So it’s been a while, as usual. I’ve been in law school for a month now. Almost hard to believe. Time is really flying by. I’m taking Torts, Contracts, Criminal Law, Civil Procedure and a writing course. It gets to be a bit much at times, but I really enjoy learning about the law. I enjoy reading cases in the casebook and seeing why judges ruled the way they did. It’s fascinating at times. At times it can be a bit boring though, especially in Civil Procedure ! But I really enjoy the discussions as well.

Yesterday I watched “William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe.” Truly an amazing documentary and I highly, highly recommend it. Everyone needs to watch it. Kunstler was truly an amazing man and lawyer. He’s my new idol ! I will aspire to be a lawyer like him. He fought for justice, always. He fought to protect everyone’s rights, even criminals that no one wanted to defend. But he knew that everyone deserved to have due process and a fair trial, and that meant good representation in court as well. He fought for the rights of blacks, of prisoners, of Native Americans. He led a truly amazing life. From watching the documentary, you will learn how the legal system has been used to oppress. Everyone needs to watch “Disturbing the Universe” ! It will really leave you inspired.

So in July I went to Sydney, Australia for two weeks. I really won’t say much about the trip except for this: I learned how awful, sick-minded and cruel people can be while in Australia. I’ve learned that some people only live to take advantage of others and use them for their own benefit, and when it’s their turn to return any favors or show kindness after all the kindness and favors they’ve been shown (which was a LOT), if they feel they are getting nothing out of it (because they are selfish), then they will treat you like absolute garbage. Such people are the scum of the earth and I really hope that such people get a taste of their own medicine. I truly hate people who use others and then treat others like garbage and still try to act like the victim when all the evidence is clearly against them. On the flip side, I met three wonderful people who saw what happened and made up for all the awfulness and treated me with more kindness than I ever could have asked for. I think Allah/God was watching out for me. Though I wish I hadn’t spent all the money I did to go to Australia because the first half of the trip was pure misery, I guess the 2nd half helped to make up for it. I’m truly grateful to the kind people who were there for me and made sure that my trip wasn’t a total waste. I did enjoy holding a baby dingo, seeing many koalas, feeding kangaroos ! All that was lovely. But to anyone planning a trip to Australia, do not go unless you are sure you will see the reefs in the north and the great outback. Because there is not too much to see in Sydney (natural, that is), except for the Blue Mountains, which I did go to. But this trip also made me realize that there is so much in the US worth seeing, which I haven’t seen! Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Cnayon, etc. So next time I plan a vacation, which most likely won’t be until I finish law school (3 years), I might just stay in the US and save my money too !

Well, I better end this here. I will try to blog at least every weekend now to chronicle my law school experiences. So far it’s been good. But again, everyone please watch “WILLIAM KUNSTLER: DISTURBING THE UNIVERSE” ! You will be very glad you did ! :) and make sure that YOU Disturb the Universe in a positive way like William Kunstler !

Holy crapola, it’s been a LONG time since I’ve posted. So much has happened since January, but where to begin?? Not sure if anyone out there is reading this anyway! I guess a blog can be for oneself anyway, and my old self 40 years down the road can read this blog, if it still exists, which I hope it will.

Well, a major life event (is event the right word? I’m not sure…) happened in January. On the night of January 28, 2010, my father died in a car accident. It’s been over 4 months now, but sometimes it hits me like it just happened yesterday. Other times it feels like ages have gone by. Very weird. Still surreal. And it’ll still take some time getting used to. InshAllah (God Willing), he’s at peace and in a better place. If anyone out there is reading this, please read Surah Fatihah for him ! Or if you aren’t Muslim, please read a little prayer for him ! Thank you.

I’ve decided which law school I’ll be attending. I suppose that is huge news. And hopefully, God willing, this will be my last degree, because I have been a student FOREVER, and I think I really need to enter the real world soon lol… So 3 more years of being a student, and then I shall be a lawyer!

