Thank you, I'm proud!

Just some randoms.

~ I had one pressurized week at work and imagine, there were no students yet. School officially starts on the 18th and yet I got swamped with loads of work. I was craving for a holiday immediately and I'm so glad we got a week off for Eid...it's more like a charging week before the battle. The week mainly consisted of preparations (so much of it for me) and creating posters for each class we're going to teach this year (eyes pop-out , I have 27 different classes this year, 30 hours of teaching per week). The higher ups wanted to get all this work done before we officially start and they don't want us to slack off apparently. Meh! I'm going to be teaching grades 3 through 11 this year...possibly grade 12, though I'm dreading grade 12 since they study Java...who likes Java?!!! Sadly, no more grade 2 for me. I LOVED grade 2's. They are so cute and said the sweetest things.

No but seriously, I can't wait to see my students. I do miss them! I saw 3 or 4 of them during the week and they sure made me smile.

Highlight of the week: I was saying hello to my to-be grade 9 student who was standing with her mother.

The Mother: "Who's this? Zameeltich*?"
Student: "Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam! She's my computing teacher!"
The Mother: "La wallah?! But look at her she has a baby-face!"

All I was doing was giggling like an idiot and thanking her hahaha

* Zameeltich = You're classmate


~ I was daydreaming about New Zealand 2 days ago. How much I miss it. How my University life was so interesting, weird and fun. How much I miss *real* sushi...Bongo cafe! The kind and peaceful people....and here's where I remembered one disappointing incident that happened to Mama.

This is how mama told it:

Mama was at a vegetable shop buying, well you guessed it, vegetables, when she noticed one Maori man giving her an unfriendly look. She had a feeling that he was going to 'drop a bomb', either swear at her in which she'd reply "You're mama" (hahaha) or call her terrorist. It was the latter. As she approached the tomato section (Mama can't live without tomatoes...she's a tomato herself haha), where the man was standing...she prepared herself for what's to come.

Man: "Terrorist!"
Mama looks at him in a disgusted yet I'm going to reply to that way and says,
Mama: "Thank you. I'm proud!"

The section had started to get crowded and he was too shocked to say anything back. Mama got her tomatoes and left happily.

She came to tell us this story that night, we laughed our heads off but we were so sad to know about this situation which has never happened to any of us before, ever. She said she didn't know what to reply with except for that...it worked didn't it?

But seriously, no one can generalize a whole people according to the actions of one person. We still love and miss New Zealand even after remembering that.

~ Oh! And here's what I did this shot for a Photography competition on English Sabla...the theme was Ramadan.

Before

After

There might not be a great difference, but it did make it look better. I used Diablo's tutorial so thanks Diablo! That's one awesome tut.

I won the competition...woooot!


Happy Eid ya'all!

Eid Mubarak 2010

Eid Mubarak Everyone!!
Hope all is having a wonderful time and enjoying it to the fullest. Isn't it weird to eat again haha, I still feel I should be fasting.

Anyways, have a good one and may Allah bring us another beautiful month of Ramadan and Eid insha'Allah!

Gone Arabic

~ What a wonderful Ramadan this has been! Thanks to Allah. We've finally reached the final 10 days of this holy month and those should be used even more wisely. I hope that everyone has been benefiting greatly from this beautiful month, in every single aspect. I know I have and I plan to continue insha'Allah!

~ I've been reading two books lately and what can I say, they've been such a fantastic read that I strongly recommend them! The first book is called Stories of the Prophets (from Adam to Mohammad) by Ahmed Bahgat. It gave me goosebumps, brought me to tears and made me smile and chuckle. Just amazing!

The second book is Falastine...Al Tareekh Al Mussawar (History of Palestine in picture) by Dr. Tariq Al Suwaydani. It's very simple with a lot of well illustrated pictures, many dating back in those ages. This beautiful book has benefited me in so many ways that I'm so happy with it! It's in Arabic, and Arabic books are not 'my thing' since I'm so and so with the language itself. So hopefully it'll be a way to improve my Arabic insha'Allah. Secondly and most importantly, I've been living in the dark when it came to my own country' history and basically this wonderful book has opened my eyes to this old, old and beautiful history. So thanks to Allah that I'm gaining this important knowledge!

