It seems like it was only yesterday that I left the exam hall a sore and broken man,  wondering what my future held. That I was blissfully unaware of my destiny to walk three paths; that of a student, a mentor and an initiator.

Dramatic, aren’t I?

It’s wild how quickly things can unexpectedly change: I’ve never left Saudi Arabia, and instead co-found a company. I joined Penn State as student of IST, and became an EFL instructor teacher at a local college.

And now you’re up to speed… What’s  next?

The best is yet to come…

I’ve always liked the idea of “cloud computing” ; where basically all the software you use, is available on the Internet (aka “The Cloud”) as a service. Google Apps is a prime example of this. However, I was never comfortable with using the web interface. The risk of the browser crashing, causing me to lose my work, added to the hassle of having to sift through the list of tabs to find the app I’m using, made using web apps more of a hassle than anything. Although browsers are convenient and portable, because every operating system has one, they tend to be rather clumsy and counter-intuitive at handling applications.

Projects like Mozilla’s Prism aim to solve this hurdle, by allowing user to launch web-apps as if they are “regular” desktop applications. Although it seems to do nothing more than provide a means to launch the application, without the web-browser’s interface getting in the way, it’s a nice step forward. It still doesn’t address the risk of losing work should the application crash, or the connection time out.

And this brings me to Windows Live Writer, an application that I’m currently testing with this blog post. My first impression is that it definitely takes a step towards reducing the risk of data loss. It has a “Save Local Draft” feature, which is located under “File” and can be accessed with the CTRL+S shortcut; very familiar to those who are used to using the Windows interface. I can’t seem to find any option to backup all the blog posts, but if I do find anything along those lines I’ll update this post.

So why bother with cloud computing, if you prefer to use desktop apps?  Well for starters, specialized desktop apps are more intuitive, stable and integrate nicely with the operating system. They (should) also allow one to save and backup data locally to prevent data loss. And worst case scenario, one could always fall back to the the web-interface.

Here are the rules:

1. Link the person(s) who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged bloggers’ blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

First of all; what’s with the number (6)? Why did it have to be the exact number of bloggers that I don’t personally know, or the exact number of quirks that I don’t have? This is going to be tricky.

Zee Quirks

1. I’m a visual person

I learn quicker by watching and imitating. That’s how I learned basic Karate, and the first 7 Katas; by watching VHS cassette tapes. By the time I found a proper Dojo (during 3rd grade elementary school), I blew my way through the green belt because I had already known all the basic moves. I was raised on Run Run Shaw movies (thank you Abi!), and that fueled my passion for the Martial Arts. If I was a Heroes character, I’d definitely be a muscle mimic.

2. I’m goal/solution oriented

I love to solve problems, and I hate it when solutions elude me. I have been kept awake many a night because of a bug in my code, that I refused to allow to “win”. It’s a strength, because my motivation to solve a problem only increases with the difficulty of such a problem. However, my focus can often lead to “tunnel vision”, which may occasionally rob me of an opportunity to step back, and think outside of the box. But I’m learning, and more and more I appriciate the art of avoiding problems all together.

3. I love technology

I wish I was a technopath, so that I could interface directly with any machine. I intend to major in computer engineering with the hopes of gaining an in depth understanding of how to speak the language of the machine. Then I hope to apply my knowledge to help solve problems to help humankind. Corny I know, but that’s where my heart is; I want to use technology to heal our environment, and in turn heal humankind.

4. I won’t get it, until I break it

Before I can wrap my head around a problem, I have to de-construct it, then find every possible way for it NOT to work. I just love the process of learning how things work on the most basic level. This approach allows me to be very daring, and to generally not be afraid of making mistakes. But sometimes it bogs me down to the point that I become two wrapped up in my “quest for comprehension”, and ignore the greater goal at hand. However, as a student, I find that it gives me the motivation and stamina I need to hack away for hours on end until I’m satisfied that I “get it”.

