Across the Universe...

WE ARE NOT GOODS

2015-03-08T22:39:00.002+05:00

Since, it's Women's Day, I've been thinking about how far we've come and how far we still have to go. I thought I'd do a little rant about something that continues to make me angry. Very angry. I know that even in 2015 there are a lot of issues women still have to deal with on a daily basis, but I'm going to focus on one that really gets on my nerves.

As many of you all did, I watched this documentary recently about the gang rape case of Nirbhaya. The mindset of the rapists and more shockingly the lawyers who defended them blew my mind. Here are some of their quotes:

Lawyer 1

1. A female is just like a flower. It gives good looking…very softness performance, pleasant. But on the other hand, a man is like a thorn. Strong, tough enough. The flower always need protection. If you put that flower in a gutter, it is spoilt. If you put that flower in a temple, it will be worshipped.

2. In our society we never allow our girls to come out from the house after 6:30 or 7:30 or 8:30 in the evening with any unknown person.

3. They left our Indian culture. They were under the imagination of the film culture, in which they can do anything.

4. She should not be put on the streets just like food. The ‘lady’, on the other hand, you can say the ‘girl’ or ‘woman’, are more precious than a gem, than a diamond. It is up to you how you want to keep that diamond in your hand. If you put your diamond on the street, certainly the dog will take it out. You can’t stop it.

5. You are talking about man and woman as friends. Sorry, that does not have any place in our society. A woman means, I immediately put the sex in his eyes.

6. We have the best culture. In our culture, there is no place for a woman.

Lawyer 2

1. That girl was with some unknown boy who took her on a date.

2. If very important…very necessary... She should go outside. But she should go with their family members like uncle, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, etc. etc. She should not go in night hours with her boyfriend.

3. Singh is shown saying: If my daughter or sister engaged in pre-marital activities and disgraced herself and allowed herself to lose face and character by doing such things, I would most certainly take this sort of sister or daughter to my farmhouse, and in front of my entire family, I would put petrol on her and set her alight.” When asked at a later point in the film if he stands by those comments, he replies that he does.

I'm sorry what? And it's not just Indian society. Here is how a popular Mufti explains why women are valued.

You Keep Your Money Hidden Away In Wallets,Banks And Safes
You Keep It Covered Up.

Why Don't You Display It In Public If It's A Beautiful Thing ?

You Keep Your Money Hidden Because It Is So Valuable.

We Value The True Worth Of Women Far,
Far More.

Therefore, These Precious Jewels Are Not On Display To One And All. They Are Kept In Honor And Dignity

Say what? Why are you comparing us to objects and possessions? Food, really? A flower? You say we are like a diamond as if it's a compliment and we should be grateful. And I've seen even many liberal minded women in agreement with horseshit like this. Just because they use pretty words like 'flower' or 'diamond' doesn't mean it's a good thing. They are basically saying you are objects with no feelings or emotion. You're gems and money that need to be locked up in the vault. Whether you agree or not is irrelevant because possessions don't have opinions or feelings.

Also these 'men' need to realize that they are insulting their own gender. What they are saying is that basically men have zero will-power. Men are animals and will attack and there is no stopping it or taking responsibility for their own actions. You are saying a man can't view a woman as anything but a sex object. Well I have enough amazing men in my life to know that that is wrong.

Why do women have to live in fear? Why are we taught not to get raped instead of not to rape? We have the right to walk alone or with anyone we want and go anywhere we like at any time of the day as we see fit without our hearts thudding in fear always. It doesn't matter what a woman is wearing, she can be naked for all you want but as long as she does not invite you to do so, you have NO right to touch her.

You can't stop rape by covering up, not going out or making women live like hermits. The only way to stop rape is BY NOT RAPING.

So dear misogynists and women who enable them. Please stop comparing us to objects. Women are human beings, not food to be eaten, not flowers to be plucked or diamonds to be stolen. We are not goods.

Happy Women's day to all the incredible women out there.
P.S: Shout out to all the wonderful men out there who don't dismiss our history of struggle, supports us through current ones and makes way for a better future for us.

Why it's okay to like 50 Shades of Grey

2015-02-05T19:43:00.000+05:00

I can't remember the last time I blogged, but I always seem to get an itch whenever Valentine's Day draws near. No idea why. But in keeping up with the spirit, lets talk about all the hate the popular Fifty Shades of Grey novel is getting.

I heard of how bad it was and how nobody could read beyond a few pages. I figured it must be terrible and pretty much one of those things that are loved as much as loathed such as Twilight or Justin Bieber. (Yes, I might have just referred to him as a thing.)

So I never sought it out because life is too short for horrible books. But I was always intrigued by it's supposed BDSM theme. But then there came the day where I had to be (and still am) in a long distance relationship. So one late night I found myself reading it online. I suppose this is the girl version of a guy looking for porn when the girlfriend is not available.

Anyway, everyone was right. The book is horribly written. Cringe-worthy in fact. Many elements in it were pretty ridiculous. BUT I enjoyed the crap out of it. Not for the author's literary prowess or political correctness, which are nonexistent. I liked it because it plays on the fantasy that evidently a lot of women have. It's pretty much porn for women. Example quote from book:

“Every time you move tomorrow, I want you to be reminded that I've been here. Only me. You are mine.”

I mean...*fans self*

And as much as there are women who actually hate it, I'm certain there are some women who say they dislike it just because it's embarrassing to say they did. I outgrew that in high school. Now If I actually like something, I'm too old to pretend that I don't. :/ Also can we please stop calling it mommy porn. Hello, there are a lot of us nothing close to being mommies who enjoyed it as well.

I know the BDSM community do have a problem with how it portrays it but truth be told, there isn't much of any BDSM in the book. Just the fact that the guy was into that until he met the girl. Pretty disappointing. I do agree it's wrong to promote or sell the book using the BDSM theme to entice an audience when it clearly has nothing much to do with BDSM.

So why do I think it's okay to like it? Well because it's erotic fiction. It's fantasy. It's not a relationship guide. It's for an adult audience. Many people have fantasies that they would never want to happen or tolerate in real life. The human psyche is a strange thing. And that's okay. Don't forget that the book reached such popularity because WOMEN loved it. So what if it's not your thing? Can we take the hate down a notch?

Lots of well-meaning people think the proper thing to do is bash the book as a feminist. But This is a book written by a woman for women. Enjoyed by millions of women. In a world of porn dominated by men's fantasies, I for one am thankful there is something for us as well. That being said I realize this sentiment can truly be appreciated by people who really got off on the book. Ahem.

I have lots of stuff I dislike as well. Twilight and Justin Bieber included. But I don't go out of my way to dis everyone who reads it or listens to them. Have to admit this lesson took some time to learn. It deserves criticism but the women who enjoy them do not. It's not necessary to go to war with the book.

Don't get the wrong idea. I don't think it's a good book. Great porn maybe. But a terribly written, and outrageously silly book. But maybe it's okay to enjoy the ridiculousness of it all. And that does not in anyway make me a non-feminist. In my opinion, assuming women can't tell the difference between fictional erotica and real life is more insulting. Read it but don't read too much into it. There are bigger issues in the world.

Oh and I used Matt Bomers picture because come on? Amirite? No shade to Jamie Dornan. You're hot as well but Matt Bomer IS Christian Grey. Just look at him!

For all you ladies out there who enjoyed it, I want you to know that it's okay to like it. Don't let anyone tell you you're silly for whatever preference you have as a fantasy. Because that is all it is. A fantasy. I know I'll get a lot of flack for this post. But I immensely enjoyed reading 50 Shades of Grey. Sue me.

Laters Baby ;) xoxo

Nora & Egaz - Island in the Sun - Addu - Maldives

2014-04-21T08:16:00.001+05:00

We had an awesome time in Addu! It's an amazingly beautiful place if you know the right places to explore and if you have a great sense of adventure. We would call it a completely unique experience that we feel so fortunate to have experienced. From the abundant havens of nature in Koattey to the secret nooks and crannies of every district from Hithadhoo to Feydhoo, it's a trip we'll never forget! We recommend it to everyone out there to come see the beauty of Addu City, the southern jewel of Maldives.

The story of Masika from Congo.

