tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88647002124180966682024-03-06T09:17:10.686+00:00Meow MeowAyshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-31626741847872352112012-10-07T15:42:00.001+01:002012-10-07T15:44:12.909+01:00When I Was Five I Killed MyselfSo here's the book review I was meant to do ageeessss ago! <br />
<br />
My timekeeping in regards to posting on my blog has a been a shambles as of late, but never fear, I shall be getting my act together! <br />
<br />
The main reason I wanted to read this book was because of the title. <br />
I had never heard of the Author, Howard Buten, before, nor had anyone told me about the book itself. I was just browsing on Amazon, and in the 'recommendations for you' but was this book, and from the brief blurb, it sounded pretty interesting.<br />
<br />
So I ordered it, and the first pleasant surprise of this book was the size of it! It's so tiny compared to the usual size of books. Very travel/pocket friendly. <br />
<br />
The book is only 200 or so pages long, so is a very short read.<br />
It's told from the main character Burt's point of view, who is an 8 year old boy, currently in a child's psychiatric unit. The reason why Burt is put in this place isn't clear at first, but as the story continues, it becomes more and more clear as to why he is there. <br />
<br />
The only thing that the reader does know is that Burt has done 'something terrible' to Jessica, a girl he likes in his class, who you find out is equally as messed up as Burt as the story unfolds. But what has he done to her that warrants his admission into hospital? That's what keeps you turning the page when reading the book.<br />
<br />
There are moments when you read the book, and you think that Burt is this incredible sweet little kid who thinks, acts and does what a normal 8 year old does, but then there are parts where you furrow your brow and think 'da fuq?!' Buten is incredible at portraying this little boy as a monster at times, and as I was reading it, my brain was working at 100mph trying to figure out why this kid does the things he does?<br />
<br />
You become attached to Burt very quickly, and very easily. It's told in first person narrative, completely from Burt's prospective. The genius thing about Butens writing is that the books is written as if an actual 8 year old wrote it. From the vocabulary, the the literary mistakes a kid would make, it was just.... GENIUS! That's one of the things I did love about the book.<br />
<br />
I'm not gunna explain anymore about the book, as if you do plan to read it (which I think you should) you realise it's only a short book, and so summarising it in anymore detail will basically give away to much of the story.<br />
<br />
I would call this book a drama/suspense, as you literally are wondering the whole time why this little boy is in a a children's mental institution! But the ending is definitely. a shocker. The final reason that Burt is in the hospital did not even cross my mind at allllllllllll, like, I never even comprehended that this would possibly be an ending. <br />
<br />
Warning: this isn't an uplifting, happy go lucky book that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy. It will make you feel things, just not happy things! But I can honestly say that I have never read a book like this, and would not minding reading more of a similar style. <br />
<br />
<br />
So there you have it!<br />
I'm currently reading the first book of the 'His Dark Materials' trilogy by Phillip Pullman called 'Northen Lights'. I've only read about 1/4 of the book so far, but its bloody brilliant already! <br />
<br />
Please comment about your fav books and why it's you're fav, as it could be my next read ;) <br />
<br />
XO<br />
<br />
<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5tDDiD5zcx34ZSNOCMR6VzUzejkn2ga5L8ZNKjGvJA1IDY_3vSXAzzD2lol3J1xUl9WkE707jqQX9nHRle2x4yd6YJ8wmjzxvk1d86mI6tUOxAzU2e_5y-woz4WG63yQe2MSr9l9FN8/s640/blogger-image-1764135758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5tDDiD5zcx34ZSNOCMR6VzUzejkn2ga5L8ZNKjGvJA1IDY_3vSXAzzD2lol3J1xUl9WkE707jqQX9nHRle2x4yd6YJ8wmjzxvk1d86mI6tUOxAzU2e_5y-woz4WG63yQe2MSr9l9FN8/s640/blogger-image-1764135758.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSeTjRAlZxRrnoD4rvGUlpUxt2eaMFgckzXI4K-gybMeo-8oS1kCgLNPVsXa1LT3r_UxCGwHFMnphrfvn1gSjcNvthTsWoroPBA5lj6c9JfXSY0t3EhUwlgrv216xRl8NnvusSuyFiBb8/s640/blogger-image--232613305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSeTjRAlZxRrnoD4rvGUlpUxt2eaMFgckzXI4K-gybMeo-8oS1kCgLNPVsXa1LT3r_UxCGwHFMnphrfvn1gSjcNvthTsWoroPBA5lj6c9JfXSY0t3EhUwlgrv216xRl8NnvusSuyFiBb8/s640/blogger-image--232613305.jpg" /></a></div>Ayshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-61272209341306602692012-09-23T18:27:00.001+01:002012-09-23T18:27:55.281+01:00Working girlIt was my first week of work last week.<br />
Monday to Wednesday was the hospital induction, and then I started in the Audiology dept from Thursday onwards.<br />
<br />
The induction was sooooo boring, when you've heard one fire safety talk, you've heard them all. <br />
On the plus side I got a CPR certificate on Wednesday, after demonstrating my skills on a dummy. He wasn't as fancy as the Intricately designed Japanese love dolls you see, but even though he had nothing below his lower torso, he was good enough for me. <br />
<br />
He hasn't called me since though :'(<br />
<br />
Anyhoo, there are many things I have still to do blogging wise.<br />
<br />
1. I've still not got round to finishing the short story I'm writing as a guest post for marks blog (I would post the link to his blog but I'm doing this via the mobile app, so I must keep it simples). I could think of many excuses, but to put it simply, I've just not been managing my free time well! So hopefully I shall finish that soon.<br />
<br />
2. I've been meaning to do a book review of 'when I was five I killed my self', a book I finished last month. It's such a fantastic read, and is completely different from anything I've ever read before. But more in the book review post I shall do.<br />
<br />
3. Help me out guys. Now that in working, my goal is to save up for a new car. I definitely want a 5 door, as in sick of having to constantly move my seats forward and back in my 3 door clio at the moment (or two door, really, since it only has, well,two doors.....). I thought I really wanted a VW golf, but now in thinking I want a Honda civic. If any of you guys are driving, what are you driving and do you like it? <br />
<br />
Hope you guys have had a good weekend!<br />
<br />
Xo <br />
Ayshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-10084156788343009942012-09-12T17:25:00.000+01:002012-09-12T17:26:16.475+01:00The guest post, as promisedMany apologies for the lateness of this post.<br />
As usual I have had many things to do and many people to catch up with in the last week, so have been a bit slow with my posting.<br />
<br />
As promised, here is the wonderful <a href="http://www.theramblingperson.com/" target="_blank">Marks</a> guest post!<br />
There are some Avatars he kindly provided along with his post, so those of you who are not familiar with him can get a vibe of what he's like. <br />
<br />
Those of you who are familiar with him know that he is a talented writer, in both writing about his life and in his brilliant sci-fi short story 'Immortal Space', a story focused around Trent and Geoff (with a g).<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #4c1130;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #20124d;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #073763;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #0c343d;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #274e13;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #7f6000;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #783f04;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #660000;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrMe599H02kyq9EUnqIR9aGeZI_xgDhE_z_3x6F8T1HnH2DtEsYh4ENL_CR_z6mIh14Dbg-4V7uKVBKAuE2JHiTHTDyx4Hi75BgMBbVjYKzPhawKeDsm6freYsA3teLdC2HkFIJAaJsY/s1600/Face3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrMe599H02kyq9EUnqIR9aGeZI_xgDhE_z_3x6F8T1HnH2DtEsYh4ENL_CR_z6mIh14Dbg-4V7uKVBKAuE2JHiTHTDyx4Hi75BgMBbVjYKzPhawKeDsm6freYsA3teLdC2HkFIJAaJsY/s200/Face3.png" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Hello everybody. I'm here today to tell you a story that, while fictional, may have taken place somewhere. You never know. Kidding, I'm here to make you subconsciously send me all your cookies. ALL YOUR COOKIES ARE BELONG TO ME. Well, actually I am here with a story. I told Aysh that I would happily have her do a guest post, and after some chit chat, we decided we would swap, and do a guest post for eachother. A short story each. Thankfully I had one lying around that I wasn't really planning on sharing, and didn't have to come up with something new. There is a shorter story behind this short story. A while back, eons ago, far before the universe existed, I joined a dating website. I haven't been on it since roughly some time after the universe existed. But while I was on there, there was one girl who told me that she was writing a short story on the idea of fate, of two people being brought together by happenstance. After she told me, I asked her if she would mind if I borrowed her idea. She said no, and asked to read what I had done when I finished. She never actually got to read this story. She, like everyone else on there, decided to stop talking to me. I'm not sure where my love may lie, but I'm getting quite sure it isn't on a dating website. I've babbled more than long enough, so for now enjoy your story. P.S It's mushy as hell and something I think no one would have expected from me of all people.</b></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
--------</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Michael was getting ready. He had a shower, shaved off the stubble that had been growing for a few days, and tied back his brown hair. Spraying himself with some deoderant he belted up his jeans, slipped on a t-shirt and put his jacket on. He had a date, and he was looking forward to it. It had been a while since he last had a date, but he had met a nice girl and asked her out to a pub near the beach to make his last day on holiday memorable. He checked himself out in the mirror one last time to make sure he looked okay and then headed out of his hotel and to his car.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He started it up and headed down the road. He put the radio on to help distract him from the nerves he was feeling. A love song was playing. “Typical” he thought to himself. About ten minutes later he pulled up in the pub car park, got out, and walked through the door. Overall it wasn't a bad place. The bar was a shiny mahogany and nearly all the stools were filled. He looked around for his date but couldn't find her, so he went to the bar, and got two pints before finding a table to sit at. He shrugged off his jacket, letting it hang on the chair behind him. He was a little early, so he thought it wasn't too surprising she hadn't turned up.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
After fifteen minutes (ten minutes into the date) and three pints, he had drank her pint and gotten himself another, he was starting to change his opinion on that. He looked around again to make sure he hadn't missed her, but still couldn't see her. “I'll give her ten more minutes” he thought to himself, “if she still hasn't shown up, then I'll get going.” He thought it was a bit of a shame for his holiday to have to end like that, but that's just how things work sometimes.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He was going to leave when a woman did come up to him, but it wasn't his date. It was a black haired woman with green eyes. His date was blonde and had blue eyes.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Is that seat taken?” She asked him, pointing at the seat on the opposite side of the table. He shook his head.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“No ma'am, and soon this one won't be either.” He said, sounding a little surly.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“That's a shame,” She said, looking at him. “I was hoping to talk to you if I'm honest.” She looked away sheepishly when he looked up at her, almost a bit surprised, most definitely confused.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Is your name Shirley?” He asked her. Now it was her turn to be surprised and confused.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“No it's Anna, why'd you ask?”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“I was expecting someone called Shirley about 20 minutes ago,” he said, checking his watch, “part of me thought for a minute that she'd dyed her hair and put in contacts.” Anna laughed at this and sat down.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“I know that feeling. I was waiting here for a man named Michael but he never showed up.” Michael tilted his head back and laughed, shaking his head as he brought it back down.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“The names Michael” he said, shaking her confused hand, “but I guess I'm not the Michael you were expecting.”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“No, you certainly aren't” Anna said. “Excuse me for a second while I buy a drink will you?” Michael stood up, shaking his head and motioning for her to stay seated.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“No way a pretty lady like yourself should pay for her own drink. I need another so what can I get you?” Anna blushed a little.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“A pint of cider would do fine thank you, if you really don't mind.”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Not a problem at all, I was expecting to pay for some lady's drink. It might as well be someone who's actually interested in spending some time with me.” About half a minute later Michael returned with two pants and set one down in front of Anna before sitting down himself and having a drink.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“You a tourist yourself?” he asked her.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Yeah I'm here on holiday, and I go home tomorrow. Thought I'd go out with a bang. What about you?”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Same here, right down to the going out with a bang part. What hotel are you at?”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“The Seafront. Don't tell me you're there too?” Michael shook his head.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“I guess that's enough coincidences for one night” he said with a smirk, “I'm further in town a bit. Would have been nice to get to the Seafront though, the views must be amazing.” Anna nodded and took another drink before replying.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“It is, but a good view is so much better when you have someone to share it with.” Michael nodded and finished his drink.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“I'm sure it is. I love the beach myself, and the ocean.”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Me too” Anna replied, finishing her own drink. “Say, you want to go down there now? It might be nice. Going on the beach at night is another thing that should really be done with someone else.”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Sure but just wait a second, I have to go use the bathroom.” Anna nodded and waited for him. A few minutes later he came out, picked up his jacket, and the two of them walked out of the bar together. It wasn't far to the beach, the pub was next to it and even had some tables on a terrace overlooking it. It was a chilly night though so people weren't sat there, and the beach itself was pretty clear. Michael saw Anna shiver and offered her his jacket. She took it and wrapped it around herself. Though when Michael shivered she insisted he take it back. Instead though he held her hand and walked close to her. She didn't mind though and leaned into him as they walked. Eventually they sat down, and stared up at the stars. Anna was laid partly across Michael and he was stroking her hair.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“The night sky sure is beautiful isn't it?” Anna asked, pointing up. Michael took her and pulled it to his mouth before kissing it and holding it to his chest.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“It's not the only beautiful thing here.” he said with a smile. Anna giggled and playfully hit him in the chest.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Now don't go saying things you don't mean.”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“No I meant it. I'm looking great tonight, don't you think?” he replied with a laugh. Anna hit him again.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Yes, I suppose you are, aren't you?” she said with a sigh.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“So are you, Anna.” Michael said. “The man who stood you up sure doesn't know what he missed out on.”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Neither does the woman who stood you up.” Anna replied, nuzzling his chest. They laid there for about 20 minutes, just staring up at the sky and talking before Anna noticed the time.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Oh no,” she said, getting up and surprising Michael. “I have to get back to the hotel, I've got to be up early tomorrow. I'm really sorry to cut it short like this. I really did enjoy myself Michael.” she leaned down and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I had a wonderful night, and I guess I did get to end my holiday with a bang after all.”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Will I see you again?” Michael asked, sitting up.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“With any luck” she said, with a smile. “Some things are just meant to happen right?”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Right” he said, “but what if this isn't?”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“I'm sure it is” she said, smiling. “I know a thing or two.”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Like what?”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Like that I have to go, but not before I do one last thing.” She leaned down again, giving him a bigger kiss this time. After that she quickly ran off. Michael was left on his own. He contemplated running after her, but he didn't think there was anything he could do at this point. She was already gone. Not just from the beach, but from his life too. She seemed so sure they could meet again, but he had no idea how. Zipping up his jacket and getting up, he made the short walk to his car, and then made the short drive back to his hotel. When he got there, he reached into his pockets for his door key. He felt something in there. After letting himself into his room he checked his pockets again. He pulled out a piece of paper. It had a note on it that said “You may not have been the Michael I was expecting, but you sure are the one I needed. Who's to say we can't push fate?” After that there was a phone number. Michael ran to his phone and dialled it. A few rings later he heard Anna's voice. She sounded a bit mad to be called so late at night when she was trying to sleep until she heard someone say “Hey Anna, I just got your note. Now, about fate...”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwFUTdA7MI3Pp7ehZa5c2s5DXmrRDNodEiau1hhnRNKBCPuIJT2xE1xw0RKmbUen-sfQrMWjE_6auxZYPnDv2KMZgbLrd_Oix6QDYRTy6uDWKYOo03Pdt38iC5891ytjfZodWDarOQV4/s1600/1328901026134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwFUTdA7MI3Pp7ehZa5c2s5DXmrRDNodEiau1hhnRNKBCPuIJT2xE1xw0RKmbUen-sfQrMWjE_6auxZYPnDv2KMZgbLrd_Oix6QDYRTy6uDWKYOo03Pdt38iC5891ytjfZodWDarOQV4/s640/1328901026134.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aww, Mark is making my heart feel all mushy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nhdTBDuYwRnb8b6JlI_MpcZM6QNXJBoix2FFFDvtRaGnkLi3Lu7FMEyubukrBH3JaNEKh8GBQgJ716NA_Ff4kwRe5cWjXw3fvx4sz8wD8DTRMhpuKQ_XujtbaGDW91qozibQoBcW2uA/s1600/mark+two+b.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nhdTBDuYwRnb8b6JlI_MpcZM6QNXJBoix2FFFDvtRaGnkLi3Lu7FMEyubukrBH3JaNEKh8GBQgJ716NA_Ff4kwRe5cWjXw3fvx4sz8wD8DTRMhpuKQ_XujtbaGDW91qozibQoBcW2uA/s640/mark+two+b.tif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How amazing is this picture of Mark by Berscules?!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Ayshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-83511333919270674252012-09-03T22:50:00.006+01:002012-09-03T22:50:56.300+01:00Blog one, Blog allGuess what? I got a call from my boss to be this morning, telling me that they were successful in their application for more funding, which basically means that I'll be working full time instead of part time as originally planned! :D<br />
