Don't let the moment slip by...

Source: Unknown

Love HFW

So...who hasn't heard of Love HFW yet?  Where have you been...hiding under a rock or something? C'mon now!

It's only one of the most awesomest things to happen in Blogistan since ever.  Seriously.

Go, check it out here:  http://www.lovehfw.com/

If you're still reading this, that means I haven't managed to convince you yet. And maybe you think I'm being too demanding.  But you should overlook that and do it anyways.

Love HFW was started by Sister Em as an one-week long online event for Muslimahs. Hijabi Fashion Week (HFW) involves  seven different themes - one for each day of the week, and participants are asked to put together outfits based on the themes.

I love it because I'm able to pick up inspiration from sisters all over the world - whether it's tying two thin hijabs together or figuring out how to 'hijabify' some of my odd items of clothing.

Have I convinced you yet?

Because if I haven't, I offish give up...you're hopeless, you is. :P

"sometimes the brightest lights can only be seen from the darkest of depths"

I've been reading Brother Nomad's blog, "Holding on to Allah's Rope" for a good part of the past year or so.  His stuff really is pretty profound and deep to say the least, and he's able to articulate so well what I believe are the very personal struggles that everyone goes through at some point or another in their lives.

Allhumdulilah, he's granted me permission to share his work, and specifically, there's one piece of his that really speaks to me. Some of these gem-worthy ideas:

"Firstly: sometimes the brightest lights can only be seen from the darkest of depths. We cannot appreciate what tawakkul means until we are (or see a point) far removed from it."

"Once we internalize the whole of our weakness, is when we can begin to find strength in reliance."

"Secondly: There is the rope of Allah, and then there is the chain of the shayateen (devils). A rope is generally made as a means of assistance, carrying things, and pulling them up. A chain is generally made as a means of restriction, punishment in limiting one's freedom and mobility. Interestingly, a rope can also choke whereas a chain can also give lift in times of need."

"Sometimes a chain is not evident until it is too late, and it has wrapped itself around its wielder tightly at the time of death. Thought to be a source of pride and dignity in the face of men, it would be just a cement block dragging one down to the deepest depths. Conversely, a rope can easily cause burns if it moves too fast, or become a noose should extremes be approached."

See what I mean?  He's a genius, mashAllah.

I'd encourage you to read the full post here.  Happy reading!

30 libraries in 22 weeks

It's November. The leaves are starting to fall and the winter jackets are coming out. It's the holidays...well almost! I love this time of year, it seems like everyone is happy and cheery and Starbucks has their 2 for 1 holiday drinks on during happy hour! (one more day left!)

But it's also time for that last final push before finals. You know all the big papers are due, the final projects and those lonely last midterms. It also means more library time! :) (I'm in one right now lol)

The other day Alma and I were walking down UofT, after one of our library trips and I was bragging that we had 30 or so libraries. She asked me how many I had been too. And I realized that not many. I usually go the same one, my favourite. Or one that is close.

So we made a halal one way bet. Before I graduated I would visit ALL the libraries at UofT. Alma reckoned it was only 8ish every year...the only problem? I'm already in 4th( and final inshAllah) year at the big old UofT!

So it's 30 libraries in 22 weeks. Think I can do it? I hope so!

I'll record my library adventures on the blog, so that way it'll feel like you've all been to EVERY UofT library too :)

Libraries I've visited
-E.J Pratt (my favourite!)
-Gerstein (I'm there right now!)
-Robarts
-UTM library
-UTSC library
-Earth Sciences Library
-Engineering & Comp sci Library
-Mathematical Sciences Library (aka Bahen Library...also one of my favs)
-OISE Library
-John M Kelly Library
-Laidlaw Library

Full list of UofT libraries: CLICK HERE!

Wow so that already 11. YAY only 19 more to go! :)


Just so you know...I absolutely LOVE libraries! Alma...I wanttagolibrary!

