slides of my life..

Istanbul

November 5th, 2011

In the streets of Istanbul.. The last two days were hectic with the work I had to do and number of times I went to Levent area where Microsoft HQ is. But that wasn’t a big pain when I woke up at 8 am on Fridayball ready and set to explore Istanbul. The city that I always said I will retire in.

The last two days were amazing I must say. I have seen a lot of countries around the world, lived with their people, took their cabs, and talked to their middle/high class people. Just like I was impressed with e taxi drivers in China who would give you back exact change to their 10 miles trip where the meter charges less than couple of dollars. They are not expecting any change or tip from you.

Turkey was the same, as a matter of fact, it was better. I took at least two cabs, one of them did not have change to my 20 turkish lira and he took the change I had although I still owed him money and did not ask for anything. He was ok with that. The other taxi driver did not have change for a bigger note and was still happy with 1 Turkish lira less. It’s not about the lira or two less as much as the behavior that these taxi drivers had. They weren’t looking for more, or looking at me like, yeah right you should have brought a change with you. It was completely opposite. It was a that’s alright, welcome to turkey sort of behavior which I appreciate a lot.

Another incident that happened with me yesterday was when the bus metro station machines were not taking any change at all, and I had to have their special token thing. I looked at a guy as he was passing the entrance and I asked him in whatever body language that I have I’d he is ok with taking 2 Turkish lira from me in cash and letting me in in return. The guy said something I did not understand and did not look like he was really offering help. So I looked at the other side looking for another passenger until I hear the guy shouting a calling me to come in. He opened the door, did not take accept to take the money or even discuss it. I was amazed with his behavior..

Sipping a cup of coffee right now waiting for my breakfast o be served before I continue my Istanbul journey.

Coffee in Istanbul

Tags: travel
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iResign !!!

August 26th, 2011

dear f*** salsa world!

I love you! I love you with everything I got.. thank you for the great friends i met, for the beautiful girls I led; for the great leaders I watched; for the so many great memories filled with artists and people who dance from their heart..

for those people that become true friends, who have become part of my life.. who has changed a big portion and took a big spot.

For those I ran into in the US from different cities, from different continent, from east and west.. For those that I danced with and had an instant connection like I have never met before.. For so many spiritually beautiful people.

I can’t keep count, I can’t remember names.. But they are all in my facebook, they are all in my video clips that I took, they are all in my head; listening to music, chatting while there is a bachata or merengue song, eating pizza or a hot dog after a long salsa night, and finally dancing.. Dancing On2!

Oh my! Head is full of memories, hand is typing faster than I could think; and memories are clashing in my head..

I think I know what I really want this post to be out.. I know what I want to say.

To everyone I met in my last US trip; from NYC, Orland, Connecticut, DC and Colorado.. For everyone that I met from France, Australia, Turkey, and other parts of the world in my last NYC trip.

Thank you for being part of this amazing journey. Thank you for a wonderful month I spent on the dance floor of LVG, Las Chicas Locas, Cache, Mega Club (La Nacional), Mr. Mambo, and many other places.

Thanks to.. countless names of people that i remember but can’t post in alphabetical order cuz everyone took a great spot in my memory..

Alright, time for me to head to bed before I start looking up the prices of flights to NYC and just book it anyway.

iSleep.. since Steve Jobs resignation letter did not say iResign!

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A day with artists

July 16th, 2011

Where do I begin, my journey with salsa started three years ago but right now, my appreciation for the different kind of music, instruments and dance itself has changed.

When I was in Sydney Salsa Congress 2010 earlier this year, Tito Puinti Jr [http://www.titopuentejr.net/] and his group were playing.. I did not realize the chance I missed until I left, and started dancing on2. My appreciation or bands and music they play has shifted massively. I did not expect ever to be in this place where I actually look back at time and wish I spent the time looking at the band instead of dancing..

The form of art salsa bands create and form while on the dance floor is amazing. I was lucky in this trip to have done two things

1. Going to Hudson Terrace on Friday to attend New Swing Sextet NSS [http://www.newswingsextet.com]
2. Have a private discussion with Jimmy Delgado who played with so many bands and made me listen to some of his very own music and give me a private music workshop.

NSS is a great band that sang many of the songs we dance on, well – I dance on.. and met two of its key members that were very nice and helpful (Angel and George) Music is in their blood.. Artists and musicians are amazing people!

It’s time now to head back to reality, get ready for some salsa dancing for my last night in New York before I head out to DC for the big night tomorrow.

Tags: artists, musicians, salsa
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day 1 of new yorkness!