<br />
I was praying through the whole of Ramadan that they would get more funding, and it lucks like my prayers were answered Alhamdulillah! So I am a very happy bunny today.<br />
Working full time means that it'll be easier for me to save up for a new car, which is my main priority at the moment!<br />
<br />
I start work in a couple of weeks, so I'll have to make the most of my last two weeks of unemployment! I'm actually looking forward to working now, I need the money! It's no fun not working when you're broke.<br />
<br />
I was tweeting <a href="http://www.theramblingperson.com/" target="_blank">Marky Mark</a>, you know, that rambling chap whose blog you can get to by clicking on ze link ^^^ & we were discussing guest posting, prompted from the guest post I did for <a href="http://killerbeesmakethemostdelicioushoney.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/the-sun-wind.html" target="_blank">Michaels blog here</a>.<br />
<br />
I'd love for Mark to do something for my blog, and after a wee bit of indecision, Mark figured out what he could possibly do for me blog (I'll leave it as a surprise *wink wink*), and what I could do for his!<br />
<br />
I said I'd attempt a short story, since he's brilliant at writing stuff himself.<br />
I've got a plan down for what I can write about, that's not a problem. The problem is trying to keep the story short! Not that it's an epic novel or anything, it just gets a bit waffly, so It is most definitely a work in progress!<br />
<br />
London on Thurs and Fri was good. I went with my mum and brother, and on the thursday we went to watch Les Miserables (I think I spelt it right....), and I hope I don't offend anyone who is, or has been somehow involved with Les Mis (<i>Which I don't think would be an issue, cuz really, what are the chances of them reading this post!? but still, just incizzles....)</i> it was so BORING! Don't get me wrong, the actors and actresses were amazing, and their voices were phenomenal! But it was just tooooo long, and really quite depressing (<i>I know, the I should've got that from the title really)</i> but yeah. My brother kept falling asleep throughout the performance, which was slightly embarrassing, but more hilarious!<br />
<br />
Again we did the standard touristy thingy ma bobs, and I used this as an opportunity to work on my amateur photography skills! Saying that, I was so tired from carrying my camera around that I ended up using my iPhone camera more than my actual camera!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1Y4sXITRIBmkxxiZqbtNZHqm_AxmOjUHIvO4ZaGZKu8BDEUzoAfD30NUKA8r2CRZF_pW5WyODFg-cyMXmX_ZsI079QARzjpg77M22CbTiFgOBaalZlvMvkE1q4R7zhAkwuSgICOZBEo/s1600/IMG_2803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1Y4sXITRIBmkxxiZqbtNZHqm_AxmOjUHIvO4ZaGZKu8BDEUzoAfD30NUKA8r2CRZF_pW5WyODFg-cyMXmX_ZsI079QARzjpg77M22CbTiFgOBaalZlvMvkE1q4R7zhAkwuSgICOZBEo/s640/IMG_2803.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M&M store in Leicester Square</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsANNReGaUIUHARtCjWfVdVDFRhAihKa1cTb_X7PPvMgIqXSn2enSMAxrIM-HR8Ngjcdo8xYTJ6q96tLlm914enqZk0fTd-il8VsKYMoURVUmX6D9FAWhqxToiHmDgGx8Lo0iN6uA8UxQ/s1600/IMG_2713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsANNReGaUIUHARtCjWfVdVDFRhAihKa1cTb_X7PPvMgIqXSn2enSMAxrIM-HR8Ngjcdo8xYTJ6q96tLlm914enqZk0fTd-il8VsKYMoURVUmX6D9FAWhqxToiHmDgGx8Lo0iN6uA8UxQ/s640/IMG_2713.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of London Central from the river Thames</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVPO9eO2rjub4M08tN28p2L8kKIkzQd0ocl_Y3nJsWITt1sd_diNFkvnzgfG00guNI7_b8I4thorYYulBnpeuNQ1giKjT-YyOkxLEBoWtSZxId_t2QkMPDtYOa5grt2dpFffnLslZ654/s1600/IMG_2722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVPO9eO2rjub4M08tN28p2L8kKIkzQd0ocl_Y3nJsWITt1sd_diNFkvnzgfG00guNI7_b8I4thorYYulBnpeuNQ1giKjT-YyOkxLEBoWtSZxId_t2QkMPDtYOa5grt2dpFffnLslZ654/s640/IMG_2722.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">London Bridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizfJrgZWUILgnoPt6Lh4HUhlCi-AGBt1wBPtSjbmiCYnx25yjjRImljIiewtoJ67mPLUQpTdngxjdx8e9mjbTJHTNkObETVfJfsxbWPN26le7nTDyEjHurza3KbzAKCniYW9D47Yj3xXA/s1600/IMG_2742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizfJrgZWUILgnoPt6Lh4HUhlCi-AGBt1wBPtSjbmiCYnx25yjjRImljIiewtoJ67mPLUQpTdngxjdx8e9mjbTJHTNkObETVfJfsxbWPN26le7nTDyEjHurza3KbzAKCniYW9D47Yj3xXA/s640/IMG_2742.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The show that put my brother to sleep. Legally Blonde it is then next time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPymN7xSy82IG0f80BwcifSw1WnKIwKX0gGaxpAdcF75jdIENBFwOwUxhqHwNowul8XbdZFZgNgvaoznURu47WH0mvfxXWLyAyCZPPPstEfC834G7Ujpc47UIaoC4d5zRNmr4Ka0bysI/s1600/IMG_2752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPymN7xSy82IG0f80BwcifSw1WnKIwKX0gGaxpAdcF75jdIENBFwOwUxhqHwNowul8XbdZFZgNgvaoznURu47WH0mvfxXWLyAyCZPPPstEfC834G7Ujpc47UIaoC4d5zRNmr4Ka0bysI/s640/IMG_2752.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful inside the theatre</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3GBxisfq14iDF-20XG-LYhZ5PM63dfDwW4ZoSHw0uCJdxlwhAW7-RhAEJprNHVPLnQuvzkidohX0CD3GXiVTMgZxoRpZzgyC0wwZDwE1u-IsXHGLr95_M9gn8IKqgdqE7Ilq4pAVd-c/s1600/IMG_2793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3GBxisfq14iDF-20XG-LYhZ5PM63dfDwW4ZoSHw0uCJdxlwhAW7-RhAEJprNHVPLnQuvzkidohX0CD3GXiVTMgZxoRpZzgyC0wwZDwE1u-IsXHGLr95_M9gn8IKqgdqE7Ilq4pAVd-c/s640/IMG_2793.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Bizzle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVUUIJ1VlP2C3bZa7p33we_WpDawPa497EnHIr60AA3QgEkzinplPLgpsw1XD1mQdrqUNekibbQK3HC-sDXrnlvKZdwXnd2VigibPH2JtBx2OJ1jYlmafNGLnhoZPfFBXGvSK7fpa0Ww/s1600/IMG_2773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVUUIJ1VlP2C3bZa7p33we_WpDawPa497EnHIr60AA3QgEkzinplPLgpsw1XD1mQdrqUNekibbQK3HC-sDXrnlvKZdwXnd2VigibPH2JtBx2OJ1jYlmafNGLnhoZPfFBXGvSK7fpa0Ww/s640/IMG_2773.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">China Town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4QP-a5HWMQjUxxP0p_U0pJYRa7lNem05-i7dgd9a-w9DbvsrflMuyvUXzR12LAF380f6w9huRPn0AFMsHtQ5cbBM1tcXlczgJZRiM4-uoaYRzSyucUrhoddVam9gfz7mxTXynY_2vyc/s1600/IMG_0517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4QP-a5HWMQjUxxP0p_U0pJYRa7lNem05-i7dgd9a-w9DbvsrflMuyvUXzR12LAF380f6w9huRPn0AFMsHtQ5cbBM1tcXlczgJZRiM4-uoaYRzSyucUrhoddVam9gfz7mxTXynY_2vyc/s640/IMG_0517.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haagen-Daz Cafe :D</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40jU3J1MtRvMcOMabPLCuaPK5xMFMch1d-IDhawDRNjcbiUIJaYeDUI7rDO5wG0eNw40IdTuvHNPB72VcekzFA6gi1qpEUEQVGaE4kuVdSvn7uBm1JjX4Kd1Y6VJIkVddSrfLF2AVomg/s1600/IMG_2846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40jU3J1MtRvMcOMabPLCuaPK5xMFMch1d-IDhawDRNjcbiUIJaYeDUI7rDO5wG0eNw40IdTuvHNPB72VcekzFA6gi1qpEUEQVGaE4kuVdSvn7uBm1JjX4Kd1Y6VJIkVddSrfLF2AVomg/s640/IMG_2846.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Museum of Natural History</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFoapSxvGHXTLkPaqVewW8yMcs5X-OfwmHa2TYiX9Xq8Fv4sLdNrusnFqXlGWsDGkXcoeJZhyjQjY_MBjR_uZ4PoTWh_jxhfTcPylPuhm6gCAd7jANlC-dnAU3HA1ddKxBYBhqV0XpXU/s1600/IMG_2845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFoapSxvGHXTLkPaqVewW8yMcs5X-OfwmHa2TYiX9Xq8Fv4sLdNrusnFqXlGWsDGkXcoeJZhyjQjY_MBjR_uZ4PoTWh_jxhfTcPylPuhm6gCAd7jANlC-dnAU3HA1ddKxBYBhqV0XpXU/s640/IMG_2845.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Museum of Natural History</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvQEonVsli-Hl0cdyVWuoDvUjBF5uWKnBg1Cx2cRlZSMvV9cPzKNsukMKSxJP_JpplXA1wfsHtlpFI_0PvKNVuXqPuUkgsWEzbpyhQ_dTbNFVyHcKlomvP65xC5bFV-Tttozz5Tl29Ls/s1600/IMG_2820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvQEonVsli-Hl0cdyVWuoDvUjBF5uWKnBg1Cx2cRlZSMvV9cPzKNsukMKSxJP_JpplXA1wfsHtlpFI_0PvKNVuXqPuUkgsWEzbpyhQ_dTbNFVyHcKlomvP65xC5bFV-Tttozz5Tl29Ls/s640/IMG_2820.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Park </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7NYuzaO0uZIWcDTHW5ndp1ZKdk5zAF8b-hvZc4DHxTNngzXshEdPkMRAutFOMZaF9te8GPpa_TmvWUPekKYe4-JVxH1nPq-pwDgnugQg0S86aWrLzQ1lUQEA6-9no1IhwDl4JMDhzS4/s1600/DSC05145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7NYuzaO0uZIWcDTHW5ndp1ZKdk5zAF8b-hvZc4DHxTNngzXshEdPkMRAutFOMZaF9te8GPpa_TmvWUPekKYe4-JVxH1nPq-pwDgnugQg0S86aWrLzQ1lUQEA6-9no1IhwDl4JMDhzS4/s640/DSC05145.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">London Eye</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPnb331WoI0Xx_xkzrgo9_GdKiC7IqYVBHYuv-Hd-LsxctbNtsOv54GbEmmKCPTB_0aDRY_aVinJHrZfeI2HBR2X2RZQQeaOcJhq5FyrusuFftgfiglIh72EsYF9vyNw-peyhx1yjO1k/s1600/IMG_2788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPnb331WoI0Xx_xkzrgo9_GdKiC7IqYVBHYuv-Hd-LsxctbNtsOv54GbEmmKCPTB_0aDRY_aVinJHrZfeI2HBR2X2RZQQeaOcJhq5FyrusuFftgfiglIh72EsYF9vyNw-peyhx1yjO1k/s640/IMG_2788.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Regents Park Mosque from Regents Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Ayshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-84876326878522078622012-08-29T20:09:00.002+01:002012-08-29T20:09:45.909+01:00It's up!Don't misinterpret the title, I'm talking about the guest post I did for Michaels blog which I told you about in the last post!<br />
<br />
here it be: <a href="http://killerbeesmakethemostdelicioushoney.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/the-sun-wind.html">http://killerbeesmakethemostdelicioushoney.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/the-sun-wind.html</a><br />
<br />
It's a re-post of my 'The wind and the sun' post, so if you've already read it, then skim through that and check out some of Michaels wonderful posts instead!<br />
<br />
Just to warn you though, Michael requested a pic to put up with the post, and he had a look through my instagram and picked the ones he wanted (My teeth look gi-nourmous in the first pic!).<br />
Chances are if you've peeked through my instagram or follow me on twitter then you'll have seen my face (also referred to as the 8th wonder of the natural world).<br />
<br />
There is sooooo much I want to blog about. My gran has gone back to Pakistan. She flew with my dad yesterday, and we spoke to them earlier to let us know they're back home safely.<br />
<br />
My mum and dad went to Geneva for their 27th anniversary, and they had the best time! My brothers and I also reaped the benefits of their travels by gorging on the yummy swiss chocolate they brought back for us!<br />
<br />
We were invited to a few dinners by family members last week when my grandmother was over. In the pakistani community, if you're welcoming someone to someplace, family and some friends usually invite that person and their fam over for dinner (like if someones just got married, or come over from another country etc.)<br />
It has not done my waistline any favours....<br />
<br />
I was at yet another wedding today! My best mate fizz's little sister got married today, so I went to act as a mini-photographer and have a catch up with my besty's family (due to some circumstances, I've not seen my best mates family for a couple of years! It was like re-uniting with family when I saw her sisters and brother after so long :D).<br />
Because fizz was busy getting ready with her sister, I was to meet her at the wedding hall, but because I didn't know anyone, I was just standing in a corner, alone, avoiding eye contact with strangers until she came!<br />
It didn't help that I stuck out like a sore thumb. It was a Bengali wedding, and Bengalis wear the most beautiful Sari's on special occasions (and just daily-traditionally), and people could just tell that I was Pakistani......Asians just know these kinds of things about other Asians! (I'm pretty good a differentiating between Indians, Pakistanis and Bengalis! <i>I like to think, anyway</i>)<br />
<br />
But yes. busy busy.<br />
<br />
I'm going London tomorrow to watch Les Miserables in the west end! I'm very much looking forward to that, especially since we're staying till friday instead of rushing everything in one day trip.<br />
<br />
Well that's everything I can think of at the moment! Im sure there's plenty I've missed out, but oh well!<br />
<br />
xo<br />
<br />Ayshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-70997919470689707852012-08-22T13:14:00.002+01:002012-08-22T13:34:48.409+01:00guest blogging, and confusing families.Guess what? The wonderful busy bee that is Michael Patrick McKinley has asked me to do a guest post for his blog! No one has ever asked me to guest post, so I am extremely flattered, and excited! Especially since his blog is so diverse and interesting!<br />
<div>
His post's usually make you think about things you would never usually consider, and have a sweet humour to them too :)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Check his blog 'Let's start with a metaphor, shall we?' out: <a href="http://killerbeesmakethemostdelicioushoney.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/quote-unquote-14-hungry.html">http://killerbeesmakethemostdelicioushoney.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/quote-unquote-14-hungry.html</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'll let you know when my post has been published. Sadly, I think it will just be a re-post :(</div>
<div>
I would love to write something original, but given that my gran is over from Pakistan and we're constantly having people over to see her, or taking her to see people, anything original written right now would be half-arsed, and Michaels blog is too good for that!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Also, I thought I'd explain a bit about Pakistani families in this post briefly.</div>
<div>
One of my friends txt me yesterday after reading my last post, and was confused about be referring to my gran as my 'Dadi Ami', so I told her i'd explain it in a post.</div>
<div>
In Punjabi/Urdu, each relation has a particular name you refer to them as, not strictly, but just in general, like your dads parents, brothers and sisters have a certain 'title', I suppose you could say, and the same for your mums side. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So here goes:</div>
<div>
<b>Your dads mum and dad= </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>dadi ami and dada abu </b>(literally translates to dad's mum and dad's dad)</span></div>
<div>
<b>Your mums mum and dad= <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">nani ami and nana abu</span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<b>Your dads big brother= <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Thai Abu </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">(his wife would be your Thai Ami)</span></div>
<div>
<b>Your dads little brother= <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Chacha/Chachu </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">(his wife would be your Chachi)</span></div>
<div>
<b>Your dads sister= <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Phupho (pronounced pup-oh..sort of..) </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">(Her husband would be your phuphra)</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Your mums brother, older or younger= <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Mamoo </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">(his wife would be your mami)</span></div>
<div>
<b>Your mums sister= <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Khala </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">(her husband would be your Khaloo)</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
Borthers, sisters and cousins don't have a particular title, but you usually call your big brother, or older guy cousin <b>Bhai</b> or <b>Bhaijan</b>, out of respect, and your older sister or older girl cousin <b>Baji</b> or <b>Appa/Appi</b> out of respect. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We just call our uncles and aunties...Uncle and Aunty :P We've never really been traditional in that sense.</div>
<div>
And I don't actually call my grandparents any of the traditional names above. I call my mum's parents Barry mamy and Barry daddy (literally Big mum and Big dad :P) and my dads parents Ami gee and Abu gee.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Even if you don't refer to your family using the traditional names, they're still used a lot in conversation when explaining how 'so and so' is related to 'so and so'</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Most Southern Asian cultures have traditional names for family members, but they'll vary depending on the language spoken and the country/region/area you're from. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You can't say I don't educate you readers :P</div>
<div>
