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Hello all, and welcome to the new and improved Bedouin Project, a kind courtesy of Omar Chatriwalla who, I think, did a fantastic job turning my crackpot conception into feesible reality. Many, many thanks Omar.

Well, I'm presently writing to you from the Great White North, and I don't just mean the snow, though there is copious amounts of that. I really had forgotten just how...caucasian...it is around here. Now, those of you who know me, know that I've often griped about North America in general, and Waterloo, Ontario in particular, but having said that, I present to you the top 5 things I've missed about being here:<>

1. My family, of course. God love 'em, they're a handful sometimes, but I love 'em just the same.
2. My dog. He technically falls under the category of "family" but I think he deserves his own mention. Who can resist those eyes, barely visible under his fringe, and that crooked-toothed overbite, in desperate need of some radical orthodontic work?
3. Friends. Again, I like to include my friends (actual friends, not "I just met him twice at a couple parties and now we're best friends!") under the category of family, but they too deserve their own special mention. I shan't name names, but you know who you are and I love you all dearly.
   
4. BEER! After extensive (and I mean EXTENSIVE) sampling of the various ales and lagers London has to offer, I have come to the conclusion that English beer is actually monkey urine. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a dirty, no-good liar. Canadian beer is fantastic, and for anyone who hasn't tried it, go do so now....NOW! what're you waiting for?!
5. Hot and cold water coming out of the same faucet. England, home of the industrial revolution, England, which once colonized the better part of the world, has separate faucets for hot and cold water, leaving you with the uncomfortable choice of either freezing your hands off, or scalding them. At no point did anyone think of combining them?!

Well, since getting back to Canada I've been running the family/family friends gamut, visiting here, there and everywhere. Anyone who's ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding will understand what Egyptian family get-togethers are like. I also have a couple papers which I should be working on. "Should" being the operative term.

Also, weird thing happened one of my first days here. I was driving around town with my mother, and she asked me when I thought I'd be ready to settle down, get married, start a family etc. I almost swerved off the road! Now, knowing my mom, the question was asked more out of genuine curiosity than a typical Egyptian mother "...Because I know a nice girl..." type of sentiment, but still, it's not something that had ever come up before! Anyways, I told her that I couldn't even start to think of doing so until I had completed my education, so that should keep her off my back for another 10 years or so.

Alright, well, that's all for now. Remember, the best motivation to keep me updating regularly is regular comments, so keep 'em coming!

Salaam