The Blame Game

I think there's some habits that are never lost, old adults playing the blame game is just, well, wrong.

Blaming the little people, of the big institutions for their own mistake, is worse. The higher up you go, I feel you lose sight of right/wrong and being truthful.

Everyone should own up to their mistakes. Period.

That's my venting of the day.

Something to think about...

I was helping out at a Muslim event a while ago, and I noticed there was a lady there who seemed... different. We all went about everything normally and were as polite to her as we were to the other sisters. On the last day, though, we logically reasoned that she seems to be a non-Muslim who is very interested in Islam.

Now this changed things. I saw it in myself, and in the others also, that we all tried to be a lot nicer to her, a lot more helpful, and a lot more friendly now.

At the time, I didn't think so much about it, other than, I wanted to give off a good impression of Islam and Muslims so that insha'Allah Allah helps her find her path. But thinking about it later, I realized the fallacy of it. Shouldn't I and everyone else not have to need to change our behaviour around her after we found out she was interested in Islam? Shouldn't we live as Muslims who are always embodying the right characteristics? The reality of it is, that we don't know who might be observing us, and if we are the image of Islam that people see, shouldn't we try to give off the best possible image of Islam?

I don't think Da'wah always has to be intentional. Maybe a subconscious act that you do as a Muslim, could be what inspires someone into learning about Islam.

I don't know if I will have the opportunity to meet the sister again, but may Allah enlighten and open her mind and help her in her journey. Aameen.

A Nightmare

I had the most horrible, life-like dream the other night.  It was truly wretched, if you know what I mean.

Now most people would have nightmares about being chased by an ugly monster down a dark alley, or falling off a skyscraper or something of the like.  But remember how I told you that I'm not really a "normal" person?  Well, I've never had dreams like that before.  But what truly scares the bejeevers out of me are the small things that would likely not even make your heart flutter the least bit.

Like my blogger anonymity being totally squandered.  

Yes, that scares me.  I'll give you a minute to stop laughing.  

Okay, that's enough. 

Anyways, in this dream someone who is really important to me basically betrayed me.  She wrote up a blog post that unintentionally disclosed my identity- making it unmistakable to think that I could be anyone else.  

I was heartbroken, and cried over it for days and days. 

Even though, in reality I knew that it's not really that big of a deal.  But how could she do that to me?  How?

The worse part is that it was so life-like.  The blog was Mundane Muslima.  The friend was a fellow MM writer.

It feels like the blame game...or the cookie jar game that we play as little kindergartners.

"Mariam took the cookie from the cookie jar!"

"Who me? Couldn't be!  Then who?"

So, who is it? 

P.S.  For those who are wondering if I have an active subconscious, you bet I do!

"Du'aa powered"

Assalamu'alaykum!

First off, I apologize for being soo very MIA lately. There's a whole lot of excuses I could go into, but I think it's better I do something about it instead, sooooo here's my post!

It's actually something I've been thinking of a lot lately. Maybe it's just me, but have you ever wondered how something you thought was so very unreal and unlikely just happens? For example, thinking about school again, you cram for an exam, and know there's no way you'll do well, then you do end up doing way better than you thought! Alhamdulillah.

That seems to happen to me a lot, and I've started using a term for it (I don't know if it's already a term or not, tried googling it but nothing came up!) : "du'aa powered"

That's because, when you think back to it, you remember all of your studying attempts, but you also remember that you told nearly every person you saw and/or are close to, to make du'aa for you!

As much as you also make du'aa, you also tell everyone else to also, since we don't know who's du'aa will be accepted and at what time!

It's a reminder of the power of du'aa, and that nothing we do is really from us, everything is ultimately from Allah SWT and we should remember and praise Him for it.

It's a reminder to myself before anything else. I tend to carry around my iPhone charger nearly everywhere I feel okay charging it, and maybe you do that too, but how often do we recharge our du'aa supply? Just like battery powered cars, let's become du'aa and iman powered people insha'Allah!