Even if it is useless information you didn't need to know!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>I was in a rush yesterday so forgot to post some eid themed pictures!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>My lovely friend Sam (the one who just got married) came over and put mehndi/henna on mumsy, my cousin and I.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>She's so talented! She does it all freehand, and does the designs from the top of her head!</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VEVLNdi2duj27FKcOA4R1PsnjXAMsdf3X6DvhWOyD3kjmMlTUXG3RJaFSCtiJDzHr4CIGeGjuTQQc-6_g7zd22rP2L9XhdxJ8OTwubn0rnswo25v51C9YLOd_gMt5784j3T0ds5kNIk/s1600/IMG_2580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VEVLNdi2duj27FKcOA4R1PsnjXAMsdf3X6DvhWOyD3kjmMlTUXG3RJaFSCtiJDzHr4CIGeGjuTQQc-6_g7zd22rP2L9XhdxJ8OTwubn0rnswo25v51C9YLOd_gMt5784j3T0ds5kNIk/s400/IMG_2580.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4p7NmE6Iczro6xV2WG8DmnRJRd_9TqyP9DvAdklR_UqHB8PxlMi_l3eGsYD90jSAa4z2ePM_xwmnQjdz32PmFHIm0jNcWw6-8WU3gbxuoCJYu-i8EAmfa35E49kQ3b-_l2ceGfLMEcU8/s1600/IMG_2591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4p7NmE6Iczro6xV2WG8DmnRJRd_9TqyP9DvAdklR_UqHB8PxlMi_l3eGsYD90jSAa4z2ePM_xwmnQjdz32PmFHIm0jNcWw6-8WU3gbxuoCJYu-i8EAmfa35E49kQ3b-_l2ceGfLMEcU8/s400/IMG_2591.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mums black mehndi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
xo</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Ayshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-26470963913707466212012-08-20T16:27:00.001+01:002012-08-20T16:44:56.032+01:00Eid Mubarak!A belated Eid Mubarak to everyone who fasted during Ramadan!<br />
We celebrated Eid yesterday (I think most of the world did, but some are celebrating today. think it's cuz diff countries spot the full moon on diff days....).<br />
<br />
Eid literally translates as celebration/festival (me thinks...). It's the Muslim equivalent to Christmas! But we celebrate eid twice (teehee).<br />
<br />
This Eid is Eid-ul-fitr, where we celebrate the end of Ramadan, and the beginning of the next month, Shawwal.<br />
Most people see this as the end of their temporary religious phase, and fall out of the good habits that they got into during Ramadan. Hopefully this wont happen to many people!! (Or me, at least!)<br />
It's Sunnah (tradition of the Prophet Mohammed p.b.u.h) To wear your best outfits, spend time with your loved ones, and just generally be merry and happy on this day :D<br />
So it may explain why you suddenly see all the muslims in your community (mainly the brownies) look like sparkly christmas trees, strutting there stuff about town. <br />
<br />
I like to think that I am not one of these. (Sadly, I probably am....)<br />
<br />
Basically, you get dressed up in your nicest, newest clothes, cook lots of yummy food, host your family/friends or go visit your family/friends and exchange presents/money. It's pretty fun :)<br />
<br />
Then there's Eid ul-Adha, which is celebrated on the 10th, 11th and 12th day of the last Islamic month of Dhul Hijja, and the celebrations start after Hajj (the islamic pilgrimage). This Eid commemorates the willingness of the prophet Ibrahim (as) aka Abraham to sacrifice his son Ismail (as) aka Ishmael, as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a sheep to sacrifice instead. <br />
This act is further commemorated by sacrificing sheep/lambs on Eid, and distributing it amongst family, friends and generally to feed the poor, so we always end up with a freezer full of lamb around this time....There's probably a significant dip in the lamb/sheep population around Eid ul-Adha, come to think of it....<br />
<br />
So my Eid consisted of getting up, sitting in my PJ's, watching telly and eating left over pizza from the night before for breakfast (also known as the breakfast of champions). Then I got up, showered, sorted my face out and got dressed up all fancy, and then went to my uncles house to go spend some time with the family and stuff our faces.<br />
My dad's mum (my dadi amee) has come to visit us in the UK from America, before she heads back to pakistan, and she's been staying at our house and my uncles alternatively while she's here. She's at my uncles at the moment, so we spent some time with her there.<br />
<br />
<i>Then</i> we went to my other grandma's house (and grandad!), to meet up with my mums side of the family and have a chinwag and take pictures and blah blah.<br />
<br />
Then we came home and chilled for a bit, before taking my grandma and my uncles family out to dinner in the evening.<br />
We went to Wilmslow road, and any british asian who's from manchester, or has been to manchester and knows about this road probably has a furrowed brown and is thinking 'Ayesha, how could you!?' right now, but I assure you, I had no choice in the matter.<br />
<br />
Wilmslow rd, also know as Wimmy rd, also know as 'the curry mile' (the title is pretty self explanatory. It's just a mile of Indian restaurants!) is notorious to british asians around the north-west or the UK. For some unknown reason, men and women alike (mostly the men) feel the need to regress and turn into raving mad lunatics. People come from far and wide, wear there most bizarre and unflattering clothes, hire out the fanciest cars, blast out the stupidest and most irritating songs from there car, and basically drive up and down this road, beeping at girls, blowing vuvuzelas (google that annoying shizzle if you're not familiar with it) and just generally make you feel ashamed to be of the same species. It's like an extended, annual, Asian version of Jersey Shore, basically. <br />
<br />
Then we came home, drank tea, and went to bed! <br />
<br />
In our family, the elders usually give us young'uns money instead of presents, which I much prefer :D but every house is different. <br />
<br />
I'm off to see the Dark Knight Rises now! Ramadan has kept me busy, do I'm finally off to reconnect with society and see if Tom Hardy still looks good with a weird mask on. <br />
<br />
I'll be catching up and commenting on everyone's blogs tonight hopefully! Excuse any typos in the post, I'm finishing it off in the car on my phone, so can't really be bothered to proof read (not that I ever do!) <br />
<br />
Xo <br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"><b><br />
</b></div><br />
<br />
<br />
Ayshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-88686180933144402762012-08-12T12:08:00.002+01:002012-08-12T12:08:18.381+01:00Why can't we all just be friends?I've always thought the problem with the world today is the lack of tolerance and respect we have for one another. <br />
<br />
Like, why do some people believe that we all have to have the exact same beliefs and live the same lives in order to be happy and have world peace? What happened to agreeing to disagree and just judging a person based on their character and personality, as opposed to what religion they belong to, or what ethnicity they are, or whatever gender/sexual orientation they are/have etc.<br />
<br />
As Muslims, we're supposed to follow the traditions (sunnah) of the Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w), and when he first immigrated from Mecca to Medina, due to the constant threats being made on his life by the pagan Meccans, he and his followers peacefully co-existed alongside the existing tribes of pagans and Jews in Medina, creating pacts and treaties for all the three tribes to adhere to as allies.<br />
So it bugs me when I see hostile muslims around the world, declaring death to so and so (usually america and the west....womp womp), when the man who was the closest thing to perfection (in the eyes of Muslims), and who all muslims aim to be like, taught peace and love.<br />
<br />
In the Qur'an, in Surah Al Kafirun, it says;<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Traditional Arabic'; font-size: 32px;">لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِينِ</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> Lakum deenukum waliya deen</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>"To you your faith, and to me mine".</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFaDRgbeDU3fhUQzH8XHs0ah_Di72ik67eF8wXanOCtcu5kVgADUv8xcO4WtaWa23lddEAvxZN3Clc5sYBoZb8heDjUkH89x8OxVE2Ri62hDyRcnnyxtXPda_QsbxjVKE_sRryahkuik/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFaDRgbeDU3fhUQzH8XHs0ah_Di72ik67eF8wXanOCtcu5kVgADUv8xcO4WtaWa23lddEAvxZN3Clc5sYBoZb8heDjUkH89x8OxVE2Ri62hDyRcnnyxtXPda_QsbxjVKE_sRryahkuik/s640/images.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">I never have, and never will understand why people dislike others, to the extent of killing them, because they're different from one another.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">The most recent mind boggling thing I've found is this genocide that's occurring in Burma (Myanmar).</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">Bhuddists are massacring and killing Muslim men, women and children (including babies and infants), simply because they are Muslim! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">Like, <i>what</i>?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">Muslims in the Rohingya area or Myanmar have been in Burma from as early as 1050AD! (Or so Al-Jazeera tells me....).</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">I don't even know why Bhuddists are killing these Muslims to be honest. From every article I've read, it suggests that it was a completely unprovoked movement that has been going on silently for many many years. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">A similar thing happened to Kosovon Muslims by Serbians, as in they where persecuted because of their faith.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">And the most famous example, the reason for WW2, Hitlers mass genocide of the Jews in europe. How disgusting, the thought of killing and hating someone, just because of their religious belief. I honestly <i>cannot</i> get my head around why people think it's acceptable!?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">And of course, there was the Rawandan genocide which happened in 1994. I had no idea about this until 2/3 years ago, which really annoyed me. How could such a massive massacre of people not even be mentioned to the youth of Britain (or at least me in my youth), at least once, throughout our school life? I was 4 when this happened, so I don't expect myself to remember, but I would have much rather learnt about the unfair massacre of people <u>by their fellow countrymen</u> rather then Henry VIII's inability to keep his bits in his pants in such detail (although I've never forgotten the fact that his corpse exploded.....that was gross).</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">But yeah, rant over.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">I just wish everyone could respect and tolerate everyone, and agree to disagree, cuz' let's face it, there's no way every single person on this earth is gunna have exactly the same beliefs and outlook on everything in life. It would make for a very peaceful world if we all did....but an extremely boring one!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxi8lgGFy1ZoJ6SQDPWDv6aPu7DY08N7YreEbNjmDkOd7nOzyJwhgUZaKG7i21V4GiaUYs183UoycEl6fdbxj1etg7ij8nWRuhsNtuapRtjBiXOi2za8_QLs3_UrP_DUUgXw8TcoNWrA/s1600/andy-warhol-everybody.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxi8lgGFy1ZoJ6SQDPWDv6aPu7DY08N7YreEbNjmDkOd7nOzyJwhgUZaKG7i21V4GiaUYs183UoycEl6fdbxj1etg7ij8nWRuhsNtuapRtjBiXOi2za8_QLs3_UrP_DUUgXw8TcoNWrA/s400/andy-warhol-everybody.jpg" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy Warhol</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">In other happy news! After that little downer of a post, it was my parents 28th wedding anniversary yesterday. My dads taking my mum away to switzerland as a treat! So uncharacteristically romantic of him.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">So my brothers and I decided to surprise my parents with a swiss alps themed cake, and a personalised map, as our families crazy about travelling. The map comes with loads of little board pins, so you can put pins in all the places you've travelled to! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOI3QRLuiK4tyAWE8n0_EmedqTmg_vUT0lwo3R5dYJqT1n3SfFwuNRyMJLW3fP-Cm3T-jIxjLfmYEl90yH2CmMM4YcH5OhPXfez9SEE4DEtiWUOScAfRiW9s-hoi_5iwLmHQZZXlspj0/s1600/DSC04867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOI3QRLuiK4tyAWE8n0_EmedqTmg_vUT0lwo3R5dYJqT1n3SfFwuNRyMJLW3fP-Cm3T-jIxjLfmYEl90yH2CmMM4YcH5OhPXfez9SEE4DEtiWUOScAfRiW9s-hoi_5iwLmHQZZXlspj0/s640/DSC04867.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxQyOuo96E5r1GDjmBtoRGNH9UyYvZtk0vdY47rlZB4yT4CZacOl9OwbL4iIdyvzSizmZZ4ayj_lJjSLjp39kFDFP3CyDMeXxNv-rEuGpyegtFsRwEGCdL8GlhinMI9pB0Hiw9pjjvO8/s1600/DSC04876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxQyOuo96E5r1GDjmBtoRGNH9UyYvZtk0vdY47rlZB4yT4CZacOl9OwbL4iIdyvzSizmZZ4ayj_lJjSLjp39kFDFP3CyDMeXxNv-rEuGpyegtFsRwEGCdL8GlhinMI9pB0Hiw9pjjvO8/s640/DSC04876.jpg" width="424" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36wrujv4QgQcAD2H8ZWonrSbertIvnFaTZY9CvjVGLh6GHLfcPY5EN_YZtxcIi0jiYq7fUg-rDd_7uH9Km6OhFopKHuylW2mNy-O4xxlZjxoBolGcuYI8dfhdnf8U6J_RCAPs1AXvDRw/s1600/DSC04873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36wrujv4QgQcAD2H8ZWonrSbertIvnFaTZY9CvjVGLh6GHLfcPY5EN_YZtxcIi0jiYq7fUg-rDd_7uH9Km6OhFopKHuylW2mNy-O4xxlZjxoBolGcuYI8dfhdnf8U6J_RCAPs1AXvDRw/s640/DSC04873.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">I honestly have the most amazing parents in the world who are truly one of a kind (or...two of a kind?).</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">Oh, and thanks for the sweet words about my doodles on the last post :) I'm practicing, so hopefully I'll improve! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px;">xo</span></div>Ayshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-5110626567587402332012-08-05T16:26:00.002+01:002012-08-05T16:26:13.094+01:00Paper...My new addictionunfortunately I'm not addicted to proper paper....but the app 'Paper by 53' (<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/paper-by-fiftythree/id506003812?mt=8" target="_blank">you can check it out here if you like</a>).<br />
<br />
It's just basically a notepad, where you can sketch, write and doodle etc. on your iPad or tablet.<br />
<br />
I think my recent fondness for this app has come about since I have an exam to sit on the 15th, and I've not really been inspired to revise (<i>My excuse is that it's multiple choice, so how hard can it be, right?</i>).<br />
<br />
Anyhoo here are some doodles I've done on ze app:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfrCIhNdv5g3hf7EZsnzilLaSuNqmT2xVzwJXB507EpYTc-k_sM8s_sVUmoRtzBexhGYKQTxiF6EjWQJ8uWn4sTYFKa4oYh9_8B5-hYCjQdWV3vDIOLmv61i73debxRxPLIC7OVRUdWA/s1600/IMG_0476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfrCIhNdv5g3hf7EZsnzilLaSuNqmT2xVzwJXB507EpYTc-k_sM8s_sVUmoRtzBexhGYKQTxiF6EjWQJ8uWn4sTYFKa4oYh9_8B5-hYCjQdWV3vDIOLmv61i73debxRxPLIC7OVRUdWA/s400/IMG_0476.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">randomness</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1s1mCXkC_XiyNSbeWq5LTJzpqXZS2VOfsNA4yE-GeYX7lBKppavvoeLKfHDl8S5p8J0RLtCmkHtZLBkYlyIjrJiBISqg2u50DkNboP0Pr2xOnmZziwnToj8VPnFINxL6ZrZZ1MlfDlk/s1600/IMG_0478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1s1mCXkC_XiyNSbeWq5LTJzpqXZS2VOfsNA4yE-GeYX7lBKppavvoeLKfHDl8S5p8J0RLtCmkHtZLBkYlyIjrJiBISqg2u50DkNboP0Pr2xOnmZziwnToj8VPnFINxL6ZrZZ1MlfDlk/s400/IMG_0478.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spidey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFv-mq-sQkEh9zVNmoY2zNRlLswiKd_khAA3DV5EckSZ0q3JuwxTtI0O5knDgd_pPXlr2bMvnFkkoIuKIhjboXZ5W4KBvj7bjOUQYFbjthPhLgCNwsjMqxGuKmQTypurDYRKxo06Rz5Y/s1600/IMG_0479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFv-mq-sQkEh9zVNmoY2zNRlLswiKd_khAA3DV5EckSZ0q3JuwxTtI0O5knDgd_pPXlr2bMvnFkkoIuKIhjboXZ5W4KBvj7bjOUQYFbjthPhLgCNwsjMqxGuKmQTypurDYRKxo06Rz5Y/s400/IMG_0479.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMs7ecL_nJvf-cLKdk8Ss3QcW-KW_baYFbrDDvJzenjlIg6VXjy8tQO_G2wIedYigusIxlCKH_w-GITnstSqauQVkemJ-eGCtW0jByBoGnerBB2yStCKo7gafWrZmbhSpFpwJahUH8x8/s1600/IMG_0480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMs7ecL_nJvf-cLKdk8Ss3QcW-KW_baYFbrDDvJzenjlIg6VXjy8tQO_G2wIedYigusIxlCKH_w-GITnstSqauQVkemJ-eGCtW0jByBoGnerBB2yStCKo7gafWrZmbhSpFpwJahUH8x8/s400/IMG_0480.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">made this one for Tee :D<br />Alien in space</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5Mlp2VJwhQMT6QvByiofFewnOll_c82peuR3hIJx8GrHhCeibgqvLo0aYFgQzCykwtcXtWR1T3LGk1iA1CQRb_WqxFcRFIVP_CXqCkPC7uobgB-OYfiFgozfmdpzlQhSY1yl_Tmn4v4/s1600/IMG_0483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5Mlp2VJwhQMT6QvByiofFewnOll_c82peuR3hIJx8GrHhCeibgqvLo0aYFgQzCykwtcXtWR1T3LGk1iA1CQRb_WqxFcRFIVP_CXqCkPC7uobgB-OYfiFgozfmdpzlQhSY1yl_Tmn4v4/s400/IMG_0483.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allah in arabic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I used to be a pretty good drawer in high school, and at one point contemplated doing something in animation, but my drawings are a bit flukey in the sense that I can't really replicate things very well (e.g. characters) and I'm not very good at creating a story to make a decent comic :/<br />
<br />
In other news, my lovely grandmother (my dad's mum) came to england on Friday, from New York where she stayed for a month with my uncle and aunties. She's settling in pretty well, but I think the rain is a pretty big change from the weather in Pakistan!<br />
24 hour electricity here though, unlike Pakistan.<br />
<br />
Also, as I'm writing this post, Murray just won Gold in the Olympic tennis final! Well done lad!<br />
<br />
xoAyshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-91598805610257922922012-08-01T13:36:00.002+01:002012-08-02T12:30:32.213+01:00He wrote back!Do you guys remember <a href="http://ohmeowmeowoh.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/im-writing-you-4-page-letter.html" target="_blank">this post</a>, where I talked about my friend Josh? Last year he started his mission, which is basically him being allocated somewhere by his Church to spread the word of the Lord.<br />
<br />
He's on his mission for two years (<i>I think..</i>), and at the moment he's in Ireland, or Scotland? I can't really remember (<i>I could just go in to the other room and check his address on the letter, but I think it's better to leave a little mystery. And I'm too lazy)</i>.<br />
While He's on his mission, he can't go on the internet, use the telephone or have his mobile phone, so basically anything that will distract him from preaching! (<i>He's allowed to make two phone calls per year I think? Easter and Christmas</i>).<br />
<br />
So anyway, before he went we met up for a coffee and a catch up, and he told me and his friends that we should write to him seeing as we wouldn't be able to txt or ring each other, and I was more than happy too! I wrote to him earlier this year, and he wrote back in april I think.<br />
<br />
It took me about 15 minutes to decipher the code that is his writing! Once I de-coded the basic words like '<b>The</b>', '<b>Yours' </b>& '<b>And'</b>, I figured the rest of the letter out.<br />
<br />
<b>Now this may be an extremely sexist comment, but I very rarely see a guy that has nice handwriting! From school, college and university, most of my male friends have had pretty atrocious handwriting!! Now I know this doesn't apply to all men, but is it fair to say it applies to most? Or am I just over-generalising?</b><br />
<br />
Anyhoo, back to Josh.<br />
