To the one and only Mr. HF.

Mr. HF,

I don't know how to begin this. I really don't. I should start off by apologizing about what I did to you when I was 17. Haha. I can't help but laugh about it whenever I think of it. I would have never ever thought that we would be this close today after not speaking at all for four years.

And to begin this entry, I had to play "Electro" just to get into the mood. For the ganjo in you. I remember sitting in your car one night and being as honest as possible about how I think you're the perfect candidate for what I call the ideal friend. I remember us laughing at me calling it wishy-washy but it was said and it was said right [surprisingly, because I usually don't get things right the first time] and only because of that, we are this open with each other today.

I have always called you a friend. Even during those 4 silent years. I have always taken your side and I will continue to do forever and ever and ever... and ever. Oh God, how I hate those three dots [...].

Your birthday was on Thursday and I feel so guilty that this is late but you know how swamped I've been and how I really meant this to be on time. I even ruined the surprise and told you that I had already started writing it because I felt so guilty.

I love the way you eat and how you still have a passion for a lot of things that a lot of us lost along the way. I love how you continue to tell your closest friends things about yourself even though you're one of those people who prefers to remain discreet. I love how you were the only one who told me it wasn't me when I told you I want to quit smoking. Haha.

I love how you call me Poison Ivy and find it as asuming as I do. I love how you look better in shirts than in t-shirts. I love how you're the only friend of mine who passes by me at the office when I most need it. I love how you don't think it's weird.

I like how you dance and how you can be very silly with me while others choose not to. I love how you can never make up your mind at times. I respect that you don't like people smoking while you eat although you're a smoker too. I love how you can explain a whole story to me in codes and how when I have the patience, I'll actually understand it.

I like how you drink Pepsi with ice and a slice of lemon when we go to a bar and how you specify what you want to the waiter although it's just Pepsi. I love how it actually does make a big difference in the taste and how I've known that since childhood but get too lazy to ask for it.

I love how you always reserve a table no matter where we're going, just in case. I love how you continue to write even when you're busy. And how you'll probably, if I'm not wrong, be a powerful man when you grow older. I love how you get annoyed a bit when we make fun of you but how you secretly know that we all care deeply about you and your wellbeing. I love how you notice my hair a lot when even B sometimes doesn't and how you always comment on it nicely the day I'm feeling good about it. I love how you explained The Sopranos to me in detail when I didn't have the patience to watch it because I had missed so much. I love your Italian mob accent. I love how you chose to be a lawyer. I have to thank you for introducing me to my "twin" and how you did it so casually through getting her a job interview where I work. Last but not least, I love how you'll understand that I have to end this right now to meet a deadline in a couple of hours. Here's to you, Mr. HF:

Happy Birthday and I love love love you.

To Mr. Wonderful Himself: El Zeek

Today marks the birthday of a person dear to my heart.

I don't see him enough, which is very wrong of me but due to our horrible work schedules, it makes sense and so both of us can be excused for our bad behavior.

A pizza-lover like me.
An obsessive soccer addict, unlike me.
I'm going to learn to play.
I will.
Just you watch!

I love the randomness of our conversations. I love how we always try to justify our reasons for things. I love your logic. I love my logic when it comes to your logic. I love how you always give me your honest opinion no matter what and how you make fun of me. And how I make fun of you.

I love how you keep up with my different screen names and call me that accordingly, whether on MSN, SMS, or phone. I love how you listen to people talk for ages and disregard that they don't listen to you. I love how you always manage to draw me in so that I actually listen, really listen, to you.

I like watching you take bites of other people's pizza. And how you genuinely enjoy it. I like how you look for something properly before saying you lost it. I love your taste in music. I would listen to you sing all day if it made you happy. I like how you don't get disgusted when I drink straight out of your water bottle and how you don't tell me to "drink from far away" because in reality, I can't do that and end up pouring water all over myself. I don't like looking like I just walked out of a wet t-shirt contest.

I appreciate that you actually took time to get to know the real me and not the me that most people see. Wow! That rhymes! I'm too cool. I also love how you always get really surprised when I use an Arabic word that you haven't heard me use before. I love that you're taking the time to read this now.

