Goodbye 2013!

It's only fair to say that time has gone super quick! 2013 was full of ups and downs, but most importantly, new experiences. I've learnt so many life lessons that I simply didn't know 12 months ago. I finally found out that failing at something isn't the end of the world, and that with every end, there is a new beginning. New opportunities.

There are many things I'll remember 2013 for. Looking back, the only words to characterise the insanity of it all is drama-ridden. Quite literally. A year full of drama, both funny and petty.

As it all closes, 2014 will be a fresh start with many exciting things to happen. And oh, the World Cup. A perfect reason to stay glued to the television all day (the only ever time I watch football with anticipation).

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The 2013 Playlist

Music has been pretty interesting as far as 2013 is concerned. I have quite a varied music taste, anything from country to electro-pop will suit me fine. I also have quite a thing with opera. I can honestly sit down and listen to it for hours (not that it features in this playlist). Here’s some my favourite albums/singles of the year!

Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience

This needs no introduction at all. All I can say is that it was the perfect comeback for Justin.

Taylor Swift – Red

Again, I’m a big fan of Taylor! With this album, I somehow felt that it’s quite grown up and mature, in a way. I mean, it’s much different from Fearless.However, I just think that her "you've ruined my heart...I hate you now" kind of songs are getting quite tiresome, so I'm hoping that there'll some new singles in the coming year not dealing with this theme.

Ellie Goulding – Halcyon

OMG PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT.

Bastille - Pompeii  

I haven't listened to songs like this before, so coming across this was a 'trial and error' type thing. Looks like I didn't waste three odd minutes.

The Heavy - Short Change Hero

This song was actually recommended by my friend, and I must say, it's quite a tune. Pretty laid back from the usual pop, so much that it's a great tune to listen to whilst revising!

Blake Lewis – Your Touch

This song actually featured in an Internet Explorer advert and I really really liked it. It's quite amusing that IE choose great songs for their adverts, yet their browser is far from satisfying. Hmmmmm.

John Newman – Tribute

I absolutely love his style! His most popular song 'Love Me Again' is quite relevant to The Great Gatsby...extremely relevant in fact!

Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

Last, but definitely not least. Another astounding album. Viva Coldplay!

'Tis the season!

Merry Christmas to all those celebrating today! May the day be full of festive fun and laughter!

Rahma. xo

Keep Calm and Study

That’s my mantra for the next 2 weeks; however, there will be some decent amount of resting. I mean, it is a holiday after all!

After a 9 week term overloaded with petty drama and procrastination, I think it’s very fair to say that I’ve been looking forward to the Christmas holidays for a long long time!

Apart from the likelihood of watching Home Alone for the millionth time (honestly, it never gets old!) , I’ll also be preparing for my January mock exams – the first thing I have when I get back.

Happy holidays everyone! I hope it's both restful and productive. :) 

Be Inspired

Watching BBC’s Sport Personality of the Year only meant one thing for me, inspiration. Seeing the achievements of both sportsmen and women recognised is one thing, but to inspire is something of greater value.

Below is the moment that clinched Andy Murray the most coveted prize this year:

One of the most astounding features of sport is its ability to bring everyone together, to rejoice both the good and bad, but most of all, the accomplishment of dreams. I think that being able to recognise that is a respectable thing, but taking a vital lesson from it is even more virtuous. Hard work is definitely on the cards. Like a 100m sprint – you don’t win by training the night before the race, but rather by devoting hours and hours for months leading up to the big day. Before you know it, you will be able to compete in that race with confidence and eventually- maybe win. This is a lesson of life rather than a sport one. Hard work pays dividends and sport is solitary proof of that. 

If  you're interested in watching the ceremony, click here (only avaliable on iPlayer until Sunday).

Work In Progress

OK, so it clearly seems that I haven't stuck to my commitment of posting everyday.

The past week consisted of being struck down with a throat infection, essays, essays and essays. They are quickly becoming the bane of my life and I cannot wait for term to end.

Other than that, I’ve also been thinking about the direction in which my blog is heading after the New Year. I initially thought that I would have some sort of a journalistic approach to this space, so basically blogging about things that really capture my interest. For instance: feminism, conflict, religion etc, not that I’m overtly politically minded. And of course “I’m having an essay crisis” will continue to feature (unfortunately…).

