hey! thanks in advance but I don't drink brewed punches!! LOL!! wow!! is there also a punch competition!! I'm sure your cherry punch will win first place!! hehehe.. how's Susie now?? had she gotten any better?? my school is fine.. as I expected?? hmm.. well.. I think it's a bit better than what I was expecting during the first two weeks!! I had very hard time settling in.. I'd spend my time alone in my room doing nothing.. I don't usually blend in so easiy.. but now things are a bit better.. I'd pass my day between lectures.. researches and sports.. I go home during weekends. the family.. they're all very well.. thank God.. this week my Aunt is visiting us (she's coming from Syria) so during the weekend we were busy trying to find room for her to stay.. so you won't be going to Mexico after all!! I'm glad for you!! LOL!!you won't have to stay in a tent!! is it still snowing in Oklahoma?? in here, it's already summertime!!

Okay, no punch for you! I didn't expect you would, but made the offer anyway to be polite. When I was at university, my Iranian friends drank stuff much stronger than punch! LOL! One of them was a member of the Sha's family. They all now live here in the States. Susie is much better now. She is still a little weak, but up and running! Thank you for asking. You.. spend time alone in your room doing nothing? And you don't blend well you say?? Well, okay, I guess.. . Not what I would expect from the "Lioness of Syria"! Hahaha! So, tell me, what do you do for fun whilst at university? At 22, is dating men allowed in your culture? What sports do you participate in? I belonged to two professional clubs (both of which were soooo boooring!). There, I always felt like an outsider. Also, I was on the fencing team! Ah! Now that was very exciting!!! If I could do it again, I would have taken-up Judo instead. There really isn't anything you can do with swordsmanship out in the real world! Right after I left school, it was difficult to adjust. If I got into an argument at work, I would want to slap them across the face with a glove, challenge them to a duel, and then run them through with a sabre! Funny, the authorities really frown on that sort of thing nowadays. I would like to go back to Mexico, but must stay put. It really is a rewarding experience. Snow?? It should still be cold and snowy! Instead, we are now having spring-like weather. Oklahoma has some of the weirdest weather in the world! During winter, it can be in the upper 60's one day, and then be minus 10 degrees Fairenhet two days later! Is that crazy, or what?? We could still get snow before Spring, or not. Who knows?! Will Rogers, a famous humorist, once coined the phrase: "If you don't like the weather in Oklahoma, just wait a minute, it will change!!" I just watched a movie called "Hidalgo". Have you seen it? It is about an Oklahoma mixed blood who competes in a horse race in Arabia. You probably would not like it. Too stereotypical. Some of the bad guys are Arab, while others are English and American. My horse riding wife yawned at it. I, on the other hand liked most of it very much! Well, dear, it is now time for bed. Goodnight.

So you left university as a very dangerous person I assume!! LOL!! Unfortunately we don’t have fencing!! There’s basketball.. squash. A gym.. etc.. I play squash.. I’m not so good at it but nevertheless I enjoy it.. dating? hmm..I couldn’t say that in my culture dating is allowed.. but neither could I say that it’s still so strange to date.. you hardly find people sticking to our culture anymore.. those who decide to cling to the old cultural beliefs are the extremes most of the time.. in Islam dating is forbidden but this does not mean that a woman should be hidden at home.. for example, a working woman could speak to males and yet not date them.. but unfortunately many families either give their daughters unlimited freedom or they tie them down giving them no freedom whatsoever.. so again I find myself somewhere in the middle.. my family does not tie me down.. I speak to men naturally but yet I wouldn’t date for many reasons.. first of all.. I do not support the Western lifestyle where a girl at the age of 18 is left to do whatever gets in her way.. the society as a whole will pay the price of this unlimited freedom a woman would be given at this age.. I don’t even think it’s a very pretty scene when both a man and a woman are jumping from one relationship to the next so easily.. I think such relationships always leave scars on your marriage later on.. Besides chastity is very important in all religions.. not only in Islam.. the idol of chastity is the Virgin Mary.. being chaste left her with a great son (Jesus PBUH).. in Islam there should be no relationships among men and women until engagement (which is the period for them to get to know one another better) and finally marriage.. But again, nowadays it is not so strange to find Arab/Muslim families accepting the concept of dating.. but I think this is among the many other reasons that are ruining our once conservative societies and degrading women.. it’s a lot like the Iranians who drink alcohol whom you refer to.. again.. when Islam prohibited drinking alcohol it was for our protection and not because God is mistreating us!! The effects alcohol has on a person who drinks and his/her surroundings are very well known to you I think.. how many car accidents and cases of domestic violence has drinking alcohol contributed in?? countless.. let alone its effects on ones health and physical co-ordination.. so once more religion is trying to protect us and we refuse God’s gift.. (and by the way I know you were being polite by offering to send me some of your Cherry punch!! Hehe) AH!! Ok.. most people who know me would never imagine me as the type of person who would have difficulty communicating with strangers!! This is my little secret!! In fact I think that if I was speaking face- to- face with you I wouldn’t say 2 % of what I say from here!! It doesn’t really matter to me if I was left alone.. in fact I like spending time on my own!! Many people get pissed of when I leave them and spend my time alone and if I’m not given my privacy I start acting “out of character” probably it’s because I’m a Cancerian!! What’s your star sign?? Anyway things are improving now.. in fact by the end of the day start to wish there were more than 24 hours in a day since I’ve got a million things on my mind!! LOL!!

