God is Infinite

A brilliant debate:

Professor : You are a Christian, aren’t you, son ?

Student : Yes, sir.

Professor: So, you believe in GOD ?

Student : Absolutely, sir.

Professor : Is GOD good ?

Student : Sure.

Professor: Is GOD all powerful ?

Student : Yes.

Professor: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to GOD to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn’t. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?

(Student was silent.)

Professor: You can’t answer, can you ? Let’s start again, young fella. Is GOD good?

Student : Yes.

Professor: Is satan good ?

Student : No.

Professor: Where does satan come from ?

Student : From … GOD …

Professor: That’s right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student : Yes.

Professor: Evil is everywhere, isn’t it ? And GOD did make everything. Correct?

Student : Yes.

Professor: So who created evil ?

(Student did not answer.)

Professor: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don’t they?

Student : Yes, sir.

Professor: So, who created them ?

(Student had no answer.)

Professor: Science says you have 5 Senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son, have you ever seen GOD?

Student : No, sir.

Professor: Tell us if you have ever heard your GOD?

Student : No , sir.

Professor: Have you ever felt your GOD, tasted your GOD, smelt your GOD? Have you ever had any sensory perception of GOD for that matter?

Student : No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.

Professor: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student : Yes.

Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn’t exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student : Nothing. I only have my faith.

Professor: Yes, faith. And that is the problem Science has.

Student : Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Professor: Yes.

Student : And is there such a thing as cold?

Professor: Yes.

Student : No, sir. There isn’t.

(The lecture theater became very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don’t have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There was pin-drop silence in the lecture theater.)

Student : What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Professor: Yes. What is night if there isn’t darkness?

Student : You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light. But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it is, well you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?

Professor: So what is the point you are making, young man ?

Student : Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Professor: Flawed ? Can you explain how?

Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good GOD and a bad GOD. You are viewing the concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can’t even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing.

Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Professor: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student : Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shook his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument was going.)

Student : Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor. Are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class was in uproar.)

Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor’s brain?

(The class broke out into laughter. )

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room was silent. The Professor stared at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Professor: I guess you’ll have to take them on faith, son.

Student : That is it sir … Exactly ! The link between man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that keeps things alive and moving.

P.S.

I believe you have enjoyed the conversation. And if so, you’ll probably want your friends / colleagues to enjoy the same, won’t you?

Forward this to increase their knowledge … or FAITH.

Interview With: Mohammed Ebrahim

    We've all attended the many carnivals and events that happen around town not knowing all the effort put into planning and organizing them. Mohammad Ebrahim is the master mind behind Gas Events, a company that organizes carnivals, events, and whatnot. He is former Gust student and graduate of Summer 2011.

What is your best memory of GUST?  

My best memory at Gust was the whole experience. Ranging from education, friends, and clubs. 

Did you participate in any clubs and if so, did it contribute to your business in any way?

Yes, I was part of the Ruwwad business club. I joined during first year of college, second year became vice president and became president during my senior year. Yes, of course. The Ruwwad club was a great experience. It helped with my communication skills, event organization skills, and marketing. Everything I learned in Ruwwad and in come classes helped.

What classes helped you with setting up your business?

The classes that contributed to my company most were the marketing and management classes.

What are the goals and intuitions of Gas Events? 

It's an events management company. Basically we organize events for our clients whether they're a corporation or a single individual. Whether it's a conference or ceremony, we handle everything from A to Z. We provide them with the equipment, the marketing strategy, we basically do it all. Other than that, we hold our own events. We have three categories which are sports, entertainment, and training development. We organized the Caps On carnival, a two day event for the photography club in Gust.

Did you start Gas Events when you were a student, and is it a solo project?

I started Gas Events when I was a student and I have a silent partner but i'm managing the whole thing by myself.

What gave you the idea to start Gas Events?

I started with a project called "Yallah Shabab", we were aiming to help people with small businesses and it was the first event I helped organize and it made me realize that organizing events is something I love to do, so it gave me the idea for Gas Events.

What difficulties do you encounter when planning an event?

Usually planning my own event is easier than hosting a clients event because you are fully responsible for meeting the clients expectation. It's difficult when the client themselves don't have a clear idea or vision of what they want. We try our best to make our client to feel like a guest at their own event and do our best to meet their expectations.

Did you ever find it challenging to focus both, on your studies and running your business?

I prefer working under stress. I find myself giving 110% of effort and performing better while under stress. 

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

I plan on continuing my education, most likely in Kuwait. Inshallah have my Phd by then. And as a company, I hope to be one of the leading events management companies in Kuwait and maybe branching out. 

