Study Tips

AHOY fellow net users,

First of all EID MUBARAK! 

For those unaware, these few days mark a special celebratory occasion for the Muslim population. That is basically the time of year where you get those huge festivals in Broadmeadows and all the wogs and arabs gather to eat and ride and lord knows what else. 

These holidays have been quite short (well all holidays are hehe) but remarkably rapid; reason being that exams are fast approaching. Essentially, when the teachers tell you it is a study break, and that it is sensible not to flat out study, we all gonna catch up and try to go ahead. Well if you are in my boat anyway.

I wanted to dedicate this post to study tips! Efficient study methods, timetabling and whatnot. You have probably seen or heard of these millions of times, but it helps to be reminded of things that contribute to healthy studying. Keep in mind; these things work for me! Some people are able to read material once and remember it (ah y’all are blessed if you fall in that category), or others requiring tedious revision to do so. So here are some of my no-nonsense tips:

• Find what time works for you best, in terms of studyingMany people swear by the whole studying til 2am thing, but I remain a complete sleep fanatic, so deprive me of sleep and I cannot function so well. What I like to do is study during the evening, till about 10pm, then sleep and wake up around 6am. I go to school earlier than it begins, giving me an hour of quiet study. For me, I cannot comprehend numbers at night so I like to leave things like that for the morning or early evening, whereas with wordier subjects like English and Biology, I can study those in the dark hours. Experiment and see what is best for you, and try to stick by that, ensuring you get sleep.

• Find an ideal study spotAs I mentioned before, the uni library is great for me. My study desk and school library are also brilliant as the resources are nearby and I am usually uninterrupted. Some people study on their beds, but I many studies have proven that it is not beneficial to study there, for many.

• Turn off all distracting devicesThat’s right, phones, laptops, iPads, lock ‘em away. If your study is on your laptop, a great thing to have is this web extension called StayFocusd which you can manipulate to block out distracting websites, or nuke em all. I know of an app on phones which allows users to plant trees, however if they go on their phones within half an hour of doing so, their forests turn out ugly. This sort of keeps you motivated to get off your phone as you may grow an attachment to the forest J
• Sleep!You have probably heard this many times, but it is hella important, even if you have to cram the night before a test! The 8hrs of sleep nightly is a good indicator.  Some people I have talked to function best on 6.5 hrs of sleep, some on 9hrs. I personally require no more or less than 7hrs for good performance. Also ensure you eat healthy and exercise to stimulate positive vibes and brain activity.
• How long do I study for?On a school night, I aim for 3.5 hours of studying, not including homework and stuff, then have an hour the next morning. On the weekends, about 6 hours shared over the two days. Some people may consider that very little, but it is not about quantity but quality. Ensure that you make the most of your time. Before, when I trialled the 10hr study day thingy, I found that most of it was spend staring at blank pages of paper, but this system works much better for me.
• Study in short bursts!Give yourself 55 minutes of study and a 5-10 minute break, depending on how much you expended yourself. However during the break, keep the brain stimulated by drinking water or eating nutritiously, exercises like star-jumps and squats are great. These short bursts are to make sure that you don’t tire and lose focus.
• Study efficiently and effectivelyThey are different words guys haha. Ensure that you do not do things you find unnecessary or not beneficial to your progress. For math-based subjects like physics and mathematics, practice definitely makes perfect. Do as many practice papers and questions you can, and ensure that you correct them. What I do is keep track of all my mistakes on the front page of my exam notebooks for each subject. Then, if you are allowed a cheat sheet, or for revision sheets, just right out those problems and the common mistakes you make in big letters.For the sciences and basically any writing subject, I recommend reading the text book, where you deem necessary. I always read it because in class some content may be overlooked. Highlighting is great, especially if you are going to rewrite to make notes. Same rule goes; do practice papers! And for English, another writing subject, aim to do 15 minutes of whatever writing DAILY. My subject is based on linguistics so I have this online data base where I retrieve written transcripts and basically analyse for 15 minutes before calling it quits. Next year, I aim to write an essay a week. But as tedious as it gets, writing over and over is a great task. Try to handwrite where possible, because that replicates exam and test conditions best, and many students come out of exams or essay write ups in class complaining about sore wrists. Also, multitasking is not a great idea in studying as it clouds your brain and reduces performance, so avoid doing that.
  Something I started at the beginning of the year is this: I created a Powerpoint for every subject but maths, and after every class, I would immediately update each of these powerpoints with one slide entailing the new concept learned, during that day. Putting in diagrams where necessary. This is really useful during exam revision time as you can download these on your phones and play the slideshows in the bus/ car, or just read through. Make it a habit to view the slideshows at least once a fortnight, so the info stays fresh in your mind.
  
   
• KEEP UP TO DATE!It is crucial that you keep up. Do not try to go ahead if you cannot, but stay at class pace. If you are aiming for high marks, only go ahead so that you know the information for the next class, and so sitting in the class is merely revision for you. Again, this is different for everyone. My teachers are all lovely in the fact that they give out timetables of what is covered each class, and what reading and questions are required. If your teachers don’t do this, ask them! Keeping up means that if you have a test on the subject, you only need to increase your study time for that subject slightly.
• Equal study timeSome people expend more energy into subjects they find difficult, but it is best to keep all of them at relatively equal importance, only studying slightly more for the upcoming tests
  
• Aim to finish homework earlyFinishing homework gives you room for studying! Unless the homework is a high contributor to my grades, I will keep my response succinct and only at the necessary level, so I do not spend too much time on it. Teachers endorse this system.
• Study in groups to mix it upMake a group with people in different subjects and meet up! I study with my mama at the university library regularly. It is great because the library is silent and I tend to work best in those conditions. During study periods at school, work with friends and test each other. Not only is it fun but you are more motivated.
• Keep busyDo not drop piano or violin, sporting team places, hang outs with friends, or simple hobbies like running. Keep them! And your part time job! Apparently if you have time restrictions for studying, the time you do spend studying will be much more efficient! IN fact, those with wide palates of activity tend to be more successful. My FantasyPremierLeague account is still in business peeps! And I ain't quittin' anytime soon.
• Seek help!Teachers, parents, friends. My mum reads my essays twice, giving me heaps of critique, given her background in academic writing, and I take her advice seriously! Furthermore, going over key points with teachers in emails, or during lunchtimes is brilliant to keep your knowledge straight.