You play squash? Good for you! I never tried it. A game simular to it is more popular here. It is called Raquette Ball. Have you heard of it? I used to play it often, but now don't. I would not recommend fencing to anyone today. It is too archane. Other marshall arts will give you the same adrenelene rush and are more useful in today's modern world. The best thing fencing taught me was how to think fast on my feet! It is something you learn to do when an opponent is trying to jab you with a stiff metal blade! LOL! Modern dating and courtship evolved out of the old world concept of arranged marriages. There were too many horror stories of arranged marragies gone bad. Many stories have come out of India and Pakistan about poor girls being dosed with gasoline and set ablaze when the groom's family decided they no longer wanted her (or wanted a much larger dowry to keep her). I agree with you in that the Western idea of dating has gone completly corrupt!! I am grateful to God Almighty that I married a girl who has known no man but me. I am even more grateful to God I was able to raise a daughter the same way! In the West, it is not an easy thing to do at all! I will never forget how she was the top academic student at her high school, yet shuned for her staunch Christian morals. Holy scripture speaks volumnes about the folly of sexual promescuity. Your are so right about how those who do such things will pay a terrible price. Studies have shown that the more sexually active a person is before marriage, the more difficult it is for that person to stay faithful in the marriage. The AIDS pandemic of Africa is a good example. In many African cultures it is accepted to have a spouse, and many "friends", as well. This has sadly let STD's spread like wildfire! I think it was the nation of Cameroon that started using MORALS as their first line of defense against the AIDS virus! Dating can be a very good way to get to know potential spouses if it is done right. And, of course, there are many horror stories of that going terribly wrong, too!! I guess it all boils down to wisdom. One must make careful and wise decisions on who to trust in these matters! It is time for me to help Mom with her breakfast, and then off to work!! I'll write more tonight!

I think this friendship that the two of you have formed is really sweet, but may I suggest you exchange email addresses? I don't think this is an appropriate place for these messages of yours, since they take up room that should be used for a real debate. Furthermore, I'm sure the Ynet censor has enough long (and sometimes crazy) talkbacks to read, maybe you should spare them these messages!

I invite you to join our conversations !! I think you should be complaining about those who write long talkbacks only to insult and incite hatred against one another and not about those who decide to overcome their differences and become good fiends!!you wouldn't have been so annoyed if we were arguing and fighting over some issue.. you would have had more fun reading it!! of course.. every now and then we do argue to entertain our readers!! LOL!! Oh!! don't worry about y net censors.. they enjoy reading our posts!! Have a nice day!!

Uh-oh! Looks like we have an audience of one! Maybe this is the Ynet censor asking us for a break! As a teenager, I belonged to a denomination that forbid the consumption of alcohol. This ended up confusing me a lot because wine is mentioned many places in the Tora and Gospels. So, why was it forbidden? It just didn't add up for me. Then in college, I went to the other extreme! I wanted to learn about alcohol, and so I did. Today, I have found the right balance between the two. God, in His infinite wisdom has given this entire earth to mankind for our use. Every herb in the field, every animal on the planet is available for our use. It is when we abuse these gifts that sin enters in. The Virgin Mary, our Mary, the Mother of Jesus urged Jesus (PBUH) to perform his first miracle. That is found in the Gospels. It was at the wedding feast. There they had run out of wine, and Mary pointed this out to Jesus. Jesus converted approximately 150 gallons of water into wine. This is found in the Book of John, Chapter 2:1-11. Jesus also used the illustration of storing new wine (grape juice) in new goat skins. For if you try to store grape juice in old skins, the skins will break once the wine starts to ferment, and all is lost. That is found in Matthew 9:17. But just because it is written, does not mean we are to over-indulge and get drunk! For you are then doing damage to your body. We must not do this for our bodies are God's creation and a vessel for the Holy Spirit to reside. Christians are instructed to be careful and not offend those who do not agree with them in this matter. If you and I were to dine together and I knew you would be offended by my drinking wine or eating pig, I am to abstain from both in your presence. Otherwise, Christians are not restricted in what they eat or drink. Also, one must never abuse their spouse! That admonision is found in the Hebrew Book of Malachi, verse 2:10-16. God hates divorce and He also hates a man covering his wife with violence! That admonishion needs to be heeded by all, not just Westerners. Tonight, I am leaving my e-mail address for you to see. If you want to start writing via e-mail, that is cool with me! Goodnight, Sweet Lynne.

Okay... I tried publishing my e-mail address and guess what? I have already recieved three nutzo emails!! Their opening titles are filled with gibberish! I have not opened any of them yet for fear they have computer destroying viruses or "worms"!! I can not afford to have my computer down right now! So, write back to me here on what you want to do. Thanks!