So that’s it really. I’m back in force, and will continue to blog for the rest of the month as part of Blogmas.

x

"Bene disserer est finis logices..."

That roughly translates as "The end of logic is to dispute well", a quote directly taken from Christopher Marlowe's best known work Doctor Faustus. Although I no longer study A2 English Literature, I decided to give it a read and had presumptions that I wouldn't enjoy it seeing as this piece of literature is classed under Gothic. However, I was pleasantly surprised.

The last time I read Gothic literature was about three years ago, when I was studying Shakespeare's Macbeth; and I have to say, I absolutely disliked it.I found the plot quite monotonous and tiresome- but it’s the complete opposite with Faustus.

Written during the Renaissance Era, the drama does provoke some controversy (if not a lot). One particular example is Faustus desire to become a being greater than God, and the way he goes about with this is to start the practice of necromancy. Now to do this in a society where religious decrees are held with great regard- this is highly controversial, but somewhat entertaining. Not of the laughing sort, but with shock, like “OMG whaaat?!” But the show doesn’t end there. He decides to sell his soul to the devil in exchange for 24 years of life, in which he decides to engage in really (and I mean really) stupid activities. In a way, this could represent Marlowe’s maverick ways as he was a contentious figure himself.

What I failed to understand however, was whether Faustus was too clever or insane. 

His speech seems very controlled providing hints that he’s beyond ambitious and arrogant – an aspect that slightly put me off.

But all in all, I found the play quite intriguing. Certainly better than Macbeth, and I must say, it’s got me interested into Gothic literature overall. 

 

Thought of the Day: Being Grateful

I didn't  realise the extent of my pessimism until I saw this quote on my twitter feed this morning, and I must say, it got me thinking.

My friends always told me that I'm pessimistic of another kind, but I would dismiss that by saying "It's called realism". But that does not happen to be the case.

I don't think that I was being realistic by being such a negative person. If anything, I was being entirely ungrateful for everything I have. I've always had insanely high expectations/goals for everything, so I started to think that everything below that benchmark would be classed under failure. I fell into the trap of "a B grade is a fail", which is quite unhealthy or "I'm so ill" (for having a typical flu that is). But now, I realise that a B grade isn't failure at all - it's just I know that I have the potential to do better.

Most importantly, I realise how lucky I actually am for everything I have. There are millions of children around the world that haven't any access to education, and a similar number that don't have access to professional healthcare facilities or anything similar. Whereas, I live in a country where I can freely exercise my rights, have unlimited access to education and healthcare - and yet still I'm moaning.

There really isn't anything to moan about. If anything, I should be entirely grateful for everything I have. I should be optimistic and hopeful, rather than being pessimistic and downcast. There goes the popular saying, "Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance".

Just a simple thought of the day.

Must Stop Procrastinating.

The one thing I’m always guilty about is procrastinating – particularly when I’m painfully suffering through an essay crisis. Although it may seem like a mini break (and by mini I mean every 5 minutes) in between tasks, I end up producing pieces of work that doesn’t reflect my capabilities – which obviously isn’t great.

Since one of my September Resolutions was to get rid of procrastination completely, below are some of the steps I’m taking to help myself achieve this ridiculously insane target!

1.       Write down a list of assignments that I need to complete.

So these can be essays (90% of the time), textbook notes, annotating articles and making presentations. A typical example would be: complete chapter two annotations for The Great Gatsby, make notes on viruses in Biology, complete a past paper for History etc.

2.       Prioritise!

Do the most important and huge tasks first, then focus on the little ones. This way, more time will be devoted to pieces of coursework that will contribute to my final grade.

3.       Have focused revision sessions rather than long tiring ones.

I’ve decided to create a timetable comprising of 30 minute slots with 5 minute gaps in between. This way, as well as being focused, my mind will be refreshed allowing me to absorb more information efficiently rather than doing one hour and gaining nothing. Another thing, actually following my timetable.