Lunch at Cucina

 Got invited to try out Cucina's, an Italian restaurant in Hotel Missoni, new menu last Saturday and had a lovely overall experience. The decor was incredible! Missoni was inspired by all the bright colors Kuwait has such as the golds of the desert and blues of the sea, so all the decor was designed precisely for this branch. Everything from the walls to the silverware was bursting with color. The staff was friendly and kind enough to explain the food and share interesting facts about it. Here's something to blow your minds: Spaghetti's not Italian. Shocking eh? They make their own pasta (something my mom loved) and have a good variety. I'll leave you with the pictures:
  

This is where the drinks are made, all mocktails are designed specially for Kuwait.

Giardino Aromatizzato (Pomegranate juice with ginger, cinnamon, and lemon)

In Fiore, I recommend this if you like grape fruit juice. Just ask for it to be sweetened a bit. 

The Bread Basket

Appetizers

Insalata Tiepida Di Gambiorini (Prawn and bread dressing) and Carpaccio de Cernia con Insalata di Finnoci (Marinated Hammour with Fennel) 

I loved the prawn, but didn't really like the hammour. 

Salad

Bresaola De Manzo con Rucola e Funghi Sott'olio

(Beef, mushrooms, and rocket leaves) To be honest it kinda tasted like beef jerky.

Insallata Di Pollo e Peperoni Condimento al Balsimico

(Thinly sliced chicken breast wrapped around peppers drizzles with balsamic sauce) The strangest yet best combination of chicken and peppers i've had. Worth trying.

The Pastas:

Linguine All Astice 

(Linguine with lobster and tomato) The sauce was good but the pasta itself had a strange texture, it was extremely chewy. The linguine pasta is the only pasta Cucina don't make themselves. Didn't like the dish. 

On the left, Gnocchi Di Patate ai Quatro Formaggi 

(homemade potato dumplings in cheese sauce) The best of all the pastas, a must try! 

On the right, Tagliatelle al Ragu di Manzo (Tagliatelle with Ragu sauce) good if you like spaghetti.

Oratta Alle Olive Nere e Balsamico (Sea bream, spinach and balsamic sauce) One of my favorite dishes.

Filetto Di Vitello con Purea di Patate e Salsa ai Funghi (Veal, mushroom sauce and mashed potato) My personal favorite :D

And last but not least, the traditional Tiramisu. The cream part of it was really good! 

Overall, I disliked most of the main dishes but the ones I did like were worth going back for. It was a pleasant experience but the titles of the food on the menu were too long and hard to read. I think the menu should be simpler with pictures.

The iGive and Layan Campaign Event

Instead of wasting spring break away doing pointless things, my friends Sara, Shaikha, Fatima, Farah, Manar, Lulu, Fay, Ghzayil, and Layal met up with Abdulkareem Al Shatti and Manal Al Foudary from the Layan campaign and discussed what we can do to help the refugees in Syria. We were all touched by the stories we heard, and videos we saw and the story behind the Layan Campaign. The campaign was named after a 7 month old baby called Layan. She suffered from a heart disease and was denied treatment at the hospital in Lebanon unless her parents were able to pay an amount of money they didn't have. That's when Abdulkareem and his team gathered donations and went to Lebanon in hopes of saving the childs life but sadly it was too late. She passed away. They named the campaign after her with the goal of preventing others from dying because of not having enough financial resources. Layans story is tragic. And not having money for health care is not a reason for someone to die. Shay 7ail tafih ina ilnas itmoot li2ana ma 3indaha floos. Marat y7tajoun mabali'3 basee6a mithl 60 kd to save their lives. i7na maraat inroo7 ma63am w bkil sihoola na9rif hal mabla'3 3ala akil w fee nas ga3da tmoot. The Layan campaign was a major wake up call. Three of us volunteered to go to the refugee camp and Lulu was lucky enough to go. She came back moved to do her best to help the people she saw and raise awareness. In a way, working on this campaign changed all of us. We began to realize that sometimes we get so caught up and distracted with unimportant things in our lives when there are people out there fighting for their last breath. You don't have to physically go to Syria (or any other place with victims in need of help) or to donate money to help. Awareness is probably the best help you can offer whether it be through word of mouth, writing, blogging, etc. God has blessed each of his creatures with a talent be it photography, artistic abilities, physical abilities, writing,, and what not. Use your God given talent to help people in need. Try to come up with a creative way to use your hobby to help others. 

iGive a volunteer club collaborated with the Layan Campaign, a media volunteer team that cover the tragedy of Syrian refugees in Lebanon; to host a 3 day event at Gust in hopes of raising awareness and gathering donations. Tables were set up in the center of Gust where t-shirts were sold, donations were collected, videos of the event were shown, questions were asked, and brochures about the Layan campaign were handed out. There was also a collage of pictures of the refugees in the center where students, staff, and anyone visiting were welcomed to look at, ask questions, and listen to stories. Gust student Lulu Al Shaheen, an iGive member volunteered to go with the Layan Campaign and explained the situation and told people of what she saw to those willing to listen. 