So, I'll end with this cheesy saying which I like anyway,

Have YOU charged your du'aas yet?

---

The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "Any Muslim who supplicates to Allah in a Du’a which contains no sin of breaking kinship, Allah will give him one of three things: either his Du’a will be answered immediately; or it will be saved for him in the hereafter; or it will turn away an equivalent amount of evil (from him)". The companions said: "Then we will ask for more." The Prophet replied: "Allah is even more (generous)." (Reported by Ahmad and Tirmidhi).

http://www.ummahreflections.co.za/reflections33.htm

Diary of a Hafiz

Ever wondered what's it like to lead the tarweeh prayers?  Well,  I have so I'm guessing you have too at some point.

Last year I stumbled upon a really cool blog written by an 18-year-old American-Muslim Hafiz*.  He blogs at http://invalidtruth.com/ and his posts are quite interesting to read.  Go have a look!


*Hafiz:  one who has memorised the Holy Quraan.

Was I Dreaming?

For some reason, I thought I had already posted something this week.  Maybe it was a dream....or maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me. Anyways, since that didn't actually happen in real life, here's the real life post (if I'm not dreaming at the moment!).

For many of us, Ramadhan is a time of deep spiritual reflection of who we are, who we want to be and where we want to go.  We look inwardly and examine our hearts, our intentions and our lives as a whole.  

But the purpose isn't to despair on how much we haven't progressed or why we haven't become the people that we tell ourselves we want to be.  Rather, it's an opportunity to begin again.  To set goals and to turn to Him, because without His help, nothing is possible.

Every moment is a new moment.  Every second is a new second.  

As someone once said, Ramadhan is a perfect time for making changes; it's a time for renewal and  rejevunation, and a time for establishing and solidifying those changes so that they carry forward throughout the rest of the year, and inshAllah, throughout the rest of your life.   

Change can happen now, inshAllah.  

A dear friend sent me this lovely poster, and I think it's something that those of us who are taking the time to look inwardly this Ramadhan can benefit from.  JazakiAllah, SJ.  

Source: Unknown. Please email us if you know who this belongs to!

And maybe one day, when I'm brave enough, I can share what this 'looking inwardly' is like for me.  In the meantime, I'll rest my hopes  upon my other MM bloggers (who seem really MIA, don't they?) to share their insights and experiences. 

May the next two-thirds of this blessed month be full of blessings, forgiveness and a true turning back to our Lord. Ameen!

pizza hut buffet

Four more hours to go...

I can't do it, I'm gonna go to the pizza hut buffet right now and eat all of it. All of it . mmmmmmmmmmm

See this is what happens when you fast.

You get hungry.

And you go crazy.

The egg farmer ( Smaps) agrees doesn't she?

"I'd just like to say, having eggs for sehri does not provide you enough sustenance for the entire day. Wait I'm lying, I've never had eggs for Sehri. You did. And who made your eggs?!? I DID. WHO MADE YOUR EGGS?!?"

Okay see what I mean? You go crazy.

"EGG-xactly"

Who's Ready for Ramadhan?

photo credits & source: Brotherhood Arts

Aren't these buttons AWESOME?!?

MashAllah, Muslims are so creative sometimes.  :)

And whether you're first fast starts tomorrow, or Monday or whenever, we want to sincerely wish you a blessed Ramadhan!  Happy fasting!


"The person who fasts during Ramadhan experiences an even greater joy [than being gleeful and overjoyed at the fleeting things of this world], one related to this world (the happiness of breaking the fast at dusk) and one related to the Hereafter (the ultimate jot of meeting God and recieveing lasting bliss of Paradise)."  -Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, in Purification of the Heart, p. 185.

Motivational Stuff...

Everyone likes those cheesy motivational posters, right?

