Feliz Año Nuevo!

Happy New Year Everybody!

We made it to 2010!

Good Work!

Now pat yourselves on the back.

The Noughties are over.

A new decade now. The 'Tens' perhaps?

And it's fraught with new challenges (and exasperating resolutions!).

So stand tall and proud and fight them down!

Ready?

Here We Go!

OMG!

Oh.My.Gawd.

Oh Your God?

Oh my God!

Honestly?
I just don't get it.

Why do people exclaim OMG! :O at the slightest provocation/surprise/upheaval/upset/intense moments (pick one!)

It's like, Oh My God, What the Foo?

In my mind, it's a holy equation, an involuntary association:

OMG! = Paris Hilton

It's come to a point when even atheists shake thier heads in disbelief and absent-mindedly mutter 'Oh My God!'.

Even Scientologists! Tom Cruise would have looked at his plummeting movie/popularity ratings and ferociously cursed under his breath with the words 'Oh My God' on his lips.
Not, I repeat, Not, 'Oh My Supreme-Alien-Commander'.

Ahh. The once heavy words, weighed down by devotional importance have become a slang thrown around more than confetti in New Year's Eve parties.

Sigh. So much for the Ten Commandments, eh?

Though shall not take thy God's name in vain!

For Real?

OH MY GOD!

Shade It Grey

Chapter 2 : Quadratic Equations, Functions and Inequalities



Functions? Do they have functions?

I am quite bemused why my enormous Math text is filled with graphs and visual representations of equations of little importance.



Don't get me wrong.

I love Math.

It's a challenge - a bit of mental gymnastics, if you like.

There's funny numbers, squiggly lines, odd brackets, exasperating asymptotes and tangents and unrealistic variables - Yet they can all be eroded till a single satisfactory answer to a seemingly impossible question is obtained. A quest to reveal the fortified elusive truth!



Personally, I enjoy Algebra - All the transposing, xs and ys, hilarious word equations. (If Amy left New York on a train travelling 50 kmph and Zoe took a train from Toronto travelling 60 kmph, at what time would both the trains pass each other, considering they both started at the same time? I mean, how would you know if the train stopped at a junction or something?)



But Geometry, Alas! , I fail to comprehend the mysterious purpose it conceals.



Endlessly, we sketch surreal shapes - measuring their supposed volume- and draw imaginative graphs with even more complex numbers (some of which are made up).



Thus it is with great impatience that I try to decipher which side of a Quadratic Inequality to shade to get an apparent correct range of answers to the inequation.



Help.

Wishy-Washy

Since I am in a silly mood, I'm whipping up random lists.
The caffeine must be getting to me.

10 Signs You Haven't Done Your Laundry! -

1. You've finally discovered that your closet has a panel at the back.
2. You're wearing last year's Halloween costume in the middle of December.
3. You seem to be using far more perfume then you usually do. Just a bottle or two more.
4. You've unearthed the horrific relics of the '70s and claim Bell-bottomed pants are back in style. (And when they scoff at your fashion sense, you say you're a trend setter and they just don't understand avant garde!)
5. Your laundry basket weighs more than you do and you can see the pile of rotten, smelly, dirty garments at eye-level.
6. Suddenly, green cycling polyester shirts and pink ripped jeans seem to complement each other very well and you're astonished you couldn't find such a perfect matching outfit before.
7. You couldn't find any underwear; So you're not wearing any. You claim it's because you're free-spirited.
8. You're very careful with new Ketchup bottles; aiming them in the opposite direction because you can't afford to get your only pair of clean jeans stained with tomato goodness.
9. You replace your usual Dog Tag chain with a Fresh Autumn Pine Scented Air Refreshner.
10. You strongly believe that socks are overrated. And to prove your point, you go without them and wear flip-flops. Who cares if there's two inch deep snow outside?

Ho Ho Ho

Wishing everyone a Very Merry Christmas!

Deck The Halls With Boughs of Holly...

Tis the Season to be jolly!

Dreaming of a white Christmas…

“Merry Christmas and God Bless us all!”-Charles Dickens

The holiday season is upon us once more and the days are full of hustle and bustle, cramming in last minute shopping, decking up the house in festive glory and posting huge stacks of Seasons Greetings cards.

As carols ring out from chapels and hymns float through the wind, we are warmed by the very spirit of gaiety and cheer. The town’s alight and the delicious aroma of garnished food wafts through the air. We take pleasure in the season’s delight indeed.

Yet, as I sit penning my thoughts, I wonder of yesteryear and the very spirit of this holy month when people of all faiths joined in unison to celebrate love, peace and benevolence to brethren. As we rush to add a touch of class to out festivities, we tend to forget the main purpose of celebration. As carols ring out from chapels and hymns float through the wind, we are warmed by the very spirit of gaiety and cheer. The town’s alight and the delicious aroma of garnished food wafts through the air. We take pleasure in the season’s delight indeed. Yet we hardlyWe hardly know the origin of this ritual, this customary celebration.

