What is the secret?

So what does it mean?
I love to write, that's something I know for sure...
But when it comes to blogging, I can never think of anything to write.
I just stare at the space I'm supposed to fill with my words for hours on end (ok not really, i just open the page for a minute and the surf away... but the result is the same !!)

So what's the secret?

Dabbling

I want to tell you a story. The story of a young woman who can't for the life of her decide what to do with her life. 

With every passing day she realizes that days are passing. And she is trudging on, but with no particular direction. 

She tries whatever catches her eye, dabbling in different things and in no one thing. 

There are good days where she feels that this is exactly what she ought to be doing, and that she is experiencing life to the fullest and what not. 

But then again there are bad days when she feels that she is wasting time and letting life pass her by without moving in any particular direction. 

There are those moments when she feels proud of her accomplishments and content with her current situation. But soon after there are different moments, during which the accomplishments of others shadow her own and she feels useless.

If she ever gets things figured out once and for all, I'll be sure to let you know. 

And if you have any advice for her, I'll definitely pass it on. 

.NET .NET .NET

I have rediscovered my love for .NET!
I studied Computer Science at university, and worked as a developer for several years only to find out that, although I'm good at it, programming is just a hobby for me. 
That is to say that I enjoy it immensely, but don't like doing it for 9 hours straight the way my employers want me to. 
When it comes to hitting your head against a wall to figure out how to make something work, I'm there. My friends were taking one programming language as an elective at one point, and I learned it just out of sheer curiosity. It's fun!
This curiosity coupled with the fact that I own an android handset, has led me to try to develop applications for android.
The last time I used java was several years back, and only because I had to as a college requirement for a project. And at the time, we had to write simple servlets. So today I decided that I would like to try the infamous "Hello World" program on the android platform. 
The first step of course is to Google "Hello World for android" and find the appropriate tutorial, which I did. The tutorial guides you through setting up your machine in order to begin development. 
It starts out with a list of things to download. Eclipse, Google Android Kit... seems pretty simple and straightforward, all links provided. 
I was excited!
I downloaded the Google Android SDK. Tried to run the setup, but it won't work because it requires the download and installation of JDK. I downloaded and installed JDK but the Google kit still wouldn't run because it couldn't detect the java installation. I researched that and found out that I need to add a class path variable. Ok great! Still excited!
I ran the Google kit setup again, and it ran smoothly...up until it presented me with a list of I don't know how many items that it needs to download and install.
Here's a snapshot of its activity: 
............

Installed Android SDK Platform-tools, revision 6

Downloading Documentation for Android SDK, API 13, revision 1

Installing Documentation for Android SDK, API 13, revision 1

Installed Documentation for Android SDK, API 13, revision 1

Downloading SDK Platform Android 3.2, API 13, revision 1

Installing SDK Platform Android 3.2, API 13, revision 1

Installed SDK Platform Android 3.2, API 13, revision 1

Downloading SDK Platform Android 3.1, API 12, revision 2

Installing SDK Platform Android 3.1, API 12, revision 2

............

I don't know what happens next since things are still downloading and installing! Although I will definitely power through this and succeed in developing my very first "Hello World" application for android, I must say I definitely prefer the organized and structured environment that .NET provides!!

He was not drunk!

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Want!!

Hahaha, I found this funny! (you wouldn't have guessed if i hadn't added the hahaha)...
I guess the larger part of the humor is in the fact that I can apply this to my life... oh so many times!
As far back as I can remember my mother has repeated the same words of wisdom to me with every chance she got: 7ebbi bi 3a2lik mesh bi albik (love with your mind not your heart). 
With a bit of difference in the delivery, I have shared this same sentiment with friends and had friends tell me the same. Only in our age-group we tend to stress the absolute wonderfulness of being "in love" while my mother dismisses it completely as a temporary alteration that heals itself with time. 
Anyway, here's the picture that resulted in this post!