You know the ones I'm talking about...with a few inspirational words, a beautiful background image, and a stunning lay-out that showcases all the elements of art (unity, harmony, balance, texture, line, shape...etc.).

And for you folks who will vehemently deny appreciating these works, I've got something that even you can't not like.

Enter Karen Salmonsohn.  I stumbled upon her website upon one of my blog-hopping adventures and fell in love with it.

After all, who could not love this:

source: notsalmon.com

source: notsalmon.com

Source: notsalmon.com

source: notsalmon.com

source: notsalmon.com

 Feel better yet?  :P

Check out her gazillion-and-one posters at notsalmon.com...click under "older posts" to see the full range of cutsey, pretty, and even breath-taking posters.  Happy viewing!

Rmd Prep

As far as I can remember, this is the first time I've consciously prepared for Ramadhan.  Like many, come every Shaabaan, I start of to-do list of  Ramadhan Prep stuff.  Unfortunately it get's stuck there.

Remember folks, I'm the Professional Procrastinator.  I'm also a Major Do-Nothing-er.
And while this is fairly typical of a Type Four, I'm also surrounded by wonderful people who have interesting things they're working on, and yes, I tend to zap myself into that. [More on the Type Four Enneagram stuff later, inshaAllah!]

Allhumdulilah, this year I've been able to knock of a couple of the big ticket items on my list, and with under two weeks to go before the blessed month arrives, inshAllah, I'll be able to get going with the other stuff too.

Some of the things on that list:

• Keep qadha fasts
• Read salaat at the earliest time, as per the meaning of "establishing" salaat (vs. "praying" or "reading")
• Increase recitation of the Quraan
• Recite the musnoon duaas and litanies daily.  I have this awesome little book that was gifted to me, and I can't begin to describe how grateful I am for it!

And there's obviously more..but I won't bore y'all with the details.  So, I'm now left wondering what other people are up to.  How do you prep for the Blessed Month?

It's tough being a girl...

SubhanAllah, this video is amazing.  This brother speaks in such a beautiful way and his words are so intriguing and truthful. JazakiAllah to Sr. Riham at Beauty of Islam for sharing.

Some gems from the video:

"...we are so confused about ideas of gender..."

"...if we look at any program, go to any conference conferences or classes, the majority of the attendees are women..."

"...most of us whether we are men or women are not thinking of using Islam as the epicentre of our lives..."

What are YOU going to do now?

I'm in the process of finishing up my four year undergraduate degree from the oh so prestigious University of Toronto. I should be relieved, yes? happy? excited? The answer is no, I am feeling none of the above. Why you say? Well let's just say I'm not quite sure what to do now. I am one of those unfortunate souls who seem to get stuck in the middle, that is, being average. I was average in University which now means I have no chance of getting into a decent post-grad professional school, and the other unfortunate aspect of being average is that you were so close to not being average, that is, being just a few percentage points from that coveted A-.

I hate writing essays, when I say hate I mean I despise it to the very core. I stare at the laptop for a full day before I can even type the first sentence. So post-grad school is not for me, however, there's still an inkling in me that wants to pursue this path. Why? Well I have been inundated with the message that a Bachelor degree just does not have the same value as it did in the past and that now a Master's degree is mandatory. Browsing some job postings, many of the "good" jobs do require Master's degree, even though the knowledge received from a Master's will be of no substantial value towards performing the actual job. Jobs that required a high school degree say 20 years ago are now asking for Bachelor's and even Master's.

Because I'm not pursuing post-grad education, I have this deep fear in me that I will never land a "good" or "coveted" job. What makes my situation even worse is my specialization in undergrad, as a double major in Political Science and Criminology I am constantly subjected to the million dollar question from aunties and uncles "What are you going to do now?" or the other million dollar question "What kind of job can you get with your degree?".