I did not think I would write for this long sorry guys ><

But seriously the most important thing is to go to your study place with positivity and regard it as a task that builds you, not something that depletes you.

HAPPY STUDYING ALL :)

P.S: Isaac approves of this message

Hello world,

It is hard to hold a positive attitude today when all you hear is news of devastation. I am referring to the 298 people killed during the downing of the MH17, and the 68 Palestinians killed, along with destruction of over 20000 houses in the region.

All those people, the large portion of children who haven't yet seen the world and experienced its ups and downs, all the people looking forward to a future event, perhaps a family union or job prospect. All these people had lives, and due to stupid conflicts between nations, they have vanished.

And there I was, sitting on a chair in the warmth and comfort of my home and family.

If this is not a lesson on being grateful, I don't know what is. Just please, remember the fact that there are people out there, in so many places, in dire situations, unsure of their fates in this world. The big picture consisting of poverty, war, terrorism, global warming, homelessness, habitat destruction, depression and more!

I do not know where I am going with this point, but let me revisit the gratitude thing.
Our lives are what many people pray for daily. If we can take the time out of our day, to drop a few coins in the charity cup, to smile at strangers, to preserve our health and well-being, we can all slowly but rightly so, reduce these problems.

Enjoy your life, make the most of it, love people, chase your passion! I'm sure these words would've been the final of the lost souls.

I end with a quote,
'Peace is a journey of a thousand miles and it must be taken one step at a time'- Lyndon B.Johnson

Short and Sweet

G'DAY EVERYBODY

First and foremost, I wanna say (a belated) RAMADAN MUBARAK! To all my friends who are unsure of what this is, essentially Muslims around the world engage in a month full of fasting, where they remain abstinent from water and food during hours of which the sun is sighted in the sky. This is an obligation of our religion and is a month of spirituality. It is for gratitude, patience and character development. I honestly love this month! 

It starts with the sighting of the moon which causes so many disputes, it is hilarious! Basically, a waxing crescent moon signals the start of this holy month, and a waning crescent at the end of it. Due to problems such as cloudy skies, or use of different methods of calculation, often the first day of fasting is on three consecutive days for different people. 

And then we have suhoor (pre-dawn meal) and iftar (evening meal) , the two meals of the day that take place respectively before and after prayer times. Some set goals to read the holy quran, or read a certain number of pages, whilst others like to give charity and spend their time practicing good deeds and staying faithful to the moral code of which Islam stands for. 

It's really cool because many of my friends, like my Jewish friend Isaac, decided to try it out this year! Unfortunately that meant me having to wake them up in the early hours to eat, but so far, all reflections have been positive :)

I hope all of y'all take this as a time to reflect, and enjoy this month!

And my stance on the World Cup?

Well...... I am with Brazil emotionally, because they were the first national team I fell for! 

But I feel that Germany are going to win, and they have my support! ;)

All the teams that have made it this far deserve to win honestly, but these two have a place in my heart!

See y'all later!!!

Call this what you like, it is only an expression of my thoughts.

Once, all that was heard in the mornings, was the laughter of children,
bartering of customers, and slow music of folk songs
In the evening, the family settings, the pride the joy,
and the silence of  prayers.

One could smell the wet grass, in the marches of South Iraq,
or the bread and tea, at the break of dawn,
They could see the beginning, of a sharp and strong civilisation,
and perhaps the dawn of a new era.

A new era indeed, a dark one too.
All this before 1979 suddenly vanished.

Replaced it was, with hush and haste as people scurried,
not wanting to remain on the streets longer than necessary
The wetlands became a refuge, not an enjoyment
and the uprising of a new leadership, blistered with lack of morality and humanity.

But many years later, they recovered.
This dark age was over, they thought.
They had lost many loved ones, their childhoods, their nation, their identity, and their trust.
But they were slowly returning to what they wanted originally.

And today. It starts again.
When will this cycle be over?

That ideal for their nation, the one that the people desired.
It is not a crime to want something as that. Peace should not be considered a crime.
Religious, linguistic and racial differences are not rational triggers for war.

And since when has a war been a solution to anything? When is it absolutely necessary to dictate a land of innocent people, and cause darkness and force your way through?
The whole world is against you.
But that doesn't stop you.
'In the name of religion' you say.
But is this really? Is this what religion stated? Because truthfully, if it were, I am no longer a Muslim.
Religion did NOT ever support such immorality, and you shameless people know that very well.
You simply tag your intentions with such a pure thing, knowingly demonizing it.

Who do you think you are? You are in no place to force people into believing something.
And don't you dare compare yourself to the armies of prophets of before, or of their proceeding Imams for that matter.
For they would never intentionally or unintentionally instill that fear into people.

But through all of this, I feel sorry for you.
Because today we unite, everybody else. And we know that what we lose, we lost in true spirit of Islam.
Because we did not comply with your expectations.
We fought back.
And the strength we have does not lie in our weaponry, you fools, but in our hearts and faith.

Bring back the old days that defined Iraq.

FIFA Commentating

Disclaimer: I am merely a 16.5 year old with no expertise on football. Cheers mate!

HEY FRIENDS,
SOO it started with a kick, and an own goal ( :( ) and so far, one thing 2014 has taught me is that the world cup IS HELLA UNPREDICTABLE :P

The only match I have so far been able to correctly predict was the opener! Damn :/
I am uber excited for next stage, although I am totally dismayed about England and Spain!
The thing is, most people would've assumed that a defending title-holder would reach at least knock out stage, but no such luck with Espana.