I'm very sorry it took me long to reply.. but during weekends I'm barely having enough time to unpack.. do my laundry and then pack up again and leave!! LOL!! I understand that drinking is not forbidden in Christianity.. but I think it's difficult for many to draw the limit you refer to.. once someone drinks they'll keep on drinking and many sometimes they might not even realise that they are drunk!! here's where problems occur.. does the Bible mention a certain amount which you should not exceed?? in Islam drinking was as a whole forbidden since the common rule in Islam is "better safe than sorry".. I'm not saying this to put Christianity at fault.. I know that Jesus (PBUH) wouldn't have accepted his followers to get drunk!! but my point is who decides when you should stop? from my visits to Europe I was afraid of walking on the streets on Saturday evenings because people would be out of their minds due to heavy drinking!! yes, of course violnce against women happens everywhere but what I referred to was violence as a result of drinking alcohol.. oops!! I don't think you should have published your e mail in here!! as you like Rick.. it doesn't matter whether I write to you via y net or by e mail..

Hi! Yeah, I figured it out. I knew you would go home for the weekend and didn't have the time to write! I am sure you were having too much fun with all the family! Well, once again I have to agree with you! Yes, there is WAY TOO MUCH alcohol abuse in the world! Americans tried to ban it all together in the 1920's and 1930's. All that did was lead to rampant organized crime! There were too many home-made stills to count! Today, I don't drink wine for the alcohol. I enjoy it for two reasons. First is for health. There are two very good nutrients found in grapes. One in the grape skin and the other in the grape seed. The grape seed oil can only be used by your body if the seed is crushed. It helps prevent corinary heart deseases and also helps prevent mental deseases like Alezheimers and dementia. My wines are only 10% alcohol by content. That is just enough to keep them stable in the bottle. Second, it is to keep in touch with my religious culture. What did the ancients drink? They could not drink common water without the risk of desease. Drinking mild wines and beers was safer than the local water! How did they store it? And so on. Making wine is fun! Especially when I can get friends to help out! Today, I really don't drink very much. Mostly when I am entertaining guests! I always limit it to two glasses. No more. The grape nutrients can be taken in pill form. I do that, too. Unlike you, I do not have a good excuse for not writing. I keep falling asleep after dinner! I have given up that Ethiopian drink made famous the world over by Arabs... coffee! Coffee, and caffine in general, was giving me far more health problems than my wine!! I really love coffee, but it does not love me back!! Now that I am caffine free, I can really feel the difference. My body is adjusting, and soon I will be back to my ususal schedule. Yes, start writing to my e-mail address. It may take a few tries before we get it right. This will give the Ynet censor a break. It is rather ironic that a devout Muslim and a Christian made a good friendship on a Jewish website!! LOL! Time to go! I am now late for work!

Rickie, I'm having a problem sending you emails.. donno why.. everytime I try sending you I get an error!! here's what I wrote.. Oh!! yesterday I sent you an email!! looks like my mails are never making it through!! yes, I did receive yours!! looks like I should rewrite every email a few times before it decides to get to you!! you're right about the fact that no artist could paint the beauty of nature.. not even a photograph could!! I have been endlessly trying to take pictures of the sky but never have I been capable of capturing its beauty.. though the colors always come out looking very pretty but the charm you see with your eyes is still never there.. I always end up deleting the pics I took!! this crow story is very nice! I think it does happen with you sometimes when you're a strong believer in God you'd tend to see things that others could not acknowledge.. I couldn't figure out though whether it is that we start imagining that God is communicating with us through His creations or He is actually doing this!! in both cases I think it's a gift to be able to come this close to God which would give your life a third dimension.. LOL!! Not many men would admit being gullible when it comes to women!! My birthday is way from now.. it’s on the 10th of July.. Wow!! What sorts of animals do you hunt for?? The ehh.. Big ones??!!

I donno what the problem is .. everytime I email you I get an error!! here's what I wrote.. Oh!! yesterday I sent you an email!! looks like my mails are never making it through!! yes, I did receive yours!! looks like I should rewrite every email a few times before it decides to get to you!! you're right about the fact that no artist could paint the beauty of nature.. not even a photograph could!! I have been endlessly trying to take pictures of the sky but never have I been capable of capturing its beauty.. though the colors always come out looking very pretty but the charm you see with your eyes is still never there.. I always end up deleting the pics I took!! this crow story is very nice! I think it does happen with you sometimes when you're a strong believer in God you'd tend to see things that others could not acknowledge.. I couldn't figure out though whether it is that we start imagining that God is communicating with us through His creations or He is actually doing this!! in both cases I think it's a gift to be able to come this close to God which would give your life a third dimension.. LOL!! Not many men would admit being gullible when it comes to women!! My birthday is way from now.. it’s on the 10th of July.. Wow!! What sorts of animals do you hunt for?? The ehh.. Big ones??!!