The feast is set, the gifts exchanged and the Christmas tree stands proud and tall, decked with the finest of ornaments and streamers, topped with a magnificent gilded star; each has a story, an origin, a tale behind the tradition.

December is a month celebrating goodwill and generosity to others. It teaches us to foster this spirit and whole-heartedly indulge in charity and the happiness of the less fortunate. The entire season of festivity and cheer is as scrumptious as a warm steaming cup of hot chocolate.

It is often said that Christmas isn’t Christmas without the touch of snow; falling from the heavens above. The powdery snow seems to blanket this cozy season, tucking everyone into the spirit. The This sparkling, awe striking sheet of snow and ice seems to be the picture postcard equivalent to Christmas.

I stop and sigh, thinking of the delight of a white, snowy Christmas, tucked away in a cozy home, surrounded by my closest relatives celebrating God and the gift he has given us all. A happy picture it paints.

As I write, envisioning blissful, joyous moments, I’m bathed in bright sunlight streaming from my window, foretelling the impossibility of snow. That yearning for snowflakes must grip the hearts of many at this time of the year. The swirling snow outside your window whilst you join in a particularly enthusiasticrousing chorus of “Joy to the World” can be very satisfying. Yet, the mercury seems to be riding high as the thermometer grins and announces temperatures in the 20s.

However, gifts wrapped, donations made, heart warming cards received and the squealing of exuberant children pumped up with holiday spirit seems to bring my wish true. I may be dreaming, but whilst the sun shines merrily through my window, tiny snow flakes cascade from my bedroom ceiling ,ceiling, sprinkling Christmas cheer and goodwill, falling upon my writing desk, and I think it’s going to be a very white Christmas after all…

Happy Bee Day!

21st December 2009 has been christened 'Bee Day' in honour of the world famous Bee! ;)

Today, my friend 'Bee' turns 17! *Cue cascading confetti and rapturous applause*

Happy Birthday to her! *Release the colossal amount of multi-coloured balloons!*

So, to commemorate this should-be-an-international-holiday occasion, here's a list I made -

10 Reasons Why We Love (And You Should Too!) Bee :

1. She's adorable! And does the cutest things! :)


2. Her insane love for Bobby! (It is also one of the cute things mentioned in #1)


3. She's exceptionally generous and loves to make others happy. And her amazing hard disk ;) with which she lends everyone movies whenever they want.


4. She takes pride in her friends and makes their euphoria double with her zealous nature! She also cheers you up tremendously when you're down. Not to forget, she's really talented and creative herself!


5. She's good at keeping secrets!


6. She is a great and patient listener! She has heard all the crap I've had to say!


7. Her amazing fashion sense ;) and her delight at the smallest of things!


8. Her chocolate/sweet cravings are precious! :)


9. Her ability to burst out laughing and not stop for quite a while ;) And she has an Adorable Laugh! :D


10. She is the Bestest Bestest Friend a person could have! (For whom, I've flouted the rules of grammar and superlatives!)
    

So, Bee, Have an absolutely fantastic Birthday and may your 17th year be exploding with fun, good luck and plenty to cheer about!

HABEE BEEDAY!

Now, Save me some Cake! ;)

The Tiger in the Wild Woods

Golf, arguably the most dignified, regal sport has had its world spiced up in the the past few weeks as a scandal erupted, scorching the greenish innocence of the fairway.

Golf's main man, Tiger Woods has been bitten and scratched by the recent scathing headlines and not to forget, by the vicious, razor-clawed, zealous paparazzi that seem to prowl in his wake.

This poor little feline, once proud of his squeaky clean reputation has had to curl up in the corner with his head hanging low.



It was a diminutive incident that the press vultures attacked with savage eagerness, tearing up the event to the carcass and then proceeding to make sense of it all; putting the pieces together - a couple of telephone calls, numerous insiders, consultation with Tabloid headlines and BAM! They had themselves a full-blown juicy scandal. Everything they could hope for - A seemingly good guy, a Swedish model-wife, a bit of violence with the crowning touch of a golf club being used, a car crash, extramarital affairs, rowdy parties - The gossip columns practically wrote themselves. Extra, extra, EXTRA!



But in all fairness, Tiger Woods did publicly apologise, regretting every 'transgression' as he called it.
He even admired his wife's courage after the crash.

And then, the media speculation hyped up once more as "Elin files for Divorce!" made the Front Page. Big Picture. Exclusives. Pull-out Editions. Obscure people began that very night jabbing on rickety typewriters 'The Life and Times of Elin Nordegren : From Top-model to Tiger '. Click. Clack.

She is now demanding half of his fortune and full custody of their kids. Tiger Woods is being hit hard, risking all the endorsements he gets from being the Good Guy who wears a Tag Heuer watch and shaves with a Gilette blade.

Worse. It's affecting his Golf. The thing that made him who he is today, why he's famous in the first place. He is undoubtedly the King of Golf and now, his empire is crumbling.

Ahh. Tiger Woods. I'm torn between pity and shock.

Hopefully, he can make it through this horrific episode and continue to putt and swing like a pro because he really does belong on the Green.

