23

I am 23 now!!! Can't believe that I have reached my twenties.. Feels unreal for some reason.. After going back home for the holidays, I am back in China once more, but in another city. To be more precise, the city that I accidentally went last year. I was quite excited to come back and this place is great! With fewer people than the previous city, it is much cleaner and easier to travel. On the downside, I had no friends to hang out with. Which kind of made me feel as if this birthday would not stand out. But boy, was I wrong! My new Chinese friends came over with presents and took me to a Muslim restaurant where we had a great meal together. My country mate, Shahu surprised me by taking me to a Korean restaurant which was daebak because I love love LOVE Korean cuisine.
The thing that stood out most about this birthdays is the number of people that wished me on my birthday. To be honest, I get quite happy over the smaller things rather than big presents and surprise parties. It's the thought that I had gotten to be a part of someone's life and that I made an impression on them that counts for me. To see all those people who had written their wishes on my facebook wall page made me happier than ever. The fact that I had friends from different countries, backgrounds, cultures, religions who actually cared to wish me on my birthday really touched me to the core.. I guess we just need to acknowledge the small things in life and see the beauty that it holds.. Materialism has actually no value when we compare it with genuine feelings for one another!
I hope for the best for this coming year and Insha Allah, Allah will protect me and let me live a little bit longer to make many more memories with different people and have all kinds of adventure!! :D

Eye opening/ mind opening :)

Tonight was a great night. A true eye opener towards the beliefs on different people. I went out with a friend to a gathering of Christians and it truly made me understand their way of thinking and made me more aware of their religion.

 I believe that every Muslim must know what the religions are all about. Tonight, I learned that Christianity is built on unconditional love towards each other. By attending this gathering and meeting all these different people I have come to realize that I have so much that I need to learn about Islam as well as other religions. I think it is a very important part of our life since we need to understand one another and co-exist without having to go through fights and end up misunderstanding one another. Besides, learning more about other religions has made me more confident in my belief in Islam. 

I have a good friend of mine, a good practicing Christian, who is curious about Islam and he had some questions about Islam and that was the moment that I knew that I have to learn more about my religion. Sure, I do know the basics of being a Muslim and the great history that it has but with his questions I now know that I need to be able to answer him without any hesitation and with straight forward answers. I believe in Allah and I am sure this is His way of letting me know that I still have a long way to go and learning more about Islam will greatly benefit me and all the others around me. I am so thankful for having been brought up by good practicing Muslim parents and being surrounded by friends who have a vast knowledge about our religion. 

I have made it my goal to at least learn one new thing about Islam each day and to make sure that I remember it. I am sure that this will help me greatly to stay on the right track and it will help me make the right decisions. Insha Allah I will remain on this road and Allah will help me guide me and my friends to the right path.

Tonight truly was one of the greatest experiences that I have had the opportunity of having. I made a whole  bunch of new friends from different countries, race, backgrounds, religion and beliefs. Yet, we were able to communicate in a friendly, loving way and through out all the differences we came through and ended up creating this wonderful memory together. This really is a chapter in my life that I will not forget and I thank Allah for not steering me away and my friend for inviting me over to this wonderful gathering. I hope that in the future, I get to attend one of these events and that Insha Allah I get to answer all my friends' questions honestly and truthfully!! :D

Going back home!!! ^_^

It's been 7032 hours since I have left my home, my family, my friends and my life behind. I have been living this new incredible life for more than 8 months now. It has had its fair share of ups and downs but not a moment has gone by that I have not felt grateful for this golden opportunity for me.

Leaving home was a big decision and it has had its setbacks. I have missed out a lot of things back home, watching my brother grow up, seeing my mom pick herself up and start taking care of herself, my friends beginning their lives with their other halves, friends and colleagues bringing new life to the world. I have been watching, listening to the news from afar and it is heartbreaking to not be a part of it. But that the thing in life. You don't get to have everything you want. Sometimes sacrifices are needed to be made. For me it was to put my life with my friends and family behind and start my own life. Find myself. The journey has not ended yet, not even close! I still haven't discovered myself but I am onto something.

Lets just say that I am seeing the world with different eyes now. My mind has become more open and I am discovering and learning that the world is much more than what I had originally thought of. It's filled with different cultures, lives, traditions and people. There is so much more to the world than what I had back in the Maldives. The way these people from different countries has taught me so much and has made me appreciate more of life. I am absolutely thankful that I took this chance and I am grateful for the things that I have got to learn and am going to learn in the future, Insha Allah.

More importantly than that, it has made me realize and has reminded me how magnificent Allah truly is. Yeah there are times that I am uncertain of my future, hopeless about myself but this trip, this experience has given me a lot of confidence in Allah and in myself.

Though I am going back home for sometime, I can't wait to come back and experience new things, meet different interesting people and learn from them. Life is truly truly remarkable!! Allah is the One & the Only. He has allowed me to become more grateful, more respecting towards others and more sure of myself. I just hope that I get to do this more in the future Insha Allah! I am coming home my dearest friends!! I am going back with stories and insight that I have treasured!! I can't wait to see you all and share them with you all!!

