The Muslim Jesus

This was recommended by my brother, and now I recommend it especially to my Christian friends. (: A great and not very lengthy piece about Jesus a.s. from both religious perspectives, and conveyed in a very positive and balanced light, I feel.

“O my Lord, the stars are shining and the eyes of men are closed, and kings have shut their doors, and every lover is alone with his beloved, and here I am alone with Thee.”

- Rabiatul Adawiyah

There is not one ideal, but many.

I like this!

I think most of us have been at both ends of the single story, no? 

When you realise you were referring to a stereotype whilst in the real world, 

and when you encounter someone else trying to fit you into one.

---

On the plane rides this holiday, I managed to catch both installments
of Bokura Ga Ita (We Were There), starring Ikuta Toma and Yoshitaka Yuriko.

It was so, so lovely, and well-acted by both leads. I say trust the Japanese to make the best coming-of-age-growing-up stories. This made me cry like crazy even on the plane. It was thoughtful, sweet, reflective, so unbearably sad and heartbreaking, and yet filled me with hope and happiness about the world. I loved Yano and Nana to pieces by the end of the first film, and only learnt that there was a second movie on the way back to Singapore, and made sure I finished the second one too.

I find it interesting that Yano isn't featured at all in the trailer! And then I realise maybe that makes sense because it's mostly from Nana's point of view? And that Yano is just a memory; I tell you this story is heartbreaking and makes me want to cry even writing about it. I need to get this on DVD somehow.

If I die in this war, this combat with you,
I won't so much as sigh, for fear of troubling you.
I'll die with a smile, like a flower in your hand,
From the cruel charm with which you cut this wound.

Rumi

a final Ola!

It's the last night in Spain (noooo, I don't want to leave! meh...), and currently, in Barcelona.

After today's city rounds, I've finally understood the fuss about Antoni Gaudi's architectural work. It is awesome! and like something from a whimsical, fantasy land. The Sagrada Familia is simply an architectural marvel, with unique nest-like towers and all that sculptural detail. I kept wondering why people don't make buildings like this anymore. Why don't they!

Away from my holiday fun, I'm kinda stuck to the English news channels on television right now because of the Connecticut elementary school shooting. :( how horrific is this, man. I've always felt frustrated by the stupid gun policy US has, historically significant though it may be, and super grateful Singapore doesn't have to deal with stupid policy like this. Just ban civil ownership of arms, please! It's at least one thing you can do to counter the increase in violence within our societal consciousness.

One of the things that has been reinforced for me from my travels this time is that people invest the most in the most terrible things because the biggest industries in the world are... what? Drugs, porn, prostitution, alcohol, and firearms? Am I right? Eeeeesh.

I'd been seeing wineries and people demonstrating their love for alcohol, and just couldn't wrap my head around the gazillion numbers of varieties of alcohol, and the amount of resource and effort that goes into making something that does more harm than good. Seriously, people, why.

I am supposed to be on holiday, hello! Or rather, Ola! Tomorrow we are going to the Barcelona stadium that my brother declares he will visit or die trying -- I'm tagging along because there's nothing much else to do before we fly off and besides, I am the official photographer, hah. Also, I don't mind seeing Lionel Messi! Is it possible? :D

Another ola! from Seville

I'm standing along my hotel corridor (FYI: Hotel Alcora) where free but limited wifi is available, and blogging while hiding under my hoodie. I don't know why I'm doing this though, hah! It's like when there's wireless one must take advantage of it as much as possible. I wonder if this is a strange new world disease, haha.

Anyway.

Currently in Seville, Andalusia, South of Spain; we had a long journey today from Lisbon and only reached here near dusk. We managed to capture a few sights before it got dark -- gorgeous plazas. There's this little semi-secluded place called Plaza Elvira where the Jewish quarters of Seville used to be and it is such a pretty little place with fountains and orange trees and narrow cute alleys to die for. They have a few quaint hotels around there and in my head I'm scrawling this down as one of those little corners of the world I want to come back to and enjoy again in peace. In fact, I was thinking earlier about why people don't go to more awesome exotic places for their honeymoons! A quiet little piece of heaven that's just yours for this special time. Okay, it certainly isn't cheap... But omg, so pretty and special and unique and away from the world, I would fork out my $$$ for this, I would.