5. I’m a neat freak

I love to organize and categorize. I love having a place for everything. Right now I’m tagging my MP3s, and sorting my movie catalog. Tomorrow I’ll be stuffing more books onto my bookshelves, and sorting through my lego collection. Then I’ll refold my clothes and decide if I need some new polo shirts for the summer. I have a social life I swear! And if I’m comfortable with you, I will gush endlessly at how I discovered a new way to organize my stuff… I need me one of these…

6. I love the wind

Something about the wind energizes me. I get supercharged during windy days. Just hearing the wind gets me fired up. I love walking and feeling it beating against my back, or sweeping through my hair. I love flying kites, and paper airplanes. I love watching the trees dance and sway, while playing a beat in my head and imagining that I am in harmony with the music of the universe…

During windy days, I wish I could sprout wings, and glide on the wind.

Zee Tags

1. One step for ch1xx0r
2. Chapter One
3. InterfaceFix

Yes, I only listed 3, and that’s all you are gonna get. Cry foul all you want…

Since when did it matter WHERE I accessed content from? I noticed that first it was for licensing constraints; but now, even sites that offer user generated content are adopting this philosophy. Okay, so Veoh offers some network television content; here’s to hoping that they manage to isolate that content from the rest. Until then, I remain bitter. I can only imagine what users that generated content for that site, and were subsequently blocked, must feel like.

This regionalizing of the Internet is starting to tick me off. When my access to certain sites is restricted simply because I am not on the right side of the Atlantic, I can’t help but feel a little short changed. Want me to pay? Fine, I just might, but at least give me some kind of option.

Thankfully for every site that restricts user access, there are sites that offer alternatives. And so long as people are free to share their Information, the information restricted will always remain but a drop in the sea of that which flows freely.

My only complaint now is that these sites, which have blocked me without prior notice, have access to all my registration information in their databases, and who knows how they are benefiting from the data they’ve mined during my various login sessions. My only hope is that any records of my presence on their servers are purged.

Until they change their strategy, I doubt that I will continue to support such sites when I return to the U.S. I just can’t bring myself to agree with restricting access based upon geographical location, for whatEVER the justification might be. There are so many arenas in which such restrictions currently apply; we do NOT need this paradigm to start corrupting our Internet.

I realized that I need a bit more control over my data, and what the Internet has to say about me. Trust Lifehacker to post an article on this very topic. I dunno how Lifehacker manages to always be in sync with my techie-concerns, they must have some kind of satellite that taps into the ether or something *tinfoil hat wraps*

So now I’m a proud owner of a brand spanking new URL (menelikseth.com). For now I have the URL directed here, to my blog, while I work on my website. My plan is to have a personal site that I can point people to, and that will (hopefully) be the first search result people will see when they Google me. The top Google search result currently belongs to my profile at Programmers Resource; so I find it comforting that I am currently my own worst competition (although I do wish it pointed to a place I frequent more…)

A friend of mine pulled my coat to a PHP Framework called CodeIgniter. I had originally planned to hand code my site from scratch (as I did with the PeaceZone), but upon looking into CodeIgniter, decided to use a framework instead. Not only would it be a good opportunity to learn how to use a framework, but also to see how PHP looks when its properly structured.

So my ongoing quest for knowledge continues, once again under the pressure of producing results as I go along. I’m determined to bust out a basic website that is properly structured, so I can easily expand it as needed. Eventually I plan to use it is a place to host all of my projects online: 3D CG work, coding experiments, fictional stories etc. so stay tuned.

Incidentally, Lifehacker has another article on managing your online reputation. Those guys must be psychic or something because I was JUST thinking about this as I typed up this post, I just happened to glance over into Thunderbird before sending this out… Lifehacker rocks!

Not bad at all, considering it has been 7 years since I left school, and I took a year to basically re-acquaint myself with high school math. I considered taking the test again, but realized that it wouldn’t be worth the hassle just to up my grade by another 4-9 points.

So, the question is, now what?

I tried to register at a few universities, but unfortunately since I don’t have my SSN (I know, strange eh?) I have to wait till I can return to the USA before I can register. So I’m counting the days till I return ‘home’, I should be out of here by Mid-August the latest, God willing, and hopefully no monkey-wrenches will be thrown into our plans.

It’s strange to think about actually returning to my ‘home land’. I’ve lived in Saudi Arabia most of my life now, so up until this point I have considered this place my home: It’s all I knew.

