^^ I wouldn't recommend any. Why help him make more money. But if you can borrow or steal a book, why not try Midnight's Children! It's not a bad read.

^^^ An opportunity has arisen for me to come and join you in kandoora land. I'm tempted but not tempted enough.

Awards that Rushdie has won include the following: · Booker Prize for Fiction · James Tait Black Memorial Prize (Fiction) · Arts Council Writers' Award · English-Speaking Union Award · Booker of Bookers or the best novel among the Booker Prize winners for Fiction · Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger · Whitbread Novel Award (twice) · Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for Children's Fiction · Kurt Tucholsky Prize (Sweden) · Prix Colette (Switzerland) · State Prize for Literature (Austria) · Author of the Year (British Book Awards) · Author of the Year (Germany) · Mantua Prize (Italy) · Premio Grinzane Cavour (Italy) · Hutch Crossword Fiction Prize (India) · India Abroad Lifetime Achievement Award (USA) · Outstanding Lifetime Achievement in Cultural Humanism (Harvard University) Aristeion Prize (European Union) Source Though he shamelessly milked all the publicity surrounding the Iranian fatwa, as a writer, the man has always been a good one. I think the knighthood is based on that more than the fatwa itself. ps Expecting Sophist to come any minute now with his girly rants. pps Strike that. Laas canood shaqo ku ma leh

Baashi, Most of what you say is true. I've written on here time and again that I don't approve of the man's style and do question his journalistic integrity. An activist, he most certainly is! However, he is part and parcel of the whole campaign for recognition. If (some would say When) Somaliland is recognised, he would be one of the many to claim that they single-handedly attained this recognition for their homeland. This is why I don't think his talent is wasted (yet). On the other hand, if you consider it a wasted talent because you believe that Somaliland will never be recognised then one would just have to assume that you're letting your wishes dominate your reason. That, sadly, would put you on the same bracket as Mr Goth! Look on the bright side though, you are not a journalist and there are no issues of integrity to examine here. Ps The Nomad that is arguing about civil unrest and troubles should Somaliland be recognised is correct.

Originally posted by Munira002: quote:Originally posted by Xanthus: ^^^She's marrying one of the SOL nomads, they met here, it was love at first username , the rest is history, now it is going to be seven weeks of sun, wedding bells, love and lazying about, as well as being scrubed and pampered. I kind of feel sorry for her she's going to get soooo lazy ^^^^ Ha Ha Ha Ha...wallahi that made my day, your so gifted!! She is a bit special, isn't she?

Originally posted by Northerner: What chances Abbas dismantling the unity govnt on the advice of US/Isreal/UN/Russia (quartet) then for a UN force to be deployed quicker than you can say shawarma? Very good. But, again like with the ICU, Hamas is/was bringing all this on itself really.

Originally posted by Baashi: Bashir is a prolific writer no doubt about that but the man made dismembering Somalia into what gaal colonized what part his numero uno mission. Wasted talent! Maakhir have you ever read his essay on Af Qalad aqoonta miyaa or something along these lines...dig it up and read...if he could only dish out these types of columns he would have gained a universal Somali readers. Wasted talent. Can't really call it a wasted talent yet. Well, not unless the Somaliland dream is declared and proven to be dead! As long as Somaliland is free to pursue recognition and independence I don't think Mr Goth's talent is being wasted.

Sheh, Why are you unhappy about this boss of yours? She sounds like a classic gun-loader! I used to have a boss like that and I dearly miss him now. Work was fun. You always came in wondering what new problem, disaster or crisis your boss has engineered for you. Of course, when I say it's fun I mean that it's only fun when you know that your boss is behind all the problems. If you were the innocent type that doesn't suspect a thing then life would feel like hell.

Originally posted by Urban: Captain Majid Listen to all the arabic cartoon songs here

^^ Should have told her to stop prying

This makes no difference to the struggle with Israel. Abbas is weak and needs to be removed.

As you can see Grant, nobody here knows the people you're asking about! Or at least if they do, not many are quick to ask their old aunts and uncles about the time of their youth. All they're interested in are stories of Somalia in those years and that time! This is not a criticism of the people here. It's just human nature really. My advice to you is to give the people what they want. Somalis are an emotional people (I'm intentionally generalising here). They want to hear good stories with happy endings; they love to naval gaze and reminisce about bygone times. Write up a long flowery and positive article about your time there and they'll all fall over themselves to find your lost comrades. If you include old photos and a contact e-mail I'd wager that you'd find your friends (or stories about them) within weeks, if not days. Ps Don't forget to post the same article in all major Somali websites (but Somalia Online, along with yourself, will own the copyright of course). Good luck.

