Mosaferín-e Mohtaram
A story of a return to Kabul after decades away — through ordinary moments that carried unexpected weight, and a country that was both exactly as she remembered and entirely changed.
BlogEtcetera
Thoughts on this, that, and the rest
BlogEtcetera
Thoughts on this, that, and the rest
How a Distraction Becomes an Obsession
Occasional distractions and entertainment are natural, but allowing them to become excessive obsessions is harmful. Modern habits, such as endless digital screen scrolling, demonstrate how minor diversions can consume valuable time. Maintaining self-control over distractions is essential to preserving balance and fulfilling life's spiritual purpose.
From Queues to Clicks: Qatar’s Quiet Service Revolution
Qatar has modernized public services through digitization, customer-focused staff, and expanded road and transit networks, including the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram. Tasks that once meant lengthy queues now take minutes, driven by institutional reforms and staff training.
Fedora + Xfce: The Distro You Get When You Refuse to Pick a Lane
I’ve been running the same Fedora install since 2018. Not “Fedora” as a rolling habit of reinstalling every year or two — the same install. It started life as Fedora 28 or 29, I genuinely can’t remember which, and it’s…
The Greatly Exaggerated Death of Perl
Perl is great. I would not say I am an expert at it, but I have been working with this fascinating programming language for a number of years that it’s become something close to a reflex.So it’s not exactly neutral…
One Narrow Patch: Staying Ready in the Comfort of Your Niche?
Specializing in a niche software field offers job security and develops strong interpersonal skills through direct user interaction. However, deep expertise in a narrow area can lead to career vulnerability if market demands shift. Specialized professionals risk finding their experience disconnected from broader technological trends and current hiring needs.
Do Not Trust the Sunset: Notes from a Doha August
Stepping outside in a Doha August is a tactical operation. A light-hearted look at heat, humidity, and the stubborn weekly football match that refuses to quit.
Reclaim Your Terminal: How Lazygit Supercharges Your Git Workflow
Finding the right tools for your development workflow is a constant struggle, and Git tooling is no exception. Despite the plethora of Git clients available, none of them ever felt quite right. For a while, I settled on GitFiend. It…
Why XFCE Makes Windows Optional
Windows isn't the default anymore. Xfce is fast, familiar, and finally polished — running it on Fedora's bleeding-edge spin, coming off years of i3, and I haven't noticed a single performance hit.
How to Fix i3 Workspace Assignment Failing for LibreOffice (Startup Race Condition)
I tweaked my i3 configuration to automate application placement. During this process, I encountered a frustrating issue. LibreOffice was ignoring my workspace assignments. While the main suite started correctly, specific components like LibreOffice Writer refused to land in their designated…
AI and Sufi Poetry: Analyzing Abdul-Qadir Bedil with Large Language Models
But beneath all that, a profound reality is that we’re building tools that can engage in subtle, reflective, and culturally rich conversations.