~ Khawatir 6. Have you guys been watching this show? What an amazing show and I just have to bring up yesterday's episode which is my current favorite right now. Check out the episode, it'll tell you everything you need to know.

"I am white, I am English and the struggle of the Palestinians is my struggle too" - by a protesting British Woman for Gaza

"I am Jewish and I loath by what the Israeli's stand" - by a protesting Jewish man for Gaza

...and the impressive, The Crocodile Tears of Norman Finkelstein:

What a truly amazing man!

~ Lastly, I start work on Saturday. Meh! Mixed feelings about that to be honest. I've turned into a lazy monster, just sitting here comfortably, waking up as late as I want, sleeping whatever time I want...so in other words a very unhealthy lifestyle. I look forward to going back to school for many reasons, but mainly for the sake of getting back to my daily and healthy routine. I've missed the kids as well...all of them, so it should be nice to see them when school officially starts. I'm planning to make a few changes so I hope all goes well! Plus I miss driving my car *cries*

Wohoo updated! :D

The Amazing Qur'an by Gary Miller

I just finished reading this wonderful article in which not only was it interesting and informative even for me as a Muslim but it amazed me and made me smile and laugh because of how truly amazing the Qur'an is!

It is a very long article but one that cannot be missed!! I have quoted only the first few paragraphs but as you read on, it just gets better and better.

Calling the Qur'an amazing is not something done only by Muslims, who have an appreciation for the book and who are pleased with it; it has been labeled amazing by non-Muslims as well. In fact, even people who hate Islam very much have still called it amazing.

One thing which surprises non_muslims who are examining the book very closely is that the Qur'an does not appear to them to be what they expected. What they assume is that they have an old book which came fourteen centuries ago from the Arabian desert; and they expect that the book should look something like that - an old book from the desert. And then they find out that it does not resemble what they expected at all. Additionally, one of the first things that some people assume is that because it is an old book which comes from the desert, it should talk about the desert. Well the Qur'an does talk about the desert - some of its imagery describes the desert; but it also talks about the sea - what it's like to be in a storm on the sea.

Some years ago, the story came to us in Toronto about a man who was in the merchant marine and made his living on the sea. A Muslim gave him a translation of the Qur'an to read. The merchant marine knew nothing about the history of Islam but was interested in reading the Qur'an. When he finished reading it, he brought it back to the Muslim and asked, "This Muhammed, was he a sailor?" He was impressed at how accurately the Qur'an describes a storm on a sea. When he was told, "No as a matter of fact, Muhammed lived in the desert," that was enough for him. He embraced Islam on the spot. He was so impressed with the Qur'an's description because he had been in a storm on the sea, and he knew that whoever had written that description had also been in a storm on the sea. The description of "a wave, over it a wave, over it clouds" was not what someone imagining a storm on a sea to be like would have written; rather, it was written by someone who knew what a storm on the sea was like. This is one example of how the Qur'an is not tied to a certain place and time. Certainly, the scientific ideas expressed in it also do not seem to originate from the desert fourteen centuries ago.

It goes on about how some people perceive that the Qur'an was sent by the devil :dev: and/or Prophet Mohammed is the Author and the time he came up with the Qur'an and when he claimed he was a Prophet he was crazy and/or a liar. But all of these assumptions and what these people believed are proven wrong through this article.

Continue Article - A MUST READ!!!!

Gather round

...cos I've got a thing or two to share.

First, I'd like to start of by saying I hope that everyone's Ramadan is going beautifully and smoothly, that it has been a blessing for all and a strong month of worship for you in the path for becoming a stronger and better Muslim! ^^

Second, I would like to introduce this new blog, خطوة | A Step, in which I'll be contributing in with two other fantastic ladies, my dearest friends FAITH and Spot. It's still fresh and plans and ideas for خطوة | A Step are under way. So please do check it out and insha'Allah it will be informative and an eye-opener.

This blog is a drop in the silence sea of the world...in which we believe that if it happens and intensifies with other drops; they'd change something...someday!

