On Rejection

The big R word. It's a big slap in the face, sometimes literally. In life, people get rejected everyday. I've been rejected so many times that I've lost count. The first of my rejections (or the first that I remember vividly) is the time when I was in Ifthithaah, and I wasn't given the prefect title despite being the Girl Guide leader and being in every club that the school had. Next year when they did give me the title, I decided to reject them and leave school. -_- kidding! I left to come to Male' but its much cooler when I phrase it that way. haha, I wish my life was THAT dramatic. 

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Anyhow, again in CHSE I got rejected a few times, mostly because of my own faults (hello too much attitude!) and then I was rejected on the second job I applied to President's Office cos I was too young. >.< YES, I have faced rejection throughout my life but I never really took it to the heart. One of my inspirations to cope with rejection in life is Tyra Banks. Yes, you read that correct. I learn a lot from watching America's Next Top Model. Smizing is one of those things. The other was the lesson that in life, you are going to get rejected, but you just need to try again and again. Apparently Tyra was rejected by many modeling agencies before she found her path. 

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For my internship, I applied to seven places in total. Got rejected by three, two of them didn't even have the heart to reply, and got the chance from two. I have really good GPA's and a quite impressive resume' and yet I constantly get rejected. So whenever I get rejected, I apply to the next place. After all, its their loss. So basically, what I am trying to say here is that no matter how many times you get rejected (by jobs, guys, school, or whatever), just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back with life. As Bo Bennett says, " A rejection is nothing more than a necessary step in the pursuit of success".

Life in the busy lane

Life has been really good lately. My exams ended. It was however the worst exams, because I procrastinated way too much and my flashcards were poorly made. Yes, I am one of those people who make flashcards to study. In my defense, they are pretty effective. I had one week to find an Internship, which also I have been procrastinating since last year, so I was unable to get one in where I really wanted, but thankfully I got one from a place that I find very interesting, the MMPRC. I am soon to be part of the "Team Sunny Side of Life". Best team name ever, right?

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Nawaf and I have been working on some new projects for DYM. So be ready for some exciting fun stuff soon. Also I have been meeting some amazing people who are passionate about youth and change, which gives me hope for the future of our country. These people inspire me everyday to try my best to become a better person and to bring about a positive change. 

On much sadder news, my laptop Blitzy who has been my right hand for the last 2 and a half years passed away. It has been some very sad days without a laptop. I am challenging myself to last till the end of the year without one, and then hopefully invest in a good quality laptop. It was partly my fault, because I keep watching too much stuff on it, and also using it while charging, and being very negligent about it. So currently, I am sharing Muntha's PC with Dad and the three year old that is Mickie who thinks its hers. It's an interesting scene. 

I am currently reading this book called 365 Ways to Change the World by Michael Norton which is absolutely amazing. I hope to do a lot of thing in this book throughout the year. Also now that my laptop's dead, I have more time to do thing like household chores besides ironing (did I ever tell you that I love ironing. YES! In fact, people call me the Iron Lady. *just kidding* I am the only one who calls myself Iron Lady. The again, I call myself a lot of things, most of which are too embarrassing/pathetic/weird to write here, so I'll leave it to your imagination), read books and go out. 

Some exciting things happened last weekend. I was a model/bride for a day and it was so much fun. I should consider changing my career, but then again, removing make-up is hard work so I'll probably let people like Kate Moss do what they do best. But seriously, being a model is fun. You get to wear pretty clothes, people around you always keeping up with your needs like bringing you water bottles with straws, carrying your dress, touching up on your make-up. It sure is a glamorous life. 

Weekend Reads

Hello people! It's nearly the end of Friday. I have bee busy (yes, as usual. -__-) and it has been fun. My exams are going to end soon, and by soon I mean tomorrow (YAY ME!!!). While I'm away finishing up the last few hours of studying and getting ready for the exam, lemme leave you with some interesting stuff I found on the web.

Silent Fingers: Really touching poems Little Light and Oh Silly Heart!

Capturin' Life: Pains All That Remains

College Prepster: Post about To-do lists, one of my favorite things. 

Color Me Katie: Peacocks!

Also some very interesting pictures.

Lana Del Ray in super sophisticated Blazer. Love this. 

Cute teacher gifts. I know someone who would love this.