What kind of job can I get?? I tend to say a job in the government, to which I get a blank stare, which then gets me thinking, did I make a really big mistake in choosing Poli Sci and Criminology as my undergraduate major?? Really, if I can't even land a job in the government at this point, am I destined for some low-paying, low-skilled job?

I should have majored in something more practical, like business or engineering, but what's done is done I presume, so must make lemonade with life's lemons or something along those lines.

A Gem

Today is a gift, that's why it's called the Present!

Wisdom

"For instance, if a man ceases to take any concern in worldly matters, conceives a distaste for common pleaures, and appears sunk in depression, the doctor will say, “This is a case of melancholy, and requires such and such prescription." 

The physicist will say, “This is a dryness of the brain caused by hot weather and cannot be relieved till the air becomes moist.” 

The astrologer will attribute it to some particular conjunction or opposition of plantes. 

“Thus far their wisdom reaches,” says the Koran. 

It does not occur to them that what has really happened is this: that the Almighty has a concern for the welfare of that man, and has therefore commanded His servants, the planets or the elements, to produce such a condition in him that he may turn away from the world to his Maker.

The knowledge of this fact is a lustrous pearl from the ocean of inspirational knowledge, to which all other forms of knowledge are as islands in the sea.”

-The Alchemy of Happiness, Imam Al-Ghazali

A Moment

La vie est fragile.

So short that it is a momentary blink in time.

Consider that there is an adhaan for which there is no immediate salaat.  And that there is also a corresponding salaat which is not preambled with an adhaan. 

Except that the buffer between this adhaan and this salaat is the short moment that we call "life".

At your birth, the adhaan is called,

And in the next moment the salaat for your janazah is read.

SubhanAllah.  La vie est fragile.

[Source: Path To Piety Conference 2011]

If you've never failed, you've never lived

One of the most amazing Motivational Video I've ever seen.

Really good around this time...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P99g1Smffhk

Lookie! You all are from all over the world!

All-time page views by country:

Canada 2,484 United States 73 United Kingdom 37 Malaysia 19 Germany 4 India 3 Saudi Arabia 3 Australia 2 France 2 Indonesia 2

the last one

I'm nearly there.

And in the process I've learned two things about myself:
a) I'm the worst procrastinator ever
b) I'm a perfectionist

a + b =  horribly, horribly high stress levels

Take this paper that was due Wednesday, for example.  It was too much, and I felt a little like this guy here:

All the while thinking: 

-must. not. do. this. to. myself.

-must. use. will. power.

-must. finish. this. dumb. dumb. paper.

-why. why. why. does. this. always. happen. to. me.

BUT, now that it's done, all I can think is, "THIS IS THE LAST DARN PAPER I WILL EVER WRITE FOR SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!  LAST PAPER EVER*!!!!!!!

AHHHHHHH!!!  THIS is what pure jubilation feels like!! :)

*I graduate this year!  Conditional on the fact that I never go back to school.  People who know me well are kinda convinced that I've got a PhD to tackle....aieee... don't even want to think about that!

Acquaintances or Friends?

I have this issue with categorizing people as either friends or acquaintances. There are people in your life who clearly fit into either one of the two categories, though, there's more often than not that group of people where you're just not quite sure, are they your friends or your acquaintances? How do you distinguish between the two?

I have this incessant need to categorize the people I know into these two groups. I would love my acquaintances to become my friends, but how do you know if you're acquaintances are just as keen in becoming friends? And how do you know when you're acquaintance has become your friend? Is there some type of threshold they would have to pass?

I'm most likely overthinking this. From experience, I've figured that an acquaintance usually transitions into the friend stage at the point when a)you exchange phone numbers; then b) suggests to hang out sometime; and c)actually hang out. The tricky part though is remaining in contact. If both sides of the friendship do not make an effort to remain in contact then that friendship dissolves and soon you become mere acquaintances. Which is such a shame when you think about it, because you lost a potentially good friendship because you were too lazy to maintain contact.