My online time is about to run out, so adios! Until the next wifi spot.

Ola from Porto, Portugal! :)

Although I'm not sure hello in Portuguese is the same as that in Spanish. I realize there are too many awesome languages I know zilch about and Spanish and Portuguese are just two of many. My father played a prank last night and called my hotel room just to say, "Muchos iglesias pistachio?", which of course makes no sense at all.

Anyway, Porto is a pretty coastal town with quaint little houses on the river banks. Every other thing we're visiting on this Iberian Peninsula is a UNESCO site. Things are ancient and cobble-stoned and Gothic or Baroque. It is photo heaven most of the time.

On to Fatima and Lisbon tomorrow! And I cannot get over how high-tech life is becoming now that I can blog from a corner of the world so far away from little Tampines, Singapore.

When December comes round, it's always a time for reflection of the past year.

Alhamdulillah for all the blessings I've been given, all the blessings I can't perceive, and all that I've yet to receive! (:

I've had a wonderful night, a memorable school experience, met and loved persons and so many people, and now there are burgeoning hopes for an exciting future. Being pleased that I am pleased? It's about rejoicing that I can enjoy all the blessings in life and not dwell on the things that hurt, and rejoicing that I can rejoice for others and be bigger than myself. My goodness, how could I not, with this many blessings.

Downton Abbey SPOILERS!

It really seemed to take a thousand years for them.

There is rumour that Season 4 of Downton Abbey might not have Matthew Crawley in it. That, to me, is sheer ridiculousness; because not only is he the current heir to Downton and has major roles in so many subplots, but he is also half of the major OTP underlying this entire series. How on earth will the story stand without him? If they end up killing Matthew, my God, the (drama) world is cruel. Didn't Mary and Matthew just get together after a thousand years? How much heartache must Mary endure?

One more Matthew/Mary video because there are so many nice ones, I can barely stop!
And the song is omg-so-sad.

In line with the song itinerary we have planned for tomorrow's class party, I shall also post:

it's finished!

2 years of study done (provided I pass my CPI and vivas, especially the horrible one on child swallowing), and we're all leaving into our separate niches.

I'll miss this class to pieces.

:) Alhamdulillah, how pleased I am that I am pleased.

let the skyfall

Adele's voice is gorgeous and especially suited to a Bond song.

:((((((((((

Whyyyyy. I think my case interview didn't go very well. Irritated with self.

Crap, I just spoiled myself for Downton Abbey's Season 3! I thought they wouldn't keep killing off characters but they do.

But oh God, how can it be true. D': why must we have heartbreak, whyyyyyy.





There are moments when I get struck by the thought that I am far too old to blog. Am I? Somebody tell me.

Like if you're a mature adult, you should desist with the questions about the world and about life and about love, stop whining, and just get to working.

espana!

Ah, so exciting, the history of Spain.



We always hear about how the Renaissance started in Italy and they basically revived the learning of the classics; we rarely hear about how prior to that, people from all over Europe came to Toledo in Spain to find the Arabic texts and translations of the same Greek classics and all the newer sciences. I find it extremely awesome that apparently, an English philosopher called Daniel Morley went to Toledo, brought back to England an entire chest of translated texts, and handed them over to a bishop called John of Oxford, who wanted to establish a center of learning in Oxford.

Wow, I say. If only we paid more attention to history.

It is post placement! and I have been seriously having the laziest weekend in a long time. I feel like a slug, really. And I had to be shouted at to go down to the kitchen. I promise tomorrow I will not be a slug, woooh.

So with all the lazing, naturally, I will have tv updates:

* I finished Nice Guy and we had a happy ending!

