This Blog

The writings in this blog are mostly my original thoughts on variety of ideas and experiences that I find fascinating and thought-provoking. They cover a diverse range of personal interests, including:

• Usability and human-computer interaction
• Web 2.0
• Lifestyle and personal development
• Public speaking
• Music
• Tiddy bits of my life experiences

I started this blog in my 22nd birthday back in 2004 (using Blogger). The original aim was to make a personal online journal to share with my friends and relatives. Beginning 2007, I decided that I want to expand my circle, writing about things that everybody would want to read and benefit from. With my wide range of interests and desire to create excellent and worthy content, I can always find things that are really interesting and intriguing to talk about, and I hope you do find it so.

I’m looking forward to improve this blog and my readers’ experience in any way possible. So be sure to drop me a note if you have any feedback.

Me

My name is Alaeddin Hallak. I’m a software solutions analyst located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. I hold several professional certifications including Microsoft Certified Solution Developer and Oracle Certified Associate. I work full time at a large local FMCG group called Basamh. This is my second job so far. The first was with another large group specializing in mapping and real estate services called Zaki Farsi Co.

I stem from Syrian origins and now hold a Canadian nationality. I was born and raised in Jeddah until my family migrated to Canada in 97 where I did my high school in T.L Kennedy Secondary School, Mississauga, Toronto. For some reason, I went back to Jordan after that (2000) and got my undergraduate degree in computer science from the Jordan University of Science and Technology. So as you can see, I have a very complex social background which is actually something I’m glad to have because it has opened my eyes in many ways.

Throughout my younger years I was fascinated with every aspect of computers. I could easily call myself a "compu-holic" at the time because I was new to the whole field and I wanted to grasp everything I could put my hands on. For that reason, I excelled in all my high school computer courses and subsequently in university. I was always ahead of my league and I learned to develop a professional attitude towards what I do.

My life so far has been a safe ride. I almost always take the easy way and try to steer clear of risks or unpredictable outcomes. I enjoy living healthy and productively. Personal development and improvement is a newfound interest that I try to apply in many aspects in my life. I’m also a proud practicing Muslim who finds it tremendously soul-fulfilling and life blessing to be one. If there’s one thing I’m grateful for, it’s for being a doubtless believer of Allah and the hereafter.

As for my hobbies and interests, I enjoy music a lot and have developed a diverse and tasteful appreciation of different genres of music in both my native Arabic and English languages. While I don’t seek professional status, I do want to be able to play some music one day, hopefully an acoustic guitar.

I like watching handful of TV shows including LOST, Prison Break, Heroes and amongst others. I also enjoy movies, although quite recently I have lost some faith in those because they tend to be boring or over-complicated. I love comedy and action though, and dislike horror or history movies.

I have very healthy relationships in my life including ones with my best friends and family. I like to think of myself as an easygoing (although not much of a pushover) type of a guy. A well-rounded sense of humor is one of the best qualities I like about myself. If you don’t believe it, try me

My goals in life are clear and simple. I want to continue to be the person I am today. Career-wise, I want to be a noted public speaker and practitioner of human-computer interaction principles.

Speaking of goals, below is my up-to-date score badge (from an online service called Joe’s Goals) that tracks how much I’m keeping up with my goals. While I don’t claim perfectionism here, it’s a good thing to keep track of your priorities on regular basis to stay on track.