About two years ago I worked full time for the summer months, and during those short 4 months me and four other girls at work really bonded. We spent our lunches together, our breaks, partook in work gossip, and basically had a good laugh everyday. Two years on and I'm glad to say that I'm still in contact with 2 of these girls and we have a bi-annual reunion with four of us. Though there's that one girl who is now simply an acquaintance, she never responded to the reunion invitation, and after that we simply stopped inviting her. It's unfortunate because from all the girls, me and her spent the most time together at work, and now I wouldn't even think about messaging her, as I fear potential awkwardness. Potential awkwardness, that is a good topic for my next post.

MISTified!

I <3 MIST.  That is all.

DST vs. Body Clock???

A custodian checks Kansas's Clay County courthouse clock after daylight savings ended last year.

Photograph by Charlie Riedel, AP

Something's messed up around this time of the year.
Ever since Sunday, I've been feeling out of it. Sunday is coincidentally the same day that we all "sprang forward". So, can I attribute this to Daily Light Saving Time (DST) changes?

The National Geographic*  recently reported on some interesting findings.

Daylight Saving Time 2011: Why and When Does It Begin?
Brian Handwerkfor National Geographic NewsUpdated March 13, 2011

Daylight Saving Time: Healthy or Harmful?

For decades advocates of daylight savings have argued that, energy savings or no, daylight saving time boosts health by encouraging active lifestyles—a claim Wolff and colleagues are currently putting to the test.

"In a nationwide American time-use study, we're clearly seeing that, at the time of daylight saving time extension in the spring, television watching is substantially reduced and outdoor behaviors like jogging, walking, or going to the park are substantially increased," Wolff said. "That's remarkable, because of course the total amount of daylight in a given day is the same."

But others warn of ill effects.

Till Roenneberg, a chronobiologist at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, Germany, said his studies show that our circadian body clocks—set by light and darkness—never adjust to gaining an "extra" hour of sunlight to the end of the day during daylight saving time.

"The consequence of that is that the majority of the population has drastically decreased productivity, decreased quality of life, increasing susceptibility to illness, and is just plain tired," Roenneberg said.

One reason so many people in the developed world are chronically overtired, he said, is that they suffer from "social jet lag." In other words, their optimal circadian sleep periods are out of whack with their actual sleep schedules.

Shifting daylight from morning to evening only increases this lag, he said.

"Light doesn't do the same things to the body in the morning and the evening. More light in the morning would advance the body clock, and that would be good. But more light in the evening would even further delay the body clock."

Other research hints at even more serious health risks.

A 2008 study in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that, at least in Sweden, heart attack risks go up in the days just after the spring time change. "The most likely explanation to our findings are disturbed sleep and disruption of biological rhythms," lead author Imre Janszky, of the Karolinska Institute's Department of Public Health Sciences in Stockholm, told National Geographic News via email.

Read the full article here

So what do you make of all this? Do you believe that DST is actually bad for your health?




*Sarky's employer when she becomes a world-renowned photo-journalist, inshaAllah! :)

Qirrat Competition

Assalamulaykum people. hows everything going.

well i just wanted you to know that the qirrat competition is coming up and my brother is praying in it. Hifz juz 1-5.

Make duaa for him. (and everyone as well :D)

A trust

Today, the lab I had to do for one of my courses was probably one of the most dangerous ones I (insha'Allah!) will have to encounter... It used pretty dangerous, toxic and corrosive reactants and the reactions themselves were pretty intense. Not to mention, 2 explosions already occured with other people doing this...

That being said, I was beyond terrfied... Alhamdulillah it all went well, no major incidents to report!, but thinking about it, it really made me question how well we take care of our bodies...

The idea that we are given this body as a trust by Allah swt, and yet we sometimes don't consider the effects of our choices...

I remember going into the lab wondering if I would come out in the same way (I know it sounds ilke an exaggeration, but it's really true!) and yet I still intentionally went through 4 hours of a potentially dangerous setting... Of course everyone took the necessary precautions, but there's always the risk.