My cat Dobby recently turned 4 years old, on May 21, 2010. Happy Birthday Dobby! :)

Naturally, I am pissed at the current state of this world. Innocent people, who were delivering aid to the Palestinians, were killed by the barbaric Israelis. Is anyone surprised? I’m not. A catastrophic oil spill, the effects of which will be extremely long-lasting… the poor suffering wildlife… God damn the greedy oil bastards who obviously don’t give a shit about the environment. There’s just so much crappy news in the world EVERY day, sometimes it just really gets me down. May God help the oppressed, whether they be the Palestinians or the suffering wildlife. Speaking of wildlife, does anyone know how many elephants are left in Africa? Not many, not enough. It’s been estimated that by 2020 elephants will be extinct. Why? Because of GOD DAMN POACHERS! May those poachers and bastards who buy the ivory burn in hell for what they are doing to these magnificent creatures. Same with the poor tigers in Asia who are also nearly extinct. It sickens me how people can be so incredibly selfish, cold-hearted, greedy. The human species is the worst species.

Well, I guess that’s all for now. I’m sure I’ll be back to post here about my future summer travels… Traveling to a land far away… which land? Stay tuned!

Oh! WORLD CUP is SIX days away!!! Can’t WAIT.

So far, I have heard back from one law school, and it’s not my top choice. Still waiting to hear back from 11 more schools, then I will make a decision where to attend law school based on scholarship money offered and location. Let’s see! I really do want to stay on the east coast though, because I do not want to be so far from home again. When I lived in Indiana, it was too far to drive home, and so I would have to fly, and since flying is expensive, I could only fly home on winter and summer breaks. And to fly with Dobby, my cat, is very difficult on him, the poor furball. So the goal is to not go to law school more than 6 hours away by car, so we can drive home, without the hassle of putting Dobby through airport security, etc. etc. I’m looking forward to starting law school! Not looking forward to the additional debt I will be putting myself in. I already have around $97,000 debt (mostly from graduate school, some undergrad) already. Law school will probably want to make me kill myself lol, but God willing, it will be worth it!

I’ve just been chilling at home and working. It feels weird to be living at home again full-time, especially considering my age, 27 years. I should be independent, with my own chic apartment, but alas, c’est la vie, I suppose. Sucky economy, what can you do, can’t find the job of my dreams. And who would want to hire me for just a few months anyway. A company is investing in the person they hire, so someone who is about to start school again in a couple of months is not a good candidate for an amazing job.

So living at home and having a sucky job has given me a lot of time to daydream about my future, and a lot of time to read and watch TV. Lately, I’ve really been into “Entourage.” Currently I am on season 5 and I LOVE it. I especially love Ari Gold’s character. This will probably sound somehow racist of me to say, but I love seeing Jewish characters on TV shows taking religion lightly when it gets in the way of their career. I don’t know why, I find it amusing. Is that odd? For example, when it’s Yom Kippur, there are several Jewish characters who are more concerned with landing a certain movie for their client, so they are doing things forbidden on their most holiest day, such as using the telephone and doing business, behind their families backs, and not to mention they are swearing a lot while doing it. I thought it was funny. Would I find a Muslim doing that on a holy day funny? Probably not. So I don’t know why I find it so amusing of Jewish characters. Maybe that makes me a bit racist…

So right now I’m reading “The Magicians” by Lev Grossman. I feel like he’s ripped off some ideas from Harry Potter and other fantasy books, but his book is a bit more different that I can’t complain too much about it. It’s not so much a fantasy novel as it is a dark novel about teenage angst that takes place in a fantasy setting. It’s interesting so far, but definitely not for younger audiences. Too many mature themes!

So I guess that’s all for now! Happy New Year! Hope it’s a good one for all :)

The Prestige - Hugh Jackman

So tomorrow I am off to NYC for the weekend ! Back in August I bought tickets for the play “A Steady Rain” starring Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig. I am a huge Hugh Jackman fan ! I have loved him since “Someone Like You,” but my favourite films of his are “The Fountain,” “The Prestige” and “Australia.”

A friend of mine went and saw the play last week. She was able to meet him and get a photo taken with him! She saw the play Friday night and stood outside the stage door at around 5:30 PM, which is when he shows up, to prepare for his 8 PM show.