If you've read the post I've linked above, you'll have a rough idea of the humour Josh and I share with each other. Part of it is our 'making-people-think-Josh-is-racist-when-he-really-isn't' jokes, which <i>he</i> initiated!<br />
<br />
A running joke me and Josh had before he went on his mission was whether he would convert any Muslims or not. In his letter back to me, he talked about how he came across a few pakistani people, and handed out some leaflets about his message in urdu!<br />
It made me laugh so much, so in return, I drew him a little comic in my responding letter!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BNGSxOePXpPjr-1drXNTlwM1NNvi1sLBMK12Hglhp59dE13lvJRAwB7vCC2w6eIs-VIK3mRbT_fgsGSkRY1egrXBmcQ8eXJ9i762z-t87tRs-1m_QFkD-MNUnxkd8zjP_8-nGwVBVdo/s1600/IMG_2290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BNGSxOePXpPjr-1drXNTlwM1NNvi1sLBMK12Hglhp59dE13lvJRAwB7vCC2w6eIs-VIK3mRbT_fgsGSkRY1egrXBmcQ8eXJ9i762z-t87tRs-1m_QFkD-MNUnxkd8zjP_8-nGwVBVdo/s640/IMG_2290.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSu8HNVS_7jt28ZuoWQFjb7ODB6rzt78y0uxsfcrzW31SPFT-SdAjjGeDnZMo7pKqT39KdRteQ-YUzviMAt8WDXJjel7qiwT5pEjUgZGn9uGO9qUrsITHIANpOKpavQHYGUcNZToBk2a8/s1600/IMG_2292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSu8HNVS_7jt28ZuoWQFjb7ODB6rzt78y0uxsfcrzW31SPFT-SdAjjGeDnZMo7pKqT39KdRteQ-YUzviMAt8WDXJjel7qiwT5pEjUgZGn9uGO9qUrsITHIANpOKpavQHYGUcNZToBk2a8/s640/IMG_2292.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQroHvcfzofklIConOvWug8jYckSTPoLC3HPVFVU9J2-uXJbmbMLyh3n2nGVYGl6DWVP2FcOjqb7_nWO3CA1CMgMm5bG3puje2tk3AuKaId8yCsJGLvyLl6bV7Tiw9z0xmxh1JFzQyHSY/s1600/IMG_2294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQroHvcfzofklIConOvWug8jYckSTPoLC3HPVFVU9J2-uXJbmbMLyh3n2nGVYGl6DWVP2FcOjqb7_nWO3CA1CMgMm5bG3puje2tk3AuKaId8yCsJGLvyLl6bV7Tiw9z0xmxh1JFzQyHSY/s640/IMG_2294.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIvJb5P6xUv6QlCsXQMjfCVtB7N5Q_fDw6I1HR5b6XTMGSbHQZufeCQ2cR9zYh44JXNiY3toqRDPB1GlWr3hos5iI-KA0fqy1-u7YikEyZS5VZUAuEvNNkWBZCdpkjHe0exnExa_aiQM/s1600/IMG_2296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIvJb5P6xUv6QlCsXQMjfCVtB7N5Q_fDw6I1HR5b6XTMGSbHQZufeCQ2cR9zYh44JXNiY3toqRDPB1GlWr3hos5iI-KA0fqy1-u7YikEyZS5VZUAuEvNNkWBZCdpkjHe0exnExa_aiQM/s640/IMG_2296.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0c0LjgAXSPpmWjzsDEYsss9WkU0ABcs9KmNk37JnCz1UH-IfvKdqMxAS0jVyKzM8bGeywILY5C6Judt69GLSMapbGaRF3ZVgg2-CKAIesNHMLGmEBgS5EMSZG0t6_Dszapyy1PggVL9c/s1600/IMG_2298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0c0LjgAXSPpmWjzsDEYsss9WkU0ABcs9KmNk37JnCz1UH-IfvKdqMxAS0jVyKzM8bGeywILY5C6Judt69GLSMapbGaRF3ZVgg2-CKAIesNHMLGmEBgS5EMSZG0t6_Dszapyy1PggVL9c/s640/IMG_2298.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvIuDTMQE6K_kurnlb_P0tsJWCz1sYEjfopLX5LNvunIbvpcnz3UXfV_lUd_JWP7GjF0_fYVzxLEuZIzIY0ge9Byaxp3adRNUDec0zEJwLrLqLdvM70scqbO-wbvqQ45bcAuG6E4AlZQ/s1600/IMG_2300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvIuDTMQE6K_kurnlb_P0tsJWCz1sYEjfopLX5LNvunIbvpcnz3UXfV_lUd_JWP7GjF0_fYVzxLEuZIzIY0ge9Byaxp3adRNUDec0zEJwLrLqLdvM70scqbO-wbvqQ45bcAuG6E4AlZQ/s640/IMG_2300.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCuvt9Z6nRO96pPWvd5Bf84BehCOGCiQy9_8ZvpcZKwCfP4HZMA3p0HdlIjuGp-2aRBVig7FW3AG6PanU0JxelRanDVlxNAvnp7TqSNnW12bup8ica4j70jsHXhgOIxl03uYZCpMNs0g/s1600/IMG_2302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCuvt9Z6nRO96pPWvd5Bf84BehCOGCiQy9_8ZvpcZKwCfP4HZMA3p0HdlIjuGp-2aRBVig7FW3AG6PanU0JxelRanDVlxNAvnp7TqSNnW12bup8ica4j70jsHXhgOIxl03uYZCpMNs0g/s640/IMG_2302.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Et Voila!<br />
<br />
I look forward to his response now :D<br />
<br />
On another note, I ate out on Monday and Tuesday, spending time with my lovelies Tee and M-Dawg.<br />
Since Ramadan started and I've been fasting, I've been craving steak! So I got to satisfy my craving last night at a nice place called Zouks. It was soooo good, but the service was terrible :/<br />
<br />
The day before that, Tee and I went to Franky and Benny's, and i got some tiger prawns and a calzone :D What better way to open an 18 hour fast eh?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDMdVmkXjSIPxUXHNZ8RTno5DcUDEeR6mq_IQGOCH1MCdimSKWQDlN81ZvrE0tZ3bRaPXKm41bpHxxvnl3LHV-QzwJsCn0QQcDX8-xqCFVMm1E3OE2HsHd9yFNEPPK6g1qbXxGZkF8e4/s1600/IMG_2375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDMdVmkXjSIPxUXHNZ8RTno5DcUDEeR6mq_IQGOCH1MCdimSKWQDlN81ZvrE0tZ3bRaPXKm41bpHxxvnl3LHV-QzwJsCn0QQcDX8-xqCFVMm1E3OE2HsHd9yFNEPPK6g1qbXxGZkF8e4/s400/IMG_2375.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy Tiger Prawns</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Bloggers being inconsistent and stupid again. In my last post I had to upload pics via flickr, but today it's being ok and letting me upload pics normally without any weird notices!? How bizarre :(</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Oh and thanks for ze feedback on the last post. Not enough people have commented for there to be a clear winner in the iPad sticker battle, but I'm hoping if I leave it for a bit I might get more responses! If not, cookie monster is the current fav!</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
xoAyshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-34307476308900278812012-07-26T19:47:00.003+01:002012-07-26T19:48:55.763+01:00Aysh needs YOU<br />
<div style="font: 16.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
Etsy is addictive. </div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
it's almost like a drug....</div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
I could honestly spend all day on Etsy, looking at all the amazing stuff I wish I had. But it can also be a bit stupid. </div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 19.0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
It'a annoying when you see someone selling some old dusty cupboard that looks as old as father time and would break as soon as you touch it, but it's labelled as 'Vintage cupboard'-Errr no mr Hipster. There's a difference between 'Vintage' and 'Old as fu*k'.</div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 19.0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
ANYHOO, I wanted to pimp out my iPad (where's Xibit when you need him?), and I've seen these stickers that you put on the back of your iPad, to make your pad look more 'individual' and blah blah.<br />
<br />
<b>(Stupid Blogger hates me again, and wont let me post pictures via its photo uploader thingy ma bob! So Flickr it is!)</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 16px; margin-right: 16px; margin-top: 8px; min-width: 0px; width: 653px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 500px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7651282530/in/set-72157630763927922/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;" title="Yo Dawg"><img alt="Yo Dawg" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7253/7651282530_22297950e0_s.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; cursor: move; height: 75px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a></div>
<div style="float: left; height: 75px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<img src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/gallery-empty-icon.gif" style="cursor: move; height: 75px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="float: left; height: 75px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<img src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/gallery-empty-icon.gif" style="cursor: move; height: 75px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="float: left; height: 75px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<img src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/gallery-empty-icon.gif" style="cursor: move; height: 75px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="float: left; height: 75px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<img src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/gallery-empty-icon.gif" style="cursor: move; height: 75px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="float: left; height: 75px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<img src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/gallery-empty-icon.gif" style="cursor: move; height: 75px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br clear="all" /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/sets/72157630763927922/">Xibit</a>, a set on Flickr.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 19.0px;">
I've narrowed it down to three stickers, but I loves them all so much :(</div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
SO, this is where you step in, kind readers.</div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
I like all three in equal measure, so I was hoping you guys would tell me which one you like the most, since I'm so indecisive. Please and thank you in advance :D</div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 16px; margin-right: 16px; margin-top: 8px; min-width: 0px; width: 653px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 500px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7651278730/in/set-72157630763168234/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;" title="il_570xN.350213328"><img alt="il_570xN.350213328" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7115/7651278730_0e9452c34e_s.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; cursor: move; height: 75px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7651278854/in/set-72157630763168234/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;" title="il_570xN.345079555"><img alt="il_570xN.345079555" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8431/7651278854_20410a95e9_s.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; cursor: move; height: 75px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7651278986/in/set-72157630763168234/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;" title="il_570xN.333316491"><img alt="il_570xN.333316491" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8155/7651278986_6e6eb2bfc5_s.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; cursor: move; height: 75px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a></div>
<div style="float: left; height: 75px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<img src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/gallery-empty-icon.gif" style="cursor: move; height: 75px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="float: left; height: 75px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<img src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/gallery-empty-icon.gif" style="cursor: move; height: 75px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="float: left; height: 75px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<img src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/gallery-empty-icon.gif" style="cursor: move; height: 75px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 75px;" /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br clear="all" /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/sets/72157630763168234/">Ipad Stickers</a>, a set on Flickr.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
xo</div>Ayshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-72936012299598451682012-07-21T19:08:00.001+01:002012-07-21T19:10:18.652+01:00Ramadan 102So the last post was outlining what Ramadan is and why muslims fast.<br />
This post is more of a 'day in the life of a faster' kind of thing, just giving you a rundown of what happens during the day.<br />
<br />
First things first, I'll outline the five prayers that muslims pray during the day. It's obligatory for muslims to pray during the day, at 5 separate times. In urdu/punjabi it's called 'Namaaz', in arabic- 'Salaah/Salaat'. (You're exempt from praying for obvious reasons like illness, pregnancy, and ladies don't pray when they are on their period).<br />
<br />
The 5 daily prayers are obligatory, as it is so easy to get distracted and caught up in other things in this world, that we don't even realise when we're disconnecting spiritually from God. So we pray at different times of the day to remember God, and be thankfully for all we have etc. (If you believe in God, you'll get it, if you don't....then just pretend you do and bare with me :P).<br />
So praying is the time to spiritually reconnect with God. The word 'Muslim' actually means submission, or one who submits to God, so it's our duty to remember and submit to god throughout the day, as it is so ridiculously easy to get lost watching TV, or on the internet or playing games etc. etc.<br />
<br />
The time it takes to pray differs between each prayer during the day, but the longest it takes is about 20mins, so it's not too long.<br />
<br />
Anyway, the 5 daily prayers are;<br />
<br />
<b>Fajr (Pronounced Fah-jur): </b>Prayer performed before the break of dawn/sunrise. Works out to be at roughly 3.15am in the UK right not<br />
<br />
<b>Zuhr (Zu-hor): </b>Early afternoon prayer. Starts at 1.15pm<br />
<br />
<b>Asr (As-ar): </b>Late afternoon/evening prayer. Starts at 7.45pm<br />
<br />
<b>Maghrib (say it as it's spelt): </b>Evening prayer, performed after sunset. Starts at around 9.30ish<br />
<br />
<b>Isha: </b>Night prayer. Starts at 10.45pm<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjS0_sQzMnUybYbkTd40rraIEVvr_riGz1BP0nU4dzMY9J5WELQFRe6JqFpIetewPZgzDw0enNbgbv9ZM1SY2ZpkNqvNzcrqff_7eI9SJNJvBbHrn75p0BBqw6X9iJaClY-Q5OB6CGhOc/s1600/namaz.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjS0_sQzMnUybYbkTd40rraIEVvr_riGz1BP0nU4dzMY9J5WELQFRe6JqFpIetewPZgzDw0enNbgbv9ZM1SY2ZpkNqvNzcrqff_7eI9SJNJvBbHrn75p0BBqw6X9iJaClY-Q5OB6CGhOc/s640/namaz.gif" width="624" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture kind of summarising prayer times during the day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The times of prayer a based on the location of the sun throughout the day, so the times of prayer are constantly changing, for example, In winter time, Salat-ul-Fajr is significantly later than it is in summer, beginning at around 5am-ish, as the sun rises a lot later during winter.<br />
Masjids (mosques) anticipate this, and so have calendars of prayer times throughout the month <br />
<br />
<br />
The reason I outlined the prayer times was because the routine of fasting during Ramadan revolves around the prayer times.<br />
<br />
So my first fast began on Friday, whilst others began fasting on Saturday<br />
(<u>This is due to Mosques in the UK being fragmented, and all of them not sharing the same belief system as to when Ramadan officially begins, and therefore when we begin fasting, but that's a discussion for another time</u>).<br />
<br />
It's actually really annoying that the whole county does not just start fasting on the same day, as it mean everyone celebrates Eid on separate days then! but as individuals, we must follow what Mosque we belong to, and if they say Ramadan starts on a certain day, as opposed to another Mosque who says it starts on another day, then all we can do is follow our local Mosque. It's the Imams and Sheikhs duties to guide us, so all we can do is believe them when they say that the crescent moon has been sighted! (And when I say sheikh, I don't mean the sleazy sheikhs you see in tv shows that have harems of women! They aren't real sheikhs!!)<br />
<br />
As the first day of fasting for us began on friday, that meant that the Taraweeh prayer would begin, and had to be prayed on thursday night <b>(This post is getting wordier than I expected, so<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarawih" target="_blank"> here's a short blurb about taraweeh namaaz if you're interested</a>).</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
Taraweeh Prayer is an extended version of the evening prayer, Isha. So that's when Ramadan officially begins, and the first fast will start the next day.<br />
In preparation, people usually stuff their faces to the point of regret, where it feels like you're stomach is going to explode!<br />
I used to be one of those people, but I've learnt from experience!!<br />
<br />
So basically after you've prayed your taraweeh namaaz, if you have work/school/whatever the next day, then you'd go to bed. But since, when you are fasting, you can't eat from sunrise until sunset, you must get up just before Fajr (the early morning prayer), before the sunrises, and eat. this time is called '<b>Sehri</b>' time. It's better to eat stuff like fruit, weetabix, anything that will keep you going throughout the day. And this is the time to drink lots and lots of water.<br />
So you've eaten, the cut off period is 15 minutes before the sun rises, so you can't have anything after that. You pray your Fajr namaaz, and then pop back to bed.<br />
<br />
You wake up for work/school/whatever at whatever time, but this is the not so great bit, you <b>must not</b> brush your teeth with toothpaste. the best thing to use is Miswaak (again, getting to wordy, google it). You can't use toothpaste as it has those nice minty flavoury thingys, and it's inevitable that when you're brushing your teeth, you're gunna swallow some toothpaste. So as you cannot eat or drink anything <u style="font-weight: bold;">at all</u>, it's best not to use toothpaste, as it's pretty likely that you're gunna swallow some, and you know, rules be rules and all that.<br />
Just do what I do and brush your teeth at Sehri time.<br />
<br />
so you go about your day, read your prayers when it's time. Do things that will enhance your spirituality, like go to islamic study circles, read the Qur'an, Read Islamic books to increase your knowledge etc etc.<br />
<br />
Then comes the wonderful time called <b>Iftari.</b><br />