First, I wanna revisit some of my favourite matches so far. (Top 5)
1. England vs Italy                
2. Australia vs Netherlands  
3. Switzerland vs France
4. Brazil vs Mexico
5. Uruguay vs England

Who do I predict shall win?
Well before the draw between Germany and Ghana, and the last minute goal from Messi, my eyes were set on Germany and Argentina. Now, I reckon Germany still have it, Belgium may have a shot, Netherlands are quite there, and Brazil if they hasten a little.

Who do I want to win?
If you haven't already gathered, I am huge with the Portuguese, that is Brazil and Portugal. Also, during 2010, Germany vs Argentina (4-0) , I fell in love with Deutschland!

Players that have been good thus far
- Luis Suarez
- Thomas Muller
- Robin Van Persie
- Argen Robben
- Guillermo Ochoa
- Alexis Sanchez
- Karim Benzema
- Tim Cahill
- Eden Hazard
- Alireza Haghigni
- Daniel Sturridge
- Neymar Junior :D
- Oscar

There are heaps more that I cannot remember off the top of my mind, but these guys were brilliant, even if some of there teams were not quite top-notch.

Predictions for next set of matches?
Belgium vs Russia -  Belgium win, 3:1
Korea Republic vs Algeria- draw 1:1
US vs Portugal- Portugal**: 2-1

**Hopefully Ronaldo will be able to play!

A pixie flew by my window and told me to updAte.

Ok so the pixie was a slow loading internet browser and the window is my laptop screen.... 

but dang flabbit it has been long my friends.

I wanna discuss somethings in my post today. Humility and self degradation.

If you don't know me already, well I'd say I am a huge advocate of self love. And if somebody looks down, or denies me when I tell them something positive about them, I get worked up. I feel that the human race as a whole has reached the stage where many developments have been made, and most of us are living at ease. So why do we have to be at war with ourselves?

I just feel that it's almost ridiculous how youth in particular, at this day and age, do not appreciate being commended or told that they have done well in something. I mean they do appreciate it, perhaps, but sometimes their intense self negativity and self loathe is all you really get in return. 

I am not going to discuss how important self love is, because we have so many tumblrs dedicated to that sort of thing, and I am totally all for going and getting some motivation off them. But I challenge you something. If you are ever in that negative space of yours, I want you to brainstorm like 50 reasons why you are an awesome human being. In no way at all is this immodest behaviour, because this is a personal matter and does not require the attention of the world. So do that. And then tell me if you don't feel better.

Modesty is not determined by how well you can mask your reaction to a positive comment. Similarly, boasting about it is not the way to go. I reckon that when you are modest, you accept yourself, and show people that you do in the way you respond to their comments. You don't hide your face in shame when you get commended. You lift your face, smile, thank them, and return the favour. Spread the love y'all.

SoOo to all the FIFA peeps out there who are counting the sleeps till match time in Arena de Sao Paulo, ahhhh!

I wanna do a public prediction. Like Paul the octopus. I mean he got so much recognition for predicting Germany's wins and losses correctly. Who's to say I can't do that either?

Personally, I reckon the groups are rigged majorly, and that Brazil and Argentina are both definitely making it through. I support Portugal, Spain, Germany, Brazil, and for patriotic reasons, Australia. Actually I support all the nations :) 

Well my predictions are summarised in this image lol

OOH players I will be watching this world cup: C. Ronaldo (need I say more??), Thomas Muller (seriously not over that goal in '10 against Argentina daaaayum), David Villa, Neymar, Ozil aand much much more.

I am mega disappointed that Kaka won't be playing this year :( but let's pray the young Brazillians carry on his and Ronaldinho's brilliance on the field. 

okiez I have managed to make soccer, or football a dorky subject.

Bye my little upside-down-rainbows!!!

Hey ma awesome web-family,

I know I have been unfaithful! :( :( :( Did not stick to my words but seriously how many more sad faces do y’all need to forgive ;)

Have you ever scolded yourself? Or like told yourself off for something. Like when you’re attempting a conversation, and you succeed to make yourself appear flustered and deluded? And you mentally or physically scold yourself. And then you realise that to an external eye, you are displaying class A symptoms of many mental disorders? Anyway that’s what it feels like when I blog. I’m talking to myself…. Just a word, ages ago I awarded myself the world’s best worst simile/ metaphor/ situation comparison mark maker.

And I have decided to pause my challenge for a bit, but will be resuming it soon. Reason? While I like to think that I am a complex human being, I actually have no good reason for this… Blame youth development guys.

My beautifuls.

When I was in grade six, this group of motivators came over on a regular basis. They were role models who each had jobs they loved, and wanted to inspire us. They did something called the ‘TARDIS Experiment’ (DOCTOR WHO wooooo). ANYHOW I was told to close my eyes, and imagine that I could see the phone box on the street, and as I enter it, I find that it is unoccupied. I accidently fall over and some buttons are pressed. And wham I reach my future, about twenty years ahead. Somewhere along the way, the invisibility cloak from Harry Potter is chucked on me, and I get this Sonic Camera. So I leave the TARDIS and see myself, and take a picture. I return to the TARDIS, return to modern day me, and open my eyes.

So what did I see?

I didn’t take this seriously when I was younger. It was a fun thing; everybody was busy giggling at the accidental fall. I remember writing down that my picture was of me, in a medical centre, taking somebody’s temperature.

What about now? What do I see now?