And that's my 50bz lol

May Allah (swt) accept our fasting and may our Iftar be delicious! Ameen.

Maher Zain - The Chosen One (Al Mukhtar)

My favorite song of the album has finally been made into a video and I have to say what a beautiful video. It truly is in perfect sync with the song/lyrics!

The song - The Chosen One - is inspired by Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Maher Zain and Awakening Records felt they had to respond after the recent attacks on prophet Muhammad through cartoons and facebook. The result is this music video. It's a small token in portraying the true character of our beloved Prophet Muhammad.

I always get goosebumps no matter how many times I listen to this song!

A video about Ramadan

I really liked this video and thought I'd share with who ever would be interested.

The video truly tackles most of the bad aspects we might put ourselves into during this holy month. He sends out good messages in a interesting and funny way and let's hope we and every other Muslim who watches the video learns that truly the holy month of Ramadan is a blessing!

2010 Ramadan Mubarak

I'm so happy right now! It's always such a wonderful feeling when you know that Ramadan is just around the corner, start preparing for the delicious dishes, and setting out important goals to achieve through out this holy and beautiful month. Fasting in Oman begins tomorrow and I'm so excited about it because it's the first Ramadan in 5 years in a Muslim and Arab country (different feeling and vibe), more specifically Oman! You can already feel it in the air, such a warm feeling, you can see it on people's faces and hear it in their voices as they say do3a2 to one another.

I have set out a few goals for my self in which I've written on small yellow post-it notes (which I've stuck on my wall) and these goals mainly concentrate on reading the whole Qura'an (in a month), read it's translation to get a stronger understanding, memorize a good number of chapters (the whole Part 30 and my favorite chapter Al Ra7man), read the book Stories of the Prophets, and the constant recall (Theker) of Allah (swt), and the list goes on.

There are many things you can leave and gain from Ramadan, therefore, this month should be spent wisely. Make sure your intentions are truthful and in the right place, that you truly want to come out a better and stronger Muslim than before. There's no use if you pray just because you're fasting and you want it to count, and then come the end of the holy month of Ramadan let go of everything...these are the wrong intentions.

Again, Ramadan Mubarak and may it be a blessed and a wonderful month for us all!

[Movie] Inception (2010)

Plot:

Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption.

Tagline: Your mind is the scene of the crime

Official Trailer

Just be calm and tackle aspect by aspect sensibly.
*I literally have my fingers floating on the keyboard because I don't know where to begin. *

I first heard about this movie some time towards the end of 2009, where I saw a really small part of the making of the "no gravity" scene. I knew that it's going to be a fantastic watch so I gathered some more information about the movie and discovered who was in the cast and most importantly, who was the director of the movie. Let me start with the cast, I mean just look at those names.

Leonardo DeCaprio: he totally grew, for me, as actor after I watched Blood Diamond and The Departed. After these two movies, I looked more forward to any up coming movies he starred in and I have to say he played his role real well. His character was of the emotional and mysterious type which can be quite a tough thing to act but he did it perfectly.

Ken Watanabe: okay! This man was just pure awesomeness. He played the bad man of the group but I honestly like his characters relationship with Leo's character. They had a lot in common and I have to say that last scene between him and Leo was just fantastic!

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: always been a fan of this actor since the days of 3rd Rock from the Sun and 10 Things I Hate About You and what a fantastic role he had. Definitely my favorite character of the movie! He got the coolest scenes of the movie too...they were stupendous! Loved how he played the cold yet innocent (and I thought he was sweet) and smart character. You can't help it but like him.

Marion Cotillard: don't know her very well, but she had an annoying character. She scared me with her fast, sudden head turns...makes you think her neck broke but non-the-less she did an awesome job too.

Ellen Page: one of my all time favorite actresses! She is just flawless at what she does and I'm glad she starred in such an amazing move as Inception. She needs to gain weight though...she's super skinny!

Cillian Murphy: guy with the freaky eyes...oooh *makes ghost sound*. I like him as an actor (thanks to Red Eye)...he had a small role but it was an important one. Spoiler?

The movie when it comes to the visuals factor was just absolutely brilliant. Just the thought of the amount it took to create such a massive world is just gob-smacking. Also, one to think or come up with such a world is on a thinking level of their own. Pure genius!

