Monday, May 21, 2007

Guess Who I Met?

 

 Thanks to April helping out today from the US, Mani was able to get intouch with me over here tonight and we were all able to go out to dinner and meet in person.

You have to understand the random associations that made this possible to be able to grasp the pure chance involved in our getting to know each other. A few months ago, some time last year, I made a post on the scooby site about the cultural and ethical influences in Libya that affect their current economy and, in general, their daily lives.

 

Well, three months or so later, a Libyan (Anglo-Libyan) finds my blog through another american woman (Khadija-Teri) and stops to see what I have to say. He read the post and copied it to his blog, starting a fairly lengthy discussion about the materials I'd written. All this happened completely unbeknownst to me. A month or so later, someone takes the time to stop by my site and mention the post, which I go and check out.

 

Now, from THERE, this guy (Mani) makes a comment about my post, and he and I start talking fairly regularly. Mani is a Libyan national, raised in the UK, with a Scottish accent. He's absolutely entertaining when he gets rolling on a his political mantras because the more he starts fomenting, the more his brogue comes out. It was a hilarious hour long dinner conversation. Basically, we walked around London for a bit and then had dinner.

All in all, it was just really cool to meet someone in London (where I never thought I'd be) who found me on an african blog, referenced from another african blog, referenced from an archived comment made by me months earlier, and then to be having dinner together in a different country six months later, talking about the people from the Blog-s-sphere that we have in common. So, before I forget, "hello's and salam's" go out to Khadij, and Tara, and RoseBud, and all the rest of you over there in Libya. Conversely, greetings from England are below in the video to you in America, from Mani.

 

 

I have a comical note I'll share with you all that Li'l Bit will find particularly humorous. Apparently, Mani was trying to remember what I looked like so he could more easily spot me when he got to my part of town. Well, the only apparent picture he saw of me that would show my full proportions was one of me standing beside Marion. Well, if you don't know Marion, then you don't know she's unbelievable short.. as in like less than 5 feet tall. She's a little hobbit-like person almost. (love ya honey). So, since he didn't know that, he saw me standing beside her and got the impression that I some monolithically gigantic person. Actually, I'm 6'3", but if you assumed she was the standard height of most women, it makes sense that he'd be looking for Sasquatch! When we met the first thing he said was "my, you ARE quite the big brutish fella aren't ya?" in that awesome-I-wish-I-could-imitate-scottish accent.

Anyway, it was an interesting night and it was a real pleasure to meet him. I've included a few pics below for ya folks at home.

 

 

Ok, so maybe I am a little bigger than most folks here. Londoner's are small people. And anglo-libyan-scottich-brits are smaller still!

 

Look.. I had dinner with William (Mohamed) Wallace AND Carrot Top!

 

Thanks for reading, as always. I'm back to the grind now!

Toodles!

 

13 comments:

  1. I might be totally offensive by saying this.... ;)

    but he is sooo cute!! LOL

    I'm glad everyone managed to meet up!! I can't wait to hear more!

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  2. OOOOhhh! That was wonderful! The world is really such a tiny place!

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  3. Hi Tommy! That's really cool that you met another Libyan Blogger! I'll be home for a month in June, maybe I'll fly out and see you guys!

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  4. When we were painting the gazebo with water with Papa's good paint brushes did you ever think you'd be in London meeting an Anglo-Libyan-Scottish-Brit one day? Crazy world.

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  5. Tara,
    That would be awesome! I'm sure April would love to meet you in person.. and you and I could take my gang out and regale them with Libyan horror stories!

    While I'm thinking about it, I have a package for Nadia's mother in Tripoli,and my trip keeps getting delayed and delayed. If you go back before I do, could you possibly get it to her?

    -------------------------------

    Katie,

    WOW. I had forgotten we used to do that! I remember taking Papa's good horsehair brushes, the ones he kept out of our reach, and filing a paint bucket from the water hose... you and I would sit for hours and paint the gazebo with water... wow what a memory. I haven't had that thought in years... I remember when the water dried into the pine, we'd start over at that spot and pretend we were putting on a second coat! lol.

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  6. so good to see you and mani having a good time :o)
    I have met mani last week and he is a lovely very talkative man.

    you can see pictures of our meeting
    Here

    Thanks for sharing

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  7. Thanks for sharing Tommy . I see Mani made it and you all managed to meet !

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  8. Hey.. very cool pictures! Wish I could have met you while I was here. It's always neat to meet people from another country, especially when you've been communicating through blogs for awhile... who ever thought Blogger.com would be such a communications portal for the next generation.

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  9. Thanks for sharing.

    It's always exciting to meet new people - especially those you've made connection with in alternate ways.

    Makes the world seem more manageable, don't you think?

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  10. dude.. you know.. there definately IS something filipino about me.. sheeesh... I need to cut down on the cheesers too mate (scottish accent lolololol)

    Man.. I'm so happy I had the chance to meet you at last and it was awesome as expected.. I wished I stayed longer you know.. I hadent run across London as much as I had run that night lolololol I left your resturant and shot off straight to see another blogger, Ahmed_Akak.. small world people?? you BET!!!! it always was so small its just taken us ages to get over it LOL.

    aecudaisy.. no offense taken whatsoever.. how noble of you to think so!! :D

    I cant wait to meet the rest of the bloggers but I need to buy a mouthguard first for that 'talkative' piece eh Anglo?? lololol

    The race is on.. let's see how many I can meet in the next few months or so.. I'ma tick off the UK ones pretty soon :D

    Salam SCOOBES!!!

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  11. so nice from you tommy

    I am agree with mani that he deosnt` look libyan at all..LOoOL

    well, mani your welcome dont` thank me;)

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  12. Hello
    a small mark at the time of my passage on your very beautiful blog!
    congratulations!
    thanks for making us share your moments
    you have a translation of my English space!
    cordially from France
    ¸..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
    ¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
    ((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:-
    -:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* ~ Chris ~ -:¦:-
    http://www.bloguez.com/coupdecoeurcoupdeblues/

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  13. Tommy/April,I don't even know how to call you when I get home! I'll send you guys an email with my moms and pops number when I get home! Your house looks awesome. I can't believe how much you got done in such a short time! You are obviously not Libyan! LMFAO!

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