I could go on and on about my aspirations and where I want to stand one day, but I don’t think that was the point of the experiment. I believe it was to get all us grade six kids to believe that we would end up in the snapshots our Sonic Cameras took. That thought provides the biggest motivation. The idea that ‘this is where I belong, this is what I will do, this is where I want to be’. Looking back, I wish I still had the picture I drew of my snapshot. Because I do believe I will end up there one day. And so should you guys. If you ever do have your moments of doubt, WHICH WE ALL HAVE, don’t let that be the big obstacle. The worst thing in the world I think, is to realise in the future that you let yourself down and stops yourself from getting there.

Seriously, the following four words; we’ve heard an infinite amount of times, but they are boss. Like I’m sure Hugo Boss said this at least once in his life.

Don’t give up, dawg.

Hey everybloody,

I come across questionnaires on tumblr, all the time. So, instead of posting a letter this week, I shall complete one today :) Enjoy! I really think you guys should try this because really it was impossible thinking of some of the answers. But I can somewhat confidently say that I know myself 4% better.

Favourite sitcom show?  This is a four-way competition between Friends, Fresh Prince of Bel-air, Everybody Loves Raymond and Modern Family (yes, sitcoms are one of my many guilty pleasures ;P)
Favourite TV shows? Scrubs, Parks and Recreation, The Doctors, PLL, JUDGE JUDY!

Favourite disney pixar movie? Monsters Inc. Hands down people.

Favourite disney non-pixar movie? The Lion King

Favourite land at Disneyland? Adventure-land

Favourite movie? The Pursuit of Happyness.

Favourite book? Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Favourite song? Leona Lewis- Better in time

Favourite singer? Ne-yo

Favourite actors? Will Smith and Jennifer Anniston

Favourite band? Westlife

Favourite colour? Green!

Favourite chocolate bar? Aero Mint

Favourite pizza topping? Vegetarian, or Mediterranean vegetable and feta 

Favourite ice cream flavour? Choc mint

Favourite name for a guy? Zak, or Zakarya

Favourite name for a girl? Mona

Music genre? RnB

Quote? ‘Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You’ DR SEUSS

Saying of prophet Mohammed (PBUH) ? The best richness or profit a person can acquire is the richness and purity of a soul'

Favourite font? err... Garamond.

Favourite Hobby? Travelling

What was your first Pet? A birdy we called Fetfut

Favourite animal? Love them all to bits, but I have a soft spot for all birds and llamas :D

If you were a Fruit ,what kind would you be? A giant grape with very firm skin.

If you were a Drink,what kind would you be? English Breakfast tea thanks.

Have you ever Won a Prize? Yes.

What is your Favourite Food? Peanut butter anything

If you Ruled the World,what would be your First Words? No more disharmony and killings.

If you could Time Travel, what Time would you go to? Either during the

Renaissance or Ancient Mesopotamia!

What is your Favourite Flower or Plant? The date palm. HANDS DOWN.

Dinner with Five Actors: Who would they be? Rowan Atkinson, Matthew Perry,

Vin Diesel, Meryl Streep and Lisa Kudrow

What is your Favourite Art Medium? Paint on wood or bricks… or pencil and

paper

Who is your Favourite Artist? Da Vinci

Three places you would Love to Visit? Hajj, Hogwarts and Barcelona

Do you prefer Daytime or Nightime? Night time

What is the funniest Typo you have typed? Errrm sloppy instead of sorry?

What is your Earliest Memory? I was in a cot, and I heard noises. It was daytime

What would be your song for Karaoke? Waving flag

That's all folks :P

At the close of life the question will be not how much have you got, but how much have you given; nor how much have you won, but how much have you done; not how much have you saved, but how much have you sacrificed; how much have you loved and served, not how much were you honored.

 Nathan C Schaeffer

When I saw this quote, other than assuming that this guy was American due to the horrendous spelling variation at the end, I concluded that we, as a society, are incredibly pessimistic.

I mean, you see on television those characters that are always thinking positively, but then in reality, where are those Joey Tribbianis, Spongebob Squarepants and Phil Dunphys?

I started paying attention to people and myself this week. I realised that about 85% of our talk is negative.

“Oh I totally failed that!”, “Oh gosh I look so eww”, “I’m so tired, urgh I hate school,” and “I won’t make it to anything big,”.

Seriously guys, me and you, WHAT??? If I’m gonna rant about this issue, I would be totally defeating the purpose of spreading positivity, so instead, I shall contort this post.

You look great. You will achieve what you want one day. School is only for a few years, and it’s the key to what you want later. You didn’t fail. You only need to stop the self-doubt and start the self-love. Doing this doesn’t make you selfish or conceited, it makes you admirable and you are gonna feel awesome. We all have those days where we just feel so insecure about every aspect of ourselves, and that’s ok. Just don’t let that be you always.

I won’t be uploading a letter today, but will hopefully do so sometime during the following week.

Tuning out, it’s your girl Zahraa 

Hi friendZ,

“People gon’ talk whether you doing bad or good”- Rihanna

Those words are quite true. I was cleaning my closet, listening to RiRi and was kinda surprised at the meaning behind her words. Regardless of my actions, there will always be a group of people judging. I just felt like sharing that with y’all.

ANyHOW; my mood at the moment is totally holiday-yearning. I think the realisation that the two week break is almost here makes everybody slow down and just stop caring. I like to think I oppose that norm. I’m sort of doing everything I can now, to not do anything later. 

I watched Mr Peabody and Sherman yesterday, with my sisters. It is such a cute, innovative movie. If you are feeling up for some animated movies, this is for you :P

I ALSO WITNESSED A BIO MIRACLE! Encased in a silky cocoon, and struggling out was a will-be butterfly! Seriously awesome stuff.

Dear somebody-I-wish-I-could-talk-to,

Jesus. Mohammed. Gandhi. Da Vinci. Disney. Ann Frank. Galileo. Hitler. Mr Noodle from Elmo’s World.

These are all people that have largely impacted the world, or in Mr N’s case, are people who I really want to meet. My list is way longer, but the name I assure you will definitely be on the top of this list is my grandfather.