4.       Find an accountability partner and report progress weekly.

Although doing certain tasks individually can be beneficial, I find that undertaking things like studying collaboratively can be a huge thumbs up.

5.       Reward myself after a day’s hard work.

Yeah…I need to start doing this.

6.       Remember, short term sacrifices for long term gains!

If I’m going to have any hope of applying to my dream university next year, one thing that I will undoubtedly need is kick-ass results. The only way I can get that is by working really hard – which means NO procrastination. 

From a Political Prisoner to a Founding Father: A Tribute to Nelson Mandela

“Let freedom reign” he once told us, “the sun never set on so glorious a human achievement”.

Growing up, one of my main icons alongside Martin Luther King was the legendary Nelson Mandela. Endless reasons explain why I was hugely inspired by him, but wholly, his lifestory is a perfect compendium for the millions who adore him worldwide.

From utter defeats to acclaimed successes, his contribution to world history will forever remain amongst the highest of ranks.

In my opinion, one of the most striking aspects of Mandela’s life was his vigorous courage and valour. His determination to destroy apartheid and to bring the values of democracy and brotherhood to his country is one of the most formidable achievements Africa had witnessed. His ability to stand alone and repeatedly advocate against wrong is one that demonstrates total bravery. Viking boldness some would say.

Twenty seven years of seclusion followed by anticipated release. Becoming the first South African Black President quickly pursued. International recognition. A Nobel Peace Prize.

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” - Long Walk To Freedom.

Thank you for bringing something special to humanity. May you be a paradigm for the future generations to come. 

Lazy Monday

The day started off with a 5am morning as usual and back to school it was.

Since my lessons start at 11:05am on Mondays, I headed down to Costa to do some work there for a change – rather than going to school early and staring blankly at the wall (and of course, watching YouTube videos).

I managed to get some of my History work done although a brief spell of distraction soon came by when I saw myself singing along to Coldplay’s Viva La Vida playing in the background. Oopsy.

Speaking about music, I just realised that Made In Chelsea’s Andy Jordan released his new single titled ‘Whole Load Of Water’. I am so incredibly late it’s unbelievable although I do remember seeing a scene from last week’s episode featuring him in a recording session.

I may be a little bit biased here (or maybe entirely biased) since Andy is one of my favourite cast members (after Francis and Mark Francis of course!), but it’s actually quite a good song. I like the vibe that’s attached to it, it’s quite flowy (never mind the pun). If you want to listen to it, give this a clicky and I’ll let you judge for yourself.

Happy Blogging! 

December. December. I love ya December.

The final month of the year has finally arrived, and I must say that it has gone extremely fast. 2013 has only just started!

This month I’ll be participating in Blogmas set up by Amy, which is basically like Vlogmas on YouTube but for bloggers. Amy kindly extended this to those who don’t celebrate Christmas aswell so below are my plans for the month:

·        Firstly, *insert a face exhibiting a genuine expression*, I will try to post everyday for this month. If not everyday, then once every two days. This will prove an immense challenge for me but I welcome it! It’s about time I posted a lot more, but essays and high school drama takes up 99% of my day. Hopefully not this month. So that’s one commitment, post everyday. Even if it’s one sentence or a picture, I’ll post.

·        Secondly, December can only mean one thing. School holidays! I cannot wait to take a break from moany teachers, drama, long train journeys (although I cannot really fault the Underground service), not necessarily essays but everything from within. Great thing those 5am mornings will halt for two weeks. Phew. I hope to make this holiday a productive one so that I don’t go back to school in January with mountains of work.

·       The image of London transforms during Christmas. The city just illuminates with Christmas lights. The sad thing is, even though I live in London, I hardly ever go central. This month I’ll be visiting Central London and take pictures of the festivities that are taking place.

·       Gain membership with the British Library (and just stare at St Pancras Hotel while I’m at it). Since I’m under 18, I need to apply through ‘Special Arrangements’ and then wait to see whether they accept my application or not.

·       And of course, even though I don’t celebrate Christmas myself, there are some aspects of Christmas that I do like so I’ll make this as Christmassy as I can.

So yeah, that’s it really. Let’s make December 2013 a memorable one by joining Blogmas here.

x