That's when you open your fast, and eat, till your brain begs you to stop, basically. You open your fast at Iftar when the sun sets, so you eat, and then go pray your Maghrib salat.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoM299mTw87yf_nXMEvJmWjp3r_P87z0pW74n_v5gJSkzjY-eV92dqZEL4dueamHfc0bP7qp4p-g2Iii36yvi4RcDT3tUp05g7DYGpFaiHu8oTg9JuY8gpAo0y5aTiAiTCOL9_6Kczogw/s1600/IMG_2242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoM299mTw87yf_nXMEvJmWjp3r_P87z0pW74n_v5gJSkzjY-eV92dqZEL4dueamHfc0bP7qp4p-g2Iii36yvi4RcDT3tUp05g7DYGpFaiHu8oTg9JuY8gpAo0y5aTiAiTCOL9_6Kczogw/s640/IMG_2242.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open your fast with one of these bad boys. I loves me some dates.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Then you chill for a bit, sit there, regretting you're decision to drink that 3rd glass of Lassi and eat your 15th Samosa, and then countdown the time until Taraweeh namaaz begins. Then you come home from taraweeh, sleep, wake up just before sunrise, and do it allllll over again, for another 29 days!<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<u>Some stuff that peoples said:</u></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">That rambling chap <a href="http://theramblingperson.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Mark</a> said: </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">'I think if it's just not eating during the daylight hours, even someone like myself could do it. Abstaining from pointless activities would be a lot harder than not eating for me really :)'</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">It's the same for me. I don't really mind the whole not eating bit. Cuz you're in such a meditative state, you're mind and body know that eating is on the back-burner for now. Like when I'm not fasting, if I haven't eaten any breakfast, come 12pm, I'm starving! But when I'm fasting, I know I can't eat, so I don't even think about, and my tummy doesn't start growling at me until 5pm-ish! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">In regards to the pointless activities things, there are so many other things to do during the day, that you don't really notice! And we all have to indulge in some form of pointless activity at some point during the day!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">That nice <a href="http://abozosabbozzo.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/a-few-pics-news.html" target="_blank">Lady In Red</a> asked:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">'I was under the impression that you eat throughout the night during Ramadan - is this correct? Or just one meal at sunset?'</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Technically, the permissible time to eat is through the night as we only fast when the sun is out, but when you've been fasting all day, your tummy shrinks, and so the capacity to can eat shrinks also!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">It's like if you've ever been starvinggggg all day, and when you finally do eat, you get full really easily, it's like that when opening a fast. So as far as I know, most people just eat the once, then pray, then sleep, then wake up and eat lightly again before the sun rises, but if you choose to do so, you can eat all night :D</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">That really funny lady <a href="http://nellievaughn.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">NellieVaughn</a> said:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">'But then, I read the part about limiting caffeine. I drink a lot of water, so I should be fine, even with all the caffeine I drink, right? I just couldn't give up coffee. I just quit smoking, and it's all I have.'</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Cambria; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">You can drink all the caffeine you want :D</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">It's just dieticians and other people who like to tell you what to eat say that caffeine can dehydrate, so may not be best if you're gunna fast for a month, but as long as you hydrate yourself, you do what you gotta do to prevent you from smacking a random person in the face </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">*thumbs up*</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">:D </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
xoAyshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-82063905999784759542012-07-19T22:39:00.000+01:002012-07-19T22:44:34.497+01:00Ramadan 101As promised here's a quick rundown and some basic's about the moth of Ramadan:<br />
<br />
Just like the Gregorian calendar (that is the name of the calendar we follow, right?), the Islamic calendar has 12 months which are shown in the picture below:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBI9GvbTctNL4dBqjHifLeN7cUBGWxXRlDU4kEaUdA01MZtyb2LlvuhjBGwUyQk_BqqQEHDhw-poxcXXT3vVkkjdPj9_IAAJhapA7r3XmOMdteuLAfQWp2kPdlNPPY1dpp-INp2dUvZJU/s1600/islamic-months-chart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBI9GvbTctNL4dBqjHifLeN7cUBGWxXRlDU4kEaUdA01MZtyb2LlvuhjBGwUyQk_BqqQEHDhw-poxcXXT3vVkkjdPj9_IAAJhapA7r3XmOMdteuLAfQWp2kPdlNPPY1dpp-INp2dUvZJU/s640/islamic-months-chart.jpg" width="409" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Ramadan is the 9th month in the Islamic calendar. Muharram is the first month, like January, and Dhul-Hijjah is the last, like December.<br />
<br />
However, the Islamic months don't exactly happen at the same time as the regular months in the Gregorian calendar. If that was the case, Ramadan would always fall in September. This is because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, so there are 12 lunar months consisting of roughly 354/5 days in a year, as opposed to 365 days a year in the Gregorian calendar. <br />
This leads to a drift of about 10/11 days, so that's why the Islamic calendar is out of synch with the Gregorian calendar. However, muslim countries synch the calendar with the Gregorian calendar so that muslims all over the world can work out when they can observe the annual fast during Ramadan. <br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br />
<h2>
So why do muslims fast in Ramadan?</h2>
In the Qur'an it says;<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small; line-height: 24px;">"The month of Ramadan is that in which was revealed the Quran; a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, a number of other days. Allah desires for you ease; He desires not hardship for you; and that you should complete the period, and that you should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that perhaps you may be thankful." (Chapter 2, 185)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small; line-height: 24px;">So basically;</span></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">This is the month that the Holy Qur'an was first revealed to the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), so is basically considered to be the most scared of the lunar months.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">So we fast in order to meditate, and spiritually contemplate and connect with God, His holy book (the Qur'an) and the followings of the Prophet Mohammed. (this in more detail in a moment)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">If you are sick, ill, or travelling, you are not permitted to fast as it would be hard for you to do (Also if you are pregnant (obvs) and for ladies when you are on you period), but you are expected to make up for any fasts that you have missed before the next Ramadan.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<h2>
What happens during Ramadan?</h2>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">Ramadan begins when the crescent moon is witnessed by two or more people (usually people are hired to observe the sky). In the UK, this is very difficult, as it's pretty cloudy most of the time and so is pretty hard to sight the moon, even with high tech astronomy equipment etc. So generally, the hadith (traditions of the Prophet Mohammed) state that you should follow the nearest Muslim country, which for us in the UK is Morocco, or Saudi Arabia, as that's where the holiest of holies, the Kabbah or Qibla is.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">So our mosque is following Saudi, so we begin fasting tomorrow.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">Similarly, Eid ul-Fitr is the celebration that Ramadan is over, so is basically a celebration that we can eat again! Whoop! Ramadan is usually 29/30 days, so Eid day also dependant on the siting of the crescent moon.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span><br />
<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">Fasting:</span></h3>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">or Sawm in arabic, Rozeh in urdu/punjabi is basically where you <u>do not</u> <b>eat food</b> or <b>drink water </b>from sunrise till sunset for the whole month of Ramadan. So you don't fast for 30 days straight, you eat food every night, but you do not eat or drink during sunlight basically. Sort of like a vampire....but not really.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">One of the main reasons for fasting is to remind ourselves to be humble, and put ourselves into the shoes of others less fortunate, who go starving for longer then just a day. It forces us to remind ourselves of how lucky we are to live the lives that we do live, and basically be thankful for what we have.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">But Fasting is not just about abstaining from food and drink, it's about much more than that.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">Food and water just represent the worldly things that we are to abstain from. The picture below outlines what the do's and don'ts while fasting are;</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmzy-sGEynjdxY5Nch2TjebUoxxSuvYpb4z-c_fo3nywduao603jtggxGTS8XF3CGL6fvkaKiHHDTZ7iBv7obUkFDO3TwaxUiEYNC-QDTgtkCDgt5UClRp80C7OLd59_hFp3X-PWQ-p8/s1600/IMG_0444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmzy-sGEynjdxY5Nch2TjebUoxxSuvYpb4z-c_fo3nywduao603jtggxGTS8XF3CGL6fvkaKiHHDTZ7iBv7obUkFDO3TwaxUiEYNC-QDTgtkCDgt5UClRp80C7OLd59_hFp3X-PWQ-p8/s640/IMG_0444.JPG" width="396" /></a></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">Ramadan is considered the most sacred month as the Holy Qur'an was revealed during this month, so things like arguing, backbiting, gossiping and other bad things are to be avoided or stopped, as any good deed during this month is multiplied countless times, but also any bad deed is also multiplied.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">Also doing things like listening to music, watching tv, playing games etc. are to be avoided, as they distract you from meditating and becoming in a spiritual state. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">Fasting aims to direct the heart away from worldly activities. It's purpose is to cleanse the inner soul and free it from harm, whilst in the mean time is also teaches us self-discipline and self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">So it's basically a physical and spiritual detox!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeq-4BJmx_a6OdKfvdv-fICDPi6GoiS4fYreyE7ItuuYmcAT10dJQYoTjuKuWMbrEcBjMxhi7cZrpmJ38oISdnwm-rG8XR1jHSed4fue3sXjTwiqxe6VHVfkEHzg2dJ_mRbbIQqOLWL-U/s1600/557085_10150204470794957_1773654047_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeq-4BJmx_a6OdKfvdv-fICDPi6GoiS4fYreyE7ItuuYmcAT10dJQYoTjuKuWMbrEcBjMxhi7cZrpmJ38oISdnwm-rG8XR1jHSed4fue3sXjTwiqxe6VHVfkEHzg2dJ_mRbbIQqOLWL-U/s1600/557085_10150204470794957_1773654047_n.jpg" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 28px;"><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><b>I think I shall leave this post as it is for now.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><b>There is so much more to tell you about fasting and Ramadan, but if I carry on you'll get bored, so I'll break it up into smaller posts during Ramadan. </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><b>Seeing as I'll probably be sleeping for most of the day and staying at home, I'll hopefully blog more frequently :D </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><b>Like I said before, Any questions, feel free to ask, and I shall hopefully answer them for you in the next post!</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><b>Hope this was informative for anyone who didn't know </b><b>about Ramadan.</b><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">NellieVaughn asked:</span></b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">"I was just going to ask if you fast for the entire month, but then I saw that someone just as much of a dummy as I am asked first."</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">You're not a dummy! I re-read what I wrote and didn't make it very clear, sorry Nellie! (I've been doing that a lot lately. Like I say something, but don't explain it very clearly as I already have kinda talked it through with myself in my head, and forget that I haven't actually verbalised or written it down!! so my bad)</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">What I meant was, the girl who asked me thought that in Ramadan you eat nothing for 30 days straight, so I explained that we eat everyday, but just at sunset! Sorry for my confuzzeling statement!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><b>XO</b></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><div class="comment-header" id="bc_0_5M" kind="m" style="margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="comment-header" id="bc_0_5M" kind="m" style="margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</span>Ayshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-25289247189355825492012-07-16T15:27:00.002+01:002012-07-16T15:28:03.498+01:00Graduation!So it was my graduation ceremony on Friday! The day before I wasn't very nervous, just excited, but I woke up at 5am on my graduation day wracked with nerves, to my surprise.<br />
<br />
My ceremony was at 9.30am, so I had to be there at 8am to get my gown and tickets etc. <br />
<br />
It was a short and formal ceremony.<br />
At my brother Asim's graduation there was a choir singing as the guests and graduates were being seated. There wasn't a choir at mine, but there was an organ player! So that's something.....<br />
<br />
The weather was pretty pants. It was raining most of the day but we were inside for most of the ceremony and stuff so wasn't that big of a deal. <br />
Nobody told me how annoying wearing the gown and stuff is!! My sashy kind of thing that you wear on top of your gown kept slipping off, so it was very irritating. I couldn't wait to get the darn thing off!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZC50KWJc4fvkkiDZvZca6-xTBVwYuKHMi22SDjW24_aLlzoK4XA5NFmiAP0YCPQ-yQUBYDEsT-C_1R-p06kExNMTjFJEEykRJWpeGKkxNeDi_vfsR44Gs0uDxkHDFk0x7uMGq3vk7RE/s1600/DSC04735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZC50KWJc4fvkkiDZvZca6-xTBVwYuKHMi22SDjW24_aLlzoK4XA5NFmiAP0YCPQ-yQUBYDEsT-C_1R-p06kExNMTjFJEEykRJWpeGKkxNeDi_vfsR44Gs0uDxkHDFk0x7uMGq3vk7RE/s640/DSC04735.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy cake and cupcakes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbYL5cZk5p4oZ-EkDM6Q3MaPjLGn43mPFyxDrcHOypTPGGTEY0BE7STDUifD8G0SraNzt5RhEroCc2cdClA6kn23Rg1cUTYJ0rtzWV0egDQRwRA-HjHFtBiCNmwuACQdXUrbmdeJf8dQ/s1600/DSC09314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbYL5cZk5p4oZ-EkDM6Q3MaPjLGn43mPFyxDrcHOypTPGGTEY0BE7STDUifD8G0SraNzt5RhEroCc2cdClA6kn23Rg1cUTYJ0rtzWV0egDQRwRA-HjHFtBiCNmwuACQdXUrbmdeJf8dQ/s640/DSC09314.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely flowers and chocolate gift pack from my lovely fam :D</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtaPfGfw0VLrxNCY4gmp5-hicIupTzMRoLAxur2rHmw1VDGAlAWEDoCNcTPacS-9ktRcIhNeQ-Y7L00yifLfCy3QCMfUmHDhgd5aft7KB2BckH4f7ibEwmyOfhNUGPKPwvz4O0ovLeNQI/s1600/IMG_2119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtaPfGfw0VLrxNCY4gmp5-hicIupTzMRoLAxur2rHmw1VDGAlAWEDoCNcTPacS-9ktRcIhNeQ-Y7L00yifLfCy3QCMfUmHDhgd5aft7KB2BckH4f7ibEwmyOfhNUGPKPwvz4O0ovLeNQI/s640/IMG_2119.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got a 2:1! whoop whoop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For some reason blogger has let me upload pics the normal way! yay! I think it's only cuz I'm adding 3 pics, where as last time I wanted to add about 10/15, so maybe that's why it was being stupid?<br />
<br />
All in all it was a good day. My family and I went out for lunch afterwards, and then me and my mum went to another mehndi (henna party thingy) in the evening, which I wasn't really in the mood for as I was so tired, but still went to anyway.<br />
Then my extended family came over on saturday to congratulate me, so it was a busy day of cooking, entertaining and then cleaning! But I love having my family over. My cousin was down from London with her kids so she got to come as well :D<br />
<br />
Sunday we went to a wedding, which was a bit eh. <br />
The hall was very crowded and stuffy. There weren't enough seats for everyone to sit on, so people kept trying to pinch or sit on our table as soon as someone got up to go to the bathroom! Craziness I tell you, when you can't go to the toilet out of fear of your seat being stolen!<br />
<br />
Today is a tying up loose ends kind of day. <br />
My friend told me about some free sewing class that will start in August. Since I was about 13, my mum has tried to persuade me to take up sewing, purely so she could save money buy getting her suits sewn buy me, instead of spending money and getting it done by the tailor!<br />
(Pakistanis often wear Shalwar Kameez's, which are usually bought as un-stiched material that you get tailor made to your size).<br />
<br />
Since my friend told me about this free course (emphasis on the <b>free</b>), I thought I could finally complete my mothers dream of possibly sewing some clothes for her! And it's also a pretty good skill to have really, isn't it?<br />
<br />
So I had to go to the learning centre where those classes will be held to do an assessment for some reason or another. They did explain why I had to do it, I just didn't bother paying attention.<br />
<br />
And I'm also going to apply to sit an exam which would allow me to work in the private sector of Audiology. Studying Audiology at Leeds meant I graduated with the capability to work in the NHS (national health service, for those of you who don't know :D), so to work in the private sector, we have to sit another exam where we study the business side of Audiology.<br />
Graduates from Manchester uni and other such uni's graduate with that qualification already, but for some reason Leeds university don't, which is a wee bit annoying, considering how the NHS is going down the pan, unfortunately :(<br />
<br />
But that's a rant for another time!<br />
<br />
I'm excited for the weekend.<br />
Ramadan is starting on friday/saturday (depending on the sighting of the moon).<br />
My next post will be about Ramadan, explaining why we fast during this month, and why it's considered the holiest month in Islam etc. and try to cover any myths or misunderstandings about the month (<b>like I once had a girl ask me if I don't ear for the <u>whole</u> month.....err, it's supposed to be a month of spiritual and physical detox, not DEATH! :P)</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>If you guys have any questions you want me to answer about Ramadan, then ask away, either in this post, or the next Ramadan post. </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<b>xo</b><br />