When I was four, he passed away. At that age, I did not know his significance to my life, or my mum’s. I had never met him. He had never held me, or talked to me. When we did go overseas to visit the family, he was away.

I want to talk to him. Because through this phase of maturation, I have bonded with mum greatly, and I find that the figure she most looked up to and learned from and loved was her dad. He was an intellectual, a joker, the principal of three high schools, a history teacher, yet a loving father, a wonderful husband, a supportive friend and an aspiring leader. He did not give into cultural expectations, like many people did in those days, and still do. He was a feminist, living in a masculine society. He was modest, honest, sincere and real.

And I missed out on all that. If the opportunity to talk to him surfaces, as farfetched as it seems, I want to ask him about how he approached dilemmas, and his undeniable strength.

So Jido (Arabic slang for grandpa),

Thank you for everything you have done and all the positivity you have contributed to the world.

Love always, Zahraa

BTW I found this image pretty cool :P

                                                                                                                                                         

Hi guys,

This letter is meant to be addressed to my internet friends. The thing is, my mama told me not to talk to strangers online, and the only people I ever did converse with, I did just one time. So the tumblr folk are ruled out. The only people I consider internet friends (other than you guys, of course) are my Wattpad fans/ people I fan! 

Dear Wattpadopian people,

Click after click, I am enticed by the structure of the website, and how so many people, separated by thousands of kilometres and oceans in between, are able to connect over a story. It astounds me and that’s the beauty of Wattpad.

My first friend on Wattpad, not someone I knew in real life, was Ash- LoveUnconditionally. I fell in love with her story and it was great to comment.

She inspired me to start writing my own story, and even provided great feedback. It was awesome to see how willing a stranger was to help me out, and that’s what made me realise she was a friend.

Online friends are not like friends you see in real life. These guys are definitely supportive, and they do not know everything about you, but they totally accept you. 

Through Ash, I met new people. Other teen girls finding themselves and wanting to embrace their identities. I loved it. And the thing is, we weren’t friends that only messaged each other. We were the friends that put our experiences into words and shared our thoughts in the comments section.

So thank you guys for making those boring holidays, bus rides, and cold winter nights helluva lot more bearable.

LOVE Zahraa 

HEY GUYS

So today, a friend and I went over some of the things we do that make social exchange between us and other people, completely awkward. If you can relate, that makes me feel much better! Otherwise, you can just glorify the fact that you have people skills 

1.       Not understanding social cues.
Today, in the elevator, a guy in my course asked me and my friend for our names. It is something you’d ask to initiate a conversation. We did was respond, but did not ask anything in response, and did not say anything even though he had sort of prompted us to. SO for the remaining 14 floors, the tension in the lift was sliceable. It was only when we exited the building that we realised we could have said something.

2.       The whole smile and nod thing
ok so I admit it, and if you know me, you’d probably know that I tend to black out a lot in the middle of a conversation, and I tend to drift off while you would be talking about something. If something catches my attention, I’d ask you to backtrack a little. When around people I do not know very well, I still go blank during conversations, but I would smile and nod when my attention is called on. that tends to get awkward when the person realises they had been talking for nothing really…

3.       Having no good sarcastic comebacks or cool witty insults
I think this one is fairly self-explanatory. Sorry, but I ain’t no Chandler Bing. (

4.       When you say something that goes unheard
you: “OMG HI!!”
person: **keeps walking**
you: (turn to other people) haha ok then

5.       Test marks
when we get marks for tests back, and there is this rush to find out what everybody got, and then you loudly complain about your mark, only to find that you did better than somebody else, making you feel extremely ungrateful and rude.

There are way, way more scenarios that make me wish the ground would swallow me, but it’s 10:30pm and I am beat.

SIGNING OUT,

Your chica Zahraa 

Hi reader,

How is your weekend? You know that crash you get after a major sugar high? I’m kinda in that situation right now, and lemme just say “GOOD THINGS DO NOT LAST!!”- well not in this case anyway. Just to keep this note short and sweet, I’m super duper excited for…. Actually nope I can’t really pinpoint a huge event that is jaw-droppingly fantastic haha I just thought I’d try that whole youtuber thing. But seriously, I’m anticipating the holidays as it means time for things I can not necessarily do or find time to do right now (i.e. sleep).

Just an observation, it is crazy how dynamic language is. I know I may sound like your English teacher, but really I dare you to read a novel of Charles Dickens’, or even a more recent author like J.K Rowling. Seriously the contrast in language now and then is like w0w. But I guess that’s what the skyrocketing of technological development did.

OK, to the letter.

I like to modify things, if you don’t know me already. Like find a cookie recipe, and bake up something similar but somewhat different. And since the next preselected letter bares little relevance to me, I’m going to modify the subject and write to somebody I used to admire (in a completely un-romantic way).

Dear Somebody-I-Used-To-Admire-In-A-Completely-Un-Romantic-Way,

My adoration of you began in year seven. You were someone I wanted to be. Your amazing style tactics, intriguing personality, funny stories and awesome personality. You were pretty much our community’s ‘It Girl’. Every conversation I had with you, I stored deep in my mind. I let your words help me when I was down. After all, you had faced similar experiences to me when you were younger.

And before I knew it, I started to dress like you, talk like you and talk about you! It was not a crazy obsession or anything, but like how some girls would have a celebrity inspiration, you were mine.

For a while, I did not see you, and when I did I was really excited. But something felt very off. It was as though your whole personality was a fake. You were hugely different around other people. I did not like it. You swore a lot and gave off a very materialistic and superficial vibe. All I could think around you was 'I hope I do not disappoint someone who looks up to me'.

I thought you were great, and I know you were when I was younger. Thanks for being that person I looked up to.

We’re all human and we all have our flaws. And I should definitely not be blaming you for your change of heart.

And it doesn't matter I don't see you in the same light anymore, but you are still a kind friend.