July 6th, 2011

Lost, in the streets of new york, with my camera and a cup of coffee!

So – I have nothing planned but sleeping well the night before to get ready for the next day. And the most random stuff happened

It all started with where shall I go after I drop my laundry which is quite convenient (1 USD per 1 LBS)

The guy told me that a good area to go photograph is broadway and something; so all I found myself doing is heading west.

My day was full of delicious food (including but not limited to Falafel)

Visiting Lecia Gallery in New York (The President’s Photographer gallery)

a 1 / 31536000 chance to meet an old friend in the street and going to have one of the best tea in the world

Walking the subways of NYC and taking some of the best street shots I could take

What more to ask for but get ready for a second day full of photography

Tags: art, New York, street
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Loving the clear noiseless streets.

May 1st, 2011

I am in Perth now. Been wanting to move to Australia for some time, I just did not know how life here is.

Why I want to move somewhere elsei

I have always wanted to live in a place where I don’t put something in my ear to avoid the noise, as a matter of fact, I became so used to it that I need to have something I am listening to in the background event if I am a noise-less place.

All that has changed today!!!

I arrived to Perth yesterday and decided to stay for two days before I go the Salsa congress. Met Kathy, an old friend from Dubai and she had some work to do while I was supposed to sip a cup of coffee. Walking down the road, I found a beautiful green garden where I went to take a break and relax. I am the worst person to describe something, but this place is the only place that I have been to in man years, maybe more than 10 or 15 years where I sit down in a public place, cars going up and down the road, people around me each reading or doing something on their own, yet it is very quite. This is a place where I would love to come every week, get a book and sit down and read. Certainly one of the best places I’ve been to in quite sometime. All I need now is a good book to read and enjoy the rest of my day.

Not to mention that great updates that happened in the last 24 hours and the great people I am yet to meet in the next couple of days.

Bye!

Tags: australia, perth, travel
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the dance floor

April 21st, 2011

the dance floor..

they are zoukers, they are salseros, they are bachateros, and so many other names, they chose to classify themselves and potentially find a reason of differentiation. A reason not to unite, a reason to be different, a reason to disagree.. they missed the beauty of dancing, soul of leading and following and shining a little bit more. they may not like each other, but no one ever goes away from home. no matter how old you get, where you escape, you will always return home, and home will always be …

the dance floor..

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The she in her..

April 8th, 2011

I love this picture because it reminds of the lady next door. The stylish lady who is sitting in the next table in a cold and snowy weather. She just got into the restaurant, having a cup of coffee, sitting next to the fire, looking down at the menu. Love the blurriness around her because all you can see and focus on is her hair and her fashionably beautiful sweater.

the she in her

Posted in 2011, fashion, street photography | No Comments »

little things in life..

April 8th, 2011

So, I just finished my dinner at a close friend of mine, who is also my photography mentor, and someone who I enjoy listening to and learning from.. Little things in life..

My friend and I have been trying to catch up for a week or so and one of us is always busy.. So, today we found it was a good time.. Since i have been craving spaghitti for couple of days, I sent him a text message before I head to his to tell him to cook something.. After all, he is a self pro-claimed chef – who never brags and when he does, you won’t believe it until you taste it.

So, I end up arriving to his and we catch up while he is enjoying the process of preparing the food for cooking. The little things you do that give you time to think while you are doing an activity. Thinking while you are cutting the veggies, while staring the food, while waiting for something to heat up..

So, he ended up preparing 3 dishes.: stir fried chicken with mixed veggies – Asian style, baked potatoes with pickles, and olive salad with green thyme and tomato.

Alright, so I don’t state facts, or bother to write a post about something unless it was a kick-ass, super delicious, and uniquly different meal that I have enjoyed. I know I have enjoyed the meal when

- I did not bother to think of drinking water through out the meal and my friends all know how important it is to have a drink while eating – which i know is not healthy.

- I actually asked him to stop eating the salad because it was so damn good.

- my other senses actually stopped operating and my taste sense got an “tastgasm”

The meal was so good that I stopped the music playing the background, started closing my eyes while eating, and enjoyed the food. I did not feel thirst or wanted to drink water either. It was so good, that I actually am impressed with the fact I felt, I have not used my taste sense in quite long time.

It is always hard to explain things in life that has a different experience. It is hard to explain a salsa dance without the song, it’s hard to express a beautiful place without a picture, it is hard to explain a great meal without tasting.

So, if I call you for a party at my place and tell you that Chef S is coming, make sure you don’t miss out!

Thank you God for the little things in life that makes our days better.

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Be the change you want to see!