I'm the ONE!!

I don't know about the rest of you, but I find it so frustrating trying to prove to people who don't know me that I am what they are looking for!
Odds are that you've got no idea what I'm talking about. 
Recently I experienced an epiphany. I heard nightingales with the sweetest melody in the background, and saw a gloriously bright light in the foreground, and after it passed everything seemed so clear!
I discovered my dream job, my career, my calling in life. Soon after I browsed to my calling in life's website, and began the online application procedure. I was applying for something in the humanitarian field. On the application form the final question, to be answered in no less than 400 words, is this: 
Why do you want to work in the humanitarian field?


Honestly, I was stumped. I had to write something that wouldn't sound too dramatic, and wouldn't give the impression that I was a care bear in disguise. At the same time, it had to convey without doubt that I understood and valued humanitarian work, and would be committed and devoted to it. So far so good right? Manageable. But to actually accomplish both previous points, AND manage to say something that the thousands of applicants on this site hadn't already said? Not so manageable. 
I want to make a difference, change the world! I feel the highest level of satisfaction when helping others! I don't like what the wold is coming to, and I want to take a stand for the better. I know there is a lot of suffering out there, and I would like to do my small part in alleviating it. So on and so forth...


Seriously, think about it! When applying for your masters at some esteemed university and are asked "why are you applying to XYZ university?", how many truly unique answers to this question are there?
The same logic applies to any interview question or application. So here's my question. What can I do to make the recruiters at the organization I'm applying to see that I'm the ONE! (Because I so totally AM!!)


Wanting to make the perfect impression and answer in the best way possible, I turned to research. I checked online articles and even read some best-selling books about how to answer interview questions. They give you great tips, like how to downplay your weaknesses while being honest about them, or how to be diplomatic when talking about your previous job and reason for leaving... But then again, how many of us have read these books/articles? Following the advice in them might help get a proper answer, but not a unique one that helps to stand out between the hoards of other applicants. 


So I answered the essay question on the online application I was filling. I tried to make my answer as personal as possible, so that reading my 400+ words would be like a small introduction to who I am. I gave it my best shot. But I can't help thinking that my application just won't stand out. I haven't said anything that at least a hundred others haven't said in their own words.

The Sky's the Limit

I have spent some time lately with someone rather interesting. He is young, and ambitious, and foolish as all young people are (myself included!). 
We have discussed many a different topic. I was impressed by his wealth of knowledge, and amused by his naivety. I heard him speak of his dreams, and what dreams they were!
I caught myself thinking of how he would be speaking of them ten years from now, after the world had filed away at them, day after relentless day. 
I was appalled at my own cynicism! Already thinking of his inevitable failure! Inevitable! The very word that came to mind!
Indeed I was convinced that he would never achieve what his heart and mind sang about today. I mentally slapped myself in the face; hard! (I was too cowardly to do it for real!)


Shocking how easy it has become to dismiss our hopes and aspirations and satisfy ourselves with the status quo. How can we move forward if we have persuaded ourselves that even trying is futile?
I truly believe that anything is possible. It is even possible to forget having that belief! The only thing that stands between us and our dreams is our perseverance; our ability to learn from failure rather than collapse beneath it. 


For so long now my goals have been so down to earth, never higher than eye level. I'm looking up now. So much so that even to those who say the sky's the limit, I will politely reply: No, it's not. 

We've Moved!

Welcome one welcome all. 
Or maybe just one; my mom :)
Hi Mom!
Well I've moved my blog to a different URL. To those of you reading this: did ya notice? 
I'll be posting here from now on. I figured my previous blog address, "sandourayi.blogspot.com" was not very easy to remember! Weird, I could remember it quite well... 
I can tell you are all as excited as I am. 
My email is still the same: sandra.hass@gmail.com
Please email me if there's anything you'd like to read about on this blog or if you have any opinions you'd like to share with me in this regard. 


Till my next post, stay safe :)