<br />Ayshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-28553944931355855882012-07-10T15:07:00.001+01:002012-07-10T15:11:59.075+01:00London: Attempt 2<div style="margin: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0; width: 500px;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542883644/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Covent Garden"><img alt="Covent Garden" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7258/7542883644_d69d348633_s.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542908730/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Marble Arch"><img alt="Marble Arch" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8158/7542908730_2646143f5a_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542905592/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Hyde Park"><img alt="Hyde Park" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7127/7542905592_cea6156af3_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542903368/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Hyde park"><img alt="Hyde park" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7137/7542903368_926f2b6bc9_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542900304/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Hyde Park"><img alt="Hyde Park" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8151/7542900304_28568a9754_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542894962/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 0 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Some kind of guards on Horses"><img alt="Some kind of guards on Horses" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8017/7542894962_e17e062027_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542892182/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Harrods Food Hall"><img alt="Harrods Food Hall" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7136/7542892182_1114e4b759_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542890492/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Harrods Food Hall"><img alt="Harrods Food Hall" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7264/7542890492_487ba9a71f_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542888454/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Harrods"><img alt="Harrods" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7127/7542888454_faf43c1477_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542885194/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="National Geographic Cafe"><img alt="National Geographic Cafe" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8149/7542885194_88214721a5_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542887226/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Bobo with his fellow animal teddys!"><img alt="Bobo with his fellow animal teddys!" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7122/7542887226_034dd09313_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542883416/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 0 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Natural History Museum"><img alt="Natural History Museum" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8020/7542883416_31e025d08e_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542878758/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Natural History Museum"><img alt="Natural History Museum" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7276/7542878758_2d099b8be5_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542876734/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Natural History Museum"><img alt="Natural History Museum" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7277/7542876734_fe52b78cb6_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542881304/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Natural History Museum"><img alt="Natural History Museum" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8286/7542881304_88d1a7aef7_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542873882/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Outside Buckingham Palace"><img alt="Outside Buckingham Palace" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8146/7542873882_d99ed00b5f_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542871890/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Buckingham Palace"><img alt="Buckingham Palace" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8024/7542871890_40a6dab147_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542868474/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 0 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Victoria Apollo Theatre"><img alt="Victoria Apollo Theatre" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7272/7542868474_e618059ee7_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542870256/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Victoria Apollo Theatre"><img alt="Victoria Apollo Theatre" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8019/7542870256_9b38e5e4d8_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/7542866494/in/set-72157630512942006/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Haagen Daz Restaurant!"><img alt="Haagen Daz Restaurant!" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7257/7542866494_df7db6c0d5_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<div style="float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;">
<img src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/gallery-empty-icon.gif" style="height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></div>
<div style="float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;">
<img src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/gallery-empty-icon.gif" style="height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></div>
<div style="float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;">
<img src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/gallery-empty-icon.gif" style="height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></div>
<div style="float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 0 10px 0; width: 75px;">
<img src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/gallery-empty-icon.gif" style="height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></div>
<br clear="all" /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohmeowmeowoh/sets/72157630512942006/">London 2012</a>, a set on Flickr.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;"><b>(Click on the linky above to see the pics)</b></span><br />
<br />
If you haven't already, you can read about my failed attempts to upload my London pics here.<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
So I tried again, and the same message came, saying that I have run out of storage space, and must pay $2.45 to upgrade my storage (I think it works out to be like £1.20 or something?).</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
But what I didn't read last, which I did this time around, was that I would have to pay that fee <b>monthly</b>, which I am not willing to do! I was gunna pay it, as I thought it might be a one time thing, but I don't want to pay for it monthly.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Blogger's been giving me a lot of grief as of late, actually.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
I have an AdSense account. According to my AdSense account, I am owed £12 by google, which makes me one very happy bunny! Think of all the sweeties I could buy with that money!! Or petrol for my car.....actually....</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
But yes, I've tried on three separate occasions to verify my account so that google can pay me my monies, with two separate current accounts, but I <b>never </b>get a verification payment to confirm so I can get my real monies.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
It's pissed me right off, so much so, that I've just completely given up on getting my bloomin £12.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
I bet that was the whole cunning plan by google and Adsense. Make it so stupid and difficult to get your darn money, so that people just give up instead of being bothered enough to troubleshoot the problem. I'm too lazy to try and resolve it. maybe one day, when I'm extremely desperate, and need that £12 as a matter of life and death.......</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
eh, probs not.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
So I've set up a Flick account in the hope that I can share pictures with you guys via that.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
I've never understood Flickr, but to be fair I've never attempted too! Seems pretty straightforward though, so fingers crossed it works and you can see the pics!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Thanks for being so patient dudes, and again, any feedback on other photo sharing ideas are greatly appreciated :D</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
P.S <b>Mark- I considered your idea of sharing photos via instagram, but again, I'm too simple to figure it out :( But hopefully wont have to if Flickr works!</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Yay so Flickr Works! </span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Hopefully I can share my photos with no problems like this now.</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Let me know if it's difficult to access or view the pics this way and I will try to think of another way.</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br /></span></b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>p.p.s.</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>We did take more pictures of ourselves, we're not boring, it's just I like to keep some sense of anonymity to the blog :)</b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
<b>xo</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
</div>Ayshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-67757707578657601342012-07-08T21:54:00.002+01:002012-07-08T21:54:39.193+01:00Hola AmigosHeyloo folks!<br />
<br />
Still not resolved the photo issue I mentioned in the last blog post. Tomorrow I shall sit down and try to think of some kind of resolution, though I do very much appreciate all of your feedback :)<br />
<br />
So Sams wedding weekend is over!<br />
She looked absolutely beautiful both today and yesterday! Her self and her husband make a very cute couple :) I sincerely hope they have a long and happy married life together InshAllah (God willing)!<br />
<br />
You'd think I'd have more free time now that this wedding is over, right?<br />
Well noppppee!<br />
<br />
I have to go to Liverpool tomorrow morning and Wednesday to sort out more job prep stuff (mainly making sure I have the correct vaccinations and immunisations so I'm ok to work in a hospital environment), then my graduation ceremony is on Friday the 13th :D whoop whoop! And then there is another Mehndi and wedding on Friday and Saturday!!! Just when I thought I was done with weddings for the moment! Cupid has been busy, obvs.<br />
<br />
So apologies for the lack of commenting on your blogs. trust me, I read them on my phone, It's just hard to comment on them from my mobile, as the browsers decides to go all stupid and disobey me whenever I'm on blogger :/<br />
But tomorrow I shall have catch ups and comment on all of your wonderful bloggy blogs!<br />
<br />
Now back to uploading and editing wedding pics! (And then instagramming some of them after :D)<br />
<br />
xoAyshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-28114782872898062372012-07-01T20:59:00.001+01:002012-07-01T21:00:08.001+01:00London...Actually, Blogger has other ideas :/I love going to London. It's so busy, and there is just so much to do and see!<br />
I don't think I could live there forever though. It's just too, too fast paced. And the traffic is horrific. I don't think I could get the bus and the tube everywhere all the time! I love my car too much (very environmentally unfriendly, I know).<br />
<br />
My mum and I like going to the theatre. We go to shows pretty often in Manchester with Madz, her mum and occasionally Tee. But we've wanted to watch a show in the west end for a while now, so my wonderful mother found some brilliantly cheap train tickets for a day trip to London, and off we went!<br />
<br />
one-way train tickets to London can cost from anywhere between £25-60 quid, or even more depending on how late you leave buying a ticket! But my mum managed to get us return tickets for £24!! And Virgin express trains are pretty quick! It took us 2 hours to get there in the morning, and 2 1/2 hours on the way back, which is much better than a 3/4 hour car drive!<br />
<br />
One of the reasons that the train to London was so cheap was because it left at 6am! Which meant I had to wake up at 5am and get ready! But it wasn't too bad as I had a little nap on the train. We got to Euston station at about 8am, and most of the shops in London open at 10am, so we basically had 2 hours to kill. <br />
This wasn't bad though, as it takes about 15/20 mins to get to and from each place via the tube, and we had loads of things planned to do so it worked out fine!<br />
<br />
I've done enough writing, so I'll just post some pics. They're in chronological order:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Change of plan!!!</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>So this came up when I was uploading my pics:</b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWbUSXuzxLY434lCf_Y8vqAhgU-NelWKNjZGPGaGmrrzZoe9jt8h-GWr8oGfHhzHNvGChp85lVuNKSpuSMfowe5Der9OSE06d7MhW3L7G2p0NO1ohxIRX5rM1KmQyb1Wbl9EouhLBT4o/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-07-01+at+20.50.11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWbUSXuzxLY434lCf_Y8vqAhgU-NelWKNjZGPGaGmrrzZoe9jt8h-GWr8oGfHhzHNvGChp85lVuNKSpuSMfowe5Der9OSE06d7MhW3L7G2p0NO1ohxIRX5rM1KmQyb1Wbl9EouhLBT4o/s640/Screen+Shot+2012-07-01+at+20.50.11.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">click to enlarge </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Blogger is basically saying I've run out of storage space, so I can't upload any more pics unless I pay for extra storage!!</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>It's $2 or something, but I'm sorry, that's just ridiculous!</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Not only because I didn't realise I had limited uploading space when I started blogging, but also because I think that it's just jokes. </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Isn't the whole point of blogger to let people blog about whatever they want via different means and methods!? </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>I can't do that very effectively thanks to these restrictions.</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>I logged into my picasa account, and was gunna delete my 'storage', which is basically all the photos I've used in my blogs saved in that space automatically, but when I clicked delete it said that the image would not longer appear in my blog! so I thoght forget that.</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>*sigh*</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Am I making a big deal over nothing? </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Have you guys experienced/had to do this?</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>I know it seems silly to fuss over paying $2 for extra storage, but I'm just really pissed off as I was completely unaware that this would happen.</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>And I love sharing my photos :(</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">I'll wait for you guys to get back to me and let me know if you've had to do the same thing, or if you know any loopholes or ways around this stupid thing. </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">If not, I guess I'll have to pay for extra storage and then finish this post :( </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>xo</b></div>Ayshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-22200161848473379632012-06-28T14:11:00.001+01:002012-06-28T14:11:23.002+01:00Mobile bloggingOk, I don't know how it's taken me do long to realise there's a blogger app!! So I can blog from my phone, Genius!<br />
<br />
The main reason I blog so infrequently Is cuz I'm out so often, and when at home I have to wait for the computer to be free. Well not anymore! :D <br />
<br />
Hopefully this will help me keep more frequent with ze blogging ;) <br />
<br />
XoAyshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-42939548425402846592012-06-28T13:38:00.001+01:002012-06-28T13:38:07.317+01:00There are not enough hours in the dayMy older friends who are working or married told me that once university was over, I would miss it. I would miss reading journal articles, I would miss the stress that comes along with revising for exams and writing assignments and dissertations.<br />
<br />
And so far, I have to say....<br />
THEY WERE COMPLETELY WRONG!<br />
<br />
I love being able to have a lie-in, and roll out of bed when I want :)<br />
And if I'm completely honest, I've been too busy to really sit at home all day and appreciate my time off!<br />
<br />
I've been going back and forth to Liverpool to sort out stuff for my job there which starts in sept, I've had my uni friends come over to manc, and then last week I caught the train to Sheffield to see them (Sheffield is like middle ground for us all to meet).<br />
I've never really been to Sheffield, but people told me it was a crappy place to go really.<br />
I have to disagree, I like it! Outside the train station there's this really nice, big water fountain thingy, and the city centre was pretty nice!<br />
I didn't go to meadow hall though, which is supposed to be the main shopping centre.<br />
<br />
Then me and my mum went to London to see 'Wicked' at the Victoria Apollo theatre, and we generally spent the day being little tourists and going around london! I absolutely adore London, and will dedicate a whole blog post on my little London adventure in a few days :)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKZjt7YLWbwsBUliphHra2qeNUnuSJnBtVf517i6Di8bII5bFo74znXAQmwT-SNQKEvxcdrcaDXeMudz9MU2A_RvJKxJxVLc8Ft4lPBLDYaxuPaR2Xn5sSPobUQLbk_el85FZI4i1b0Q/s1600/DSC04218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKZjt7YLWbwsBUliphHra2qeNUnuSJnBtVf517i6Di8bII5bFo74znXAQmwT-SNQKEvxcdrcaDXeMudz9MU2A_RvJKxJxVLc8Ft4lPBLDYaxuPaR2Xn5sSPobUQLbk_el85FZI4i1b0Q/s640/DSC04218.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
But yes, Wicked is definitely worth watching! I think Phantom of the Opera is still my favourite show I've seen so far, but Wicked is 2nd :D<br />
It's basically about the wicked witch of the west, and explains how she became known as the wicked witch, when really, she's a misunderstood activist, but I'll explain more in the next post.<br />
<b>If anyone's seen wicked, how did you find it? And are there any other shows you'd recommend watching in the west end?</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
We're thinking of going back to London for a weekend to watch Les Miserables, so if anyone has seen it let me know how it was!<br />
<br />
Then the day after that, I went to my good friend Anum's big brothers wedding.<br />
But the only thing was, there was no bride!!<br />
It's the first wedding I've ever been to where there is no bride! Basically, the bride is from Italy, and the family went over to do the Nikkah, which is the islamic marriage, and then bring her over to celebrate on the Walima, which is the wedding day hosted by the grooms side. But something went wrong with her passport or visa or something? I don't know.<br />
SO to put a good spin on a bad situation, the groom walked in with his cousins and his close guy friends, with all of them (apart from the groom of course) wearing a mask with the brides face on! It was still an enjoyable wedding, just a bit unorthodox!<br />
<br />
