in a flash. I will try my best to maintain posting and hope that I can manage to do everything I planned to do during this month!
Ramadan Kareem
A little late maybe yet I still wish you all a blessed Ramadan!
Off to Doha
I’m off to Doha to plan my next trip with my good friend Jorge, give him the cheese I got him from Holland, spend some time with him since last time he was here in Kuwait I had to leave for vacation, and last to run away from the wedding that I’m being forced to go to :p Plus I need to test my sinuses after the surgery and see how I feel after flying!
Australia… Land of Dreams
Hello dear Voyage of My Life blog readers, it’s an honor to be a guest writer at the blog and I thank Faisal for giving me the opportunity to share with you some of my trips around the world …
Australia… Land of Dreams
It’s amazing how a person could really think over and over again to describe a country that’s so rich and colorful from its gold coasts into Deeping in the rainy forests or be amazed by its wild life to skiing in snowy mountains or be cultured in the art and history of the house of opera in the heart of Sydney.
Our first stop was Sydney. Sydney oh Sydney! My dream city! You’ll never find a prettier city so magical and amazing with their breath talking and amazing harbor and there magnificent bridge, the first time I visited the opera house it was a masterpiece that overviewed the beautiful harbor.
The City of Diversity: you’ll never have a hard time finding something to do, there is many things to see and be part of. Within a short ride you can be in a completely different place and atmosphere like you have traveled to an entire different country, we took a ride to the Blue Mountains and it was perfect for a getaway and relaxation. You Visit Taronga zoo that can be reach by ferry in 15 minutes, it has 350 species that you can see in by riding cable car that takes you from the bottom of the garden to the top that you can see and enjoy the overview of the city with its beautiful harbor or you can visit the Sydney aquarium which was my favorite its one of the must visit places. We also visited Sydney wild life world and I fell in love with their Kuala bears they were something else I can say.
There is much more to see or explore by walking around or use the explore bus that you can find everywhere and every 15 minute, with their beautiful weather I guarantee you all you would love just to walk everywhere. We had a tour to see the beautiful buildings and historical places like the city hall and queen Victoria building and you have to admire and admit that Australia had talented architectures in the past and still.
Sydney offers every activity imaginable, water sports there are very popular like sailing, surfing, diving, jetskis, cursing, swimming and windsurfing and anything related with water they can offer it for you .As I was there I noticed that sports is a major thing there not only what I mentioned but also many more like horse riding, golf, football and much more and each sport has its importance there. Even dining is an experience in Australia with many restaurants local or international or even from people who lived in Australia and made it there second home you can taste a bit of their homeland flavor, with the hospitable and friendly people you can enjoy the best of their food. Also we went many times to have coffee or dessert in cafes along Sydney amazing harbor, just sit and watch the breath talking view and have a sip of your coffee and memories this view to take it with you back home.
I have to add Australia amazing islands like Hamilton Island (Queen Island) which I highly recommend and Kangaroo Island hope to visit them next time.What distinguishes Sydney is its relaxing atmosphere and wonderful friendly people that I felt comfort and happy and can’t wait to visit it many times to come.
P.S . Yes ladies, gentlemen and dear shopaholics I didn’t forget shopping, ladies from H &M to Chanel and christian louboutin to famous local designers they sure have it all, gentlemen with their amazing and huge malls and centers I’m sure you’ll find what you want and more . Shopping in Sydney is a must do.
Thailand Part 3: The Scenery & Variaty of Choices
Thailand prides itself with an abundance of choices, no matter what you like while traveling, it is guaranteed to be found in Thailand! It just seems that the choices are limitless.
I found the nature part breathtaking nothing was like the beautiful beaches and fresh blue sea, green islands that look like a scene from a movie, trekking through different jungles, the hundreds of unique caves scattered around the country, each of the mentioned is full of different kinds of life.
Even the city isn’t any less wonderful, it’s another side of Thailand where the modern city meets the traditional Thai city, a charming and exotic mixture that will immediately capture visitors souls! It’s also a shoppers haven, where anything and everything will be found!
I visited Thailand the second time not expecting much yet it gave me so much that it captured a part of my heart, there is no part of that country that I did not like. Writing about it makes me want to go there now and spend the longest time, if it wasn’t for the rainy season in September We would’ve been visiting for sure!
Melanoma (Skin Cancer)
I came across over this video over the weekend and since it’s summer time and people aim for the beach at this time of year and since many of whom I know take this chance to sun bathe and spend hours out in the sun just to get that tanned color, I was obliged to share this video and try to spread some awareness. The video had information that I wasn’t aware of which made me do a little more light research about the subject and here is what I came to know:
Melanoma cancer is only one of different types of skin cancer, not the most common as well yet it has the highest death rate of them all! Melanoma originate in the cells which produces our melanin which colors our skin, hair, and eyes. Melanoma is a curable cancer if discovered at an early stage in most cases, yet advanced cased may lead the cancer to spread to other organs and make it impossible to tackle.