Now, here is the problem! I am seeing the 8PM show on a Saturday, and he also has a 2 PM show on Saturday, so I doubt he will exit the theater and re-enter at around 5:30. So he will probably instead show up at the stage door at around 11:30 AM to prepare for his 2 PM show. But I am not able to go there at 11:30 AM on Saturday as I have plans… So I am going to NYC tomorrow (Friday) even though the show I am seeing is on Saturday, and I shall stand outside of the theater tomorrow at 5:30 PM ! It’s supposed to be cold and rain ALL weekend long though, I am not looking forward to the rain… Well, let’s see if I get my chance to meet the great Hugh Jackman ! If not, I must console myself and hope there will be other chances. He does, afterall, live in NYC, and I am sure it won’t be the last time he’s doing a play on Broadway!

Well, do wish me luck ! I basically have one shot this weekend–Friday 5:30 PM!

-Graduated with my M.A. (Near Eastern Languages and Cultures) in May 2009 since I decided that I definitely didn’t want to do the PhD

-Decided in June to pursue law, and I began studying for the LSAT exam

-July I spent mostly studying, packing and entertaining my friend Rima from Australia! She was visiting me, for about 3 weeks. And we took a trip to Chicago together which was a LOT of fun!

-On August 8 my sister got married in Baltimore, MD. It was the best wedding I’ve been to! Not just because it was my sister’s, but because it was the most beautiful decorated and fun wedding I’ve ever seen. And I gave a speech, Michael Scott style ! If you have seen Phylis’ and Bob’s wedding, then you will know what I’m talking about.

-September, mostly been bored out of my mind. Then the infamous day came, the day of my LSAT, September 26. I spent a LOT of time studying and preparing, but I had a total nervous breakdown on the morning of my exam. I couldn’t eat a single thing, because my stomach was incredibly acidic. I almost vomited at least 10 times because of the acidity. I cried a lot. And it didn’t help that the night before I got NO sleep whatsoever, even though I had taken nighttime TheraFlu to knock me out–it didn’t work!

-Now it’s October. Since June, I’ve been interning at the World Policy Institute, without pay. I do work for them when they ask of it. Mostly I am helping with this new non-profit organization, which seeks to create a more tolerant society in the Middle East via education and media. So now and then I have been going to NYC to show them what I’ve done. Now it is my task to organize a big fundraiser concert, for the END of October. I really don’t feel like it’s going to happen. I’m not sure what to say to my boss. But he didn’t give me much to work with, very few details, yet he wants me to find a big venue, for free. Hmm…

-So I’ve been looking for a paying job, but unfortunately with this incredibly sucky economy, I am having no luck whatsoever. I actually have a job interview for sales associate at a retail clothing store. Not something I am TOO thrilled about, as I shouldn’t have to go back to retail when I have a master’s degree! But… what can you do ! I suppose my MA isn’t all that useful anyway, unless you want to work for the CIA….

-So I’m REALLY into those movies about the Victorian age in England. I love “Pride and Prejudice,” “Sense & Sensibility,” “Becoming Jane,” and recently I have discovered “North and South” and “Wives and Daughters,” both of which I absolutely love!! I hope to buy them on DVD. Unfortunately, when it comes to these types of movies, I don’t read the book first. But before watching “Cranford,” I’ve decided to read the book first ! Unfortunately I fell asleep on page 4 yesterday… Will give it another go today! “North and South,” “Wives and Daughters” and “Cranford” were written by Elizabeth Gaskell. Do check out the BBC adaptations, amaaazing!!!!! <3

So I’m going insane waiting for my LSAT score. It is absolutely nerve-wrecking. I hope to have all of my law school applications in by the end of October, as all law schools admit on a rolling basis, so the sooner I submit my apps, the less competition I’m dealing with ! Please remember me in your prayers everyone ! I shall let you know how it goes… :)

But just one thing I have to say. I am sick of seeing people giving their opinions on the whole Iran situation (most people in America), when these same people probably couldn’t even locate Iran on a map prior to this election crisis, and nor did these same people probably know that Iranians speak Farsi as their main language (or other dialects such as Azeri, Baluchi, etc.) and NOT Arabic ! Stop acting like experts on something you have no clue about. I am sure most of these people don’t even know what Wilayat al-Faqih is, and here everyone is suddenly an expert on Iran. Let Iran take care of itself, please. And people are so damn quick to label the Iranian government as being evil, but take a look at what your own government (the United States’ government) has been responsible for in the Middle East and Latin America and Asia ! I could say a LOT more, but I must go now. Blah.