2012-12-06T23:57:00.001+05:00

Tonight I was watching T.V and came across a documentary on Al Jazeera. It was about a woman in the unstable country of Congo. She is a survivor of rape and violence that breeds from this continuous war in this country. A war full of unimaginable violence, mostly against women. She has set up and runs a center for other survivors who have no place else to go and has been shunned from their families. She searches for and rescues survivors and orphaned children with the help of volunteers. She provides counselling, medical treatment, basic necessities and shelter for them. She tries her best to send all the orphans to school. She helps some of them find back their own families. If their family does not accept them she helps them find a place in the community. She has adopted a number of orphans. She talked about how hard it is and how draining it is and how she wonders why she does what she does. Then it showed her with a rescued baby whom she adopted and she says that when she is able to save babies like this she thinks it might make a difference in the world that they survived.

After the documentary I was so moved by her that I looked her up on the internet and found a video of her telling her story. Nothing could have prepared me for what I heard. :'( Tears streamed down my face as she with great difficulty told the most unimaginably horrendous things that was done to her and her family by the militia. How her husband was brutally slowly dismembered in front of her and how they cut his penis of and made her eat it. How she was raped over her husbands flesh 22 times that her womb was destroyed afterwards. And how she could hear her daughters being raped all the while. I have linked the video below.

This war in Congo has been going on since 1996. Yet nobody pays attention to them. Horrible things happens everywhere in this world but some are given more media attention than others. There are double standards. There are so many individual people and countries that could make a difference but even Masika's center has only been able to raise around 24000 dollars yet. And sadly this is just one story among more than you can imagine.

I felt so humbled after watching this and hearing her story. I felt so fortunate and lucky when I heard what this woman survived. If I had gone through the same thing as her I would have killed myself than live my life with the memories of the horrors. But not only has she survived, she is using her life to help other people who have gone through the same thing. She is for me one of the most wonderful people in the the world now. Her strength and perseverance and compassion is humbling. After seeing this video I couldn't get my head around how evil and depraved and sick (There is not a word strong enough) humans can be. But at the same time this is a story of how amazing the human spirit can be. Whenever you think you're having a bad day, think of this amazing woman and what she has gone through and done with her life.

If you would like to read more on Masika and what she is doing or if you would like to donate to her center please visit this site. http://masikarebeca.wordpress.com/donations-2/

Probably not many people would even read this post to the end. They might find it it too boring and not entertaining enough. But I was so heartbroken when I watched the documentary and this video that I just had to get her story out there. So please hav a look at the video and know her story.

P.S. : Warning: The story she relates in the video is explicit and more horrible than you can imagine. It will disturb you and you probably would have difficulty sleeping tonight. I know I will.

Facts about the war in Congo: In 2009, people in the Congo may still be dying at a rate of an estimated 45,000 per month, and estimates of the number who have died from the long conflict range from 900,000 to 5,400,000. The death toll is due to widespread disease and famine; reports indicate that almost half of the individuals who have died are children under the age of 5.There have been frequent reports of weapon bearers killing civilians, destroying property, widespread sexual violence,causing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes or otherwise breaching humanitarian and human rights law. An estimated 200,000 women have been raped.

In eastern Congo, the prevalence and intensity of rape and other sexual violence is described as the worst in the world.[

The war has made the life of women more precarious. Violence against women seems to be perceived by large sectors of society to be normal. A phenomenon of 'pendulum displacement' has developed, where people hasten at night to safety. According to Yakin Ertürk, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women who toured eastern Congo in July 2007, violence against women in North and South Kivu included 'unimaginable brutality'. 'Armed groups attack local communities, loot, rape, kidnap women and children, and make them work as sexual slaves,' Ertürk said.

In December 2008 GuardianFilms of The Guardian released a film documenting the testimony of over 400 women and girls who had been abused by marauding militia.

In June 2010, UK aid group Oxfam reported a dramatic increase in the number of rapes occurring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while researchers from Harvard discovered that rapes committed by civilians had increased seventeenfold.

Alam

2012-10-07T14:40:00.000+05:00

Meet Alam. He is from Bangladesh. He is almost 30 years old. He is a husband and a father to a little girl. He works in a shop to make a living. He has a weakness for action movies and wrestling. My dad hired him and brought him over to Maldives some years ago to look after my grandfather who was very sick with old age and has passed away now.

Maldivians have always hated Bangladeshis and treated them like they are born to be our slaves. Even when they make them to the dirty and hard work that Maldivians find too humiliating to do. -_- I was used to hearing things like, "If he is a Bangaalhi (Derogatory Maldivian term for Bangladeshis) he would be scum. They are thieving, useless perverts." In my life I have always tried not to discriminate or have generalized opinions about anyone different than me. I had always scoffed at these remarks. Surely people from Bangladesh can't be any different from any other people from anywhere else, can they? They are also human. Good and bad included.

Unfortunately after working in HR and having to deal and monitor a lot of Bangladeshis for awhile. I have to admit I was disappointed. Most of them had one or more undesirable characteristics. For instance greed, dishonesty or plain laziness. But then I tried to justify it by thinking about how they lack education and how they have to work so far from home to earn a couple of thousand bucks which can barely fulfill their need to look after their families.

But then I met Alam. He is like no Bangladeshi I've ever met. He is kind, loyal and principled. After my grandfather died, we still kept him with us as a housekeeper. He learned to cook and he always kept the house spotless. When he came he didn't know a word of dhivehi, so he just showed me his little photo album in which he kept his pictures of his wife and child. But now he can speak quite well. He never had any access to any education but whenever he see's dad fixing anything or mom cooking anything, he would study them hard eager to learn. And he did.

Whenever I got sick, he was the one who cared for me even when I didn't ask him to. He would bring me juice and urge me to go to a doctor. Whenever dad was fixing anything he would rush over to help even when he wasn't needed. Whenever He saw mom carrying anything heavy he would insist on carrying it for her. He is a good person without having any ulterior motive. I know this because there were months when dad couldn't afford to pay his salary on time. But he NEVER complained. He never slacked off. We never had to ask him to do anything. He did it all.

He is a gem of a person. He is also quite naive and easily trusts people. I worry about that, but it's probably the reason why he is so nice. My family has a lot of affection for him now. Even my cousins jokingly call him the best nanny ever. Because he takes care of everyone. He works so hard during the week and on Fridays he goes to Friday prayer. If he manages to save any money he never spends any on himself but buys cheap toys for his daughter , because that is what he can afford.

He is very shy, timid and and hates it when his picture is taken. I get the feeling that a lot of people pick on him. Whenever he see's me go out alone, he would get alarmed and ask whether I'm going out alone. He'd tell me to ask my boyfriend to come pick me. I'd always reassure him that I'm taking a taxi. He would warn me that Male' streets are dangerous and that I shouldn't be out alone. He treated me like I was his own little sister.

Since we couldn't afford to keep him anymore, he now works for my brother in Addu. He calls occasionally to see how I am. He would ask if I'm eating right, and ask how mom and dad is and even if my bf is doing well. He keeps in touch with mom and dad too. I recently visited Addu for a couple of days and went to see him in the room he stays in behind my brothers shop. He was so happy to see me. He said I had lost weight and needed to eat more. When he found out that I was coming he actually cooked in his little room. He made some chicken for me. Just because once I had said that it was the best thing he cooks. I had eaten before and was full so felt bad that I couldn't eat it. So he went off and bought a Milo for me. He knows I love Milo.

He called me the other day. He told me that I should talk my mom and dad into saving some money and opening a small business. He may not be the smartest person in the world but he worries about us.
So you see my dear Maldivians. Not all Bangladeshis are the same. Give them a chance first. They are people too. And then you might be as lucky as I was to have made such a good friend. I am not ashamed in the least to be associated with him or seen with him. In fact I would be proud. I only wish I could be even half as good as him.

Here's to you Alam.

Night...

2012-08-25T15:09:00.006+05:00

The Moon gives out her silver light

The stars respond with palest white

Water glints for sheer delight

And humans blink,

deprived of sight

Pulses quicken, hearts excite

Is this thrill or is this fright?