And then the day after that, we did a little tea party thing for my mate sam. It was a chance for all her nearest and dearest to sit down and relax together before her big day, as it's extremely hard for everyone to see each other all the time since some of her friends where coming down from sheffield, coventry etc.<br />
<br />
We went to this little tea place in Manchester city centre called 'Sugar Junction'. It's a vintage themed tea room/cafe, that does lovely stuff! So we got tea and scone and other desserts and had a good laugh!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsniTbeK9yisp5BOSFbWoiI2PKf-1H3UsRFSFjTa-F126m1s3Yz_koJZyq7fMmpZLdSHIhp-S1bgYScbqU2aMPqRWXQKIdoywzPv9EorMMxGML41kYR2BJd39Db_Uica2DdYsmnHVFB5w/s1600/IMG_1914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsniTbeK9yisp5BOSFbWoiI2PKf-1H3UsRFSFjTa-F126m1s3Yz_koJZyq7fMmpZLdSHIhp-S1bgYScbqU2aMPqRWXQKIdoywzPv9EorMMxGML41kYR2BJd39Db_Uica2DdYsmnHVFB5w/s400/IMG_1914.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQimzmxrsNB0E8dgl5q9xWDR3-9xHgC7yLZgFwtb8_cGsUX2hscO2M6sq1kmTsyCdfrZ3Gu1HCxPV3L4qMW7BSZJjJMGwZzCFRjC1jyHwKGzF0E3MiPBRYkFi6eBP3WljrnBYXBb-VD4/s1600/IMG_1915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQimzmxrsNB0E8dgl5q9xWDR3-9xHgC7yLZgFwtb8_cGsUX2hscO2M6sq1kmTsyCdfrZ3Gu1HCxPV3L4qMW7BSZJjJMGwZzCFRjC1jyHwKGzF0E3MiPBRYkFi6eBP3WljrnBYXBb-VD4/s400/IMG_1915.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ATM6uEGguW-wBXmNXuzYTsErK7HPC5P0M4N_VQ6oYD3WzQL0QR-78A0v-IpzxErBbE40CuRct6sAJaodemvzNR3-jwX2B27B51T2FU74oOmqxOZ2b8eIfaeIzw5mUXvCooMA3SAUEsI/s1600/IMG_1917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ATM6uEGguW-wBXmNXuzYTsErK7HPC5P0M4N_VQ6oYD3WzQL0QR-78A0v-IpzxErBbE40CuRct6sAJaodemvzNR3-jwX2B27B51T2FU74oOmqxOZ2b8eIfaeIzw5mUXvCooMA3SAUEsI/s400/IMG_1917.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">nom noms!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Then the day after that Me and Sam went out with our college friend, Aneeza, who we hadn't seen in, like, 2 years! So it was lovely catching up and reconnecting with her :)<br />
<br />
SO it's been a pretty busy time for me as of late! And it's only getting busier! Sam's getting married next sat, so we need to practice dances for her Mehndi (henna party thing), and then usually the week before the wedding, there are these things called 'Dholkis', where girls and ladies get together and have a sing song to traditional punjabi weddingy songs, have a little dance, eat, of course! and just generally be merry! And that's usually done every evening in the week leading up to the wedding so I have that to prepare for :D<br />
<br />
And next thursday is my darling Zee's birthday :) (remember her from<a href="http://ohmeowmeowoh.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/prawns.html" target="_blank"> this post</a>?). I've got her a lovely bag for her birthday and can't wait to see her to give it to her!<br />
<br />
ohh I almost forgot! The dress!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhOUAHC_jc15yXZAYfEdQjUnsnU7slrS-E8PgUm7fx1M1nzy6-sPCkZAntKEAZL3vdYjz5S6RiDNYUDvMWZ7Iwl3Xj3nproDNZC5sqQAjJ-k4hhwxXUzFyq1iPoZ4qz0X-1tjfVBYifTk/s1600/DSC04302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhOUAHC_jc15yXZAYfEdQjUnsnU7slrS-E8PgUm7fx1M1nzy6-sPCkZAntKEAZL3vdYjz5S6RiDNYUDvMWZ7Iwl3Xj3nproDNZC5sqQAjJ-k4hhwxXUzFyq1iPoZ4qz0X-1tjfVBYifTk/s640/DSC04302.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
It's a peach maxi dressy kind of thing, and keep in mind, it will look so much better when it's on!<br />
<br />
Anyhoo that's what i've been up to!<br />
You guys been up to much?<br />
<br />
xoAyshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-76593520758097312702012-06-18T11:45:00.006+01:002012-06-30T23:53:16.444+01:00The fair maiden, and her not so fair crackA few days ago, I was having a little twitter catch up with my college chums Shak and Jav. <br />
Shak admitted to being a secret follower of my blog, so<b> HIYA MATE :D</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
Shak was blessed enough to sit next to me during our Chemistry classes in 2nd year. Me, Shak and Sam (the one who's getting married next month) sat with each other, and we had a good laugh together.<br />
<br />
I'm pretty sure I was successful in tricking Shak into believing I was good at Chemistry (I was terrible). But anyway, having a little twitter chat reminded me of Shak's first love in life, the fair maiden, who for the sake of anonymity, we shall call pinky.<br />
<br />
So In chemistry, we sat on stools as the desks were these high bench-desky desks, so whenever we did a practical or experiment, we could safely tuck our chairs under the desk, in case one of us massively fudged everything up and we had to run out of the room screaming, without having to worry about tripping up over stools.<br />
<br />
As we all know, sitting on a stool is not the same as sitting on a chair. You don;t really have the back support, so you either sit really, really straight, like you have amazing posture and have been to a refined high school where they taught you the highest manners (when really your back is just killing you from slouching too much), or you lean forward on the desk, forcing your rear to stick out in the most unflattering position.<br />
<br />
So, unfortunately for our Shakky, directly in his line of vision sat our darling pinky, the heroine of this story. She was a constant sloucher, as in she always leant forward onto the desk so she was slouching, and her bottom was hanging a bit off of the back of the stool. But the <u style="font-weight: bold;">best</u> bit of this whole thing was, that the girl <u>never wore a belt with her jeans</u>, like, <b><u>never!</u></b><br />
SO her jeans were always just that little bit tooooooo low. You know that kind of low that some boys do on purpose so you can see their underpanties? Like, that kind of low.<br />
Except, she never wore high underpants!!! I dunno what kind of undies she wore, but allllll you could see was that exposed part between her lower back, and upper bum, so basically,<br />
HER CRACK WAS ALWAYS ON DISPLAY!<br />
<br />
I think she was notorious for this, as I'm sure i heard other people from some of her other classes talk about how comfortable she is with showing her crack to everyone.<br />
<br />
Shak never complained about this situation. Pinky's crack was the equivalent to what a beautiful sunset over the hills of some tranquil village would be for the likes of you et moi.<br />
<br />
<b>I joke! </b>Shak will be calling me all sorts if he let me, let you, believe that he was pinky's crack admirer. He hated that bloody view. But he must've some done something bad previously for the universe to want to repay him his karmic dues like that!<br />
<br />
A few times, we did contemplate telling her that her bum bum was on show, but we were worried that she did know what she was doing, and she would just say 'er...yeah, and?',<br />
or that we would embarrass her by telling her that we had become more acquainted with her arse than with her actual self, so we basically did the brave thing.....and said nothing!<br />
<br />
so the moral of the story here is......WEAR A BELT WITH YOUR JEANS IF THEY'RE RIDING A BIT LOW!<br />
<br />
<b><i><u>In other news</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b><br />
<b>I'm trying to sort out a little hen do for my lovely Sam, as there's not long left till she gets married! This is proving more difficult then I originally imagined as everyones so busyyy and one our college friends is leaving to do some medical placement in thailand (exciting!) at the end of june! </b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>But some kind of plan will fall together in the end, I hope!</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>I got my dress for Sams wedding back from the tailor the other day! it's superrr pretty, and if I can manage to take a semi-decent pic, I'll put it up</b><br />
<b>(I don't care if you're not really arsed about seeing it, I'm gunna do it anyway! :D)</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>But I'm not looking forward to the pictures on the wedding day :/</b><br />
<b>for some reason, I don't photograph well with professional photographers. Maybe is due the the quality and clarity of their camera....you can see EVERYTHING that's wrong with my face. I do much prefer the old school, low megapixel camera that was on one of my old nokias, that made me look absolutely amazing, as most of the picture was blurry :P</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEe1S9vob4m0ahpNkVh-JyWbBq8dMtb0qLGa8lIjXveZ04DDHJIZ26YPg1bcgMx_dWw1yPbvLt5Qv3-Y0X_kYCOfZ58PFIOqXVm5zrDeH1ib_A9CE-n2ry4c7I2E1ccNbKC7ZdiHeNDY/s1600/how-a-camera-works.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEe1S9vob4m0ahpNkVh-JyWbBq8dMtb0qLGa8lIjXveZ04DDHJIZ26YPg1bcgMx_dWw1yPbvLt5Qv3-Y0X_kYCOfZ58PFIOqXVm5zrDeH1ib_A9CE-n2ry4c7I2E1ccNbKC7ZdiHeNDY/s640/how-a-camera-works.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">story of my life</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b><br />
<br />
xoAyshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-50036207514184478832012-06-13T23:36:00.000+01:002012-06-13T23:36:04.889+01:00brain implosionSomething happened last week that made me very, very upset. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm not gunna blog about it, simply cuz I don't have the physical or mental energy to articulate it in a way that would be logical or make sense.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But my head just feels really, reallllyyy heavy. Like when there's just too much information in your brain. But my head capacity isn't big enough to contain it all. Stupid small head. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've had a few things to cheer me up and take my mind of it though. I went to one of the best mehndi's (henna party thing) on saturday, and had a lovely catch up with Z and our friend Ruth on monday, so my spirits were lifted a little. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But I'm still in a funk.</div>
<div>
bah.</div>
<div>
I'm in one of these kinds of moods;</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/6oqXVx3sBOk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
Hope you lot are having a better week!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
xo</div>Ayshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-14340421730819620192012-06-09T17:49:00.002+01:002012-06-09T17:49:57.283+01:00Man drought in Australia<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was listening to the news on the radio sometime last week, which mentioned briefly that there was a serious 'man drought' in Australian cities like Sydney and Perth!</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I don't remember the exact figures, but there is something like 80,000 men to 1.5million women in the major cities, so there is a major imbalance with genders!</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Maybe man hunting will become some kind of sport in these places? Like a twisted 'Hunger Games' scenario where women have to fight each other for a man!!</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I just re-read the above paragraph, and realised how stupid that would be if it actually became reality. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This article called '<i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/first-comes-a-sheila-shortage-then-the-man-drought-cuts-in/story-e6frg9jx-1226285561430" target="_blank">First comes a sheila shortage, then the man drought cuts in</a></i>' by Bernard Salt basically explains that this massive gender imbalance is basically due to the fact that between 18-34, the ratio of men to women differs significantly. Between the ages of 18-25, there are more women than men. So basically, ladies have their pick of blokes to choose from, but then it all changes for ladies who are older in age, where there are more men to women!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZx_c43cjeIckRcmoa9DRPgLRRmh8OJb_yckbTS4eUfj9YPbPQRgp1zQBVn8XTMvCi0gkE_ry3gbUKK31-990AeaQGrX48Gq_Dus9O2c9dYMU74NKXPPVVI5_34Z7FIKBntb39Jaf1LXA/s1600/122723158566234057_i3o5FreT_f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZx_c43cjeIckRcmoa9DRPgLRRmh8OJb_yckbTS4eUfj9YPbPQRgp1zQBVn8XTMvCi0gkE_ry3gbUKK31-990AeaQGrX48Gq_Dus9O2c9dYMU74NKXPPVVI5_34Z7FIKBntb39Jaf1LXA/s320/122723158566234057_i3o5FreT_f.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Another article on this topic;'<a href="http://Another article on this topic; 'Australian's single city women forced to look for love in the country', basically talks about how city women are forced to seek men out in the country, as there" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Australian's single city women forced to look for love in the country'</a> basically explains that as Australia is such a sparsely populated area, the smallest shift in population can have a massive after effect in that place. So typically girls from the country move to the city to find work after they've finished studying, resulting in a lack of single ladies for the country lads to choose from when it comes time for them to settle down, and too many ladies for the city blokes to handle!</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So to resolve this, weekend tours named 'thank goodness he's a country boy' have been created! It's an 8 hour intensive speed dating thingy, where lonely farmers and introduced to single girls.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPnJ2XNd-YwufYdXDpWwlIf3h2Lm5mzUcDqsZqiQlcKlkyV0Yn08z7eoHKjTGj__Fx60ldZBU730Skgs9fV3-ABIDgxfOOfEXVAwbOZWS02JZg0itq-rA0UFSFRdt5l6O3DUIdhGP8WzU/s1600/300manhunt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPnJ2XNd-YwufYdXDpWwlIf3h2Lm5mzUcDqsZqiQlcKlkyV0Yn08z7eoHKjTGj__Fx60ldZBU730Skgs9fV3-ABIDgxfOOfEXVAwbOZWS02JZg0itq-rA0UFSFRdt5l6O3DUIdhGP8WzU/s400/300manhunt.jpg" width="328" /></a></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Both of the articles are worth a read, they're pretty short and sweet! </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>This got me to thinking.</b> If you find yourself in one of these places where a 'man drought' is imminent, then here are some helpful tips to help you nab the man of your dreams....or, actually, just <u style="font-weight: bold;">any</u> man!</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><u>TIP 1:</u></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Thanks to the likes of Katy Perry, Rihanna, and Nikki Minaj, having ridiculous coloured hair is the norm nowadays. </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>From '<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">touch me and you'll burst into flames</span>' <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Red</span>, to '<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Rancid Swamp</span>' <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Green.</span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>How about standing out from the crowd by having a <u>normal, regular</u> haircut and colour. </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><u>TIP 2:</u></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>A common dating tip is to get yourself out their ladies, and broaden your horizons by taking up a new hobby, like cookery classes, or some type of sports.</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Don't fancy sweating profusely and embarresing yourself infront of a potential <strike>victim</strike>, err, man? How about taking up a more obscure hobby, like fishing, or bird watching? </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>I know what you're thinking, the type of man that pursues such hobbies is potentially your grandfather/ a serial killer, but remember ladies;</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">'<i>Beggers can't be choosers!'</i></span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u><b>TIP 3:</b></u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>How about a happy accident?</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Are you the type of lady who secretly hopes that you'll meet the love of your life in some coincidental, silly-yet-charming accident? Well then go ahead and make that 'accident' an accidentally-on-purpose scenario, you deluded rom-com junkie!</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>If in the supermarket, and you spot another <strike>victim</strike>, damn it, I mean <u>MAN,</u> then try 'accidentally' dropping an item in front of him, or bumping your trolly into his, as if by mistake, <i>as you were too bust checking if the item you were buying is completely organic and fair-trade as you are </i><i><u>totally</u> into all that kind of stuff</i> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">*rolls eyes*</span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>You'll be sure to grab his attention this way, and there's a chance he'll find your clumsiness endearing, or a chance that he'll be under the impression that you have the co-ordination skills of a toddler. Win Win situation is that, I say!</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Just avoid doing this in the baking isle. You don't want to drop a bag of flour and have it splatter all over you, making you look like a massive coke fiend.</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Unless of course you're trying to pull Tony Montana....</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHNrRC1xD6HNT0XXW_8DzOPJsAZEsxTD_c6soVEJp0CepvqdC52RzjDAr9whp5NpceNI9AmxLG_r_N68hM-7YiwezwlBpgyLQbKslceKXVqpMXpCaGjD6mdeSOneXBSWdl9zmRNT6GOM/s1600/105130972521585994_jz4Y4isJ_f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHNrRC1xD6HNT0XXW_8DzOPJsAZEsxTD_c6soVEJp0CepvqdC52RzjDAr9whp5NpceNI9AmxLG_r_N68hM-7YiwezwlBpgyLQbKslceKXVqpMXpCaGjD6mdeSOneXBSWdl9zmRNT6GOM/s640/105130972521585994_jz4Y4isJ_f.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks like someone had an accident in the baking isle! Clumsy Tony, what are you like!? Unless...Oh, wait....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b> Good luck to all the Sheila's out there!</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>xo</b></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
<h1 class="heading" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 38px/38px 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 60px; padding-top: 15px;">
<br /></h1>Ayshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-69903979668558739952012-06-07T14:20:00.003+01:002012-06-07T14:20:50.841+01:00Stop trolling, you trollers!Why are trolls making fun of Rebecca Adlington!?<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I really can not get my head around it.</div>
<div>