Cat in Grand Bazaar, Istanbul

Istanbul

Jewelry Shop in Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey

Zeytoon the Cat at the Blue Mosque, Istanbul

What is up with all of these mass shootings going on in the US? Can anything be done to stop them? Lately there have been just so many murder-suicides that I believe we are becoming desensitized to such news. Other than the economy improving, what can be done to prevent such murder-suicides again? How do you know if someone is about to go ballistic and walk into any random building and start shooting people? Really, you just never know if you are safe anymore. That’s just a very scary thought. You really never know when your time is up.

I’d been in that building several times before, for relatives. Eerie. Though the victims have not yet been reported, I heard from my mum, who still lives in Binghamton, that there are a few Muslim victims, including a Kurdish immigrant, a mother of 6. Sigh.

One should really live life to the fullest, because you just never know when it’s your turn to go! I hope the economy improves, for everyone’s sake, including my own (so I can find a job!!), and that these senseless shootings stop!

So I was browsing around the internet wasting my time as usual, instead of reading about Iranian and Middle Eastern history as I should to prepare for my exams. First I spent about half an hour reading about Sylvia Plath’s life, then I came across an article about how Dora the Explorer is getting a more mature, older look to appeal to tweens. Then I came across the new Strawberry Shortcake. Her image has been updated as part of a “fruit-forward” makeover. She’s thinner, trendier, and no longer carries her calico cat, but instead a pink cell phone. How wonderful.

I am so glad I grew up when I did, at a time when kids were still kids. Nowadays kids grow up too fast! And everything is becoming more and more mature at an earlier age. I don’t like it. And people wonder why there are teen and pre-teen pregnancies! Sheesh. I loved the old Strawberry Shortcake. She was sweet and innocent and cute. I loved the old Care Bears, Smurfs, and all the other cartoons I watched. Things were innocent back then. Sigh. What do you all think about the Strawberry Shortcake makeover?

So for spring break, March 14-18, I went to Seattle, WA. I had always wanted to see Seattle, thought it might be a really chic, trendy place to visit. Not the best place to visit for spring break. It was very cold, windy and rainy. My last day there, Tuesday, it was sunny, but still very cold. So I was supposed to go with a friend, but she had to cancel last minute, so I ended up in Seattle alone… so here’s how the trip went:

Day One – March 14

So I arrived to my hotel, refreshed, and was out and about by 3 PM. I decided to go to the Space Needle as it was close to my hotel. It was cold, rainy, gloomy. So I was waiting in line, and in front of me there were these three guys who seemed to be having a bit too much fun. They were even drinking vodka from a water bottle while waiting in line to buy tickets for the Space Needle. I mean seriously, who does that, right? lol It was amusing. They asked me if I was here alone, I said yes, and explained why I was alone… We chit-chatted for a bit and they said it was a sucky situation for me to be in, but they commended me for still coming out to Seattle alone. So anyway, while I was up in the Space Needle, one of them approached me and gave me his number, saying I should go out with them at night. I gave him my number as well.

So I head back to my hotel room and I’m just sitting there depressed, thinking it was a really bad decision to go to Seattle. So then Jamie, one of the 3 guys, sends me a message about a houseparty. I didn’t think that was a good idea, as I didn’t even know these guys. So I declined, but asked them if they were going out to dinner, as I hadn’t eaten yet, and they said yes. So we went to a nice Thai restaurant called “Racha.” They turned out to be really cool and hilariously funny. I had a really good time with them at dinner. And they treated me to dinner, which was very sweet of them! They ended up not going to the house party, instead we went and played pool after dinner. It was nice to have some company =) My umbrella is one of those long umbrellas that you could use as a walking stick if you wanted to, so they referred to me as “Mary Poppins” lol

Day Two – Sunday March 15

Another very cold, rainy day in Seattle. I headed to Pike Place Market. Unfortunately my point-and-shoot Nikon Coolpix broke a few days before my departure, so all I had on my trip was my SLR, so I couldn’t take pics too easily, oh well. Walked around Pike Place for a bit, saw the original Starbucks. The logo for the original Starbucks is different than the one you see in Starbucks anywhere but there. The original logo is a bit more graphic! Anyway, I can’t remember what else I did on Sunday. It couldn’t have been too eventful I guess!

