tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-142280112024-03-13T20:40:44.052+03:00Bassam in SyriaAn account of what Bassam's re-experiencing of home would be like..Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.comBlogger248125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-68795844495980136082007-08-08T00:43:00.000+03:002007-08-08T00:51:45.260+03:00The Final NailI haven't been writing for god knows when, but I was busy with my personal stuff, and not much was going on. After 2 years most things would be deja vus and one has to focus more and concentrate in order to come up with stuff that goes along the theme of the blog.But this is the final nail in this blog's coffin.In two days I am here no more, and will be back to USA. I don't think I will be doing Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-83915958644556995422007-04-22T12:34:00.000+03:002007-04-22T12:41:26.099+03:00Gone VotingToday is voting day. I left home enthusiastic and eager to practice my rights as a citizen :-) The neighborhood looked like a ghost town, barely any movement here or there. I didn’t know if this is because of elections or because it is Sunday. I looked around and started thinking where should I go, because no one told me where voting takes place; but who asks finds answers. So I went to the Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-70422728712428634452007-04-21T03:28:00.000+03:002007-04-22T12:44:16.928+03:00Election Countdown<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />I have drafted an essay on the elections, but I don't seem to find it, so I will start from the beginning now there is one day to election of our new parliament. I think I mentioned before that it isn't my intent to write here about politics, but as this is an internal affair that affects me, at least indirectly, and Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-27287046797766687782007-04-03T01:46:00.001+03:002007-04-03T01:46:45.077+03:00E-readingRecently I decided to try paperless reading. I know about the concept from before, but there is no way I will be able to do that for recent publications free of charge. So, I revisited a favorite site of mine... Project Guntenberg. For those of you who don't know, there is a vast amount of literature out there that is not copyright protected in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-66426073688243850182007-03-12T16:01:00.001+02:002007-03-12T16:01:27.559+02:00Further ReadingThe internet is driving me crazy these days. I can't get a page without refreshing it a thousand times. I have to check most of my emails on my cellphone with is the most convenient and the quickest way to do it. I barely see any other blogs, I read the comments as they arrive to my email, and am having a hard time commenting on my website. It's all the fault of internet assholes in the Itisalat.Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-76017434156411327442007-03-04T19:16:00.000+02:002007-03-04T19:18:58.952+02:00Arrival at the AirportMother is coming today from London where she has spent a month at my newlywed brother’s. I got a call yesterday from them saying that the flight going from Damascus will be late, and subsequently the departing flight from London, and they wanted to know what time should she be at the airport.It is a weekend in UK so the Syrian Airline office is closed. Thankfully they had a back up emergency Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-6977595371748287252007-02-28T12:18:00.000+02:002007-02-28T12:19:04.950+02:00NaggingFollowing some suggestion of getting the voice a bit louder, I called today the ministry of foreign affairs to complain about the “queue jumpers” and the problem of getting the stamps in one place and the certification in another. So I was put through with the vice counselor affairs manager.In my conversation with him he mentioned two points:1- That they are being strict about the معقبين or “Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-77544434212348655462007-02-27T23:26:00.000+02:002007-02-27T23:48:33.880+02:00BosraLast weekend I was invited to attend a conference in Bosra, a two days one night event, that has to do with oncology. The conference was sponsored by a drug company, and as usual there was an educational part and an entertainment counterpart.The road to Bosra takes about 75 minutes or so. There is one hotel there, Bosra Al Cham, which I think only worked on the day we arrived. Otherwise it is a Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-85717398244785146192007-02-26T09:44:00.000+02:002007-02-26T09:58:48.553+02:00Paper CertificationI think one of the most humiliating experiences here is trying to certify some papers from the Ministry of Exterior Affairs وزارة الخارجية. Not infrequently some of us still has to do what is called "Under supervision forms" for the sake of postponing military service while studying abroad.The thing looks as follows: you have a certain piece of paper that says whatever, and I mean by whatever is Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-3138122223798168982007-02-26T09:37:00.000+02:002007-02-26T09:40:07.686+02:00Recently ReadThe Perfume, by Patrick Suskind: a tale of an odorless guy who has a nose that can distinguish every smell in the world. His life is centered around things that smell (identities I think), but he alone has none. And as he grows up, to become one of the best perfume makers in France, incognito of course, he started to murder young virgin pretty females who have beautiful body scent. He wanted to Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-39858380002496218212007-02-15T14:20:00.000+02:002007-02-15T14:24:52.901+02:00A Tip for ValentineCelebrating the occasion of Valentine, here is today's pearl..If your girlfriend asks: “How deep is your love?”The wrong answer is: “Cervix.”:-pBassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-21476215047236450342007-02-15T14:18:00.000+02:002007-02-15T14:20:05.960+02:00ValentineAgain, the world turned red, as if enough blood is not spilled everyday. At least this is harmless. This year for Valentine we spent the night in the Carlton Hotel. Not my first choice given the noise (which I am sensitive too), but we had a good time. The singer Hamzeh had a hoarse voice, he tried to sing but he neighed instead. So the D.J. took charge.As a bonus, it seems, we had the luck of Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-90136409693350057722007-02-12T20:30:00.000+02:002007-02-12T20:32:30.911+02:00New PassportMy old one was about to expire, so I thought it is