All the best,

Zahraa

Hello there friend 

So I have been the epitome of productivity lately, and on my productivity streak, here comes the next letter:

Dear StrangerS

The stranger at train station, you play your music loud and walk around, allowing other people to sit in your seat. To others, you’re the guy going through midlife crisis. To me, you are someone who doesn’t give a flying cactus about what people think of you. I respect you man.

To the stranger at Luna Park, the young adult who went on a kiddie ride about 12 times (and that was before I left) alone. You were nice to us when we wanted to sit in your row. Thanks.

To the guy at the fruit and vegetable grocery shop, the guy that helped my mum out. Thank you dude, you could’ve lost your job but you valued helping others more.

To the stranger that sat in front of on the bus. It was packed, and I tried to get off. You asked the driver to wait so that I could make my way out. Thanks man, I had a test that day so it was great to be helped out.

To the lady on the elevator at the Rialto Towers yesterday. You were sweet in maintaining phatic communication while we ascended to great heights. It really did get rid of nerves. Cheers.

To the guy on the elevator at the Rialto Towers yesterday. You were on your phone with your mum, and it was heard by everybody as we went down. She was crying loudly, and you were comforting her. I talked loudly to take the attention off you. It was really admirable the way you relieved her. She’s a lucky lady.

To the guy working at my local Subway. I don’t know your name, but you always knock money off my price and give me extra cookies. Thank you!

All you strangers did something that affected me positively. Even if it was the slightest nudge in the right way, I thank y’all for being great human beings.

From Zahraa

:D

HI!

This was a cool letter to write. I had a discussion with a few friends this week, who are taking advanced psychology, and they talked to me all about REM sleep and sleep and dreams, so it's quite a fitting letter for this week.

Dear Dreams,

When I sleep and when I'm awake, you constantly haunt me.

My awaken dreams, you are sometimes unrealistic, but you make me hope.You make me feel young. My aspirations and desires are all poured into you, and you are a beautiful, yet unattainable thing.

My dreams as I sleep, you are.... weird. It's as though my subconscious has made me out to be a ditsy character, who will do the whole cliché open the door at midnight when there's obviously a stranger. But as strange and scary, or awkward and amusing as you may be, you make me think laterally.

Awake, one of my dreams was the Hogwarts dream, where on my 11th birthday, my parents would reveal to me that we were in fact wizards, and I would be taken to Diagon Alley to purchase a wand. Another was my modern-day Cinderella story. It was so farfetched; I almost got mad that my family weren't the slightest bit mean or bossy. But you were awesome.

The dreams at night were different. I only remember the ones I talked about, or bothered to note down. The one I remember most is the day before high school. It was wild. I was yelled at for late attendance, and exposed to dire scenarios. In all its horrible-ness, I actually felt ready for any of school’s challenges the next day, so you can imagine how I felt when I realised it was a larger version of grade six.

My visions, the dreams that reflect my ambitions, you guys are terrific. Really, you inspire and make me perspire to be you. 

I guess I should say thanks for being funny to recall and motivational. I hope I'm a cool mind to dwell in, ha.

From Zahraa

P.S. Just a small request, I'd really appreciate if those clown dreams stopped happening, and I stopped falling down a tunnel of nothingness.

Hey there internet surfer,

today's letter is addressed to my sister Mariam. Aaaand it'll be short but sweet, hopefully.

Dear Maz,

You know how people say that over the years, their bond with their sibling is maintained, strengthened or weakened? I have to say that with us, it's kinda been full of ups and downs.

Ever since you started high school, it's been awesome. I finally have someone who understands what I had been going through, someone who actually looked up to me and asked me questions they wouldn't ask mama. Although we yell, pinch, scream, kick, jump and punch each other, within the hour, all is forgiven. It's like I don't think of it, it's ignored. 

I can't hold a grudge from you. It's actually really hard to, and if I do succeed, it's only for a few minutes before you make me laugh.

You always say the quirkiest things, or structure you sentence weirdly. Actually, it's pretty awesome having a sister that streaks her hair red, is into the arts, listens to country and slow rock, plays flute, bakes and loves the whole self care routine of hair, make up and stuff.

I'm pretty much the opposite, but you don't give a flying crap. You still persistently bug me with stuff you would tell people into the things your into.

It's not bad because I do the same to you! I love my science facts, nutritional advice, R&B music, preference to go natural and interest in soccer. But you listen to me when I give you all that stuff.

Our grounds overlap in terms of cultural identity and TV shows :P

You and I helped each other through that self-discovery of who we were, and to this day, you are one of the most influential people I know.

Thanks Maz, for listening, being catty, doing my hair and nails for me, choosing out my clothes, baking non-stop goods, letting me ramble and for being the friend who accepts me no matter anything.

I LOVE YOU LIL SIS! (I know you hate it when we say the L-word :P)

Zaz ;P x0x0x0x

Hey there kind earthlings :D

Before I begin the next letter, I would just like to address something. I hope you may be able to give your prayers to a family friend, who recently gave birth to a premature child but suffered acute respiratory failure after the delivery. She is a beautiful and wonderful person, and a great friend of my aunt's. Although I haven't seen her for over 8 years, I still want this to be shared so together we can pray for her. InshaAllah (If God wills), she will be out of her state of coma. 

So the letter of the day goes to my mother!

ENJOY :D

Dear Mum,

Actually, no. That word doesn't even do you justice. Just plain old 'mum'. You deserve a multisyllable word that can recognize all your efforts and amazing-ness. Superiffic Mum. That's slightly better.

Ok

Dear Superiffic Mum,

I cannot even begin to comprehend the significant impact you have had on my life. All your imperative life lessons that have truly aided me in my hours of despair AND joy. Aside from that, your simple presence just makes me feel heaps safer and happier.

I have always looked up to you. Your ability to talk to people, find a solution to every problem and deal with life’s complications. I used to look at mothers in movies, who would let their children throw their temper tantrums, and act nothing of it, or the mothers who would sit around most of the day, doing lord-knows-what.