Day Three – Monday March 16

I went to Pioneer Square to go to on Speidel’s Underground Tour of Seattle. It was very interesting! And I recommend all Seattlites to go on this tour as well. You learn so much about the history of Seattle, from it’s founding to present-day. My tour guide, Shane, was very knowledgeable and funny! It was really worth the $12 ticket =) Afterwards I went to the International part of town, didn’t see much of it though. But went to the huge Asian market place and had some Vietnamese noodles! Yummy! Then in the evening I decided to head downtown. It looks cool at night. But honestly, Seattle’s downtown isn’t that great. There doesn’t seem to be much to do or see. And even at 9 PM most places were closed!

Day Four – Tuesday March 17

I went to the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) where I got into trouble twice. First, for taking photographs. Apparently not even non-flash photography is allowed, because most of the peices are privately owned and only lent to the museum, so I was told to delete all of my photographs, which I did, except for one of Elvis painted by Andy Warhol! And then as I was wandering through all of the sections of the museum, I knew there was a guy following me, but I couldn’t figure out why. He never stopped me or said “Excuse me, miss,” but instead he just kept on following me from room to room to room, until I finally stopped and then he spoke. Apparently I made it past security with an umbrella and no umbrellas are allowed! So I had to go back down to coat check to check in my umbrella. SAM was pretty cool. There was one pieice of work made from thousands of dog tags. That had to be the most interesting piece!

Later in the day I met up with Carl, one of the friends I made on Saturday, who is a student at U. of Washington. We were going to go to an Ethiopian restaurant for lunch (met a lot of Ethiopian taxi drivers in Seattle, so thought it might be cool to try some Ethiopian food), but they were closed, so we went to a cute Mexican restaurant, “The Cactus.” I had a Butternut Squash Enchillada, which was very good! And there were some ducks outside of the restaurant which were really cute, so I fed them some tortilla chips. Afterward, Carl showed me some areas of Seattle I missed. We drove through some of the posh areas of Seattle, got to see really nice, expensive houses! Saw Bill Gates’ house! We saw a lot of beautiful lakes and beaches. Visited some of the trendier areas of Seattle. Got to see the Freemont Troll (unfortunately I did not have my camera at this time!), the University of Washington. Saw some of the most amazing views in Seattle, absolutely gorgeous. I can imagine it would be even better to see in the summer time. We chilled for a bit in the area which he’s from, the name of which I can’t remember. Then towards the evening saw a bit of the sun set over a lake with mountains in the background. Then when it was completely dark he took me to this high point in Seattle, where there are a LOT of amazing beautiful homes, and we had the perfect view of Seattle before us! Simply breathtaking! I really wish I had my camera with me then. Someday I’ll have to go back during the summer and enjoy the natural side of Seattle a bit more.

Overall, it was a good trip, and an adventure! I’m glad I went, though I was alone for the most part. But Carl, Jamie and Andrew (my Seattle buddies) made the trip worth-while! :)

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Now I’m back in Bloomington, Indiana. There are 6 weeks of classes left (including finals week), and then I am ALL done, granted I pass my M.A. exams in April lol… Which I have a LOT of preparation to do for, since I’ve been putting it off all semester long. My exams are April 17-18, 6 hour exam. Please pray for me! =)

So I’ve been inspired from my trip and the people I met on my trip to be a bit more adventurous in life and try new things. I want to travel alone more often, meet new people more often, see more of the world, etc. So I can’t wait to be done with school, find a job InshAllah (please pray I find a job), and start living life!!! =)