my edited Southeast Asia project!

my SEA project!

a new revelation!

i LOVE it when i learn something new! ok, i know you either feel REALLY enlightened or really stupid! haha, today I felt the latter! yes! i learnt about the muslim religion! The setting's in a huge ass classroom, where I was seated next to Zahra and we were having our lecture for "Intro to comparative politics"(ok, yes sounds difficult...it is!haaha, but it also sounds real interesting! my prof's from new zealand, her accent's queer but interesting!). So anyway, back to the story!

it was break time, and this guy got up to hand in this personal writeup for our prof to get to know us. He caught my eye, because his beard was weirdly shaven! Immediately, I nudged Zahra and told her about his beard. In an all-knowing manner, she says,"he's a DB"?!?!?! "What is that??", I asked, curiously! "I am a DB", she said. "Gee, that helps!hahaha", i added sheepishly!

that's when the revelation came! She started talking about her religion! She brought me to the land of Palestine- where the conflict between the Sunnis and Shites are still existent. After much talk, she breaks it to me - she's a shia (probably feminine for shite?!hehe) I was actually dumbfounded! I guess this is where my knowledge of world religions is extremely narrow (by the way, NUS did not offer that module this sem!sobs!).

I got curious and started asking her questions; here are some answers:
1. guys have to keep beards
2. they can ONLY marry within their own (really mintue sized) community!
3. they have a special mosque (located at city hall, next to Capitol!)
4. they cannot pray at a "normal" mosque, but the other muslims can
5. they serve free food, gujarati style! hehe

ok, so what is the main difference between your version of islam and the sunnis'?

She, a shite, believes that Mohammad's son or grandson (apologies for the senility), is the descendent of Mohammed and thus he will succeed him in the time to come. Whereas, the Sunnis do not believe he is the descendent and that he will take over!

Cool huh? Never did I know I had such great opportunites to unravel the mysteries of religion in my normal campus life!

School's only going to get more interesting! :D yay!!

Alamak! where's the masala and chilli padi?!

are you feeling this way about my blog?

have you realised when I post, a barrage of posts suddenly appears?haha, well that's because I get into the zone (I hope using such terms doesn't result in any wrong connotations). The writing zone!

So here's what I owe my blog,

1. a photo journal on my trip to thailand

2. hmm..I'm sure I'm forgetting something! hahah, I'll post it when I remember!

3. Ah! The entrepreneur in me wants to get a shop house!

and much more!

movie review: boys don't cry

So I was sitting at my computer, attempting to get successful bids today for modules I wanna take this sem-which is just next week. Finally throwing all my points adequately, well I hope it is, I decided to leave it in God's hands and watch a movie online!hehehe

I was scrolling through the movie list on http://www.movie6.net/, when I chanced upon "boys don't cry". Whoa, I mean that's all I have to say!

Whoa, to the courage of Hillary Swanks taking up such a character!

Whoa, to the guts of Brandon(the transsexual) to actually pretend to be a guy in the company of guys!

Whoa, to the love shared between Brandon and Lana, I mean it can't be infatuation; she stuck with her till the end (even after finding out she was female...hmmm, maybe Lana was lesbian!Gasps!)

But really it disgusts me how the men in the movie reacted towards Brandon when they found out she was female; how they humiliated her AND shot her dead, just like that. One of the guys actually wanted to continue stabbing her!!gosh! AND they even killed their friend, who gave Brandon a place to live.

The extent of hatred was immense man. But I dont know if it was stemmed from the fact that she was transexual and homosexual, as stated in my last sem's sociology textbook. I seriously think it stemmed from the fact that the main murderer, he had an accomplice, was seriously seriously "in love" with Lana. And he couldnt stand Lana being with Brandon and getting closer. So, that's why he, in his meth-induced murder frenzy, killed him/her (Brandon).

Jealousy? Identity Confusion? Love? This film has it all. But I wouldn't recommend you to watch it. It's quite slow moving, and set in the eighties, or what it seems like (the film was screened in 1999, oh wait that is quite a while ago!). Hehe, sadly, I hope this doesn't ever happen ever, although they are severe homophobics out there.

Homosexuality is increasingly being known as a biological disorder now more than a social construct. We should respect such these individual's rights. So,

say no to (extreme) homophobia!

the months repeat again:)

Here's a wrap to year 2007!I know, I know, it's already like 8 days into the new year!hahaha, apologies! Here are just some pictures I didnt manage to post about the last year!

I realised how colourful flowers really gets me excited about them!

Sunset at marina bay.

UFO at Plaza Singapura!

The map of NUS! fruitless taking a picture actually, I never referred to it!

Desserts at the Central Mall! Initially I thought they were real man! haha

This is what I call creative advertising!

To think we indians have been duped into thinking we're conservative! We're soooo not, if you look really closely at this dress! haha

I think the culmination of colours in the sky every sunset/sunrise is just so gorgeous!

The end to 2007! And WELCOME 2008:)

So, 2007 has passed. What's my new year resolution for this year? Well, my last was to do my best in everything I did, for God. Noble right?hahaha, but it was hard to remember man! So, this year I'll keep it simple: I'll try staying positive as much as I can, and possibly influence others around me to feel the same! Life's just too uncertain to waste it on a grudge right? Easier said than done. Well, let's see if I keep to it! :D Remind me if I forget. This is gonna be an exciting year!

my confession.

Today was truly a test of my chardi kala (in translation: high spirits and dealing daily scenarios positively). yup, my confession: today my faith faltered. I hate to admit, but I was really depressed...over what? my results, how silly right? it's not like a worldwide catastrophe, but I was seriously affected.

First I thought, everyone at driving school was conspiring to make me pay more and more to their privatised bureacracy, which i soooo totally hate! then I thought, oh dear I didnt study hard enough? after which I thought, oh no, is there something wrong with me?

But all this thinking did not bring me anywhere, except maybe supply a village or two with a few buckets of salted water.

So, actually I should be HAPPY! yeah!! I have many reasons too! (though I'll still be bitching about the driving school, and that almost racist instructor of mine...i'm a wretched soul!)

I'm happy to:

1. have loving friends

2. GREAT FRIENDS

3. endless support systems (i think my parents expected me to fail, they were so calm about it! I failed man! aren't you disappointed??nope!)

4. decent grades, not that they'll expel me...just that now I'm clueless about what to major in (hmmm, theatre studies???)

5. have a decent house, with food, family

6. i'm happy that I'm ALIVE (well, that's without checking on my cholestrol levels!hahaha)

7. be loved!

8. to love!

9. to bring cheer to people's lives(ok, those who beg to differ, keep comments to yourself!)

10. help others!

Basically, nanak dukiya sab sansar ( you're not the only one n pain, you fool, for there are others who are in pain as well = do not be consumed in your own pain! ok my translation! heheh)

So how does one keep out of this "self-consumed pain"?

Man jeetai jag jeet ( win your mind, and you conquer the society = the mind is the weapon, you fool! hehe)

So, my confession: my faith faltered...I think otherwise, this experience only made it stronger! chakdey! :D

yup, I wanna live in chardi kala! bring cheer to myself and others! I can do this! Hmm, Harms I found a new year resolution! :D