I used to get annoyed that you were always doing something. But then I realised that I am just like you. I cannot sit for a second straight without having to do something, or feeling guilty for not. I thought of it as a curse, but really it’s the biggest blessing of all.

Productivity, moderation, acceptance, speaking up, loving, forgiving, honesty. All these you emphasised. You told me to do my personal best. You stood by every decision I made.

You founded your own school! And with a billion other commitments, you are still successfully running it.

I don’t want this to be a short letter, but I am quite sure that you’d appreciate me studying for tomorrow’s test rather than going on about how great you are. Modesty as always.

But I want you to know this mum, even if I do not get to personally deliver this to you, I want you to know that you have always been my number one. Thank you so much for making my childhood so pleasant, and for pampering me like a princess, and for equipping me with all your tricks on how to cope with life’s stresses, and most importantly, enjoy them and love life. I LOVE YOU MAMA :’D

Love Zahraa xoxoxo

Happy Sunday everybodaay.

Here’s the letter for the day: letter to a crush. I encourage you all to do this at one point. It took me almost forever to pinpoint someone that I was infatuated with.
The reason why I am writing this letter is to demonstrate my belief that it is perfectly acceptable to have feelings for another. It is impossible to control attraction towards certain people often, so I want to show that having these feelings is perfectly human, but it is how we act that determines our character.
I guess at this age, I am not seeking anything, nor am I hopeful for a partner or whatnot. In fact, I am more leaning towards the other side of the spectrum where I DON'T view others in a romantic light. But this is perhaps the most relevant to the theme today. So here goes nothing :P

Dear Old Infatuation,

This is perhaps one of the most dynamic parts of my life, and as I currently do not have one, I will have to say you were probably the one I most admired. I don’t think I am the only one when I say that having a crush during high school is almost second nature. It is innate, and you sorta want to grow up to tell your little girl, or your grandchildren, or whomever that (insert name here) was your source of oxygen during high school. Ok SLIGHT OVER EXAGGERATION

My first interaction with you made me hate your guts. You were rowdy, obnoxious, rude and competitive. But my friends loved you. Everybody loved you. In their eyes, you were charming, a great lad, smart and funny, pretty much the whole package. The following few days at school did not help me warm up to you at all. Early in the morning, you’d walk through the locker bay like you owned the place. You knew that you could interrupt conversations and still maintain your reputation.

I had grown adjusted to the negatives of your personality, I failed to acknowledge that we were more alike than not. I saw you meditating, and admired the fact that you could put all your friends and the adoring school community behind, and prioritize seeking peace. I respected you about 10% more than before.

A few weeks passed and the school’s attention on you was diminishing. You stopped your antics and flirting. One day, you approached me about borrowing my calculator. The way you asked made me rethink my attitude towards you. So I lent it to you. I made a joke about it being my magic wand. I didn’t expect you to connect it as a Harry Potter reference. When you returned it, I stored it away, but the next time I pulled it out, I saw a message typed into the notes of the calculator (CAS). “Thank you for letting me borrow your Dragon Heartstring wand.”

I thought it was cute. We maintained a hi/ bye relationship, and on some occasions you would sit at my table in class. The next year, we shared a class together. And from talking to you, I realised that though you were stubborn, very opinionated, so was I!

And then and there was when that small feeling developed. We both moved to different schools.

Now, when I see you, I smile. It’s phatic talk between us. I guess we realized it would be better to lower the level of interaction between us.

Thank you for allowing me to realise that sometimes, following your emotions blindly is not the smartest thing to do. You understood everything I was trying to represent, and supported it. You did not ask questions, because you knew it all. It was great. A warm fuzzy blanket that will probably remain in my gut throughout my all of my adolescence. Thanks mate.

Hey there ^.^

So I remember coming across a 30 day letter challenge on Wattpad once, where a user had uploader 30 different letters, addressed to various people. The writer basically poured out all emotions she felt about their sort of relationship. I found it pretty cool and recently looked it up. My fellow friend and I decided to embark on a quest to write all these letters. We've modified the challenge so we may upload every Sunday (for me) and Friday (for her).

So ye. Link to challenge: http://30daychallenges.net/challenges/info/1 

If you check out my friend's blog, you'll see that she has addressed her first letter to a future best friend. I'm going to address mine to a best friend from the past....

Dear Past-Best Friend,

The five or six years of my life that I spent knowing you were honestly the best. If you had asked me then, what a best friend is, I would have probably answered with 'I don't know', as we always committed to calling our exclusive friendship as 'just close friends', knowing that ultimately we would end up at different high schools, most likely not maintaining such a strong friendship. How smart we were as that is precisely what did end up happening. But I'm not gonna dwell on the 'could-haves' or 'would-haves' of our friendship. Nope. I'm gonna acknowledge the amazing-ness of it all. The Awepicsomallity (word we made up) of it all. So today, when somebody asks me the same question, I tell them that you are the definition of best friend. 

This may be mega corny but all good things don't last. We knew that from the beginning and persevered to make the most of it. From the beginning of year 3, I was on the playground, wondering around aimlessly till I spotted you. We spent the rest of lunchtime making up rhymes about each other. From then onwards, we moved seats, and got up to all kinds of mischief together. We were the awesome twosome that were attached at hip. Well that's what the teachers used to say anyway. You always defended me, and put me first. You knew immediately whether or not I was having a bad day. You understood the concept of personal space. You managed to always crack me up and your wittiness and creativity never ceased to amaze me. There was never any jealousy or competition, we were two bodies sharing one mind. 