With passion at its utmost height

The lovers feel the fire ignite

This is no place to be polite

The dark forbids gilt-edged invite

There is no time for wrong or right

As long as love does love requite

Flame blazes through the black,

so bright

As lovers passionately unite

Forged in heat,

their bonds bind tight

Bound by magic,

and enchanted night...

A message to people looking for pet cats...

2012-03-20T17:25:00.001+05:00

Ever since I made the cat group in Maldives, I have noticed that most of the people who look for cats as pets have a particular preference. Most people want to buy expensive Persians rather than adopt a local cat. If your dream has always been to own a cat that looks like a living stuffed animal, then nothing will stop you from making a long-haired cat the first choice. While there is nothing wrong with that and as beautiful as they are I want to make an appeal to you give local cats a chance.

Why? Because the truth is long-hairs are in demand. Most of them are bound to find good homes and are worth money. But if you walk the streets of Male', Villigilli or Hulhumale' you're sure to come across beautiful cats and kittens that need good homes. I myself am a real cat lover. I love them all, yes even the hairless sphinx. I don't practice 'furism'. :p

What bugs me about some people is how they buy fancy cats just to show off to people like it's some sort of a home decoration. They don't realize that Persians are high maintenance and need to be brushed thoroughly at least 3 times a week in order to prevent hairballs or matted fur. Then they quickly get bored and find it's not worth the trouble and try to sell it again.

Persians are pretty lazy cats, they usually lay around looking pretty and giving capricious looks. Most of my life I had mostly short hairs and one mix. I can assure you that they are just as cute and cuddly as any Persian could ever be if not more. They loved to play with me providing entertainment and sought out my attention all the time. It made me feel loved and needed by them. :)

I also hate the concept of buying and selling of pets. The pets we love are priceless.The first priority should be who is going to provide the best care for the animals not who is going to pay the highest. Love and cuddliness should be free.

So while it's perfectly okay to have Persians too, please take a look around and rescue one of our own cats who need a home. There are plenty of healthy adorable kitties who need to be rescued. People who adopt instead of buying are whom I would consider to be the real cat lovers. ;)

A political confrontation...

2012-03-07T00:16:00.000+05:00

People have been complaining about my political posts. Usually these are the people who always proclaim that "politix sux or politics is lame". Believe me I'm not sharing these posts because I want to. I'm the kind of person who'd rather gaze at stars than soil myself with foolish matters of the earth. I find politics and politicians dirty and annoying as the next person. But people really need to understand that in some situations its not about whether politics is cool or not. You can't avoid politics. You just can't no matter how hard you try. Even if you don't want anything to do with them, you have to see what they are up to because every little decision they make affects each and every one of us. Some people have labeled me a fanatic for my views and what I've got to say to that is if I'm the sort of person that gets outraged to see people beaten up and injured on the streets for merely standing up for their rights then I guess that is what I am. Yes I know brutality is brutality no matter who does it and I wholeheartedly agree. It's just more reprehensible and scary when people in uniform who have taken oaths do it. I mean, who do you turn to, when the people who are supposed to be protecting you from brutality are the ones being brutal in the first place?And the people who call me biased needs to get one thing straight. I think for myself. I am not a weak gullible woman who is being 'used' by anyone. I stand up for what I believe is the right thing to do according to my code of ethics and morality. And the people who are calling me biased is anything but impartial. They go on poking jokes aimed at one side while conveniently ignoring the tyranny and brutality happening all around them. Then they call for peace. And then call me biased. -.- I will continue to stand against this madness until it's put right and if you have a problem with my views on Facebook, well there is such a thing as the unfriend button. And seriously, if you are a coup denier I really can't have a conversation with you because I can't think of anything to say to someone who chooses to stay in denial even with damning evidence popping up everywhere. So this is my rant, for justice, liberty and equality! Meanwhile here is an interesting conversation.

Person A: You yellow people make me sick.

Person B : Er I'm not yellow, whatever that means. I'm not an MDP member and I don't plan to be one but yes it is the only party I find myself supporting in situations like these.

Person A: That is being yellow. Why do you support these thugs?

Person B: Well it's not just about them being the lesser of all the evils. It's just that I felt safe during Anni's presidency. I didn't feel like anyone could drag me out of my house arresting me for god knows what and then torture me for no good reason. I felt like I could freely talk about my views without being prosecuted. And even at times that it seemed to me like an injustice has been committed, I felt like I could talk to my president about it. He is always seen on the road on foot. How hard can it be to have a word with him? And most importantly I felt like even if I did voice any grievances I had about the law to him, I had utmost confidence that he would take time to listen to his citizen with due concern. (And I have this confidence without even having met him yet.)

Person A: Safe? You think people are safe? What about the unlawful arrest of Ablo Ghazee? You call that being safe when an important judge is arrested against the law??

Person B: I'm no lawyer so I can't say whether his arrest was unlawful or lawful. Maybe it was against the law since I heard that the only way to find any evidence of his wrong doings was to arrest him. The thing is, most people are aware of the fact that he is a corrupt judge appointed by Maumoon for life who has been sentencing innocent people as guilty and guilty people as innocent according to their political stance for a long time. So I'm sorry if I refuse to believe that the arrest of a corrupted and an alleged pedophile judge is reason enough to oust a democratically elected government.

Person A: Just because Anni is against Maumoon it doesn't mean he can arrest everyone that Maumoon appointed. This is personal vengeance! Just like the vengeance Anni is seeking from Maumoon for jailing his uncle who funded the 1988 coup where Maldivians died! Anni is a power hungry dictator and he part of the group who brought a real coup to Maldives back then.

Person B: I, the same as you, find the instances of the 1988 coup abhorrent. But at the same time I also believe that Anni is not his uncle. As far as I know he condones with vehemence what happened back then as he should. And seriously are we still judging people by their family members? Isn't that a bit 19th century? It is the same as equating the son of a rapist with him or judging a family because it includes a drug addict. He became the president through clean means by the vote of the people. I'm not going to judge him for something he had nothing to do with.

Person A: Anni would be loyal to his uncle because blood is thicker than water! You MDP people are a cult! You're whining for elections to get power back again. This isn't what the nation wants.

Person B: By cult I suppose you mean a great devotion to a person, idea, object and movement or a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion? Except for the fact that it is sincerely not a small group of people. Any person who has got his wits about him can see the numbers of people who went to the big protest on the 17th of February. I who have never been to a protest decided to go that day, not because I'm MDP, but because my vote and the democracy and equality of my country was raped. And on the contrary I saw many people there who before had nothing to do with politics and many people who even spoke against Anni. They weren't there because this was a yellow thing. They were there to get their rights back. For justice.

Person A: Justice my foot! Why doesn't anyone ever speak of the brutality during Annis regime? Is it only now that everyone including the international media is making a big deal about a bunch of ruffians on the road?

Person B: As far as my observations skills go, I have never seen any bloodshed or bruises or water cannons used on any civilian in a protest during Annis rule. The worst I've seen of the Ablo Ghazi protests are people being forcefully carried from one place to another. And even if there were some rogue cops then, aren't they the same honorable police who didn't follow Annis orders to control the unrest and overthrew him just for cash? Since the coup there is always a photo or video every other day surfacing of someone being injured by the cops or defense force. When Anni was in charge protesters could knock themselves out doing whatever they wanted and no TV station was shut down. No damage to any political parties property was done by the police. No nepotism by appointing family members to the government. See the difference now?

Person A: You only support Anni for personal gain. You probably have connections within his corrupted regime that you use for your advantage. Why else would you support a drunk drug-addict like him!

Person B: Well in a way yes I do support him for personal gain, but I don't have any connections. I have personally gained free healthcare and freedom of political speech and assembly. And alot of other people have gained something too because he has introduced welfare to the elderly/single mothers/disabled, the flats and the Hunaru Programme in which 8000 scholarships were open for Maldivians to be able to go study at. Not to mention giving the freedom to vote to people of 18 years. He did his job. And no that is not why I have a great respect for him. Why should I respect him for doing what we are paying him to do? The reason why I hold him in high esteem is that he and his people fought for the freedom of speech and assembly and finally it was possible. No matter what anyone says even the people who make fun of Anni are using the luxury that he brought to the people by spending numerous times in jail, even tortured twice. So any person who is even talking about politics needs to respect him for that at least. Unless they prefer the olden days that you have to live in fear of even saying something against the government in secret lest they arrest and torture you. People nitpick so much about Annis faults that they don't remember what it was like in the past. They eat shit for 30 years and then Anni comes along and gives them apples and suddenly it's not good enough and people start demanding steak. This is (was) a young democracy, you can't expect to iron out all the kinks specially since Maumoon still has so much influence. And about the booze and weed (not everyone is going to share this opinion) but I seriously couldn't care less whether it's true or not. It is not relevant to me as long as he does his job and takes care of his people, which he did.