Members of the iGive club passed out bracelets with the Syrian flag to those who participated in the event. These bracelets were made out of cardboard to symbolize the types of shelters (cardboard) some refugees had to live in. 

Guest speakers Fahad Al Rahmani, Wasan Al Budaiyeh, Abdulkareem Al Shatti, and Talal Al Mattar came to campus and shared their stories about their journey and the families they met. Each speaker pointed out the importance of how much help the refugees needed and urged the audience to do whatever they can whether it be donating or spreading awareness through word of mouth. 

Madness

  
     I'd like to address a topic that's been bothering me a lot... Weight. Why is everyone obsessed with losing it? It's understandable for someone who's extremely over weight to want to shed off a few kilos. But why in the name of all that's holy, are girls who are perfectly healthy and fit obsessing over losing weight? We've all unconsciously become victims to the perfect size 2 body image the media has dictated to us. Girls as young as 4 are mindlessly saying things like: "I need to lose weight" or "ana msawya rijeem" without really understanding what it means. My 6 year old sister started talking about her non existent karsha. That was a wake up call to watch what we say in front of her.
     I struggled with weight all through middle school. I was obese and it really effected my physical health but most importantly my mental health. Let's face the fact, being fat is damn right depressing. There's nothing wrong with exercising and fixing your lifestyle to be healthy. But it's upsetting when normal girls who are actually skinny claim to be dieting or call themselves fat.
     Why are we all ashamed of whatever number pops up on the scale? A human beings self worth is most definitely not determined by a stupid number. Here's a little story i'd like to share: Once upon a time I was obese. I weighed 76 kilos for a short little middle schooler. I had to buy grown up clothes from the womens section and have it tailored to fit. Instead of exercising like a normal human being, i'd starve myself. My worst fear in life was gaining weight. I'd check the scale 4 or 5 times a day. It was anorexia. I was freaking anorexic. And yes, overweight girls can be anorexic, the whole skin on bones is a media portrayed image for anorexia nervosa. It was really bad. I put on all the weight after moving from one completely different atmosphere to another so I wasn't used to being over weight and it was depressing. My parents saw how much it affected me and took action. They signed me up in a gym, helped me make the right choices when it came to food, encouraged walking and taking part in physical activities till it became a lifestyle. A few years later, I grew up. Got taller. And now weigh 61.
     Yup, just confessed how much I weigh and I actually don't feel bad about it. I am definitely not what people consider skinny but I also know i'm not fat. Wasted too much of my life feeling insecure about how I looked and i'm going to make sure that never happens again. Some people think it's arrogance when someone's comfortable in the skin they're in. Shfeeha itha ilwa7id kaan mirta7? Laish 8a9ib ilkil ykoon mit3a8id min shakla? I'm not trying to promote arrogance, fee farg kbeer bain ilthi8a wil'3iroor and I believe that every being has the right to feel confident or at least comfortable. Why do girls always throw around the word "rijeem" when they go out to eat? It's sickening, how obsessed the world is with weight. We're not meant to look the same. We're not meant to have the same body types. And we're definitely not meant to all be size 2's. It's about time people started exercising for the right reasons and learned to appreciate who they are.

This

Pizza Express

Every chance we get a break, my friends and I head to bidi3 area for lunch. Seeing as Pizza Express seems to be a popular choice (ate there 3 times in a week), I decided to post pictures of the best of what they offer. Warning, they're pizza slices are really big so you'll probably have to fold them and end up looking like you're wrestling with your food while eating! Enjoy and try not to drool: 

The Donna Colada (Pina Colada)

 My new favorite appetizer- Bruschetta con Funghi: Portobello & closed cup mushrooms, cream, béchamel sauce, red onions, chopped parsley balsamic vinegar

 Their Salmone pizza, it's reallyreallyreally good! Freakishly good! Did I mention that it's good?

 The Pollo Ad Astra pizza, roasted red peppers, chicken and onions:

 And for dessert: Tiramisu. I didn't like it very much but my friend did.

 This cute little bird was sitting next to me. Staring while we were eating. Slightly awkward and abnormal but not entirely strange :D