Of Angina and Football

Yesterday a strange occurrence occurred: 4 members of the family where in Miss. Pain in The Ass's room, screaming at the computer screen; shouting 'GOOOOAAAALLLL!!!!'.

Let me explain in detail: as part of the semi finals for the African cup of Nations 2010, Egypt faced one of their previous defeaters on the pitch, Algeria. I'm actually sad that so much animosity resides between the two countries, we are both arab, and muslim, so it's just disappointing in the face of the united muslim nations.

Anyway, Algeria unfortunately defeated us and achieved qualification to the world cup competition, what was more unfortunate was the riots and allegations on both teams of treachery and malicious schemes that followed afterwards, such as food poisoning 7 out of the 11 Egyptian team members by the courtesy of the Algerians. But everything was settled equivocally by yesterdays match: 4-0.

Justice has been served.

But let me go into more detail. Due to a faint at a penalty by the Egyptians, the goal keeper went err.. undisciplined, starting staring down the ref and pretty much shouting to him right in his face.... got a yellow card, unbelievable right... he should've been taken off right there and then, but it was inevitable and he was taken off the pitch in the second half just when things were very very desperate for the Algerian team. in the second half things just fell to pieces for the Algerians, a few men were booked, and 3 were banished from the pitch, they had virtually no defenders and we scored 3 more goals. Zidan even cradled his left shoe as celebration.

Is it okay for me to say, that I felt sorry for the Algerian team, even though they're going to the world cup, even though they played dirty, even though they have a temper like a billowing typhoon? Hmm, someone always has to loose.

Dad was in a very good mood, and kept reciting 'Himuluation!' as we got a goal, we tried to correct him and say 'no baba, it's Humiliation' but he was too happy to be corrected.

Would you believe that all this time my grandmother was having chest pain and angina, not something unusual when you have a history of CVD and heart attacks, accompanied by about 3 stents in your coronary arteries. What could we do? my mum was with her all the time. She's better now, I just feel bad that I enjoyed the match so much.

When the unexpected happens.

I recently heard news that an old school mate of mine passed away. I'm not over-reacting, I didn't even cry, I'm just incredibly shocked, as it's not something you'd have expected to happen. But in fact, I've been enlightened in more ways than one. Her death has reinforced the belief that Allah gives and takes life, and that we mere humans cannot predict when these times happen. Our deaths can happen when we least expect it and we cannot under any circumstances take it for granted, we must work for our life after death, as though we were to die tomorrow.

It makes me feel so small to think I'm worrying about my journal club presentation next week and what career I'm going to enter and what I'll be doing next year. I don't think about the present at all, or how I should improve myself.

Sumayya Dukes was a very warm person, she was an Imperial medic, and had so much to live for, I hope she will be remembered always. Allah Yar7amhaa. May Allah be with her family.

Manga of The Month- January

I'm so sorry I didn't keep up with the manga of the month for December, but I have recently discovered a manga artist who really does have huge inspirational ability, her name is Mori Kaoru. She is a literary genius. The manga that I'll focus on is called 'Otoyomegatari' or 'Young Bride's story'.

The story is a rather controversial one, set in a rural city in an Eastern/Asian rural city (possibly Turkey or Persia) where a woman of 20 is sent to marry a groom 8 years her junior, you might be thinking 'this is so peado' but the manga takes into consideration the normality of this marital situation at the time. Now we are left with all the emotional conflicts and complications of such a marriage.

Unfortunately only 8 chapters has been released, so I can't say much about the storyline as yet, however Mori Sensei has seriously out-done herself with regard to the artwork, such detail and beauty on the pages are not often seen, as most manga tend to have a modern-western setting. The manga has a fresh outlook to me personally as it's been a while since I've had a good look at Islamic-styled artwork, and this manga certainly had a fair share of it:

Putting the artwork aside, I think the way Mori sensei draws the main character (Amira, which means princess in Arabic) is really well done, like, really. I haven't stopped and stared at the drawing style of a main character in a long time, she made me think 'If I was a manga character I'd want to look like her', that's aside from her awesome archery and hunting skills of course.

Overall, a well thought out and researched manga, with incredible potential to bring about cross-cultural education. I absolutely LOVE the artwork! I give it a 9/10.

It's been over a month.......

I feel so guilty that I have deserted my blog for over a month. I'll make this a long post filled with adjectives to make up for my lack of writing.

Well, a lot of things have happened, here's an overview, lets say... an introduction:

1. I had an exam, I know hate a researcher called Braak who lives in Germany and who I have never met.
2. I had a surprise birthday party with fake wine glasses.
3. I baked carrot cakes for people who probably don't deserve cakes.
4. I watched a variety of films this Christmas holiday
5. I stressed out about my future life/career. Again.
6. I was given a telling off by Miss. Short fuse that reduced me to tears.
7. I drew a calligraphy card for a friend of Miss. Short Fuse, and I'm quite proud of it actually.
8. I'm annoyed at our pompous mayor of London for increasing the stupid tube prices... again.
9. I went to a pathology museum with Miss. short Fuse and Miss. Hepburn, and felt really stupid as we all guessed what different organs were.
10. I completed my annual 'tidy up my room' session.
11. I failed to do a December Manga of the Month :(

Now lets get to details.