I remember your Zero t-shirt and how I really really wanted to have one of those. I think that's a t-shirt that I would definitely get made but instead of it being plain and simple, it would say, "Dedicated to Sherif Zaki." on the back.

You are, in every aspect of the word, a man. No, let me rephrase that. You are, in every aspect of the term, a good man. I don't remember who it was or when but I remember several people asking me if I was your sister. I think it was because of the similarity in strange eye color. I can now honestly say yes if I'm ever asked that question again.

I love how you always try to beat me at using that funny smiley we both love on MSN. I always put a sound to that face but I never told you what it was. It goes something along the lines of "3an 3an 3an 3an 3an" when his teeth go up and down. I get happy when you beat me to it though because you like it so much and I usually use it before you.

I think one of my favorite things about you is your strong memory. You seem to have an uncanny ability to recall sights and scents like no one I've ever encountered. I love how I always know songs that you think no one knows or has. And I love how you give me songs that remind me of my childhood and of years that were both good and bad. I love how you never leave anything out. And how detailed you are. Oh and I love the shirt you were wearing yesterday. It's so cool. Remind me to borrow it, girlfriiiiiiiend!

What I'm trying to say is that I'm really comfortable around you, which is something that isn't easy for me to be with a lot of other people. Oh and before I forget, I will never ever forget what you did for me on my 21st birthday. No one cared to really make the effort to see me that day other than you. No one other than family. And that in itself makes you family. You're truly what I call a time-exploding bomb. Someone so phenomenal that there can't be a duplicate of you anywhere else in the world. So here's to you, Sherz.

Happy birthday.

Things You Don't Know About Me

1. I hate Sharm El Sheikh.

2. I only crave chocolate when I'm pms-ing or on my period.

3. I love potatoes. So much. Oh my God. I love potatoes.

4. I developed a fear of heights when I started wearing glasses. I always felt that they'd fall off if I looked down. Now that I wear contacts, I still feel like I have to hold my face to secure my glasses.

5. My hands and feet are bigger than the average female.

6. I love waking up to the sun on my face.

7. I hate my hair.

8. I hate Juhayna milk.

9. I've never managed to keep a female friend for a long time and would like to change that.

10. I prefer hugs to kisses.

11. I've been wanting to lose weight since the age of 14.

12. I never actually put my mind to losing weight.

13. I used to play tennis, squash and hockey. I haven't taken part in any kind of sport in the past 8 years.

14. I have a Red Cross lifeguarding certificate.

15. I don't enjoy the act of swimming but I love being in the water.

16. I prefer baths to showers.

17. I secretly think baths are a form of wallowing in your own dirt which I find disgusting.

18. I'm terrified of horror movies and don't sleep if I watch them for days on end. If I do happen to watch one, I sleep next to my mom that night.

19. I'm scared to get corrective eye surgery and don't think I'd do it in fear of something happening to me.

Time for me to shut up and tag more people since I was tagged by MumboJumbo.

I'm tagging:

Zeek
Okayne

To MumboJumbo

Hey MumboJumbo,

I went out for coffee with 2 friends of mine yesterday.
One of them was my famous friend, Faceless Nameless.
He paused to look at me for a second, smiled, and asked:

"Are you wearing beige because of Mumbo Jumbo?"

Me: "No."

Faceless Nameless: "Okay."

But hey, I wore beige. Woohoo!

And to think that it wasn't even intentional!

Your influence. Completely.

Are you going to stop talking to me now that I'm being even sillier than I usually am?

Please don't.

Please?

Can you guess what this is?

		Translation
		My homeland, my homeland, my homeland, My love and my heart are for thee. My homeland, my homeland, my homeland, My love and my heart are for thee. Egypt! O mother of all lands, My hope and my ambition, How can one count The blessings of the Nile for mankind? My homeland, my homeland, my homeland, My love and my heart are for thee. My homeland, my homeland, my homeland, My love and my heart are for thee. Egypt! Most precious jewel, Shining on the brow of eternity! O my homeland, be for ever free, Safe from every foe! My homeland, my homeland, my homeland, My love and my heart are for thee. My homeland, my homeland, my homeland, My love and my heart are for thee. Egypt! Noble are thy children, Loyal, and guardians of thy soil. In war and peace We give our lives for thy sake. My homeland, my homeland, my homeland, My love and my heart are for thee.