Since everyone’s at risk, there are several factors that determines the level of risk and these are:
1- Sun exposure.
2- Moles.
3- Skin type.
4- Family history
5- Personal history.
6- Weakened immune system.
Any combination of those factors can determine the level of risk someone has for developing melanoma.
I share this information hoping that maybe one day this will save someone’s life. My mother had a form of cancer which she was cured from several years back and I do know how such news just shatters the heart and mind, so I wish this to no one and wish good health and well being to everyone.
Here are the tools that helps checking one’s body: Melanoma body check tools
More links about the disease here:
Skincancer.org
Cancer.gov
Guest Writers!
A while back I posted about having guest writers in the blog, people who would share their own experience and add a different flavor to the blog making it a mixture of different styles and opinions.
Three days ago we were blessed by having our first writer, Shabbar Kothari, a brother like friend whom I met in the spring of 2008 at university posted an article about me in which he was very generous in describing me and our friendship, humbled by his words I can’t find words to reply back other than saying that I’m happy knowing that I do have such impact on people and jus hope that I can leave the same impression on everyone else I do meet.
Our second writer would be Dalal, a reader of the blog who is full of energy and has been to different parts of the world herself and would like to share the knowledge and personal experience she gained from traveling around. Hoping she gets well soon and looking forward for her first article.
Readers can still contribute their own stories and travel encounters by emailing me on: info@voyageofmylife.com
Faisal Khalaf and The Generosity of His Spirit
I first met Faisal sometime during my own voyage at GUST. Tall and soft-spoken, Faisal’s amiable nature is always unmistakable. It would take me an entire book if I were to expand on his many virtues, so I’m going to choose to focus on just one for the purpose of this post.
Faisal seems to have a strong grasp on the idea that one attracts to one’s life precisely that which is projected out to the world. Call it The Secret, the law of attraction or the universe’s quid pro quo, this rule of nature’s is as fundamental as it gets. And when this insight intersects with a general detachment with material things, and with knowing that the stuff that’s most fragile and indeed most irreplaceable, is our connections with friends and family – you find yourself standing beside a Faisal Khalaf. And make no mistake, he’s few and far between.
Faisal does much more than share his time, his ideas and his belongings with the people he deems worthy; he exudes an attitude that I like to call ‘Abundance Consciousness’. I don’t know if he’s conscious about this or not, but he somehow appreciates how most things that one can share in this life are either replaceable or fundamentally boundless – be it one’s possessions, humour, wisdom, even money!
Nah he’s beyond that. He knows that the only ingredient we’re short on is the very length of our lifetime. And with this in mind, he never holds back on the compassion he gives off to those around him. He’s got his priorities straight as an arrow. And the purity of his heart is plain for everyone to see.
For this reason, and for so many more, Faisal will forever be a friend I plan on showing off to others.
Thank you, buddy.
- Shabbar Kothari
Thailand Part 2: The People
The first thing that will catch anyone’s attention is the very warm welcoming and the smile on everybody’s face, and it ain’t just a fake smile just to welcome you or just a part of the job kind of smile! No! It is the genuine from the heart smile! That alone brings comfort to my heart every time I’m there!
To walk around and explore alone is a nice experience, talking to people trying to strike a conversation, asking for directions, or even asking for suggestion about places to visit is very interesting. Friendly, cheerful, and very positive I find the people of Thailand, I just wish my people were as friendly and hospitable! 
Finally Did It!
I have finally got my sinuses fixed and honestly I do regret not doing it any sooner! Today after eight days of operating I had my check up and now I can finally breath through my nose and damn that feels good, I have no clue how I was breathing before?! I just feels different and smoother!!! The doctor says that while he was operating thing inside my nose were so much different than the CT scan I had done back in January and also different and worst than when he performed an endoscope a month and a half earlier, the deviation in my septum increased slightly making it impossible to operate my the right side before fixing that, and what he didn’t expect was a development of the infection into tissues making me constantly unwell which was the case before the operation.
Now I do feel so much better, I started feeling better since the day after the operation, just the energy I have and not feeling tired and sleepy all the time is a blessing. Looking forward to put them to the test soon and fly somewhere!
although very few; I also wanted to thank all those who did call or texted me to check on me hence no one did know that I was going to get the operation done on that date except for my parent only, not even my brothers knew until I got back home the next day!
P.S. After operating and going back to my room, coming in & out of consciousness I would see a silhouette of my mom taking pictures of me and laughing!!!!