1.I studied really hard for a 'timed essay' (exam) which was on the pathology of Parkinson's disease, well that's what the organiser's old us, and they are liars. It wasn't on the pathology, it was on staging of pathology, and the stupid lecturer was the 'famous brave one' to stand up to the father of Parkinson's Disease (Braak) and say his staging was crap. so what does he do? he sets the bloody exam on his favourite paper all about how braak was wrong and his tests were done badly. and what do the students do? They study on PD pathology.. why? because that's what we were told to do!!!! GAAAAAAAAAAAAH! All in all, I didn't do very well. At all.

2. The surprise birthday party was a very rare time where my birthday actually got celebrated, and it was also rare because I was happy. I had gold and silver candles on my chocolate cake, with plastic wine glasses and Mr. Kipling angel slices :D there was also dancing, provided by our very own Mr. Fullah and Mr. Kon, it was a wonderful spectacle to see as they were both in unison despite their height differences. Then came the singing... oh dear, I think I was little over exuberant now that the cake and fizzy drinks are out my system, and I whole heartedly regret my actions.. I think I should swear an oath never to sing again. There were presents! can you believe that! I got presents! i usually get presents but their usually from my sisters and something mad from my mum, and that's about it. but for once I actually got presents! It was wonderful! I got scrabble (a brave attempt to correct my spelling habit) and a graphic novel that I finished reading the next day, in addition to some extremely bright gloves, a cute little jewellery box and a newspaper for my grandmother who rejected the idea of reading, unfortunately.

3. I love carrot cakes, and I baked one for my neuroscience peeps, and I just feel like I'm usually left out when we're all sitting together, like I have to fight to say something, maybe it's just my psychotic allergy to being silent , maybe it's my attention seeking personality that dislikes it so, or maybe it's my paranoid self that just feels that everyone doesn't give a damn. I still have a long way to go in terms of socialising peacefully, I can't seem to get it right.

4. Films I watched this holiday (which I shouldn't have done) were District 13 (the main character is much more cooler than my hero- Josh Hartnett, and that's saying something), The holiday (one of the best chick flicks I've watched, and I don't usually like chick flicks). Tim Burton's the Corpse Bride (even though i have the DVD, it's still a really good film). Happy Feet (the story only started happening half way through the film, it does not deserve the high rating it has obtained). Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3 (I am now addicted to the Caribbean accent and hope to convert mine to it), I think that's all I watched... lets see what happens next year.

5. Stressing out about my career has also happened again, (it's a yearly thing), I think I just hate not knowing what's going to happen to me, it feels dark, and I don't like that. Unlike last year, I am actually doing applications so we'll see how that goes, though, I never have much confidence, as usual.

6. Miss. Short fuse got very very angry because of me recently and said some rather harsh things, the worst part of it was, that what she said was true. It wasn't just gibberish that you don't mean when people are angry, it was actually meaningful, loaded words. I became hard and cold from her words, refusing to believe their full intensity, giving myself the excuse that she was angry and hence didn't know what she was saying. But she was right. When she had calmed down, we sat down and she spoke less harshly, but on topics that were strongly related to what she had previously said, that made me cry. Her steady voice telling me things I didn't want to hear but always knew. She concluded that I just missed some very valuable life lessons some where along the line and there's not much I can do about that now.

7. I drew a calligraphy and I just want to show it off because I quite like it, even though there are plenty of mistakes in it.
I also drew a card for a neuroscience peep that took ageeees, so here it is for those who are interested:
8. The price for a zone 1 single is now 1.80! next year they'll make it 3 pounds! what is happening to the world! don't you know students can't keep dishing out money to get to places! is their secret intention to stop us travelling or something? I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!

9. I went to a pathology museum, did you know, that pathology museum's are awesome! I can't see why anyone would get scared of it, I mean, sure there were a few feet and a black arm, but that was really only scary stuff. In the street, Miss. Short fuse, miss Hepburn and I played charades to pass the time, and Miss. Short Fuse got a little carried away, resulting in some dirty looks for onlookers... Miss. Hepburn's am was to make me understand what she was getting at, and sure enough I knew none of the films, she was acting out, I did do a 'happy feet' one, but they got it within 2 seconds.

10. My room is now clean, I finally have a chest of drawers so I won't have to fathom through my endless piles of folded clothes. The desk, once ridden with empty bottles, highlighters, candles and brochures, is now slightly empty.

11. I didn't do a manga of the month :( I haven't really read much manga in the past month, studies have finally taken priority, but I did start a few good ones and I'll chat about them later. The Saima story will also be written shortly.... or when I have time.