The USA, my place of birth; the land of my parents, and their parents, has been little more than a collection of childhood memories: Watching The Great Mouse Detective (at least I THINK that’s what it was) at the Cinema with my best friend, going to the circus, going to a Native American cultural show, watching the Buffalo Bisons (my home team) play baseball at the stadium. Niagara falls, camping… I had a pretty rich childhood. But that’s all the USA was to me, some fond memories; never in my life did I actually think I would be returning…

So, as you can probably guess, the thought of me going ‘home’ is pretty immense. I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around it. I mean, I am American; but how American am I really? How much am I going to change once I get there? Will the American in me suddenly sprout, like a dormant seed after fresh rain-fall? Will it feel like returning home after a long journey?

It will definitely be exciting to see the extended family. I haven’t seen my grandma since I was a baby; and I have a whole bunch of cousins, aunts and uncles that I’d like to get to know. It’s going to be one heck of a trip; extended family? What does that even mean?

I’ll tell you, I can’t wait to see what four-seasons look like. To see the the leaves fall in autumn, to see snow! And being an out-doors person I can’t wait to go rock climbing, swimming in a lake, hiking, road-trips… I will definitely purchase a camera so I can document everything…

Everything that I wished I could do here, will become a reality over there, God willing. Right now my brain is in over-drive as I look at the possibilities. Of course college is my priority; but I want to try to get that over with as soon as possible, so I can get back to living.

Thankfully nearly everybody that I’ve known here, is now in the USA; so I know that will ease my transition somewhat. I have a very special person that I wish I could take with me right away, but all in due time. God willing, we won’t be apart for long.

I wrote this post hoping to clear my thoughts; but it seems that the rapid motion of my fingers typing has served only to further agitate the Brownian motion of my thoughts. Ah well, it’s been too long since I was this excited, so I might as well enjoy the rush.

I can tell you one thing for sure; I am not looking forward to jet-lag. 14 hour flight? Jeez!

I arrived at the venue a half an hour early. I figured I would be able to sit at the desk in the exam hall and review for a few minutes while I gained my bearings before the exam.

WRONG!

Instead, I spent 30 minutes sitting on the side-walk outside the school. Inside the campus, they had an entire garden, with benches right outside the test area; and we get the side-walk. It goes to show you that money can’t buy class.

Our “test center” was the school library. Finally at my desk, we were given the pre-SAT orientation; which was read to us from the “official SAT document” by a man with a very thick accent. Thankfully I had spent 2 years in an International school. Then the test began.

We were given 25 minutes to write an essay; I manged to whip up a “first draft” just in time to hear the moderator drone out “please put your pencils down”. It all happened so fast, I didn’t even get the pleasure of marveling over my beautifully hacked together piece of drivel. Hopefully it meets their criteria to get a decent grade.

We were allowed a 5 minute break to lick our wounds. I grabbed a croissant with thyme in it, and barely managed to cram it down my throat when the moderator came out to remind us that the 5 minutes are up. I really hate that guy.

From that point onward, 8:30am to 1:15pm, it was grueling exam after exam; playing the game of “color in the little circle”. I have never been in so much pain from sitting in all my life.

At about 12:00pm the test became one of wills; both my nose and my bladder were competing for my attention, one was running and the other was hell-bent on exploding at the very subtlest of body movements. By the last 3 test-papers I didn’t care what circles I colored in; I just wanted it to end.

The assistant moderator was kind enough to ask me if I needed an “emergency bathroom break” which would have entitled me a quick reprieve at the expense of losing time. A quick reminder from the moderator that I had “10 minutes left” jolted me back into reality, and I figured that another 15 minutes wouldn’t be so bad.

It was worse…

Time is such a paradox; I never knew it was possible for a moment to simultaneously speed by, and screech to a halt. From my  bladder’s perspective I was moving at twice the velocity of light. From my mind’s perspective, I couldn’t keep up with the second-long “5 minute” intervals.

As soon as the test was over, I limped my way to the nearest stall and let nature take it’s course. They didn’t even have toilet paper; I swear that place is so ghetto.

So, here I sit an hour later; home and thankful. I am more sore from this exam than I have ever been from weight-lifting. Sitting on my ass for 5 hours straight is a real workout. Hopefully I’ll never have to take the SAT’s again.