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Hope you have an awesome weekend. :D

Another two good books.

So, I used to be this book worm. Actually I have always been a reader, but lately time hasn't been a friend and I had to return a book to library before completing it which is one of those things in life that just makes me so sad. I will of course take it again next semester and finish it. One never leaves a book half read. That has been my reading motto since I learned how to read when I was two. (Mom says so. I have absolutely no memory of this whatsoever.)

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Because the central library has a secition deovted to Chinese Literature and authors, I often check this place and once saw this cover, and the title intrigued me. Yes, I sometimes judge books by cover. Positive judging doesn't count, right? Oh well. It was kind of OK. I mean, it started weirdly which was kind of a downer but it got better; not good enough to take away the disgust of the first chapter though. I really enjoyed the plot nevertheless. The characters were well explained and had a likeable quality. It reminds me that one is never too old to fall in love again. 

Short Summary: Mutsuko is a young girl who ages back in time. Some guy  meets her 60 year old self in hospital, and later meets her 40 year self and so on. She and him share a journey through the hurdles of her getting younger and the society, as well as his job and life in the backdrop of Japan, beauty and culture of the place.

Fav Character: No one really, but if I must choose Mutsuko it is, because she is the main character and is extremely well-rounded. I don't know how to put it, but she's very different and she makes the reader want to side with her. She is pretty, she's all ages and she makes you want to enjoy life. 

Verdict: Read it if you want to be surprised, but not my style.

Rating: 2/5

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This next book is a war tale, which is my first ever war tale and is actually a translation from a Chinese novel. It was so much fun. I mean, it was epic. I loved the characters, the culture and the little stories in-between. The characters are really well put, is full of life and the plot is clear with many moments which takes the reader's breath away! Honestly. It also has this funny stuff, like this warrior, who recited a poem in a temple and then commits suicide. I know, suicide is not funny but M and I found this interesting and had many laughs over this scene.

Short Summary: The story of the war between the Heike and the Genji, with its main plot set in the Heike and how their power rose and lost. Also lots of stories of Kiyomori and his wife and their sons and their lives. Some insights into Buddist cultures set in a Chinese backdrop. Lots of drama between people, and the lives of the Imperial family.

Fav Character: Definitely Kiyomori. He's the head of the Heike clan and loses his power as the story progresses. He is strong, fearless but also has this goodness to him. His character was developed nicely, with many characters mixing-up, like the dancing sisters, his sons, his wives and how he died from the wrath. 

Verdict: I definitely recommend this book to people, especially open minded people. Some might not be able to digest the Buddist comments and backdrop. Also for those new to Chinese literature, this could prove to be a good first read. 

Rating: 4/5

I am currently reading an English translation of a Chinese novel called "A Dream of Red Mansions", along with "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger. Two very different yet very interesting books, so expect a review soon. And by soon, I meant probably by the end of the year with the pace I'm currently going which is 0.02 pages per day. Not my personal best. =/

PC games and Suite Life

That sums up my life for now. Eventhough my exams started yesterday, I have been watching Suite Life all day long. In the last two days, I've watched the entire season 3 and now am watching the movie. My favorite character is definetely Cody with his smarts and gentleman attitude, while London comes a close second (Hello, Brenda Song! She's awesome) with her pretty closet, fantastic personality and general dumb-ness. Zack is however extremely handsome. Reminds me of a guy I know. Well, a few guys. -__-

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 I have also been playing random PC games with Mom, which is the new fun thing. She loves the hidden picture games. Also Thutha, my favorite relative ever, is back and she's just amazing. I've been super busy so have been unable to hangout even when we live in the same house (YES, I've been busy. Your argument is invalid.). She brought me a Dinemore submarine the other night when she went out with her friends. How can you not love her, eh. 

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Since exams started people have been calling me round the clock asking me about strategies, bootstrapping, and even about sticky notes. >.< First exam was kinda easy considering I only started studying the very day of the exam. I need to stop that habit. Procrastinating will be the death of me. Anyhow, I am having a great time with friends, family and people around me. So blessed to have them, Masha Allah.

In the meantime, I'm planning to study for the nest exams, make up my mind about the internships and listen to some meditating music.

LTLT Day 2 and 3

It's almost a week since LTLT ended, which was an amazing experience. The sessions were filled with lots of great actitivities and we had so much fun boding with the kids, playing games etc.