But I still had issues with it, man. I have yet to come across a kdrama whose ending satisfies me completely. Yes, Maru and Eun Gi ended up together, and everyone, even the baddies, became better persons. But seriously, it bugs me that that there isn't enough catharsis for our OTP!!! All those years of repressed hurt and emotions, and then we only have them smiling at each other from the ends of a long bench??? O, my poor unsatisfied heart. It's very pretty and everything, but! I want the fireworks and bursting happiness, why don't you want to give us that, drama writers!

Which is why, I feel this drama gave more tribute to the Maru/Jae Hee love line because there was a superb scene between them that left me in a river of tears. (Too bad no one has posted that clip on youtube so I haven't got it at hand.) Basically, they had a confrontation scene where Maru talked about what happened between them in the past and the mistakes they both made, and both of them were crying like crazy, and I was crying like crazy. It was so sad. They were both mourning for a lost love and it was just one of the rawest emotional scenes I've ever watched! With that kind of drama, I was really anticipating the final scene between Maru and Eun Gi, but the one we got was rather disappointing. Maybe... the writer is just really good with tragedy, hah.

Takeaway from this drama: that Song Joong Ki and Moon Chae Won are AWESOME together. so please, let them be together again in another drama (or in real life, haha).

* I've devoured the entire of Downton Abbey Season 1 and have now started on Season 2.

I've always wanted to watch it and finally got the opportunity. The first episode didn't really pull me in, but my interest was piqued. Then slowly but surely, somewhere along the way, I was hooked, and now really love almost all the characters! Even the bad, evil ones!

---

Have to add in this epic trailer! for Downton Abbey. It'll make you want to watch this drama, but beware some SPOILERS.

:) I've been thinking that this is the formula:

Happiness comes from service, which comes from love, which comes from gratitude, which comes from reflection.

And you were born with a mind, so. Alhamdulillah!

The music gets annoying after a while, but here are some of the best Sherlock lines.


I want more!

Tomorrow last day of placement -- vivas the next few weeks but seriously, cannot wait for November to finish, have I said?

The nature of kufr is self-deception.

ah, kowai.

oh sad state of society?

I find this amusing! One of the comments on a dailymail article from the UK - Generation who refuse to grow up - that has one man saying something and the woman saying the exact opposite.

From my experience , when women don't want to settle down and have kids , they're labelled "liberated", and "Independant", but when men don't want to have a child or sign his life away to a woman , he's labeled childish and refuses to "grow up", well I think men are now seeing sense and realising those silly insults are just hypocritical , feminist nonsense , I'm a young man , and I NEVER want to marry , I've Learned from other men's mistakes , who've gone through years of HELL and then been turned over in the divorce courts , no thanks

- Man

It's the other way around. Women who don't settle or want kids are told 'Oh you don't know what you're missing!' and 'It's your duty as a woman to have kids' and 'If you leave it too late you'll regret it!' If a man doesn't want to marry or have kids however it's all 'Good on yer mate' 'Don't be tied down' 'She'll take you for everything' and you get jealous stares of married men who feel trapped. I NEVER want to marry either.

-Woman

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2176281/Generation-refuse-grow-No-mortgage-No-marriage-No-children-No-career-plan-Like-30-somethings-Marianne-Power-admits-shes-.html#ixzz2C1NJxONn
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Being a woman, of course I agree with the latter. Puh-lease -- I get irritated when obviously, all the boys in my family are encouraged to take their time, earn their money, have their selection of the women they want, don't settle; and the girls are treated like ticking bombs until they get married (at least in my head, it's that way). The world is largely unfair to women, please don't pretend otherwise. I still remember being stunned at the young age of 20 when one of my female relatives became very seriously upset because she was 25 and someone had commented or rather implied that she had trouble finding a man. O.O At that point, marriage was nowhere near the vicinity of my mind. What wonderful times those were, in that respect.

I'm 25 now and look at me. Honestly, believe me, I am happy! I don't think I have been at a better place in my life. Until someone brings up this marriage thing. And it's not like I don't want to -- it's just... It just is. Just the way I am, maybe. I wish the world would not judge. All I'm trying to do is always be pleased where God puts me.