Person A: I don't know what your problem is now. Isn't the Vice President also someone you voted for too? Why are you people calling for his resignation?

Person B: I'm calling for his resignation because no person with any amount of integrity as a VP would want to take on power after the events of Feb 7th. Also if the VP is someone that the people vote for to choose like you say, how in the world does Dr.Waheed get to pick Wahiddeen as his VP? If Waheed had resigned with Anni then we could have gone to an election. But now even if Waheed resigns then Wahiddeen would become the president and select another VP and it would become a vicious cycle.

Person A: You are so tinged with yellow that you can't see straight. You see Anni as a god who can do no wrong. You people worship him like he is an idol!

Person B: As a matter of fact I do believe Anni has made some bad decisions too. Like him giving the extremists too much power and changing the Maldives slogan from Sunny Side of Life to Always Natural and wasting time talking trash about the opposition continuously. I also dislike Reeko Moosa being in MDP as well because he is corrupt. So you see I'm not a blind follower. I just can tell right from wrong. If anyone has been treated like a god here, it's Maumoon.

Person A: The fact still remains that these protesters and MDP followers are nothing but filthy-mouthed animals that don't have an ounce of discipline in them!

Person B: The only thing to say to that is, you can't oust a president that the people voted for with bribed military forces who's brutalizing the people and expect people to take etiquette lessons. This is a small community. For every person the police injure, there are going to be more people who get emotionally outraged. So as much as I agree that etiquette lessons are needed, the rage is understandable. Maybe you'll only know when you see a loved one being beaten up in front of you. So have a little empathy. We are trying to pressure a military state here. It's easy to point fingers but when you rape a country, you should be prepared to accept the consequences and chaos that will follow inevitably.

Person A: Meh...

Valentines Day

2012-02-13T14:33:00.001+05:00

Amid all this tyranny in my country, comes the day of love. I just have to say something about Valentines day. Its true that Valentine's Day is a money-making capitalistic holiday/celebration. A day where they only show mushy corny movies for 24 hours. A day which lovers take time to appreciate each other more.

I notice a lot of people who hate Valentines day. What they say is 'why choose only one day to show the person you love that you care?'. Now this would be a very good argument if the person who was saying this is the sort of person who buys little gifts and cards and flowers often for his/her significant other on other days of the year as well. What people need to realize is that Valentines Day is just like any other holiday. Like Mothers Day or Fathers day.

It has come to the point when the haters of this day has become more annoying than the mushiness and the PDA you get exposed to. The fact of the matter is that we all are busy with our lives and usually get caught up in the dregs of everyday life. Even the best of us forget to appreciate the people that care about us. That's why some of these holidays are created. That and the Hallmark aspect of it too. ;)

I've also observed many a time the problem arising of one person (usually the girl) wanting to celebrate Valentines Day and the other person (usually the guy) not believing in it. Look guys, I know a lot of you aren't fans of Valentines Day, but if you have a girlfriend or wife who is, that's what matters. Even if you're the sort of guys who would readily do the same any random day of the year where everyone else isn't doing the same. Do it because she likes the gesture.

Good relationships are all about compromise. Maybe she doesn't like you monopolizing the bedroom TV at night playing Call of Duty to the wee hours. But she lets you do it because you enjoy it. Also would you want your girl/wife to be the only person among her friends to not have gotten anything? Whether its a good or bad thing the truth is there is a competitive aspect to this day. Or at least a desire to show the world that you are loved. If i is important to her and If she IS loved then you shouldn't mind showing it publicly.

How hard is it to send someone flowers or a card? Its not, hence the refusal to do so is silly. In order to accommodate a partner you shouldn't be selfish and hold the day hostage to her. Note that all of this applies to people who hate Valentines Day and is with someone who wants to celebrate it. If you both mutually don't like celebrating it or mutually love celebrating it, then it's all good. And if you're single, this day is probably not that relevant to you. (Unless this day just makes you feel lonely and depressed.)

To finish off i'd like to quote the Oatmeal to all the people who get enraged and start ranting about how much they hate Valentines Day for whatever reasons, "If Valentines Day means so little to you, then I politely ask you to shut the hell up and treat it like any other day. Or go have a sexy adventure rumpus with someone who smells nice." ;) Less complaining! More sexy rumpus!

Happy Valentines Day!

Treason...

2012-02-08T14:59:00.000+05:00

At this moment I am so disgusted with the people of my country. Just when I had a glimmer of hope that things slowly were going to change around this godforsaken place they proved to me that stupidity has no bounds.

We finally had a president (Anni) who cared about the common citizen, who had no arrogance or delusions about himself being a higher being than the rest of us. Someone who made an effort and brought results to his people despite being sandwiched between religious extremists and corrupt opposition parties. Someone who sacrificed his freedom and risked his life for a long time to make it possible for those ingrates to be able to even HAVE a voice and be able to protest in the first place.

A president who showed the people that he was true to his principles by not moving into the presidential palace the former dick-tator had built with our money, by not using the fancy yacht formerly used by the said dick-tator, by choosing to walk around like any other person instead of having a fleet of vehicles surrounding him. These are just a few examples that shows that he is a down to earth person who is sincere about helping his people.

Sure, he may not be the best president or the most articulate at that. But I'd rather have someone who was sincere in his beliefs rather than someone who 'looks' like a president. (Whatever that is supposed to mean.) I'm not affiliated with the Maldivian Democratic Party but at this moment I do believe it is the only party that is liberal in a true sense. And being liberal is what I am all about. And of course there is going to be corruption in every party but from my observations MDP has been the lesser of all the evils.

What I don't understand is why people still worship the old fossil of an ex-president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom. (Note that this is a person who would have thrown me to the dungeons and have his forces gang rape me if I had written something like this in his rule.) It is one thing for the families who have head close ties to him and enjoyed the benefits of that to remain loyal to him. What about the rest of the people who act like he is some sort of a pharoah or something?

Maybe the old generation doesn't know any better or has no clue about what people are entitled to. It was bound to have happened after a person has ruled over the country like a king for three decades. And maybe the younger generations are just following what their parents have been teaching them. (That he is a demi-god that can do no wrong.) They need to wake up and start thinking for themselves. This is not a joke. This is our lives we are talking about.

You might wonder why I hate him so much it it hasn't become obvious already. I personally feel (as should most of you) robbed by him of a better life I might have been enjoying by now it wasn't for his greed. The Maldives had been bringing in a good amount of revenue into the country for 30 years. This place could have been developed to a smaller version of Singapore by now if that old fart didn't have an excessive need to bath in his own riches.

So yeah its not the fact that we didn't have freedom of expression then. If he had just taken care of his people like Lee Kuan Yew (benevolent dictator of Singapore) I wouldn't have cared if he was a dictator or even if he ruled for life. After all who would want to complain about a president who takes care of his people? Instead we got someone who had used thugs to intimidate and abuse innocent people by locking them up without a trial or shred of evidence. (I know many of them personally.)

All I know is there are a handful of very wealthy businessmen in this country. And they are the ones controlling the masses with their money. They are against anything that gives the people too much freedom because in order to stay filthy rich they need to control the masses. Why do you think the dollar shortage problem came up?

What infuriates me the most is how easily people are fooled here. How easy they are to manipulate like puppets and to be herded like sheep. And how they never seem to think for themselves. Do they seriously think the 'armed forced' just decided to overthrow the government in one day? The whole thing stinks to me.

And the fact that one of the first things they had done was to change the TV stations name proves it was personal. This petty thirst for power is playing with our lives. While they are at it why don't they stop the free healthcare and the welfare for the elderly and single mothers too? After all it was Anni who provided them. Any projects he had or anything he has done is considered wrong now right?