Up until now, I have discovered that I love meeting new people and making friends. I love finding out different cultures and traditions of different countries and I want to travel more and see more of the world. I have found out that I am a people person! I am glad that the puzzle pieces are finally showing itself and I can't wait to meet myself! I have been waiting a long time for this!! And the best part? Getting to tell my family and friends and show them the memories that I have made!!!

I want to thank all of my classmates, all of my new friends for letting me be part of their lives here in China. I shall remember our time together for a very very long time! :D

Spring has arrived!

Spring is finally here!!! And with it's arrival my HSK exam has been done and over with, I've been put in a new class and half of my friends are married and sprouting out babies!!  In short a bittersweet time and the bitterness is greater as I am experiencing cold that comes with the weather changes..

HSK exam is Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, AKA, the exam that tells us whether our Chinese is good or crap. I am glad that it is over since I can finally relax now. No more of trying to cram in 1200 words and trying but helplessly failing at remembering how to write the characters. I wasn't fully prepared for the exam but then again who  is?? I am glad to say that the exam went smoothly, so smooth that I am a bit worried. I will be able to get my hands on my results on the 18 of this month and I can't wait to check it out. I am both excited and worried.

With the exam being done, our class has been divided into two now. The good ones who are bound to pass the HSK exam have been put in to one class and the rest are preparing to do the exam for the second time. Fortunately, I am one of the bright ones though I have absolutely no idea how that happened, but this class sucks big time. We have a new teacher and her teaching method sucks! I like her a lot, she is really nice and cute but as a teacher she is just meh! And it turns out that she was the woman who helped me haul my luggage up the stairs! Weird coincidence! :P We have new classmates and they are alright but then they are not the same as Class 6! I miss the fun times we had and I miss my laoshi! She was so much fun and the way she teaches is awesome and I am more used to it. We are now preparing to do HSK 5 and it is another headache since we have to learn 1500 more words! I might just not sit for this exam since it is not compulsory. But since I passed in the surprise test I am willing to give it a try.. We will see how it goes! Like they say, life is like spring, once the cold harsh winter is done, flowers will start to bloom. :)

The month of weddings, pregnancies, deliveries and  baby bumps has arrived! One of my best friends got married and I got to attend the wedding via skpe. It was a really happy yet sad moment since I was not able to be there for her in flesh. All I could do was stare at my friends getting ready for the wedding through the lap top. I cried a little bit since I was overwhelmed with both happiness and regret. We had always talked about how we would be there for each other during weddings and photo shoots and I am unable to fulfill my duty as her best friend. Aside from that, I am real happy that she got to start her life with the one she loves and I wish them both a life filled with happiness! My other best friend is also getting married in June and unfortunately, I won't be able to make it. :( It sucks missing your best friends' joyous moments and I wish I could be there for them both. And yeah, my friends they are moving on with their lives, and I am soo happy for them. But I can't help but feel a little bit sad for myself. It makes me questions what the hell I am  doing here and what I am getting out of it. I would like to get myself some one who loves me and move on with our lives. Sadly, that is not where my life is heading and I wonder why it isn't so..I know for a fact that no one's life goes the way one plans and it is never the same as your friend's. But rational thinking doesn't help the way I feel about things like this. I guess there is nothing I can do other than move on with the decisions that I have made. Insha Allah, Allah will help me through out all this. Who knows what we are destined to do other than Allah.

Paradise or Hell on Earth

Today has to be the day that I most regret saying I am a Maldivian. Most Maldivians don't like hearing about this and I too hate even saying this out loud. In my opinion my country has the most obnoxious people alive! People from other countries would say this about their country or maybe they don't but I don't care about what others think, I just want to lay out my opinion out in the open.

My country, The Maldives is famous world wide as one of the most beautiful countries in the world. With white sandy beaches and the glistening sea, we are known for our resorts and underwater beauty. Within these few years we have also become well known for political problems.

What I believe the core problem in our country is not political, it is the fact that we have lost humanity. Moreover, we have lost the belief in the beautiful religion of Islam. The people of Maldives should be ashamed to say they are muslims when they lack even the slightest bit of courtesy. We have forgotten to respect our parents, elders, and mostly in ourselves. Everyone is after one thing. Power. Wealth. Money. Many of my poor countrymen have lost themselves into the worldly desires, completely forgetting that we have to answer to someone. That these worldly pleasures that we oh so desire to claim can destroy you.

What I am most sad about is that though we can't maintain our religion well, we can't even treat other people well. All we think about is the bad things, deeds done by people. We keep forgetting that we are all human. We all make mistakes. We all do things we are not proud of in a moment of ecstasy. People always make a point in noting the horrible mistakes that one makes, they completely elude the good things that one does.

Why have we all come to this? I am not only talking about my country but about the world itself? Where did the idea of peace and humanity go?? Why are we always fighting for things that will never remain for eternity?? Why are we so quick to judge others when we dare not take one look at ourselves? Why do we have to keep criticizing other people for their behavior without giving a second thought to their Why circumstances?? Why can't we just let go and let bygones be bygones? Why do we have to make sure that history repeats itself??