time to have a new one that is valid for more than two years (now that I don’t have to do military service). I asked about what papers would I need from relatives (because there is no other trusted source available), and they all said get a proof of residency سند إقامة.Although I was offered to have an intelligence agent go with me to make thingsBassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-61597812941594943142007-02-07T02:28:00.000+02:002007-02-12T20:36:57.429+02:00How Do you know you are growing old???1- You have too many memories2- You forgot most of them3- People start calling you عمو4- You start saying: "in my days..."5- Hair grows on your... ears6- When you look in the mirror, you see someone elseHere are some suggestions by othersBy Fadi:7. you compensate by poking fun at others for being young8. you don't play fun games like 7ole Mole!By Gray-fox:9- you stop eating lolipops, and find Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-31429346282477838272007-02-07T02:23:00.000+02:002007-02-07T02:28:23.956+02:00TaggedI am tagged by the gray fox from his throne. And I guess it includes talking about me, myself, I, moi, and أنا.So here is a short version of 5 things about myself. I may attempt a longer one later, as I don't like to speak about myself (except in this blog, which has been running for 18 months).1- I am stubborn2- I like sushi3- I think I am smart4- I tend to forget5- I tend to forget:-)Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-25291555999273979592007-02-07T02:11:00.000+02:002007-02-07T02:22:22.289+02:00GamingIn the past week or so, I felt like playing PC games. So I went to a store, and needless to say all games here are pirated, and I bought a game.Upon installation there was a certain faulted file that couldn't be extracted.A bit afterward I got another game from another store, and this one downloaded nicely. But apparently my video adapter or monitor display was not compatible, so I couldn't play Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-14490426268215386732007-02-07T02:05:00.000+02:002007-02-07T02:11:13.320+02:00Lecture UpdateOverall, my lecture on Sunday went very well. A 45 minute display of how to find targeted medical information on the web with live online display.I spotted only three who where sleeping, that is a plus. There were a good number of attendings and residents. No post lecture discussion unfortunately, but what pleased me is that many came asking for some of the material I presented or the lecture Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-89264786921957473262007-02-01T16:13:00.000+02:002007-02-01T16:16:56.161+02:00Upcoming EventsI will be lecturing on "Finding Medical Information" in Tishreen Hospital on Sunday. This is an internal lecture, so not for the public I believe. I think it will go well.Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-27505280108589213432007-01-27T16:34:00.000+02:002007-01-27T16:35:42.422+02:00TrasholutionOne good benefit of sitting in the office with no active work to be done is the ability to think and come up with all kind of ideas (serious and stupid). Very long time ago (more than a year) I imagined myself being the Minister of Interior Affairs or the governor of Damascus, then started imagining what things I would do or change. And here is the part about trash (and trasholution is a merge Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-24028316399753729682007-01-26T01:44:00.000+02:002007-01-26T01:45:26.119+02:00Misc. NewsOk, here is some variety news at my neck of the wood.News for single colleagues in USA, Michel Salookeh, a friend of mine have just finished a visit to Syria, in which he got engaged. Those of you reading this blog (you know yourselves) you should think of coming here more frequently and join the rest.Over the past few weeks I have read a book called “أبو نضال، بندقية للإيجار” about the famous Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-76162397553543382162007-01-23T01:35:00.000+02:002007-01-23T01:44:29.300+02:00Other Funny TyposThis is taken from a poster for a new place in town. I have never seen the work "pub" written in Arabic before, and thinking about it, I will never attempt to do that. بوب???? This was hilarious. But the winner is of course "willcome".-Willcome Sir.-Sure I will.:-pBassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-87680072452610595742007-01-21T12:10:00.001+02:002007-01-21T12:10:34.347+02:00On BloggingAfter 18 months of blogging on “Bassam In Syria”, I thought to myself I should say something about blogging. Sometime in the future, blog will be the word of the year. I am not sure when the culture of blogging started, but I got introduced to it in 2003. Then I decided to write a blog: “A Syrian Abroad”. I was in USA at the time and for reasons beyond what my memory can tell I decided not to Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-30095108379344984482007-01-21T12:07:00.000+02:002007-01-21T12:09:36.548+02:00Blogging HistoryThis is my version of the who, how, when, and what of blogging.God created the world in six days, and many think that on the seventh he rested. Wrong... On the seventh day he, or she, created a blog after making Adam and Eve. He called his blog: “Fools in action”. We can’t read this blog for two reasons: the first is that the host server was not linked to earth and stayed celestial. The second isBassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-89676957127825172822007-01-11T16:19:00.000+02:002007-01-11T16:41:49.392+02:00End of the lineSome of you who followed my blog know that I have applied to create and register a new subspecialty in medicine: palliative medicine. And this has eventually come to an end after 14 months. And this is how it ended.Last month I went to ask about the appliacation, which have surely accumulated by then a 10 cm worth of dust. The clerks told me the same old story about putting new specialties on Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228011.post-54028139159944371962007-01-06T00:32:00.000+02:002007-01-06T00:35:51.635+02:00Road TripI need to say first of all that I am incapable of writing comments now even using the inblog website from my home computer, so there will be no replies until further notice.I went to Safita after the New Year Eve, as I recovered from my “flu”, and today we came back. The travel was the worst I have ever been to in Syria. First there was rain, then before we reach Homs there was snow again on the Bassamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934777873742793467noreply@blogger.com5