Speaking of the 'armed forces', there's this rubbish about how its a peoples revolution. Seriously? It was not a peoples revolution because the armed forced are not civilians. And they are armed (duh). This is treason. We had a real revolution in 2008 where the old fossil had to succumb to national and international pressure. There was no one pointing guns at anyone. My laundry basket has more integrity than these so called armed forces who swore an oath to protect the nation. They even totaled the MDP headquarters. Why the hell was that necessary? I'm no expert here but I'm pretty sure there was a law broken somewhere along there.

The army has proven to us that they can be bought. Even if they did not like the current president, the people who are celebrating these events have no clue what this means. These 'soldiers' are people with pea sized brains with weapons, who do not give a rats ass about the people. Weapons that they will use whenever they feel like it or if the price is right. Let that sink in for a moment. It scares the shit out of me. What are they going to do now? Whine and overthrow the government by force whenever they think its right? At this rate there will come the day where they let go of any sense of morality that they have and open fire among the people.

Mr. President Thank you for your effort and what you have done for us. There are people who value what you saved us from and what you stood for. Maldivians, I hope you're proud of yourselves and what you've achieved. You wouldn't know a good thing if it slapped you on your sorry faces. If this country goes to the dogs you deserve exactly what you get. I see dark days ahead of us. but who knows right. Maybe one day light will shine here again. As long as we have hope. Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things..and no good thing ever dies.

P.S. All those of you who have a problem with me expressing my opinion. BITE ME. They haven't shut down freedom of political expression. Not yet anyway.

When its not Mr.Right

2012-01-30T00:39:00.001+05:00

I know a lot of women who don't have a clue about dating the wrong sort of guy. Now I'm no expert at these sorts of things but maybe keeping an eye out for these few points might help you ladies know if he's worth it. You'd think a few of these might be obvious but you'd be surprised how many people justify it and put up with it.

He has a problem making basic efforts to things such as calling and showing up when he says that he will. Does he makes plans with you and cancel at the last minute? Do you find yourself staring at the phone for hours or all dressed up and nowhere to go? If he isn't dependable you're going to have a problem in the future.
You're dating that quiet guy you know who stalks you and has a shrine dedicated to you at his place. No it would not be a wise idea to settle for someone creepy and obsessive just because you want to control him and the direction of your relationship or because you're just afraid of being alone. -.-
You like the potential of what he could be, rather than the reality of what he is. If you are going to give him a personality overhaul, what were you attracted to in the first place? If you're going to make him dress like a douche, I suggest you break up with him and look for someone who actually likes wearing scarves in the tropics.
He is controlling, jealous and possessive. Relationships are about compromises but when you've been isolated from your family and friends, this is not romantic and he is not being 'protective'. Its emotional manipulation due to deep set insecurities that you can't fix. I suggest you run as fast as you can and never look back.
He verbally/physically abuses you. Now hurling profanities and slapping around each other might work for some couples but I figure for most of you it wouldn't be ideal. It's important to note that guys like this do not change. They'll apologize, cry, promise they'll never do it again and the next day slam you to a wall. I repeat, escape while you've still got your teeth.
He is miserable. If someone is miserable about their work, their family, their friends, their life or whatever, you can’t fix it. The issues are theirs to fix. The problem is that misery loves company and this guy is bringing you down. If you’re with a chronically miserable person, it’s just a matter of time before you’ll be down in the dumps as well.
He is addicted to drugs, alcohol or porn. An addiction of ANY form isn't healthy. Do you want to spend your life tending to a junkie, alcoholic or someone who spends more time fapping at his computer than with you? To be fair It's different if it was in his past and he has overcome his addictions. That might have strengthened his character.
It's been months now and he hasn't introduced you to any of his friends or family. This sounds like a booty call/friends with benefits situation where he is ashamed of you and using you just for the goodies. When he takes you out, is it always to dark, enclosed and obscure places that few people go to? If he is truly into you, he'd have no problem being seen with you anywhere.
You act different around him and not in a good way. It's normal to try and impress each other earlier on, but if you constantly have to bend over backwards to impress him or pretend to like everything he likes, its doomed. You want someone to like you for who you are, so don't give out the wrong impression. Also, you're going to have to let him see you without make-up eventually!
You seem to never quite know where you stand. If he doesn't make you feel special or does nice and considerate things occasionally, how are you any different than any other girl? Different guys have different ways of showing they care, be it by getting you a small gifts, leaving you notes or in my case watching romantic comedies occasionally with me. ^.^
You both don't share the same ideas about the future. Now I'm not saying jump in and discuss everything from marriage to kids before you've even fallen for each other. That would scare the poor chap half to death and have him running for the hills. But as soon as you're both comfortable enough with each other to discuss matters like this, I suggest you do. It would save a lot of heartache later on.

You lookin' at me?

2011-02-12T12:47:00.005+05:00

I know I have blogged about this before, but I had another encounter today that just made me want to write a sequel to the previous post about staring. Why oh why do people have this infernal need to stare?Not just take a quick look or glance, but flat out stare. I see people doing this all the time when I'm out in public, particularly to me. Now you might think this is just all in my mind and that I'm imagining these things but I know that I'm being stared at. It's not hard to notice when some is looking directly at you while their eyes follow as you move. Then you might say that it's the way I look or act that is attracting the attention, but this shouldn't be the reason either. I look like the average person, not too ugly but not like beautiful either. I dress like the average person, jeans, t-shirt, etc, in normal colors. I walk like the average person, nothing too crazy or unusual that would draw attention. And these people don't just stare with a neutral facial expression, they look as if they think I'm the biggest mistake of the human race. I have no idea what could drive someone to look at a complete stranger with that kind of expression.

Today I saw two veiled girls staring at me as if they wanted to kill me. At first I wasn't completely sure that they were looking at me, but when I took a second glance I saw that their eyes were still locked on me and the closer they got the more they were staring and talking to each other. I had no idea who these people were, I had never seen them before in my life so I was totally confused as to why they were staring at me like that. Then when they finally walked passed me they actually turned their head to continue staring at me sneering nastily. At this point I cracked a smile, the look these idiots had on their face was just too funny. Now that kind of thing isn't normal, usually it's just 5 to 10 seconds of staring, but still it happens to me all the time.

So why is that these people insist on staring? This is just a theory, but I think that they do because they are insecure about themselves. They need to know what everyone else looks like in order to make sure they look better or to make sure that they fit in. Then again maybe I'm wrong, maybe they just stare to be assholes. But one of these days when I finally say screw it to the world I'm going to fulfill a dream that I've had for a long time, I'm going to gouge someone's eyes out. I'm going to teach the first person I see staring at me a lesson and permanently blind them. So word to the wise, if you stare, stop doing it cause you never know when the next person you stare at might just finally lose it. :)

3D

2010-08-24T01:48:00.003+05:00

I went to Athena Cinema for the very first time to see Final Destination in 3D tonight. I had heard a lot of talk recently about how many people were disappointed because they were expecting RealD instead of anaglyph when they went to see Ice Age 3. (I only recently found out that there were two technologies and the names for them :P...yes I can be ignorant in some areas) Anyway I didn't go there expecting things to come out of the screen, after all this is Maldives. Everything is too good to be true here.

And please don't judge me for going to see Final Destination because, I honestly thought they meant the first one. Yes I can be gullible as well sometimes. The first movie was the only decent one in my opinion. It had some clever and sinister twists and didn't quite feel like some lame teen flick like the rest of the films. Anyway I was mostly curious about this 3D thing.

Everyone was right; the paper glasses were too loose, the colors were in hues of reds and blues and it wasn't the ideal 3D experience one would imagine. There came only two scenes where I felt like I was actually in the movie. The part where a car came flying at the screen and some part where a piece of paper or a leaf kept floating about and I wanted to catch it. Other than that I felt like I had to keep straining my eyes to keep trying to see it in color and to 'induce' the 3D effect...whatever that means.

