Babbbbbbbbbbyyyyy!

People!

I miss you all. A lot of issues I would like to talk about, actually been wanting to post something for like 10 days now but didnt get the time. Anyway I am actually working now but logged on for 2 reasons; to reply to a comment I receieved by someone called 'Vem' in my previous post, you can read it here, and for another reason that you guys will be about to know now.....

Something great happened in my life. It could be one of those happy moments that come like twice or 3 times in your life. Ok I will explain. Last Wednesday at 6 a.m. I was reading a Billy Corgan journal on his website, and then I found a link to his space. Anyway I am not a myspace user, and do not know actually how to browse on it, but anyway I was on it and then I dont know how, but I managed to be on the page of someone called 'The Pumpkin Queen'. She is working for the band and she meets up with them like every day in the studio. She is currently looking for people (mainly Smashing Pumpkins fans) to do artwork for the band and their website. I emailed her.



Subject: Egyptian Pumpkin


Hey Pumpkin Queen;

I was browsing on myspace and I found your page after going through several leads. I guess I got to it after checking the journal by Jimmy. Anyway let me introduce myself, I am Sherif, not a Sheriff like you say in your country, but Sherif. This is my name; I dont know if you are familiar with Arabic names. :)

Yes I am Egyptian, bred and born here, raised here, visited half the world, I am not that rich though. I started listening to the Pumpkins when I was 11 years old. I'll be 24 in Feb by the way. You just dont know how much I am into the Pumpkins. I know how fans keep referring to themselves day and night as the biggest fan, but let me tell you something, I am sure about being the biggest SP and Billy Corgan fan in the Middle East.

I dont know if you have ever been to Egypt, but I have been to the USA and people there think we are still riding camels. Let me put it like this, we have avid music fans here. Rock and Alternative form a huge sector in our society. And I have lots of friends who are into the Pumpkins. Most of them became fans due to my passion towards the band but you have to know this, and please inform Billy the king about it too; THERE IS A HUGE SMASHING PUMPKINS BASE HERE IN CAIRO. :) *sorry for using the caps, I just wanted to prove something* lol

I listen to SP every day since I was 11. Some people even say I look like Billy Corgan. I am a Pisces too. I have a 'ZERO' tee and I basically own every single album released by SP, Billy, ZWAN, Jimmy and James, b-sides, etc...

I listen to many artists, but you just dont know how I am committed and attached to SP. I am still living in the past, I dont even try new bands, I am a loyal fan and never got bored of repeating the same stuff again and again and again.

I dont know how to draw not even a fish. I dont write poems. I write football articles though. I am not emailing you to prove something or ask you out through the internet like some perverts that I am sure bombarded your publicly displayed email. I am just in love with the Pumpkins and I would love if my message reaches Billy.

I want Billy to know that there is a guy named Sherif Zaki who is sitting right now in Egypt at 6:20 a.m. listening to Tonight Tonight while working on a presentation that he has to submit to work in 3 hours. Tell him that a Muslim guy (I already know how most of the west think about Muslims) who speaks fluent Arabic is currently waiting for the new album since June last year. Tell him that this guy bought Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness in '94 and is proud to say that this was the first ever album he ever buys, knows all his lyrics by heart. Tell him that this guy was hopeless after the band seperated officially in 2000. Tell him that this guy ordered his poetry book and had The Future Embrace on the day they were out by ordering them overseas and it was a lot of trouble but it was WORTH IT. Tell him that on the same day when Billy said he want his bands and dreams back, I was in tears.

I dont know what to say, I could keep talking for hours. I hope I meet Billy one day. If there is a way for him to send me an email through you, at least by only typing one sentence, so I can print it and frame it on the walls at work and home, I'll be forever grateful. If I can send you my pic and he would write me an autograph, it would be just like heaven.

Phew! I think I better stop, I think I bored you.

SP for life.

Cheers.

Sherif.
The biggest Pumpkin Fan in Egypt and the Middle East.


So anyway I was very happy while I was writing the email and was more happy the moment I sent it. I thought that maybe, maybe, a little maybe she could read. I know that thousands like me send their emails and only the lucky ones pass through. At least I wanted her to know that SP's favorite fan is living here in Cairo, the city that never sleeps.

Back to the subject. I come back today to work. With a smile on my face and singing in a loud voice. I opened my inbox. Then checked my junk mail and I saw the name 'THE PUMPKIN QUEEN'. So I quickly marked the email message and moved it on to my inbox. Anyway, I am someone who likes a little bit of suspense and excitement. So i go up and grab my cup of tea, and come back to read the email. I was in shock before reading it, because I never thought she would even read my email, let alone replying to me!

Subject: Re: Egyptian Pumpkin

dear sherif -
that is one of the most beautiful letters for the band
i have ever received.

you will be happy to know, i'm in the studio right now
with billy and jimmy and i just sent it to their emails
so they could read it too. so, at the very least, you can
wake up or go to bed knowing that billy corgan has
read the letter from sherif zaki. :)

do you have a myspace sherif? let me know.
take care
and thank you so much for your earnest and genuine
support of the pumpkins.

xoxo
TPQ


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH! BAABBBBBBBBBYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! I am actually DANCING RIGHT NOW!

Even if Billy never replies. Even if he didnt read the email. Even if you think I am stupid. The most important thing is that Billy knows by now that there is a big fan here in Cairo, Egypt. The country that 'VEM' hates to be associated with. The country that 'VEM' is living in but hates to be identified with. At last after all those years, Billy Corgan knows about me! I never expected her to read the email. I never expected her to reply. She replied, She forwarded the email to both Billy and Jimmy!!! Thank God!

I am happy. I am more happy than anyone right now. I could just retire and sit at home, watch my football matches and eat for the rest of my life. I could even stop listening to the Pumpkins and stop listening to music in general.

This is a moment in life when you feel you accomplished everything and now it is time to have some rest. Time to relax. Time to smile even more.

Billy Corgan knows about me. Billy Corgan knows about me.

I am proud to be his fan. Proud to be a Smashing Pumpkin Fan.

Maybe Manchester United will lose tonight to Chelsea. Maybe Israel will bomb the Arab world including my beloved Egypt. Maybe people will stop wearing FCUK and drinking Pepsi. Maybe Gamal Mubarak wouldnt be our new president.

Till any of these things happen; I am the king and you are all puppets. You are all suckers!

The non-suckers know who they are. They could feel my approval. They could feel satisfied because they are accepted by me.

Ok. Back to work now.

You know what! I am not even going to work now. I will take the rest of the day off.

I will be him

SUCKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!