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!

Let's start a revolution!

Exhibit A: My khuffain - AKA leather socks:

They're the perfect accompaniment to lounge wear.  Okay, okay, I'm only calling my pajamas "lounge wear" because it sounds that much more sophisticated.  Let's try that again, without the element of deception.  

They're the perfect accompaniment to my pajamas- which are obviously the clothing of choice when you're on hols and your To Do List looks like this:  

Winter Hols To Do List:

1. RELAX

2. See 1.

Okay, fine. You got me again.  My list actually has 32 items on it...but I wish it looked like this one! But, I digress.  [Hold on a sec...what was I supposed to be talking about again?!?]  The khuffain, right.  

So, they're perfect when you're at home and if your house is ancient like ours is, and in spite of having the heat on AND carpeting that covers EVERY - SINGLE- square inch of the home, you still get cold...here is the solution, my friends. 

I usually wear ankle socks underneath and pop these on top. They keep my feet warm and dry...plus I cleverly evade the dreaded getting-your-feet-wet-because-you-need-to-make-whudu-before-fajr situation.  Don't you just hate that feeling?

You know what I'm talking about!  You've been snoozing along, all nice and toasty when your fajr alarm rudely interrupts that wonderful dream you've been having.  [Tangent: If you're like Sarky Devotchka, your idea of a wonderful dream might include a suspenseful, bone-chilling chase down a dark alleyway as you attempt to escape your kidnapper.]  So, anyways, your feet are all nice and toasty and now you've got to get up and get them cold again.  

Enter the Awesome Khuffain.  

Do your masaah over them, and you're good to go.   Not to mention the added benefit of reviving a forgotten Sunnah!  *Double High-Five!*

And now you're going to give me a "but" aren't you?  You're thinking, "This girl is whack...I've never seen a GIRL wearing khuffain before!"  Sadly, you may be right.  And that's why I say we start a revolution: a hijabi wearing khuffain revolution!  

After all, it's not fair for the Brothers to keep such an awesome secret to themselves, right?  :P

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N.B.  The rulings on khuffain differ depending on the interpretation.  One should consult a local imam/Shaykh or a reputable book of Fiqh.  See: SunniPath for more info.

...almost there

Inevitably, you know what I'm talking about.

It's the end of the semester crunch, and man, if this picture doesn't exemplify my very typical student life, I don't know what does!



Look carefully.  Did you notice the smaller sign by the black car?

That's right, only FIVE days left until the start of hols!

But let's not get ahead of ourselves now...still got a major paper to write.

And YOU!  Don't even pretend you're taking a break from studying to read this post.  You've been youtubing, facebooking and blog browsing all along, haven't you?  (Insert sneaky smile)

Yay for graduation...?

I have been feeling quite unsettled these past few weeks, more so than usual, and I've pinpointed the cause of these feelings to my steadily approaching graduation date from university. Having spent almost 17 years in continuous education, I'm not quite sure how to live life without school.

The obvious next step after graduation is getting a job, but I really don't want a 9-5 monotonous job where the only thing that keeps me going is the thought of the approaching weekend and payday. They say to find a job you're passionate about, but let's be realistic, there are only so many jobs out there where your passion can provide a decent income. I'm sure everyone would love to be a professional photographer for the National Geographic's, but such an industry is incredibly limited in available opportunities. I'm afraid I'll end up in one of those administrative office jobs where I input data for the rest of my life, and I will slowly degenerate into a cranky old lady who complains about work everyday and talks for hours about what her cats did the other night.

Where will I find my satisfying job? I'm not really sure. Which is why I made a resolution (not that anything ever accrues from these resolutions). Nonetheless, my resolution for the future is that if I ever end up in a job that I hate, I will quit, providing I can afford to quit, which effectively means I won't be able to quit, which makes my resolution pointless. Okay, not the best idea, but if you really really disliked your job, and quit without having reassurance that you will find another job, would you risk being poor for the sake of your sanity?

I really don't know.