But frankly I wasn't that disappointed. At first when I sat down this bald dude in front of me with his gleaming cranium worried me a bit since the light reflecting on his head was outshining the screen. No disrespect intended of course, but luckily they turned off all the lights before they started. The movie sucked, so did the un-3Dness of it all. But the fact was that I knew well enough not to have raised my expectations when I heard Athena was going 3D. I mean come on...did you really think we'd have the Avatar experience here so soon? I have lived here long enough to know that things simply do not happen here. if it does it'd take ages..and by that time, it's considered old news.

But what really bothered me wasn't the anaglyph or the crappy movie. Tonight I found out that Maldivians would either never or would take eons to evolve into mature respectful human beings. The first thing that I noticed is that people would come in groups of 5-10 people and they'd take up an aisle sitting together. An exceptionally loud dude was sitting next to me and he would every now and then call over to his friend (who was named Tuesday or Sunday or something of the sort) who was way on the other side of me while yelling deafeningly in my ear oblivious to what he was putting me through. The rest of their gang also just kept yakking all the way through the movie. I kept missing parts of the conversation which made it difficult to follow the plot. Of course I'm not saying there should be pin-drop silence, but some people actually want to LISTEN to the dialogue too.

The other thing I observed is that Maldivians have a sad sense of humor. It's either that or they just feel the need to go "hahahaha" or chuckle in amusement even if there is nothing funny about the scene or what the actor said. It was like a laugh-track gone bad. And when the sex scene came up, every girl started giggling in a way that made me want to rip my ears off. Every guy just couldn't resist making some sleazy comment on it. GROW UP ALREADY! Haven't you seen enough of that by now? They are just boobs people. You'd think that people would have matured a bit by now.

No respect for other people and still as childish as ever. Yeap...we are still at the same place we were 20 years back. Maybe even worse. That's all I have to say about my first visit to Athena. If it weren't for the people constantly irritating me, I think I could have enjoyed the movie more. "Well at least" like my guy said, "there wasn't any body odor" Now that would have really ruined my night...

Take care y'all

I am back. Or am I?

2010-08-15T15:32:00.004+05:00

I always get the urge to say, "It's been awhile" when I've been away from my blog for a long time. But it's used so often that I'm gonna skip that part and just say, "HI EVERYONE". Did you miss me? No don't answer that. Why haven't i written anything for so long? Well I just haven't been inspired...or maybe I'm just pure lazy. But I really appreciate the people who have contacted me and sent me messages and asked me to start writing again. Maybe that's why I'm writing right now too. But the truth is I write for myself mostly. It's fun to ponder back on it later on.

Don't get your hopes up though, I don't have anything to rant about..well I do but I am not at liberty to if you know what I mean. (Gets momentarily distracted by the mouth watering smells drifting from the kitchen.) Having a mom who used to work as a pastry chef has its plus points. A happy Ramadan once again to those who cherish it.

As for me I'm just slumming it. I have been a bum for like a year now. I been trying to figure out why I haven't put more of an effort to start doing something. But this time I just really want to do something I like. I guess you could argue the fact that even if it is something you enjoy, if someone makes you do it, it would become dull inevitably. I'm not asking for much though. I just don't want to have to end up with a crappy job dealing with crappy people at a crappy place. If you haven't noticed people are horrible here.

But it has come to the point where It has become really difficult to be without money. There are some days where I have to use my brothers Denim roll-on when I cant buy deodorant for myself. And the only new clothes I've gotten recently were from the night market( :D three tops for 100 bucks) and some clothes my ex sister-in-law threw away. I know, i know stop whining, at least you have clothes right.

I just want to do something enjoyable. Something I can do. Maybe like writing, or a rockstar :) (wishful thinking) Okay I'm getting sidetracked here.

Anyway, this is just a short note to let you know I haven't died or anything. And will be back soon with something to complain about. Thank you again for reading my jumbled thoughts.

Adios

Pfffft....

2010-02-15T00:51:00.006+05:00

This post is for the ladies:

Farting in the presence of a guy is one of those things that’s inevitable at some point in your life. But, it’s one of those things that you’ll wish never happened, and if you could ensure that it would never happen again, even at the cost of one of your little toes, I could see a few of you going to the surgeon. I can’t identify exactly what it is about expelling intestinal gas that makes people more embarrassed than a professional singer being caught lip-synching, but it really is the peak of awkward situations.

Sure we are all human and it’s perfectly normal behavior but we don’t want THEM (guys) to know that. At least not until we have reeled them in into a committed relationship. Most guys prefer to think of women as alien beings who are just supposed to smell good and not have normal bodily functions. Only a handful of them are willing to look outside the box and accept us for the real gaseous people that we are and still love us. But in the early stages of a relationship, what do you do if it happens?

Normally, the situation is so awkward because for one thing, it’s unforeseen (like most awkward situations), and two, because there’s no escaping that smell of internal rubbish lingering in the air. That scent is like the cherry on the sundae of life saying, “You can’t get out of this one buddy.” Pretending it didn’t happen just isn’t an option. The evidence is there, the elephant is standing in the middle of the room, and it’s not going away for at least a few torturous minutes.

So what do you do now? Play dead like a possum when it sees its attacker? Blame the guy? Pretend your sleeping? All of which have been tried, problem is, none of them changes the aftermath of the fart. Once it’s let loose, there’s no sucking that f-bomb back in. It is there, idling in your nostrils, determined to haunt you for the rest of your life. You’re a girl, you will obsess over the brief moment for weeks to come. A day after the incident and he hasn’t called you, what do you blame? The fart. You meet up with him and he kisses you on the cheek instead of the lips… but why? The fart. He gave you a strange look in the restaurant…, must be because of the fart. Any future moment of awkward tension is instinctively blamed on a millisecond of weakness that happened over a week ago.

So, depending on how comfortable you are with the victim (now staggering on the edge of the other side of the bed :p), there are a few ways you can handle this...

Your first option is the honest approach. Hoping that he isn’t a complete ass (if you aren’t sure whether he is or not, this is a good way to find out) you can exclaim, “Oh god!” then give your best bambi eyes, and say that you haven’t been feeling well all day. While this may be bullshit at its finest, it’s still the direct approach because you are admitting that something just happened. If he’s for real, he should make some sort of joke out of it with you, and let it go. If this is the case, I suggest some generous fellatio the next morning, just to make sure he’s forgotten about the whole episode.

Your second alternative is to play fart tag. In fart tag, you blame the other person, they blame you, you blame them again, and eventually you both give up and blame the cat. Understand, this really only works if there IS a cat in the room, preferably lying on the bed. Guys do fart all of the time though, so if it really is your lucky day, maybe he did fart around the same time and will just take blame… slim chance though.

Your third choice is to make some extremely random comment directly following the incident. Such as, “Hey, did you hear that so-and-so died?” Or, “Remember how you mentioned you wanted to have a threesome?” Either of these comments should take his mind off of what just happened, even if the stench is still seeping into the sheets.

I do NOT advise pretending you’ve just fallen asleep…unless you let one slip after the two of you have been lying there for at least twenty minutes. In that case, chances are he’s asleep so you don’t even have to worry about it. Otherwise, you’ll most likely do a terrible acting job pretending to be asleep. Besides, if you pop one out and then act like it sent you into a sudden fit of sleep, he might REALLY start to wonder how your body functions.

Divorce...

2010-01-04T12:22:00.001+05:00

I envy the little kids who go through their parents divorces. I mean everybody worries about them. An adult child is just supposed to be ‘mature’ about it. In some ways it can be even more devastating for adults you know. Yeah, you’ve got it right, my family is officially not going to be intact anymore. I’ve been neglecting my blog waiting to be inspired by something. Didn’t realize it would come in this form.

I’m not devastated or anything. I’m just thrown off quite a bit you know. The world as I know it will change a lot. I never was that much a fan of change. I like familiarity. Of course I’m not thrilled either. I’ve always looked at kids who came from broken homes and counted myself lucky that I’m not one of them. Look who’s laughing now eh?

I just am not sure how to react to something like this. Of course I knew that everything wasn’t all hunky dory between them ever since I was born. But as a child you just don’t want to know about these things and kind of stay in denial I guess. The mature side of me tells me that I should be happy for my mother who has found someone else. If she is happy and if my parents believe that they have made the best decision, than they have my full support.