I loved the story and how everything came together. I had a moment during a scene where I said to myself "Ooooh so that's why they made him change in to that person...haha awesome!!"...it was truly awesome because it was like you solving the puzzle. This is what I exactly like, and I'm sure most who follow this kind of genre will agree, your brain just constantly working as the movie progresses so as to understand and solve the story.

The science (time, psychology, chemistry, engineering, etc) behind this movie is incredible! This is where the real genius and art appears because it has to be passed on in a way that it's understandable and fascinating rather than boring and useless. It's definitely something new; some people compared Inception to The Matrix but I don't see the comparison because the idea in Inception is more of the real world (dreams) rather than the fantasy world (with monsters, weird creatures, and slow motion dodging bullets and incredible fighting power, etc) which you see in the Matrix. I just truly enjoyed the science that contained this fantastic movie!

Now let's come to the awesome director, who has become my favorite director in this current time. Christopher Nolan ladies and gents! You might remember him from 2 years ago with his fantastic direction in The Dark Night. Epic-ness right there! The direction totally stands out in Inception and once you leave the theater it's almost the first thing that comes to mind..."the movie was very well directed". So hats of Mr. Nolan, you did it again!

Lastly, I leave you with the fantastic music composer, Hans Zimmer, who was also the composer for The Dark Night (go figure - two amazing movies). A fantastic job here too, definitely matched every bit of the movie and I can't wait to get my hands on the Soundtrack! Just watch the trailer and you'll get what I mean.

If you haven't watched this movie yet then I have no idea what it is that you're waiting for exactly! Must see at the cinema as well just to experience the full sounds and visuals package.

Great direction, fantastic cast, amazing story and awesome visuals and music, hands down a 10/10

Post of the Day

:: Sweet Oman was hit by a Tropical Cyclone given the incredibly awesome name, Phet. Parts of the country (especially the coastal regions) was under serious alert for 3 complete days. At first, the cyclone had a different course but then it decided to change it's route and visit sweet sweet Oman. It got pretty intense in some areas, where roads were flooded, water entered homes, PALM Trees fell, and sadly, the thing that everyone was mostly hoping for not to happen, the loss of 16 lives. May they Rest In Peace and may Allah have mercy on their souls. I also hope that the people that have been seriously affected by Phet get back up and going asap. The positive side of Phet is that it left Oman cool and cleaned the air for a couple of days, which was much needed in the current oven heat weather we're experiencing. Al 7amdulelAllah 3ala kulee 7al!

:: I'm sure everyone knows what the Zionists have recently done, right? Despite this being late to blog about, it's still the discussion/debate of today. Plus, I just want to get all my fury out there. Day by day I become more and more astonished by the level of illegal-ness the Zionists are allowed to exceed. YES! Allowed! No one seems to stop them so that means they're free to do what they want. Where is the world from them? WHERE? Despite the fact that the boats heading to Gaza contained many kinds of much needed supplies to the people of Gaza (who have been living in indescribable conditions), the Zionists moved out and attacked those Peace boats on INTERNATIONAL effin' waters. The Zionists claim that it was defense. Um...where is the logic in that? Last but not least, I don't blame the Zionists for what they're doing to Palestine, but I blame the Arab cowards who are just sitting there watching their fellow brothers and sisters get slaughtered in front of their eyes. You make me sick!

God bless Turkey!

These two event's happened very close two each other. It wasn't very nice at all!

:: Now, as for me, I've just been busy with what life has given me so far. As far as things go, school is my main occupation but honestly, I can't wait till it ends...this heat isn't helping me nor the children. I think the heat has some kind of crazy affect on them where they just go wild. Exams start tomorrow...God help us all lol and I officially get off from school on the 21st of June. It's going great...school I mean. All the 29 grades I teach are fantastic...except for ONE, but let's not go into that shall weh lol Anyways, the good thing is summer is JUST around the corner, and I will have more time to blog about all sorts of things InshAllah!

Lastly, savor the small or big moments (happy or sad) for as long as you can! They're truly worth savoring.