Maybe, that's justifiable because it's for school purposes and everyone was taking the right precautions anyway? Maybe. But what about other parts of our lives, such as our diet?

Does being a Muslim also mean that we should eat healthier and live a healthier lifestyle?

--

Prophet Muhammad SAW has said "Ask Allah SWT for forgiveness and health, for after being granted certainty, one is given nothing better than health" Related in Tirmidhi.

In the Qur'an, we are also told to "Eat and drink, but avoid excess" (20:81)

--

A lot of people will want to lose weight to feel better about themselves based on what the norms of the society are. But what if losing weight could be the result of adapting to a healthier lifestyle where you are pleasing Allah SWT and helping to return this wonderful trust given to you, your body? Seems better than a win-win situation!

As the countdown to the end of university starts soon, and there's loads of 'stress-relieving' foods or maybe better known as 'comfort foods' out there, it might just be wise to re-check some habits!

May Allah SWT help us to refine our habits where necessary so that we can become better Muslims and a better representation of our deen.

Studying for a Test

9:42pm - Opened lecture slides on computer.
9:43pm - Made coffee so that I can stay awake and study.
9:55pm - Went to get arrowroot biscuits to eat with my coffee.
9:57pm - Can't eat and drink and study at the same time, take a break and watch coronation street on youtube.
11:00pm - Really need to start studying. Reads the first few slides.
11:05pm - Studied for a bit, now deserves a break. Goes on youtube.
11:45pm - Finished watching documentary about a young photographer who went to some African country, took photos of the Tribes, then returns back to Africa to give the developed portraits to the Tribes.
11:46pm - Sudden urge to quit school and go to Africa to take pictures
11:47pm - Does not have a trust fund- dreams are dashed.
11:48pm - Remembers that there's a test tommorow
11:49pm - Goes on facebook, looks at other people's status. Presses the like button. Comments on a status, waits for a response.......
12:00pm - still waiting for a response
12:00pm - Gets a response, the person replied "lol". That was enough socialization for the day
12:01am - Too late to study, will get up early tommorow.

I'm number 4

All through the last years of high school one phrase that we heard over and over and over again was "once you get to university you're just a number".

In my short two years at university I have yet to witness such a thing. I've had a total of 2 classes where the class size is larger than 60. I was lucky to have a class last year with around I dunno 100? people? It was a lot thats all I know. Anyway, I LOVED that class. It was so much fun! The prof was at the front talking about..bone density or something and I was sitting somewhere off to the side, I could leave whenever I wanted without the prof. even noticing, I could sit with my legs up, all comfy with my stash of yummy food on the seat beside me, with my laptop ready in case I needed a Youtube fix...sigh that was the good life

I long for those huge lecture classes where the prof goes on and your only job is to show up (if you want) and listen (if you want) and take notes (if you want).

I have not had that luxury this year. Instead I got stuck in small classes where attendance and participation are part of your mark. Well ok theres just this one class in particular that I dread EVERY week.. (and it might have something to do with that class NOT being one of my core nursing classes meaning that yikes theres GUYS in that class..but that requires another post on its own).

Anyways back to my point: I WANT TO BE A NUMBER!

I don't want to participate and I don't want you to ask questions and I don't want you to walk around picking on people...I just want of those very typical university classes..but alas we don't always get what we want do we??

Snow in Toronto

There's a chance of it being a Snow Day when I wake up in a couple of hours.  

They've forecasted a storm, one that's being dubbed "The Groundhog Day Storm" and it's set to dump a whopping 20-30 centimetres.  

And Torontonians are freaking out. 

This video is a pretty accurate portrayal of what happens when Toronto gets hit.

I'm just going to bow my head in shame and deny my Torontonian identity for a bit, okay?

My attempt at poetry

The tempo of the beating sun numbed coherent thinking.