I had three major sessions throughout the program, the first being "Walking in others shoes". This was all about empathy and understanding others feelings. We literally walked in each others shoes, drew silhouettes and tried to understand what each person feels according to what they like, where they want to go, etc. It was a very refreshing and a meditating session. My next activity was "Non-violent Alternatives" where we tried to come up with ways to resolve conflicts peacefully. The entire session was very insightful and I loved the enthusiasm of the participants.

The highlight of LTLT was the Silent Journey, where the participants were silent for an hour and visited four stalls with the themes peace, nature, light and love. Mine was the red room filled with things that remind people of love. Since it was silent, I included lots of visible things, things to smell, to hear and to feel. It was so good, I wish we had a chance to experience it as well. I would have loved to go to other rooms and experience the journey. 

At nights, Sham, Nawaf and I would play Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove and tried to solve the mystery, drink too much redbull and sleep after 1. On the second night, we has a dance-thing where we just danced till it was midnight. I had so much fun learning how to Shuffle, and Thola from some Voice of Maldives, joined us and sang songs. 

The participants were just amazing. The other night, we all hung out together went crazy at the kids play area in the Jogger's Park. It was simply awesome.

On a less workshop-y note, my exam starts today and so far, I've only gone through one chapter. But I have watched two episodes of Suite Life and one episode of Friends. >.< Something is very wrong here.

LTLT Day 1

I have been in Bandos for a day now, getting ready for the "learning to live together" work shop which is this really interesting workshop carried out by Global Networks of Religions for Children (GNRC) and Democracy House in collaboration with Institute of Governance and Development and Bandos. As usual, the stay in Bandos is fantastic, with lovely rooms, great meals and fun Foosball matches. I love it here.

The workshop officially started today with 20 participants aged 15-18. Me, along with Nawaf, Shaam, Eelaf, Suha and Zaadhi are the facilitators with help from the program director Sujith from Sri Lanka. The workshop deals with learning to live though differences and about respect, empathy, responsibility and reconciliation delivered through the two modules, Understanding self and others, and Transforming the World together. 

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We are doing some really intersting stuff, which I shall blog about hopefully, if I am not too busy. Today, we had introduction sessions, some name games to get to know each other and a really fun activity where we made a huge web kinda thing which was so pretty. 

On FMC related notes, my assignments are slightly over. I had two due today, which my group mates had submitted. Still one more to go, and I also need to write proposal for my applied project which I am going to talk about A LOT in the next six months. I'm really tired right now, a bit sleepy and have lots of work to do. I also need to find if the legend is real. (Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove). :P

Too busy to breathe.

Really. I have had the most happening week so far. So on Friday, my BRM group and I were working at my place when a huge palm leaf came and hit Saa and me. Unfortunately, the hard part hit hee, and the leaves hit me, so I was OK but she was hurt badly so we took her to the hospital. This was the second time I have been to the hospital in the last five years, mostly due to my phobia, but that day I was so concerned for her, I almost forgot I had a fear of hospitals. Insha Allah, she is doing fine, and she was really brave. I'm so proud of that girl!

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So on Saturday, we went to meet the dean of FHS, but no luck. Beautiful place, that faculty. I feel sad for having to go to the tiniest faculty ever! -__- Anyhow, on Sunday, I had to turn in an assignment, conduct interviews with some people which went amazingly well, got really scared about the Applied Project which we have to do next semester and had a great time. At evening, I took Mickie to the MNDF fair, which was super duper fun, except guns are super heavy so I'm glad I'm not in MNDF. Like I could ever be one, ha!

Today, I had two interviews, three meetings to discuss three assignments and a class. I have never been so busy, except for the time in YLP and London. Also on Wednesday I am leaving to Bandos (yay me!) to attend a workshop as a facilitator. Really excited for this. 

Some random facts;

• Most people are too afraid to ask things, which they could have if they did in fact, ask.
• Having no credit is a really sad thing. :(
• Belts are pretty cool, so are bright colors
• When you actually like people, they most probably would like you back
• Most people like people with a good sense of humor, me included
• Walking in Male' is a pain in the butt.
• UN building is really beautiful and working there has been my lifelong dream.

PS Happy May Day!