She is one of the finest athletes Britain has ever produced, and people feel the need to say horrible things about her personal appearance for no apparent reason.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkb3AUacGSe7JcuZLeLyCZ8k5GMcRFNfw9QE9f7On20iU_FSbakKspzcONF99cc6czquvsVhw8zcrPECfw0C1B-XkACoGZmoDeGMkxsU5MwI5RZH7u7gC955nlaCCopvV26Do4NlnMLNc/s1600/rebecca-photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkb3AUacGSe7JcuZLeLyCZ8k5GMcRFNfw9QE9f7On20iU_FSbakKspzcONF99cc6czquvsVhw8zcrPECfw0C1B-XkACoGZmoDeGMkxsU5MwI5RZH7u7gC955nlaCCopvV26Do4NlnMLNc/s400/rebecca-photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miss Adlington</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's not even like she has a crappy personality, or is annoyingly arrogant or anything, so I really don't understand why people feel the need to say hurtful things about her physical appearance via twitter and other social mediums.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A lot of online news has covered the fact that Rebecca has publicly spoken about trolls dissing her online, especially via twitter, and has outed a few of the weirdos who tweeted things about her (<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2154344/Rebecca-Adlington-outs-Twitter-troll-called-whale-hours-winning-event.html" target="_blank">Read more here</a>)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But it's always the case, isn't it?</div>
<div>
People suddenly have this new-found confidence to say things when they are behind a computer screen or mobile phone. Problem is, half of these douche bag trollers would <b>not even dare</b> to say half of the horrible stuff they say online to the person in real life! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So some advise to you weird trollers out there, as my mum used to say to us;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> "<b>If you don't having anything good to say, don't say anything at all"</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><b>*</b>Sigh*</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Rant over! </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Here's an example of how amazing this swimmer actually is;</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Rebeccas Major Events Medal Table</b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkrbwq9ppBFEq8OCzMi45dfVXvsVLpiXRd1bLikK28rywDgqC1HcgERidOnfxaG0Aezq_ggpOY-Zqfj4AU4Habjwqt6GORd7_JjP4acWxDbatrNEtSz4dMoDq6q6dAgvtgq7bEcAr3vk/s1600/fact-file_29_05_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkrbwq9ppBFEq8OCzMi45dfVXvsVLpiXRd1bLikK28rywDgqC1HcgERidOnfxaG0Aezq_ggpOY-Zqfj4AU4Habjwqt6GORd7_JjP4acWxDbatrNEtSz4dMoDq6q6dAgvtgq7bEcAr3vk/s640/fact-file_29_05_12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Info taken from: <a href="http://www.rebeccaadlington.co.uk/fact-file.aspx">http://www.rebeccaadlington.co.uk/fact-file.aspx</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><b><u>In Other News</u></b></span></h2>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>I've added another page to my blog (on the top of this post), which is basically a list of things I hope to do throughout my life.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Keep checking it out to see if I cross any of off my list any time soon!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>take a looky:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://ohmeowmeowoh.blogspot.co.uk/p/things-i-must-do.html" target="_blank">http://ohmeowmeowoh.blogspot.co.uk/p/things-i-must-do.html</a></b></div>Ayshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-28554900049174951542012-06-04T17:38:00.000+01:002012-06-04T18:14:40.144+01:00Jubilee n tingIt's the Queens diamond jubilee! Or it <i>was</i> the queens diamond jubilee yesterday? I'm not quite sure, and to be honest, I'm not really that bothered.<br />
<br />
No disrespect to the Queen, I've just never appreciated the idea of any monarchy in any country. The idea that someone is better than someone else through birth and because you belong to a particular family is just arrogant and idiotic to me, <b><i>Especially</i> </b> in countries like Saudi Arabia and other places where kingdoms were only introduced recently (like 60 years ago).<br />
<br />
The idea of being so ridiculously rich that you can pretty much <b>buy</b> yourself the title of King or Queen is bizarre to me!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNXIC41CLVQBO2Cc7d-MoZ4KlblT2BqXrU_r6HRPtk9EfPuPyhr0ln-j7TO2x1nNpIbfU66T_mEH3soJWqmies7VtgCQ8Ai6b48MG1U_90PpD1S_8ZK_vl8ZoCsJu8uAt5dSd5sAyKFk/s1600/137430226099405091_OuP2wUgw_f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNXIC41CLVQBO2Cc7d-MoZ4KlblT2BqXrU_r6HRPtk9EfPuPyhr0ln-j7TO2x1nNpIbfU66T_mEH3soJWqmies7VtgCQ8Ai6b48MG1U_90PpD1S_8ZK_vl8ZoCsJu8uAt5dSd5sAyKFk/s640/137430226099405091_OuP2wUgw_f.jpg" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen Elizabeth the second, back in her 'pulling' days.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
But anyway, the queen is celebrating her 60th year on the throne!<br />
Even though I don't really appreciate a monarchy, I've gotta say it's pretty cool that Queen Elizabeth has been ruling for 60 years! And it's even more impressive since the last monarch to celebrate their diamond jubilee was Queen Victoria in 1887!<br />
<br />
And I suppose even though the Queen's job is to pretty much chill 24/7, she's the main reason our dull, damp country gets any tourists!<br />
<br />
So yeah, well done Queeny!<br />
<br />
Did you guys do anything to celebrate the jubilee?<br />
I caught a little bit on TV, and it was so bloody <b>boring!</b><br />
It was just the Queen and her fam standing at the Thames, waving at people sailing past her from all over the country. I think It's really sweet people travelled all that way in boat to see her, especially since the weather was so crap, but it was a yawn-fest.<br />
<br />
I was wondering if a blogger out there has celebrated their 60th year of blogging....<br />
but then I thought that's pretty impossible, since the internet hasn't really been accessible to everyone for that long really, has it?!<br />
<br />
Ahhh well,<br />
here's to a long life of blogging folks! Let's see if I can make it to 60 years of blogging :O<br />
<br />
xo<br />
<br />
<br />Ayshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8864700212418096668.post-12247278753984711742012-05-30T23:44:00.000+01:002012-05-30T23:44:19.987+01:00My week in picturesMaybe the title is false advertising, actually.<br />
<br />
this post is really about what I've been up over the last few weeks.<br />
Since I finished Uni last week I've been doing something pretty much every single day! <br />
What I'm looking forward to is a day where I have absolutely <b>nothing</b> planned, so I can just sit in my jammies in front of the TV and just watch a bunch of movies on LoveFilm :D<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><u>Friday 18th</u></span></b><br />
I have so many weddings to attend over the next few weeks it's ridiculous.<br />
I spent the afternoon/evening with my lovely mates Sam (who i've referred to as 'Choti' in previous posts) and Annie. <br />
<br />
Now Sam is getting married in July, and Annies brother is getting married in a few weeks.<br />
In <a href="http://ohmeowmeowoh.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/its-christmaasssssss.html" target="_blank">this older post</a>, I briefly outline how loooonnnnggg Pakistani weddings last. The celebrations usually last around a week, and really are exhausting! But they are so much fun :D<br />
<br />
So if you've read the above post I referred to (<i>there's a funny video at the end....so go look at it!) </i>Then you'll have a rough idea of what the Mehndi night is. It's basically a night before the wedding where the bride or groom to be invite close family and friends to basically sing, dance and generally be merry!<br />
<br />
Annie had this brill idea to decorate some candles with mehndi (henna) designs! And since Sam is amaaaazing at doing mehndi (she does it professionally for brides or parties, and also does canvases and stuff), we took some candles to Sam's to see if she could decorate it, and here's the end result:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig87DQtta8LMkKlHLqDbd2bz9YcA1t63XW8hMn7daPI2g97sTumXzIKUVfh8WlPCQ1bBsdZYQAqriVF0ViVC8QeKLzgVG2cuqgBJkdyYKS6wgDqmeziNWrRv14IJXKQZrvsVEAs1pjjk8/s1600/IMG_1373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig87DQtta8LMkKlHLqDbd2bz9YcA1t63XW8hMn7daPI2g97sTumXzIKUVfh8WlPCQ1bBsdZYQAqriVF0ViVC8QeKLzgVG2cuqgBJkdyYKS6wgDqmeziNWrRv14IJXKQZrvsVEAs1pjjk8/s640/IMG_1373.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ta daaaaa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyr5aC29j2CClc5SN79iKpk0PhHJaaeO9NQCQx7uAnRCI5MFO68PLlHTmylv0XVxX_vVyQ42FBLhnwGgVmS22E8-p0zVS_AkPt3jVKAQRv5F2NRBEFJnHmDORmu0rmrKmoCvuASyPW70A/s1600/IMG_1337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyr5aC29j2CClc5SN79iKpk0PhHJaaeO9NQCQx7uAnRCI5MFO68PLlHTmylv0XVxX_vVyQ42FBLhnwGgVmS22E8-p0zVS_AkPt3jVKAQRv5F2NRBEFJnHmDORmu0rmrKmoCvuASyPW70A/s640/IMG_1337.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some Mehndi put on moi by Sam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So the plan is to have a few candles decorated with henna as decoration on the Mehndi night!<br />
<br />
If you're creative you should try it yourself! All she used was some gold craft paint, put into a cone she made herself from cellofane, and then free hand design whatever you want on whatever you want!<br />
<br />
<b>but the crafts paint would not be suitable to apply on your skin! </b><br />
you need the other type of henna for that (easily gotten from stores, ebay or online)<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><b><u>Monday 21st</u></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span><br />
Was a day trip to Leicester with mum. She had to go down for the day for work so I accompanied her as it's a long drive from Manchester (about two and a half hours).<br />
<br />
While mum was going about her business for work, I was practicing for the presentations I had the tuesday and thursday after, and then we went to this AMAZING place called Tinseltown for lunch. It's an American diner style restaurant, and it does <i><u>the</u> </i>best milkshakes I've ever had!<br />
<br />
I first tried Tinseltown a few years ago when I stayed in London with my cousin Tee for the weekend, and our cousin Ashi who was living there at the time introduced us (well me, Tee had been before) to Tinseltown. There are about 5 branches in London alone, and 1 in Birmingham and Leicester, so If you're local to any of those and you've never tried it, I <b>highly</b> recommend it!<br />
<br />
So I got a cajun burger with fries with a black forest Oreo milkshake, and mum got a beef steak with mushroom sauce and fries with a mixed fruit milkshake.<br />
<br />
I would attempt to describe how amazing the food tasted....but the adjectives I would use would do no justice to it what so ever....so take a look for yourself!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjd3cmYUJ1NjRXUB4_RXvEMSCicMjaw-7o1OVWaCJMDdgv2scKa_Tr824GYVb5_tPch4-p-PveqQh95JnS8UXZm-F8GsRGP04LgyOhGSZqxJzrzVBSeixAcujt52G9qTZQiTpEY7Nrk0/s1600/IMG_1393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjd3cmYUJ1NjRXUB4_RXvEMSCicMjaw-7o1OVWaCJMDdgv2scKa_Tr824GYVb5_tPch4-p-PveqQh95JnS8UXZm-F8GsRGP04LgyOhGSZqxJzrzVBSeixAcujt52G9qTZQiTpEY7Nrk0/s640/IMG_1393.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVxTW0RYi9UPLEFqb-b3Zg6jXTEjV4KJ4AKn9sgPhYOOWdVH_f8Bv3ybLYfY8OYPofKHZsydX1Lm90WJuJVRA2jmZSeqJ8fwXscVOlkvd1Pi8lDxubJ_AJB2AGt3wn4Ke3Hs68oxCYos/s1600/IMG_1394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVxTW0RYi9UPLEFqb-b3Zg6jXTEjV4KJ4AKn9sgPhYOOWdVH_f8Bv3ybLYfY8OYPofKHZsydX1Lm90WJuJVRA2jmZSeqJ8fwXscVOlkvd1Pi8lDxubJ_AJB2AGt3wn4Ke3Hs68oxCYos/s640/IMG_1394.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><b><u>Friday 25th</u></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span><br />
So I had a group presentation on tuesday, and a solo presentation about my dissertation on thursday. I think they went pretty well.<br />
<br />
When I was walking to Uni on thursday, it hit me, this would be the last time that I would walk to in my campus, <i style="font-weight: bold;">ever</i>.<br />
Then I realised '<i>Oh no, I still have to come back to graduate!'</i><br />
So technically not the last time <i>ever,</i> but the last time I'd be walking in as an undergraduate!<br />
<br />
Quite a bittersweet feeling. I love Leeds uni. The campus is great, the student union is amazing, and my lecturers are pretty darn sweet.<br />
<br />
My degree was a very small degree in comparison to most university courses. There were only 20 of us in our course, so we all pretty much knew each other, and as there were so few of us, it meant we got to know the lecturers pretty well as well!<br />
<br />
So friday we had a kind of 'leaving meal' where all the students and lecturers went out for a meal afterwards. It was a really lovely time, but the downside, which is <i>always</i> the downside when you go out in large groups, was that you couldn't really have a chat with everyone that was there. You where confined to make conversation with whoever was around you, which I didn't mind, as most of the people I were sitting with were lovely, but there's only so much dinner table conversation you can make with the <i>same</i> people for the <i>whole</i> night!<br />
<br />
I don't drink, so I said my final farewells and gave my final hugs to everyone after the meal whilst the rest of the gang went of to a few bars to drink the night away! So the few of us that didn't drink walked back to our cars, reminiscing of our first day of Uni, and talking about our first impressions of each other!<br />
<br />
I lied to them. My real first impressions would probably make them cry....<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKI9NWUGGr65kmAFHX_GMjpF_KC8Ns4cVDThFGCvoB1Q7vhPuEdUpjj7iUw5vG1JxcDze4GNvs57-5uTCAIsc8F2tmt58WsS_IMDUT8nLAlz3ZjObowJM1QrFeSDxnfCvY2cCYdjqsnT8/s1600/101894010289523369_JXFiOMUX_f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKI9NWUGGr65kmAFHX_GMjpF_KC8Ns4cVDThFGCvoB1Q7vhPuEdUpjj7iUw5vG1JxcDze4GNvs57-5uTCAIsc8F2tmt58WsS_IMDUT8nLAlz3ZjObowJM1QrFeSDxnfCvY2cCYdjqsnT8/s640/101894010289523369_JXFiOMUX_f.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The conversation probably would've gone something like this......<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><b><u>Saturday 26th, Sunday 27th and Monday 28th</u></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span><br />
These were verryyyyy foody days.<br />
My mum treated me to lunch on saturday as a little '<i>well done for finishing uni'</i> kinda thing. We went to this pretty posh place in the city centre, the kind of place you <i>must</i> make a booking with to be seated.<br />
<br />
The food was yummmm.<br />
The portions were quite small, but they were actually very filling! We had an extremely posh fish butty, and some asparagus or artichoke tart, served on mash with some chips. I was apprehensive to try this dish, as I'm not neither familiar with asparagus or artichoke or whatever it was, but it was scrummy!<br />
The moral of that story for me was: no matter how grose you might think something sounds, <b>try everything once!</b> it may just surprise you with how edible it actually is!<br />
<br />
Then on sunday I had a good catch up with my besty Fizz. I've been so busy with uni and she's been so busy with work and re-decorating her room, so it was nice to chill out and have a good catch up with her. Fizz, her hubby Frazzle and I went to Cafe Istanbul for dinner, a turkish restaurant. I <b>love</b> Turkish/Mediterranean cuisine, so was very happy to be eating here!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceqbiWKlNnEUBJ5Ue-1U6-WmNUYNzqdlMp6L77MxHU09v_nNyex3MuFzvPmllbZLBRa0TJF-U8TVplKJBJgfHkAN2nqz_sitRl-NbGgMYiXYw_CWmYSDSwTSF5bH0EhAhtZU8g3YzZJc/s1600/IMG_0339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceqbiWKlNnEUBJ5Ue-1U6-WmNUYNzqdlMp6L77MxHU09v_nNyex3MuFzvPmllbZLBRa0TJF-U8TVplKJBJgfHkAN2nqz_sitRl-NbGgMYiXYw_CWmYSDSwTSF5bH0EhAhtZU8g3YzZJc/s640/IMG_0339.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheese board and fish butty from lunch with mum, and the main and starter from Cafe Istanbul</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Then on Monday, we decided to BBQ in the park since the weather was so gorgeous!<br />
We got one of the small, disposable BBQs from Asda, some chicken (tikka, and peri peri), burgers and Iron Bru, and headed to the park!<br />
<br />
We were a bit apprehensive about starting a BBQ in the park, as we wern't sure if it was allowed, and if other people would kick up a fuss, but when we arrived three other BBQs where going! So we just smiled and carried on!<br />
<br />
I've never had a BBQ before, so I was ridiculously excited!! After a few minor setbacks (not having skewers for the chicken, no tongues to flip/turn the food) we got everything sorted and went ahead with the cooking.<br />
<br />
My first thought after eating the food was;<br />
'<b>why has no one every taken me to a BBQ before!?!'</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
The BBQ'd burger was the best burger I've ever tasted! I am sooooo gunna BBQ more often!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0orltUF5GcHuUf3vvgtK1yo9PkYnGDALMHH_GvSZvL_2vO20k5YQw6RD6dqilLNN0lE2qIpxhKDiFxkNkCbYjtAH9wqmqkYDQKeUwB8N9ccOFfJdU4eFvkUND9pOQSV2NmY4s9Hh5hE/s1600/DSC03497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0orltUF5GcHuUf3vvgtK1yo9PkYnGDALMHH_GvSZvL_2vO20k5YQw6RD6dqilLNN0lE2qIpxhKDiFxkNkCbYjtAH9wqmqkYDQKeUwB8N9ccOFfJdU4eFvkUND9pOQSV2NmY4s9Hh5hE/s640/DSC03497.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM96d3VKy9_ENGNxvsbNGBuIpBZL7gwW6H9Ih_KuRx1WExjmcfi6hgbXYkoVJPHsKurJxmvE9_gZFydytPfi70vOAXzepDHbUXjOEbOHhpJG6ug09FtrX8OIi-FM_xwaE-ibBUoj-oPyI/s1600/IMG_0363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM96d3VKy9_ENGNxvsbNGBuIpBZL7gwW6H9Ih_KuRx1WExjmcfi6hgbXYkoVJPHsKurJxmvE9_gZFydytPfi70vOAXzepDHbUXjOEbOHhpJG6ug09FtrX8OIi-FM_xwaE-ibBUoj-oPyI/s640/IMG_0363.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUqlLTrxIIOu9HLxvJ_DbfrDpqgtUGSRgleG2gGHjKc8xNa9muBv_hwBfbAhIYqvt4mBQjbSNY6cmGDfygpb5fywscMR0VZu36aawIAHxLRVAdNZZHymaCezK_0ix3swHNCmT3ooj7Kg/s1600/IMG_1509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUqlLTrxIIOu9HLxvJ_DbfrDpqgtUGSRgleG2gGHjKc8xNa9muBv_hwBfbAhIYqvt4mBQjbSNY6cmGDfygpb5fywscMR0VZu36aawIAHxLRVAdNZZHymaCezK_0ix3swHNCmT3ooj7Kg/s640/IMG_1509.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMBjCLlHAciF_oy45mFyu4ULe8Gq6R7kIyZAUIIZ6uD5NYwXMaafPKcqTC8MsOBjEzLfpMs75c-lYXt_hoOkBoCpS7xUs5PgUz0Syjz6Juo-za97Xo-SH045awj4YRpNwWa1C35GmEoo/s1600/IMG_1507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMBjCLlHAciF_oy45mFyu4ULe8Gq6R7kIyZAUIIZ6uD5NYwXMaafPKcqTC8MsOBjEzLfpMs75c-lYXt_hoOkBoCpS7xUs5PgUz0Syjz6Juo-za97Xo-SH045awj4YRpNwWa1C35GmEoo/s640/IMG_1507.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dessert! Cheesecake and fruit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And the fun doesn't stop there!<br />
<br />
My good friends from Uni Amy and Anj are coming to manchester tomorrow for a day out, and Anj is staying the night so we can have a slumber party!<br />
<br />
So that's what I've been up to as of late!<br />
Hope you guys have had some lovely food also ;)<br />
<br />
xoAyshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05522585591000668827noreply@blogger.com16