My thoughts gasped for a moment’s breeze.

The soles of my feet cried out for a breather.

A rest it called, a moment’s rest it pleaded.

I consoled the pangs of pain ringing in my limbs, "patience is a virtue".

In the thick of day, in the soulless dusk, I trekked.

A voice pierced out, fragmenting the silence of the barren surroundings.

The milky deep tone saturated my crusty pores.

It soothed my passionately inflamed skin.

Moistened the shields of my iris

I clamoured to the call, “Who is there?”

It ignored my pleas for confrontation.

Disappearing into the abyss, I was left solitude once again.

My knees crumbled to the earth, no vigour left to dictate orders

Eyelids were sealing, arms were draping. A few seconds wait, and permanently
comatose.

Few seconds passed, my heart in arrest, and the beatific call was heard once more,

“Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La ilaaha illa-Lah”

Life in a Day

While I was wasting time on youtube the other day, I stumbled upon a trailer for a documentary titled "Life in a Day" . Now this isn't you everyday type of documentary, first off, there's no quote in quote "knowledge" or fact finding mission being broadcasted through this film. To give a quick synopsis of the documentary, it's a mesh of hundreds of videos uploaded to youtube by people around the world, these videos are composed of short glimpses into the lives of people on the specific date of July 24th 2010. The broadcast premiere of the film is happening tommorow on Youtube, so everyone can watch it!

This is a really unique idea, broadcasting a premier live on youtube, I'm a student and anything that's for free is a homerun for me. I've looked at a few trailers already, and there seems to be a bit of everything, sorrow, hope, joy, everyday mundaness, and now I'm pumped to watch it.

Here's the link!

http://www.youtube.com/lifeinaday

The Maharajas @ AGO

I'm looking forward to seeing this exhibit soon with my family at the Art Gallery of Ontario.  Best of all, it's free if you're 25 and under! So what about you?  Will you be going?

http://www.ago.net/maharaja-exhibition

For Yusuf

I like DIYing...but you already know that, right?

Well, here's a recent project that I worked on using scrapbooking paper, a bristol board and a whole lot of glue!  

Yep, it's a greeting card!  A giant one at that! 

I had such a good time making it that methinks I should do this more often.  Good stress relief!

Also, it reminds me of my childhood, when things seemed so much simpler.  Yes, I was a total art geek back then.  Look no further than my Origami Club membership and the fact that I was the school's rep at the DARE Arts Program.  

I love this stuff. <3

Look a little harder

People really like their quotes, eh?

And whether it’s on a book, a frame, an agenda or some other random item, some people will buy it just because they really, really liked the quote that was on it.

But, this post is not about quotes.  Or even how wildly popular and ubiquitous they have become. But it does serve as a great segue into perhaps what is one of the most commonly known quotes:

Stop and smell the roses.

And while it’s not entirely clear where this phrase originated from, there are many, many theories.  Some speculate that it was golfer Walter Hagen who first came up with a similar quote.  In his 1956 biography, he is quoted as saying,

You're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry. Don't worry. 

And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.

Apparently, “smell the flowers” was later misquoted as “smell the roses”.

In any case, I appreciate the sentiment of the longer quote.  It’s lovely, isn’t it?  It’s a profound reminder that we are so blessed – in ways that we will never be able to fully comprehend.

And it’s a message to look a little harder.

Like when you’re taking an ordinary walk to the subway station.  Did you notice the afternoon sun beaming down the tree lined streets?

Or take a peek outside before you head to bed.  What’s ordinary can become extraordinary...

And it’s a wonder that even a simple thing can make a difference.  Like looking UP for a change.

At times, even the most boring thing – like a 25 page paper- can suddenly look beautiful.

And sometimes, you’ll be rewarded with a sight that really is very magical.

 

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All pictures belong to the writer and are from her personal collection.  Please seek permission before using. Thanks!