But then there is the child in me that feels that parents are not supposed to have feelings. They are supposed to make everything okay. They are always supposed to be selfless and sacrificing. They should not have their own dreams or pursue them without considering us, the children. I don’t think any child could ever see their parents as real people.

Although I am okay with what is happening, I do grieve for the moments I will never have again. Like when ma and pa would be watching some hindi award show and discussing how good Zeenat Aman still looks. Or how they would both fuss over me when I’m sick about how best to treat me. And just seeing them together at home. Or how they would come home from abroad and unpack the presents they have got for me. I am never going to have that again. There is such a emotional comfort in having both your parents together in the same house at your beck and call. My mom will have her own life and I worry about dad. Their lives won’t revolve around me anymore.

Of course I am not blaming anybody. I do not wish to know the reasons or details as to why they have decided to do this. My mother will always be my mother and my father will always be my father. I will not take sides. I have to make a decision as to with whom I’ll be staying with as well. It is like having to choose between your parents. I still haven’t made a decision yet as I enjoy living with my mom and dad equally.

If there is one advice I would give to anyone who has children and is going through a divorce is, please don’t badmouth your ex spouse to your children. (Not that my parents do) But it is critical because when you insult your child mother or father, you are insulting your child as well, because your child would have the same DNA and would feel hurt and resentment as well.

And I keep thinking that when dad finds someone else too, then me and my brothers wouldn’t belong to a particular family at all. Both our parents would have their own lives and we would just have a mother somewhere and a father somewhere.

I do realize it is for the best though, even after 30 something years. Though some things still strike me as scary as having a stepfather, I think I will be alright. It is only the child in me that feels a bit of loss of security. I just hope that everything goes well without any drama. I have had a happy childhood with both my parents involved equally in my life. I guess I should be thankful for that. At least I still have them both, even living separately. Whether you are12 or 22, divorce effects all children, adult or not.

Oh and Happy New Year guys.

If looks could kill...

2009-11-16T18:17:00.002+05:00

I hate walking on the streets in Male', I really do. Why? Because people friggin' stare so much. What is their problem? And even if you catch them staring, they'd still stare back as if its not at all rude or anything. Bah..Maldivians..If only they'd at least do it subtly I wouldn't complain so much.

What I've noticed also is that it's mostly the women who stare at other women. Before I always thought I was imagining it and I'm being paranoid but recently me and my guy (lets call him Dhonkalo) went out for a bite and we came across a bunch of girls at the door. The moment they saw me they were like just glaring at me looking me up and down as if i had just mugged their grandma or something! :S I was oookay..(gulp) and just meekly and hurriedly went inside past them. I still thought nah they must Its prolly just me when Dhonkalo remarked, "Haadha rulhi aissa ey dho ebely" I was like bingo! It's not just me! They do stare like vultures..almost foaming at the mouth they were yesh!

Some people might say oh women just look at other women to check out what they are wearing. I also do that if i see someone wearing something drool worthy. But I always make sure they don't catch me while doing it. Also I don't glare at random women. Or maybe I should? Maybe it's some feminine gene I'm missing like the mother gene (that's for another post)

Others say that they are just jealous. I'd believe that if it were the ugly women who stare, but nooo these are actually good looking women who actually feel so insecure that they need to look down on other women. I just don't get it at all.

Then of course there are the ones who say that those are lesbians..but trust me their stares smoulder in a whole different way. Point is, weren't they taught at all that openly just staring at someone is just rude? It makes me so uncomfortable, like I just don't enjoy going out at all because of it. But lately since I ruined my contacts it has been easier since I am half blind and oblivious to all the staring. Ignorance is bliss.

What is it about people here that makes them want to look up and stare at them whenever someone enters a coffee shop? Sure, looking up is a reflex, but have they not heard of common etiquette??? Constantly, just constantly it feels like someone is analyzing me up and down. It's not just the staring..then they start staring and whispering. And all you hear are "psss pspspsss eyna pss pss" So annoying!

So I plan to master the art of not seeing them. Just pretend they don't exist. (It's pretty hard at times when someone is trying to burn a hole in your forehead though) So yeah I shall try to ignore them..hence will achieve bliss. Wish me luck.

Torture...

2009-10-27T22:12:00.002+05:00

Most of us have been there at least once in our lives. Back of a classroom, lecturer going on and on about something you just can't follow. Fighting with all your might not to doze off. Pretending to take notes every now and then. Observing other students picking their noses subtly.

Tonight was one of those nights. At one point I really thought I was gonna drop dead on my notes so had to occupy my mind with something. Hence found myself writing a random poem. Thought I'd share it with you guys. It was Human Resource Management tonight and it's one of the most boring subjects I've come across. Don't understand the fascination with everyone studying it as a major these days.

Also in my defense, I wrote this in 10 minutes. So don't be cruel about the crappiness of it. Also I realize there is no such word as 'worstest' but um..call it poetic licence. :D

Although I have no excuse for me other posts. =p

Here goes:

The monotonous drone of her voice,

goes on in an endless stream.

Bland, mundane and without poise,

This maybe my worstest dream.

Maslow! Herzberg! The torture continues,

as I doodle to pass the time.

So bored I'm seeing different hues,

Though some take it just fine.

Eyelids drooping, need sticks like Tom.

Fifteen minutes to go, when will it end?

Screw this diploma, I'd rather stay dumb,

Specially HRM, without that I can fend.

What is love? ( No not the old 90s dance song)

2009-10-20T23:39:00.007+05:00

I asked the age old question to a couple (ok more than a couple) of my friends and I got some interesting answers. All names have been changed to protect the (ahem) identity of them.

Something very crazy... It’s umm what do I say... Feeling made up by everyone to justify not calling what they feel for the opposite sex as lust or an urge to mate perhaps? - Frou Frou

Love was when ... Adam stole the forbiden fruit for Eve. Love is when he gave up heavens to make her happy. Love is when nothing else matters. Love is never jealous nor is it needy, but love is insatiable. Love is when you see her go wow! Love is the fire that burns more when in absence. - The Masked Avenger.

It’s a simple 4 letter word in the English dictionary. - Skeith.

Whatever you make of it. It’s a vague notion to define attraction. - Sensei
Depends on who’s asking I guess... - Some Ah

Love is what makes a man feel really, really alive. It's positive, lovely and makes no sense at all. - Bengali

Love is life? - Cherry

Caring. Honesty. Loving. Forgiving. Fun. Sexy. Sharing etc = LOVE – Knight

Beautiful at first... but painful in the end? – Bills.

Is the attraction towards a thing or a being that defines ones perception of the other and determines ones demeanor towards the afore said.. Resulting in a complex social relationship; be it positive or negative. positive being romantic caring and selfless... negative being obsessive and selfish... – Sunshine

Love is what u feel in your heart that gets u emotionally and physically attached to it... um... Confused with lust... love is more like a risk that u get into. It’s just a mind game between your heart and your brain. Sometimes your brain tells u something else while your heart wants something else.
The feeling in your heart, that u risk yourself for others; your family / your friends or girlfriend boyfriend... the feelings that all comes out FROM YOUR HEART.... not your brain... that’s LOVE... - Wheels

Unconditional affection and companionship – Ania

I can give you an analogy. Say you want to buy a DVD player...the main purpose of buying it, would be to play DVDs that can be done if there was only a play button on it...without rewind and things. but you would go for the one with the most functions that would ease your viewing experience. Also lets not forget you'd go for a durable one.but I recently found out there is something else too. That there is a feeling... - Twitterpated.

Reverie...

2009-10-11T23:22:00.007+05:00

The pale moon gleams, filling this dark night with light.

Everyone sleeping so content, into their dreams.

Except for a few glazed eyes dead to the world.

While she looks at him with lust...

Oblivious to her desires,

He is brought here to be tempted by the fires below.

As he enters, he says she cannot touch.

Their passion consumes them making it hard to restrain,

As he ravages and plunders her.

And savagely he thrusts, the moment tasting,

Deep inside of her.

Softly she screams before she wakes up,

Wakeful again as she returns from her reverie.

Looks at him with lust...

Once more again.

Silence! I keel you!