January 28th, 2011

Setting in Sydney Salsa Congress looking at all these great performers, instructors, startup talents who are leaving their career and their normal jobs to do something they love, something they aspire to be, something they want to be, something they ARE.

Not that I know many people, but I was lucky to have networked and chatted or read some of the diaries of people like Magna Gopal, Sharon Pakir and some new startup talents in Australia.

People who decided, whether due to lack of academic qualifications, interest in working for someone else, or just to the positive change they see/think this world lacks and decided to take own this big challenge and start on their own. People who decided to leave their comfort zone

What did they people have to let them get away from their comfort zone? I wandered.

Is it because they did not succeed in their normal job? I don’t think so cuz some of them left big careers as a right decision to invest in what they think their passion is.

I personally think it’s a combination of talent, determination and the right mindset.

If you lack one, you need to get it from somewhere, but the three has to be there. I will meet with those that I can in Sydney tomorrow and ask them about this big step.

Listening to “Big City Life”

Is it just talent in what they like to do, or is there something else? Is it

Looking at Magna Gopal for example, who I still haven’t got the chance to write a post about her after I left Jordan Salsa Festival, who focused her career towards dancing, teaching and doing private sessions.

Looking at Sharon Pakir, who has a great life and left everything behind to start her own dance school.

Looking at start up talents that came from different countries, cities from around the world.

Thinking to myself, wow, each one of those is a big name in the salsa scene right now. Every one of those have left his or her career to do what they like to do best, what they aspire to do. They went outside their comfort zone to do something they love doing.

Looking at all these great dancers, great achievers who became well known in their

Tags: artists, aspiration
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Brush your teeth.. Hope is not a strategy.

January 13th, 2011

Ever since one of those speakers came to Microsoft and give a speech about what motivates and what does not. He said one thing I’ll never forget and remains one of my favourite quote of all time.

He said
"Hope is not a strategy”

We all wish we could do more, we all say if we had more time, I would do this extra thing that I like, learn how to play Oud, start learning a new language, I’ll start working out next year, duh duh duh.. This has been an on-going theme, at least in my life.

The problem with that is, I never had the time to do what I always wanted to do. I’ve always hoped to be able to understand a 4th language, play Oud, dance on2, travel more often, and a list of stuff that I have even lost count of and decided not to write anymore because I knew I will never be able to do it if I did not start now.

That has all changed after I read this amazing post by Sharon Pakir on brushing your teeth. Well, it wasn’t all about brushing your teeth only, but more about the simple things in life that makes your day, life happier. The post “the simple things” had a great section about a (kick-ass) electric toothbrush, which touches on a topic that is very close to my heart an painful to my teeth at the same time. But what hit my mind was, until when will I stay use just the normal brush – not that the normal has any issues, but it is scientifically proven that electric ones are more effective. Along with that, I have always wanted to use the floss and the mouthwash. And I said to myself, I have all of them I just haven’t been using them, and there is no reason I should not. I already passed my mid-life crisis last year and if there is a time for change, it should be now, and I should not be thinking about it twice.

So, I decided, just like whenever I decide on something big (in my head) that I should go, ask doctors, meet people with white teeth, and search online what’s the best way to brush my teeth. And I looked at my calendar and said, damn – i barely have time to do what I have to do on daily basis, and I really really don’t have time for anything like this.. What shall I do.. :-/

WTH am I doing? Seriously? I want to spend couple of days just to go ask and find out, nah. There got to be something wrong. I can do it the easier way. I can just search online, find the best way, and take this as the best way to brush my teeth until I find an opportunity in the future where I meet a doctor or part of my normal check-ups, whatever the opportunity was.

This has suddenly hit me, I have a lot of things in my life that I have been wanting to do, and been pending in my life because I overplan and over-analyze. I don’t go to the gym because I say I need a full 3 – 6 months commitment, I don’t learn Oud because I cannot allocate time to practice and learn on my own in my free time, I did not start searching for my MBA because I am busy with doing my job today.. Nope. not anymore.

What I learned is:

Hope is not a strategy

I cannot hope to do things in the future specially that I have the well to do it now,

If for anything I want to do, I don’t have time. I’ll learn on the spot how to do it the best way without delaying it any further.

Action, action, action.

This year’s resolution is:Do not wait until next year for new year’s resolution.

Time to get back to work and finish some of the stuff I have before SCC.

p.s. I like this video. Hope you find it useful =P

Personal Hygiene:
How To Brush Your Teeth

Tags: artists, life, salsa, sharon pakir
Posted in travel | 1 Comment »

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