Table Tennis and Photoshop Fun

Irfan Saleem had a bit of fun with Photoshop while Azeem, Naveed Khan, Mubashir, and Mudassir (pictured from left to right) got to play ping pong.

I had to post them all... too fun!
Tomara

If you transit through Dubai for 3 hours

Dubai Airport Lounge.

sleeping grounds

I am on my way to Lahore for a week. Got some important meetings setup with some team leaders. I landed here a few hours ago and went out to town for a few hours. Had dinner at my favorite Lebanese restaurant "Al Safadi."

If you are transiting through DXB, and have 3 hours, here is a tried and tested transit plan:

Get out of the airport. Get a cab to the Festival City Mall. Spend half hour walking through the mall. Its like an indoor Rodeo Drive. Only the prices are 3X of California prices.

Then head on to the Marina (outside the mall) and walk into the Intercontinental Hotel. Goto 26th floor and push the StarTrek like button to enter the Eclipse Bar. Enjoy a beverage of choice while overlooking the Dubai skyline.

Then come back to the mall and goto Safadi Express for a quick shawarma. Safadi express is like Lebanese fast food. A good wholesome meal costs less than 10 Dollars. Their food tastes good.

Then take the cab back to the dubai airport.

Oklahoma Travels

I am currently traveling visiting family in Oklahoma while my son is on fall break from school.

While the word "fall" makes you think of cooler weather and a beautiful change in familiar scenery, in Phoenix it's totally a myth. It's still in the 100s there, so it's nice to get away and enjoy some cooler weather.


While it's not cold in Oklahoma this time of year, the evenings are chilly. The seasonal color change isn't quite there yet either. In fact, everything is quite green, and with all this green come awful sinus headaches, etc.


So while I am miserable, I thought I would post some green photos I took today for you to enjoy.

I hope to take some more to share in the next few days. I will be headed back to the desert this weekend and should have a full on head cold by then.

Wish me luck!
Tomara

Eid-ul-Fitr: The Feast of Fast Breaking

linked photo

Marking the end of Ramada, Eid ul Fitr, is a 3 day celebration. Muslims all over the world thank God for having given them the will, strength, and endurance to observe the fast and practice self control.

The feast of Fitr is God's reward for those who fast during the holy month of Ramadan. In this month, man should try to add to his true knowledge of God, do acts of charity for the needy, and renew his beliefs toward his lord. On this day do honor God for His endless and all-enhancing mercy.*

There are special services held in open fields and mosques where hundreds of Muslims attend wearing their finest attire. After the prayers, friends and family gather to celebrate. There are parties, feasts, carnivals, picnics, fireworks, bazaars; all events designed to bring people together in this time of celebration.

Some people celebrate this time in other ways. While some help deliver the money collected during Ramadan to the needy, others will visit elders, or pay respects to those who have passed on.

This day, in the Muslim world, brings rejoicing and happiness. The rejoicing is not, however, at the departure of the month of Ramadan; it is the happiness which man feels after successfully completing an important task.*

Congratulations and Eid Mubarak!
Tomara



* exceprt from www.ezsoftech.com/ramadan/ramadan22.asp