2009-10-06T21:08:00.008+05:00

Did you ever observe some people and wonder to yourself, 'How can these people be so violent?' It doesn't matter whether we are living in the 'modern' world now. Some people are still willing to risk their lives and the lives of others for something that doesn't even makes sense in the first place.

They thrive on hatred, not only just condemn others for being different but go as far as to slaughter them. Even the people who think that they are free have their own limitations because of these people. The whole world is a slave to them. And its spreading like the plague.

Why? Because pray forbid, if you 'offend' them, its simple. You are a dead duck walking err i mean waddling. Nobody wants to speak out against them. Even the most powerful people in the world try to stay out of their affairs as much as possible. Nobody wants to live their life in hiding, so they just simply stay quiet. Who can blame them? Everyone would want to live a normal life.

Sometimes I wonder if its just me who feels like a disembodied spirit watching how people act and going 'tsk tsk' to myself, disappointed.The sheer lunacy of these people astound me. We have BIGGER problems people! Instead of trying to kill each other over which idiot is a bigger quack, why don't we try doin something worthwile for a change? Gee I don't know like....SAVE THE FRIKKIN EARTH OR SOMETHING!

It has gotten so extreme that its not just the people who are different that they target. Even if one of their own talks to someone different its still, "Eynaa Maraalaa! Eeeyna Andhaalaa!" This is supposed to be the 21st Century but they are still barbarians. There's no such thing as an ounce of humanity...whats left are just some programmed puppets that some people with power and money are pulling at with their strings.

Maldivians too, they say out loud without a flinch, "Those people deserve to die!". Just because they are of a certain race, heritage or religion. It doesn't matter that you don't know these people, everyone of them is horrible and should be wiped out! Sigh....all I have to say to that is:

“Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.” - Gandalf, Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien.

Disney Couplet

2009-10-03T23:46:00.004+05:00

Yesh I LOVE disney classic cartoons...not the new ones though. I mean what is UP with all those part IIs of old classics??? If they could animate so well back then (Eg. The Lion King, Rescuers Down Under), why don't they bother to do it now?? It's horrible I tell you, Walt would be rolling in his grave. I don't know why I still adore the good old 2D animations. Not that I don't like Pixar stuff , I mean movies Toy Story and Walle were awesome. But there's something about gems like 'The Sword in the Stone, Robin Hood that just hits you right there.

I've decided that my favorite Disney Couple is Phoebus and Esmeralda. Her because she's got spunk and way different from the usual 'princesses' that you see, so weak and timid just waiting for some prince charming to save them. She's a far cry from the damsels in distress that we have gotten used to over the years. Oh and a close second would be Meg from Hercules.

And Phoebus, because he is the ONLY dude who has a beard! I like the bad boy image so John Smith comes a close second. (yes I know they are both blonde, I don't even like blondes but they look better animated!) Come to think of it Simba was kind of hot too...like my friend says, "So what if he's an animated lion? He still turns me on.' :P

Who'd you say your favorite Disney couple is?

I think I'm dumb...or maybe just happy.

2009-10-02T22:26:00.008+05:00

I'm baaack, well technically I didn't go anywhere. I was just away from a lot of material things for awhile and pondering the meaning of life while being all spiritual and zen. Ok who am I kidding...the PC broke down, my phone got disconnected and I was just being a recluse all these days. But I DID ponder about a lot of stuff and well, here are my random thoughts for today. (Warning might not make much sense.)

First of all, whoever invented diet coke should be arrested. I tasted it for the first time coz there was nothing else at home and I almost choked on it's watery taste. Oh I know what you're thinking, "What? That's your big epiphany?" Well it's not. I just thought I'd mention it.

I just got to thinking...and here's my 'advice' to everyone. Life is short, and you only get ONE of them. Live it your way. Have fun. Make memories. Meet people. Travel. Take pictures. Try new stuff. You know how they say a well-spent day results in heavenly sleep? Well the same way, a well-spent life would guarantee a death without any regrets. One of the worst feelings to live with is having to think, "I wonder what might have happened if i did that..or if I didn't do this"

Don't live your life for another person, believe me I know. When your life revolves around another person, you lose who you are. Let nothing hold you back from living your life to your instincts. Of course people will talk and try to put you down but WHO CARES? It's your life and if you can't do what you want now, then when can you? Too often do we refrain from being ourselves as we are, just so that everybody else is pleased. You can't please everyone, and the most important thing is pleasing yourself. No one else will you know...

I'm in the process of finding myself again and I feel so much better, stronger to know that I'm in control of my life and where it's headed. I feel like I can be my random self and do silly stuff like dancing in the rain with friends, have pillow fights and travel to places without worrying too much about what others might think of me. In the end I'm happy. We are so busy TRYING to be happy that we don't even know what it means. Sometimes all you can do is just think positive and decide to be happy. It works...and it rubs off on others too.

Most of us are so self-conscious that we join in with mocking the people who do actually pursue their dreams. We mock them out of resentment coz we know they are happy and they have a great life contrary to what pathetic people say. So what if some people laugh at us? It's okay to laugh at yourself. People will eventually love you for it. Oh and its better to be hated than ignored.

I guess you could say these past years I was so rapunzeled (isolated from society) up in the tower that, I kind of became institutionalized to that way of living. But not so much that I feel I can't get back to the real world again. (Reference to old Brooks in my favorite movie The Shawshank Redemption) It's gonna be a slow process but for the first time, I do feel that I can at last be free to be me.

Actually I'm pretty sure I haven't made an ounce of sense above and maybe some people who have been talking to me might get where all this is coming from. I'm half sleep deprived right now thanks to 'someone' hmph :P I blame my nonsensical blurtations on that fact. Also CURSE THAT WOMAN WHO BOUGHT THE SHOES THAT IVE BEEN EYING AND DROOLING OVER AND SAVED MONEY FOR!!! ahem...yes I think I should stop now.

Whoever who read this to the end...I thank you.

Screw Tradition

2009-09-19T16:46:00.005+05:00

It always seems that when I'm writing a post, I always rant about something but hey it's only when I'm upset that I can come up with enough material to write something.

I recently told someone that I don't want to get married anytime soon. Her response was, "Thihen hutta muskulhi vedhaane, eyrun nuvaane innane meehakuves"

Why? why? why does society have to decide for me when I have to get married? I don't consider myself as an old hag yet but EVEN if I was. What is it about unmarried women that gets those domestic goddesses in a rut?

Yes I am aware that I have a biological clock and everything but PLEASE let me decide the fate of my womb! And even if I didn't go the traditional way, it does not mean that I am any lesser of a person or that I am unhappy and you need to pity me.

As every girl would, I used to dream about a wedding and a pretty dress and such things. But I'm just saying don't judge me for not wanting to get married at an early age and have 2 kids right after, just to fit in with everyone else. I don't want to get myself into something I am not ready for, just so that people would stop pointing fingers at me.

Funny thing is, I'm not even that old to be considered as an old maid yet (At least in international standards). Usually the girls these days tie the knot as soon as they hit eighteen. People! we already have the world record for the highest divorce rates! Why would you want to add to it?

Or maybe it's a source of pride for them? O.o

Some girls just get married because they are 'in love' and sometimes I think just for the kick of having a huge party with a dress that costs RF 10'000. They don't envision the part that comes after. Honestly I am terrified of marriage, specially after recent personal events that have happened.

So tell me, does it really make me an incomplete person if I don't have a piece of paper with some legal formalities that links me to another person?

Couldn't resist...

2009-09-18T16:28:00.003+05:00

After my last post which kind of garnered a lot of attention. I've decided to cool it down a notch and shut my trap for awhile.

I was waiting for a taxi one day in front of my home and there was this web of pipes and pieces of wood stacked near the door. This random thing caught my eye and I just had to take a picture right then and there. It was at the end of a pipe sort of thingy and I'm sure it wasn't meant to look like that. But I got a fit of giggles just looking at it and couldn't resist posting it.

I've been going through some life-altering changes and I am still kind of fuzzy about where I am headed. (why am I assuming anyone would be interested in this?)

I am hoping to be able to come up with a decent post by Monday. (hoping I do have some actual readers) No promises though.

Eid Mubarak everyone :)