I pray for a decent grade.

I was asked to make a quick run to the Pharmacy for some supplies. I remembered I needed an afro pick, so I figured what the hay; might as well knock out two birds with one stone eh?

I threw on the nearest t-shirt, which happened to be thrown on the floor under my desk; its black and has the phrase “Basketball is life… the rest is mere details”. Man! Those were the days eh? Shootin’ hoops with my friends in the Filipino compound’s basketball court. I remember when that t-shirt came down to my knees, now I’m afraid I’d  bust out of it if I sneezed too hard. They don’t make t-shirts like this any more…

… After spending a good 10 minutes searching for my sneakers (which are never in the same room) I patted myself down for the familiar bulges; keys, id, wallet, cellphone (what bulges were you thinking of eh?). Then I head out, giving the cats a quick snuggle. I love my cats, they bring that ray of sunshine in my life when I feel my darkest. There’s nothing like the sound of  a playful meow to put everything in perspective…

So I start walking. I know the neighborhood like the back of my hand, so I pretty much set myself on autopilot, allowing myself a chance to let my mind wander. I enjoy errands, they are almost therapeutic; an escape from my desk, which has been my place of worry for the past 6 years. My desk and my computer monitor; God I need a life!

I think about ways I could come up with some cash while I’m in college, I fantasize about hitting it big with real-estate investments, staring up my own company and owning a small part of a neighborhood. Opening up a bodega or two and providing a good service for my community, when I realize something… I was walking in the wrong friggin direction! No, I was literally walking away from my intended destination. I realized that I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I completely unaware of where I was going.

It was then that I realized how easy I can lose track of time when I’m deep in thought; whether I’m mulling over some sloppy-ass code, or day dreaming of being a superhero, the 5 minutes I think I’m spending could very well have been 10-20 minutes. By then I was in the pharmacy, and out in 2 minutes flat. I don’t even remember arriving back home, so I must have lost myself in thought again…

Come to think of it, I don’t remember the details of most of the today… So I guess I’ll just cut the crap, and get back to work.

I find that I code better when I’m in that final stretch; not only do I spot errors quicker, but sometimes new solutions crop up; which is odd considering that I’m practically half asleep…

What I like even more about mental exhaustion, is the self-contemplative state it leaves me in. I find myself engaging in a dialog with myself during these late and early hours. As I close that final tag, only to open a new one, I assess what objectives I have accomplished over the past month; and what challenges lay ahead.

I’m always striving to reinvent myself. Even with my current time constraints; struggling to prepare for the SATs, meet deadlines at work and such, I wonder what has become of all the unfinished projects I started. I also wonder if I would ever get the chance to pick up where I left off. Then I begin to worry about skills I had gained once upon a time, but failed to maintain… have I forgotten all that I had learned? Or is it like riding a bike…?

The best thing about mental exhaustion is how easy it is for the mind to wander. I get so scatter-brained during this hour, and it is so guilt-free; I feel like I’m 8 years old again. Proof: the reason I’m up this late is to finish some work, and yet I find myself stopping to blag.

I often think back at my childhood during these hours; I reminisce about the lazy afternoons I would spend day dreaming in my bedroom about mecha, making little sketches of giant robots in my scrap-book. I think back to the time I spent pretending to be a Shaolin Monk, feverishly recreating choreography from Run Run Shaw movies when I thought nobody was looking (my parents recently confessed to peeking in on me during those moments)…

Life was so guilt-free back then… but in my mind, I was doing serious work; my mind would wrack itself trying to figure where my robot’s sword would fit… and I would collapse from exhaustion after trying that flying crane move for the 100th time. As seriously as I took it, it was all in pure fun.

Well, I have one final word document I have to convert into XHTML. It’s not much of a challenge; quite boring actually, considering all I’m doing is typing in the proper tags in their appropriate places. I’ve realized something about working on this project; as quick as the challenge appears, it disappears, and all I am left with is routine and the longing of that challenge that allowed me to learn something new. When it’s hard, I want it to be easy… and when it’s easy, I want it to be hard again…

…But I also want to have that innocent carefree fun with my work; I want mecha and Run Run Shaw back in my life again…