Golf without Tiger Woods would be like Pop without Michael Jackson. Dead and gone...

Good Things Come in Small Packages

Yet another column I wrote for the Gulf Weekly....

Over the last week, Bahrain has been given a rigorous wash-down against a dramatic backdrop of overcast skies, forks of lightening, rumblings of thunder and torrential downpours.
This sudden cascade of rainwater came rather unexpected and naturally, no one was prepared for the consequences.
The slippery roads were filled with both wary and reckless drivers. The vast open lots of sand soon morphed into gigantic pools of muddy water. And shoes squelched in synchronization to the melancholy notes of depressed moods.

Rainstorms can be rather disheartening at times, especially coupled with Sunday Morning blues.
Sleepily on my way back to school, I couldn't help but notice a couple of kids ecstatically playing in puddles.
There is this wonderful, enigmatic joy and energy in watching children play; envious almost, as though we're missing out on something utterly magnificent.

They were enjoying a mere puddle and it got me thinking.
It astonishes me how as we grow up, we forget the little things that dot the sidelines. We're always focused, driven by ambition and in sight of a prospective big picture. We dream of big and better things; accomplishments, glory and success. Every day of our lives, we worry, we strive and we work – a monotonous rut that seems to have blended into our big plans for the unfathomable future.

But in the process, we forget the pixels, the little things that make living such a fantastic experience. When is the last time you took out time from your busy schedule to just stop and smell the flowers? Live in the present. Don't race time; take it on with your own pace. Stop and experience time stand still as you listen to the twitter of birds or feel the wind in your hair, Laugh when a dog licks your face or feed pigeons in a park. Growing up doesn't have to mean all ties, stiff chairs and briefcases.

A puddle may have seemed such a hassle to you but to those kids, it was a glorious time of indulging in the diminutive joys that life has to offer us.
With the holidays fast descending on us, remember to unwind and take some time off. Kick back and relax and see the world in a new light and all those little things that you've been missing yet make your life worth living.

Happy Holidays! :)

The Roaring Twenties

We've studied The Great Gatsby by Francis Scott Fitzgerald in our IB English classes; A book bedazzled with luxury, riches, gold and silver, jewellery and cars, sequined dresses and scrumptious food.
So what better way to experience the sights and scents of the time than to have a 1920s themed tea party!

So today, clocks turned and the wheel of fashion reeled back as we dressed up.
The girls got on pretty little flapper dresses with large shady hats, long strings of pearls and beads, cigarette holders, feathered boas and headbands.
The guys suited up with ties and fedoras and tried to not to look as scruffy as usual.

As for me, I decided to be more eccentric and stepped into Nick Carraway's shoes; with a smart blue striped tie, business shirt and a classic black waistcoat.

We then got to sit around a long table that had been set with napkins, frilly doilies and a mocktail each and a humoungous mountain of food that we had all brought in. Strictly 1920s.

Cucumber and finger sandwiches, Scones, Muffins, Cakes, Crackers with Dip, Fruit Kebabs, Assorted Savories, the works.

Cameras were a-clicking at this stunning glitzy affair with dolled up ladies and daper looking guys.

And not to forget the infamous Tea! A tea party after all! We used sophisticated china, kept our pinkies pointed high and were courteous enough to ask for 'Milk and one spoon of sugar with my tea? Yes, Please.'

Quite an experience I must say.

It was enormous fun, pretending to 'socialise', flitting through the crowd, patting others backs saying 'Good one, ol' chap' and 'You look ravishing, dah-ling. You must tell me where you got that wonderful dress'.

The 1920s seemed to be a rather exciting time; a period of experimentation - with an eye for new, explosive innovations in the field of fashion, luxury, convenience and even, food. People were experiencing new, unpredictable and exciting things - Progress.

It was the age of the birth of etiquette and modern civilisation and the breakthrough in the fashion industry when people began to embrace the beauty of clothing.

Well, it was fun while it lasted. Time for Nick to retire and the clocks have to be set back; back to reality.

Oh well. My tie is extremely awesome though. Spiffy.

Deciembre

December.
The very last month of the year.
Seems like a long journey we have traversed

December.
Such an ironic month
Fraught with disappointment and depression
Yet sprinkled and garlanded with streamers of euphoria

December.
Champagne and partying
Rich feasts and bedazzled, sequined robes
Celebrating the festivals of the world
Being together, relishing the moment

December.
Mopping up the tears of grief
Endings and letting go
Change is overwhelming

December.
Death and Birth
Old and New
Fusing together with a blurred horizon

December.
Time to take a step forward
And never look back
Reflecting on the footsteps of the past
Impregnating the sand with fresh ones

December.
End of a Chapter
Close the Book
And brace yourselves
For a whole new beginning



A few thoughts I penned down on December as we see 2009 shrinking to a close. It's been an odd year, full of promises and high expectations and mostly, aspirations. There has been both ecstasy and plenty of dejection definitely. And the last few days thin out...

Enjoy yourselves and be merry.

Happy Holidays!