That bond between us, and being able to complete each other's sentences and thoughts was truly beyond our years. The fact that we were not so alike made our friendship all the better. You and your artsy thoughts, always with a notepad and pencil, and your neatness, and me with my clustered data and messy ideas. You made me confident and made my self esteem skyrocket! I didn't care that we were giving up numerous lunch times to be leaders or read for younger kids. I didn't mind that people saw us as goody goods. That stuff didn't matter to me. Just the fact that you were alongside me to do all the crazy good things was enough.

  
And then when we separated and every birthday, a phone call was enough. It restored our friendship. It was as though we had been hanging out regularly for the past year and hadn't gone our ways. You still support me, and I know that when I dial your number, you will pick up and listen and laugh. But I can't. It hurts that sometimes, I would ignore your messages, and slowly you started doing the same. We let other people in. But that's the beauty of life, innit? We meet people and then we meet people. The biggest present you ever gave me was that maturity. That key to wisdom. You let me understand that I can overcome loss. 

Thank you. For everything.

Love always,
Zahraa

Erase negative attitude

Jealousy

Envy. Resentment. Bitterness. Synonymous to the evil all-consuming jealousy. And we have all fallen victim of this fundamental human feeling. Why so important? Because jealousy is a motivator. It is drive and pushes people to act, either in spite or imitation, and for good or bad.

No person can confidently and honestly say that they have never felt jealous of another. Well no person in modern society that is.

I accept that I have felt major waves of jealousy, or certain annoying tinges. But this afternoon, as I was updated of news of various events from friends, I found myself pondering over why I wasn’t jealous. I mean people I really adored, or wanted to hang out with, were gushing about some other similar candidate to me, and I was completely happy for her. And it does not help that there has been competition between me and the girl, but I did not once resent the fact that she had assumed my role in whatever broken friend group there had been.

 I guess I have matured. Or I have no time, no heart, and no energy to envy someone over something so superfluous. A relationship with popular, sociable people.

Had it been me a few  years back, I would have probably been driven to compensate for whatever the girl had done to make my ‘friends’ like her immediately.

That feeling that I had overcome jealousy was very reassuring.

But it is not always that someone is so strong to not curse another’s fortunes. I mean, at school for instance. Sure there are average achieving students, some of varied abilities and talents. But if you strive to achieve the best, then the drive is inspiration, support and goals. But eventually, other people come in the way. Students get praised for participation in a competition that immediately makes the teacher fonder of them. And you feel almost defeated. Almost. ‘That lucky bastard. Damn them. OK well, let’s try harder at the upcoming test. Let’s BEAT them’, you tell yourself.

You have just turned a person’s achievement into a cursed event. That student could have been working night and day on that project, for weeks even, and as they get the praise they deserve, the only thing that goes through your mind is ‘I can do even better’.

That is not healthy. That may be, when it happens minimally, but when you see everybody as competition, you lose. You are defeated.

In the future, you will view a friend as an opponent. Your own family or siblings as obstacles. Your love life could be placed in havoc. And believe me, these scenarios do happen very often, and have very severe consequences.

So what do you do? You have to learn to turn away. Focus on how happy the person must be. Be selfless for once. Just open your eyes and realize that you aren’t the only one dreaming, planning and acting. Everybody is. You just have to learn to accept it, live with it, support it and remain confident in your own ability.

Don’t let it consume you. Seriously don’t.

System Restart

Hi,

20 days into 2014 and I think it is fair to say that I have abandoned my resolutions COMPLETELY.
I shall backtrack slightly: the first three days were totally cool and I earnestly stuck to my goals. But then in the holidays, with very strong influential persuasive friends, you kinda let yourself think "Ok, PB is healthy so it's totally fine to eat heaps of PB cookies". That situation struck me mercilessly.

Then a week later, after intense "un-resolutionary actions" on my behalf, I wanted to get back on track, but again, a few days later, with the heat wave hitting Melbourne, I succumbed to my laziness and unhealthy habits. 

I have come to realize that I shouldn't really beat myself over the head about this stuff, because it can be fixed. What's done is done. No point in crying over spilt milk. Sort of like this metaphor:

"A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz. She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything." It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!"

I realize that everything I am doing goes against the nature of the person I aspire to be. Rather than building a strong, healthy body fueled with goodness, I am drowning in pizza, fried nothings and cookies. Rather than carrying on, maintaining this blog, I allow myself to think that there is no point as nobody will be reading it.

Among my other goals, these things I'm doing that are going against the goals are extremely stupid, and it took me until today to accept that I should stop moping about and shoot for the stars. I should learn to take better care of my body, allow social relations to continue and not mentally strain myself to do things. I should not get worked up if I do not have many blog views, but accept that it is a work in progress. And school is in 9ish days so my previous inclinations toward Procrastin8Ville have gotta stop now

So rather than disclaiming my original resolutions, I will commence a modified new start. And this time, I will see it through.

So my confirmed and readjusted goals for the big year (which I wanna maintain for a great time) are (in no particular order)

• Keep a good health: that is be comfortable in my own skin, physically fit and optimum, mentally capable and ready and socially connected.
• Study hard but in short regular intervals: without those cram sessions before a test or whatnot.
• Enhance my spirituality and faith: develop an even better relationship with God, and maintaining my morality.
• Maintaining my diary and my blog; hopefully updating this every Sunday or Friday (AUS EST)
• Taking a photo every week, of something meaningful: and treasuring it as I really want to look back in the future or just be able to feel that every living breathing moment in itself is memorable and worthwhile.

So there they are, out in the open, accessible by anyone. And I will fulfill them or my name is not Zahraa Albander.

I realize, as I hastily proofread, that I have been hella cheesy this post, but gawsh cheese is gooood.

^^that was cheeZy

Before I sign off, I wanna show an image that I found quite inspirational. Czech it out below:

>> OH, and another note is that I encourage commentary. I know this surface isn't great, but feedback is generally always accepted.

RETRIEVED FROM: http://s3.amazonaws.com/Infographic/TheSuccessIndicator.jpg

SIGNING OUT, it's your chica,

Z