half past nomad

I am going to KSA for a business trip. From there, I’ll be flying out for umrah. Just for a few days but still enough. Enough enough enough. Insha-allah

For the next 7 days, you can email me directly at with the dua you wish me to make and insha-allah, I will print them out and take them with me. To Mecca.

And sitting in front of the Kabba, I shall make dua. For you. Insha-allah.

In an effort to save cost I asked around school for empty boxes I could use for packing stuff. This is a common practice at university since a lot of students need boxes and the department/school has no use for empty boxes.

So I asked a friend in one of the biology labs. He brought back some unassembled boxes that had BIOHAZARD marks emblazed on them. They were boxes researchers are suppose to assemble and then use to dispose biologically hazardous junk. (Besides being extra sturdy when assembled, there is nothing unique about the boxes.)

So although the geek inside me would totally love the idea of packing my clothes and books in BIOHAZARD marked boxes, something tells me it might not be such a great idea. Particularly if you’re moving to a new apartment and the doorman notices you bringing in boxes and boxes of “BIOHAZARD”.

I wrote this prior to getting the ipod:

My nokia mobile phone is so old it ought to come with a rotary dial. This is my cell phone. Notice how they are even using a picture of an old couple to advertise the phone!!
(addendum: Warning to razr users; looking directly at the Nokia 6010 can cause nausea, headache and blurred vision.)

In brief, my “end call” button only occasionally works. There are times when I have to wait for the other person to hang up before the call can end. The number 3 is kind of jammed. I have to press it incredibly hard for it to work. Forget about trying to use the letter “e” or “f” in a SMS message. Despite sometimes being able to get the letter “d”, too much time usually passes before I can get it to change to an “e” on the second try. Hence I am often left with “dd” instead of an “e”.

Thus, I am hoping to get something like an ipod or digital camera to offset this phone. I realize people often get an ipod and stop using it after a fashion -even those most passionate about getting it. I guess it comes down to how well one can integrate technology into their life. For example, I once became so dependent upon my PalmPilot that when it fell and broke (and thereby losing my entire electronic schedule), I could no longer remember where my classes were and what I had due. (addendum: I still can’t remember where my classes are and what’s due.. Sometimes I even forget what my classes are.. hmm)

Nonetheless, I should point out, I will definitely use the ipod for non music often; e.g. lectures (academic and non), this.american.life (1.4 M), and other stuff. In fact, listen to the mp3 linked to this.american.life. Tell me that’s not good stuff.

With that in mind, if you could choose one and only one power; which would you choose: Flight or invisibility?

(For reference, listen to the mp3 above)