^^ She's wasting her time with this career of hers you know. Her true calling is in a local law centre or a citizens' advice bureau (and that's just the voluntary stuff). She's got Magistrate Court written all over her face, hasn't she?

lol@North..I think he was asking Xan

North, Is the guy above you revealing himself too? Oh. My. God! If you go to Somalia, you can see Somali taagtaagan!

^^ That lottery is still on, my love. You don't have to withdraw. Time changes everybody. Zafir is fine? You're not normal you are. ps I have no work to do today, just in case anyone is wondering.

^^ It probably was. I'm just telling him the meaning of the name (the guy needs help with his Arabic you know).

lol@Johnny. As vulgar as ever, saaxib. Val, The groom hardly squirms. He just sits there looking all royal and aloof whilst the odyal talk about the time they played football, five hundred years ago, and the father of the bride broke the father of the groom's leg in a slide tackle or something (they usually never met before that day). ps Don't be so badow. Nobody uses listening devices anymore. They video the whole thing.

^^^ Got to admit that Jamac Qabar is a priceless name for a place (it translates as: Dusty Jamac, in Arabic).

^^^ My younger brother, whose Somali is as good as his Mandarin, once got caught on those xeeros and was asked to tell the date of Somalia's independence! Being the young (sixteen-year-old) Arab boy that he was, he didn't know the answer. Still, he bravely volunteered to sing a song instead(the only Somali song he knew). onkod roobku madaayo ana taaha madaayo ana taa ma ilaaawo jeceyl ood rogan maayo ..aaaaa-huh-aaaaaa

Originally posted by -Lily-: ME…I prefer the unmarried flavour, besides, he will need to sort through the crowd of Val, Serenity, Xantuhs, and even D&D (who is possibly more trickier as she comes with the prospect of stoning)...the man has a lot on his hands. Stop spreading all these rumours, woman. You might scare off any prospective minyaro For a start, I immensely dislike Val (immensely, you hear). I'm hoping that Serenity will be distracted with her fabulous career long enough for my boy to grow up and catch her before the wrinkles do. I have OTHER plans for Xan (mostly concerned with my useless younger brothers and cousins). Mrs DD is already spoken for and long may she stay that way. Ps Mr Me needs to concentrate on the boys really. Zaffir, Johnny, Jacaylbaro and Che are a menace to this forum and the longer they stay single the worse things will get for us all.

^^ Noble my backside It's a pointless game that's meant for idle titillation and nothing else. Serenity, Women are the source of all evil, that's why. Legend, Ask Johnny. He's been the Scandinavian champion of the 'how far can you pee' game ten years running.

The practice of xeero (read as heero which means "a bowl" in Somali) symbolizes the difficulty the bridegroom has to undergo in order to have sexual relations with his wife. The xeero ceremony usually takes place on the seventh day after the wedding, either in the couple's home or the bride's family home. A bowl containing traditionally preserved meat (odkac) and mashed dates is placed in a woven container with a lower and upper part. The bowl is placed in the lower side and covered with the top part. The basket is then dressed up like a woman and tied with a long rope forming multiple loops and knots. During the ceremony, males from the groom's side will attempt to open the xeero while following certain protocol. They cannot for instance touch the legs before taking out earrings or exposing the face. A knowledgeable, stick-wielding woman from the girl's family presides over the ceremony. She hits the hands of any errant man. Those who make mistakes are required to entertain the audience with song, dance, poetry, jokes or a riddle. The groom's male relatives search for individuals who are experienced, talented and knowledgeable in Somali culture to perform leading roles. Clapping of hands, entertainment, and then male relatives remove the xeero. The audience is then allowed to eat the goodies from the basket. Some families bring multiple, decorated xeeros with abundant edibles (odkac) for guests. This exciting event enables families to know each other. It is a highly symbolic occasion. The man figuratively goes through the infibulation barrier to consummate marriage and enjoy sex with his wife. That's more or less it. Source

^^ You probably go about kissing people in public transport, Johnny Originally posted by Munira002: The modern weddings are boring,they are neither western, nor traditional somali weddings..hagaa laguu arkee xeer lafureyaa with a live band singing on the stage,folks doing their one step dance routine..xeer fuur used to be an event of comedy,poetry reciting etc etc. The whole idea of xeero is pretty disgusting when you think about it. One man marries her and half of his clan try to get through to her hidden goodies! Some traditions are better off just dying..

^^ You mean you normally don't? How irrational!