18 December 2013

Google Celebrates Qatar National Day

Google always honored celebrities, dignitaries, high profile individuals and any well known events in their search engine. I have seen a lot of them in countless times before and today I was surprised on what I’ve seen in the featured illustrated image of the Google search engine. My eyes were glued to it upon seeing the big clamp with big pearl inside. It is just so familiar to me that it made me appreciate of what Google did as Qatar celebrates its National Day today.

It is truly indeed great to see and how Google illustrates their support. While the image is so popular to me, I am also fascinated of how they have portrayed Qatar’s National Day on the image. It may be simple but is enough already to get someone’s attention and it is elegantly illustrated on the image above. And my interpretation of it is the perfect combination in order to capture the olden corniche and the ultra modern Qatar with mushrooming sky scrapers at the background.

17 December 2013

Real Madrid to Play Friendly Match against PSG

When we went to the mall to watch a movie, I already planned of purchasing the ticket for the coming friendly match of Real Madrid and PSG next month on the second day of the New Year. It is a big matchday not only for the Los Blancos and PSG fans but to all football fans here considering that two of the most expensive football players are coming to town. The champions of Spain are up against the champions of France who are also fully talent laden lead by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani. I’m sure it will be an exciting and great game to watch.

After several minutes of roaming around the mall in search for the place where the tickets are sold, I finally got hold of the tickets that would let me watch (hopefully) for the first time my favorite football team, Real Madrid. Although it will be my second time to watch live football but it will be my first to see the Los Blancos playing against PSG in person and no longer on TV. I am already excited of the coming game upon getting the tickets and when it’s on my hand even it is still barely two weeks to go. The only thing is that, I wasn’t able to get a good seat because tickets were sold like pancakes when I arrived. So see you on 2 January for the friendly match of the Los Blancos and Les Parisiens.

Just Like Winning the Mega Millions

Finally the plan to watch a movie has materialized. We were supposed to be going to the movie house last weekend but due to work schedule it has to be moved to other date. And so yesterday, after I came from work we finally watched a movie that my wife wanted us to see. But don’t get too excited as it is not the kind of movie that you expect us to be watching because it isn’t a love story or has full of action moves instead it was an animated show.
We’re off to the movie house not for ourselves but for our son to watch Tarzan. It was his second time to watch a movie and the first one was Superman that was a few months ago. It was also my wife’s second since she arrived here in late 2009. Our son was so behaved and was sitting beside his mom when the movie starts but then things changed when he saw Tarzan leaps and jumps. He tried to imitate what Tarzan is doing in the movie and he would start by standing on his chair then acts like we will jump as if he won mega millions in the lottery.

I’m sure he was having some fun and was enjoying the movie then something came in my mind and I think this might not be his last and there will be more to come especially that he is now more exposed to cartoon characters and also in school.

10 December 2013

The World Gathers for Mandela Memorials

It’s raining and pouring heavily in South Africa right now, the same as the tens and thousands of people who flocked at the FNB Stadium including 91 world leaders to remember and honor one of the greatest (if not ever) head of state. It has been five days since Nelson Mandela died at his home in Johannesburg at the age of 95 after suffering from a long fight of recurring lung infection. And the current South African president released a statement "that the man known affectionately as Madiba and had been the father of the people" has succumbed from his illness.

I may not know how he overcame the depth and the breadth of a love that overwhelms hatred but I know for sure that it was his refusal to be consumed by bitterness and resentment that unites everyone, both whites and blacks alike, including his enemies. In fact, he even invited the state prosecutor who put him behind bars, to a dinner then he also appear in the 1995 Rugby World Cup finals by wearing a Springboks green and gold jersey. It was those gestures of bringing about social change that stunned both his loyal followers and detractors, that unified South Africa.

Perhaps, Nelson Mandela’s 1994 autobiography the “Long Walk to Freedom”, which covered his 27 years in prison and his well known quotes “I hate race discrimination most intensely and in all its manifestations. I have fought it all during my life; I fight it now, and will do so until the end of my days” has became his legacy as someone who changed humanity by fighting against oppression and apartheid. And many believed that Mandela became an emblem of peace by reconciling with individuals who had been the instruments of oppression and deep racial tensions while he was behind bars.

South Africa may have lost its greatest son or have lost a father, but he lived long enough to see the fruition of his dream in dismantling the apartheid system by persuading reconciliation and embracing forgiveness. Nelson Mandela, Madiba or Tata is gone but he has set example about healing pain of apartheid and today the world gathers for Mandela Memorials.

Image from wikipedia.