Maldives has lost a President today. To many, he may seem one who has ruled with an iron fist, who has been unjust. In my eyes, though he has brought enough calamities to our tiny country, he has tried to make the wrong right. He has brought important issues like our elderly, our environment, our health to light and tried to better it for the future. He has given his best to make things easier for our citizens. No one seems to realize that for a wound to heal, it will go bad for a certain time. No one seems to acknowledge the fact that it takes time to change, and time for this change to show.

We, as human beings first need to realize that we are humans, not Gods. We, as human beings need to come to light that we all make mistakes, we are not perfect and we are not good enough to judge others. We need to accept that we all must appreciate and respect the people in our lives, make them feel human and loved.

The world seems to have lost its ability to love, to forgive, to move on. Maybe this is what the end of the world truly means. The humans lose their humanity... I pray to Allah for things to get better in my country and all around the world. Insha Allah, we will all realize our wrongdoings and make an effort to change for the better. I really hope that we are given the opportunity to prove to Allah that we still have a conscience left. Aameen..  Friends, please join me in this prayer.

winter= snow + extreme cold

 I forgot to write about winter...

 

It's still not over, it won't be over until April, so they say.. Which means that I have to deal with cold freezing gusts of wind, wet gloomy weather with no escape of the unrelenting cold.  It actually wouldn't have been that bad if  my heater was working and if my room was not located on the 11th floor with a balcony. The gusts of wind seep through the balcony door and this makes my room much more colder than the room in "The Exorcist".  

Sort of feels like living in a ice box.. The only thing that makes the whole winter okay is the snowing and unfortunately for me, it doesn't snow much in Wuhan. It snowed pretty much once or twice since I've been here.. For those who haven't seen the pictures, here they are..

The view from my balcony... I took this at 8:40 am.  I was constantly waking up that morning just to see if it was snowing.. :)

The Garden work done by the school.. the snow makes the smiley face more visible!

 The Park right aside my dorm.. every morning a lot of elderly Chinese people practice Taijichuan ( a form of mental and body martial arts).. They have tempoparily stopped practicing during the Chinese New Year..

 I couldn't write my name in Hanzi in the snow... :P

 

 The park once more....

SUNNY....

I just had to rave about this new movie that I watched recently...
It has been quite a while since I have been inspired to write, hence such little entries..
This movie has inspired me in a lot of ways... before I get into more about how I am feeling, let me give a bit of an introduction about the movie.

"Sunny" is a South Korean movie about life, youth, emotions, bonds and friendship. It revolves around a middle aged woman who seems to have lost herself as she gained a husband and became a mother. She fell into a routine life until she accidentally comes across one of her 7 best friends from high school. Together, we see what kind of fun, trouble and pain they all go through.. Due to a dire circumstance, she decides to locate the rest of her best friends. The movie basically revolves around these women, how much their lives had changed.


This movie made me once again realize and cherish the friends that I have in my life.. Not everyone is lucky enough to find somebody who will accept them as a whole, the good and the bad. I have been truly blessed by Allah to have found many sincere people who I believe loves me and supports me with everything that they have.

Since I am in China, far away from my loved ones, it feels as if I have left part of me behind. I have been feeling that they are moving on with their lives without me and I have become an unimportant part in their lives.  
Through this movie, I have come to the conclusion that everyone revolves. They move on with their lives with or without their friends or family. This is part of life, part of being human, being a grown up. But the one thing that we actually forget is to allow those people to know that they are still with you, that you think about them and will someday become more closer than they were before. After being apart, finding who you truly are, when your feet are firmly touching the ground, we need to grasp on to the people we love. The best thing we need to do is to hold on to them while we are going through these changes but we are human. We can't do everything we want to do.

So all I can do right now is become who I am supposed to be, not to lose who I truly am and become stronger and better. I will try my best to allow them to stay with me during this adventure but distance and time does not seem to allow it. I will do my best to be a part of their happy moments as much as I can and not let go of the ones that I respect and love...

Maybe after 25 years later or maybe even earlier, like Sunny, I can reminisce about the times I spent with my family, best friends, my classmates, my unnie, my dongsengs and the people I will eventually meet..

Life truly is something wonderful, we just need to realize it..I wish to spend it with people like them.. Who really loves me for me.. :D

 

NEW YEAR!!

I haven't blogged in a long time now..

Lots of things have happened and there have been times that I have questioned a lot of things..
The year 2011 has passed by in a blink of an eye, and within that time period I have had the pleasure of getting to know some very wonderful people, had experienced unimaginable things, had the opportunity to do inexplicable things. In short, I am very very grateful for all that has happened in the last year..

Surely not all of them have been enjoyable experiences but like they say you gotta take what you can get..and I thank Allah for keeping me alive and healthy..

I miss my mother.. my family and my family of friends.. I wish I could go back once more and tell them how much I miss them... I do have new friends but since they are of a different nationality, their way of thinking and personality are new to me.. But I am glad to have met them and grateful to be a part of their life..