Beautiful: Inside and Out.

We are all made of star stuff - Carl Sagan

The World's a Strange, Beautiful Place

No one knows why they do it. Yet each fall, thousands of starlings dance in the twilight above Gretna, Scotland. The birds gather in magical shape-shifting flocks called murmurations, having migrated in the millions from Russia and Scandinavia to escape winter’s bite. Scientists aren’t sure how they do it, either. Even complex algorithmic models haven’t yet explained the starlings’ acrobatics, which rely on the tiny bird’s quicksilver reaction time of under 100 milliseconds to avoid aerial collisions—and predators—in the giant flock. Despite their show of force in the dusky sky, starlings have declined significantly in the UK in recent years, perhaps because of a drop in nesting sites. The birds still roost in several of Britain’s rural pastures, however, settling down to sleep (and chatter) after the evening’s ballet.

Read more: http://lightbox.time.com/2011/11/03/murmurations-spectacular-starlings-signal-winter-is-on-its-way/#ixzz1csr7rSdL

Budding Photogs

It's been forever since I have written a post, but when I saw this, I knew the drought had to end. A friend of mine took up photography as a hobby a while back and I became an instant fan of his work. Recently he started his very own photo blog and I feel everyone must check it out. Hit up Fangtographs for...well, Fang's photographs.

While you're at it, you might want to check out the work of our resident photog, Nisarg Gandhi, as well. Be sure to give his photo blog, Flash Point, a click as well! 

Why do we believe life and chaos are opposites? Rather they are intertwining consequences of each other. 

Last Call: Paradise

I know I haven't been consistent with this segment, but I promise tonight's song will almost make up for it. It is that awesome!

Coldplay - Paradise

Good night world.

If you go far enough out
you can see the Universe itself,
all the billion light years summed up time
only as a flash, just as lonely, as distant
as a star on a June night
if you go far enough out.

And still, my friend, if you go far enough out
you are only at the beginning
- of yourself.

—Rolf Jacobsen

Last Call: Young Blood

Want to experience fresh, light, youthful elation? Today's last call impeccably embodies that and more.
The Naked and Famous- Young Blood

Good night world.

Welcome to the Beauty of the Unknown.

Joy & Terror, Pleasure & Tragedy, Life & Death in White & Black
September 11th 2001 © Matt Weber

Hope & Beauty: we all need to see and  to experience them.

Amazed

Depending on how you define "amazing", it can happen all around you or not around you at all.

Last Call: Strings

I can't stop listening to these guys! Pretty much every single song of their's is absolutely amazing. Tonight's last call:

Strings- Young the Giant

Enjoy.

Goodnight world.

Last Call: Wake Up

I know it's counter-intuitive to have a song called Wake Up as a Last Call, but I absolutely adore this Arcade Fire track. Enjoy.

Good night world.

Farewells are (were?) in Order

I woke yesterday expecting my day to be filled with sombre quietness and undertones of parting anxiety. It was a day of farewells: to Jack Layton during his state funeral and to a very close friend, who is moving over 4000km away. I know the comparison is not quite precise, but in the pleasant chaos during the course of the day, the two seemed to run parallel.

When I arrived at Nathan Phillips Square that morning, what instantly struck me were the chalk messages written by members of the public from all walks of life and corners of the nation. The plethora of wishes and memorandums were strewn all across City Hall; covering every nook and cranny and converting the concrete into a giant colourful mural of not only text but also drawings of hearts, doves, and 'staches. It was beautifully overwhelming to see such an overt outpouring of love and affection. After so long- it seemed- apathy was no where in sight.

The size of the crowd that showed up was enormous! I'm not sure if 'enormous' even cuts it. Thousands of people poured out onto the streets and thousands more witnessed it all occurring live at home. Almost everyone had something good to say him. At a moment like that, you can't help but wonder how many people have you touched? How many people love/care about you? With everyone (old, young, rich, poor, English, French, etc.) collectively accumulating in the city centre to mourn a loss, you cannot help but admire his far reach and marvel the life he lived and the person he was. As Jack intended, most people left the funeral with a renewed sense of inspiration to help others, hope for the future, and appreciation for the present.

I have known my friend for over 10 years now. 10 years, a lot changes in that time. From barely exchanging two words to being best of friends, a lot has changed. Just as I had witnessed earlier in the day, I learnt that there is nothing like the departure of a beloved to bring people together. The night may have been ordinary, but there was nothing ordinary about the company. Spending time with such awesome people, as we left the gathering, even if we were a bit too scared to look into the future, we most definitely left with an appreciation for the present.

As the day approached culmination, it was evident that the only major difference was that one was an amazing man and the other still is. And I have no doubts that he will continue to be so for years to come.

Farewell...

Fleeting Moments

Make 'Em Count.

Last Call: Antissa

Tonight's last call:
Antissa- Es Posthumus

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Good night world.

Last Call: Where I Can't Follow

Amy Kuney started off her career on Youtube, and from there, she's now signed to a record label, released 2 albums, had her song featured on One Tree Hill, and even contributed a song to an album produced by Sophia Bush (star of One Tree Hill) to raise proceeds to help out individuals affected by the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. She has such an amazing voice; sort of reminiscent of a mix of Adele, Joss Stone, and Fiona Apple. Tonight's last call is the first single off her new album, Onyx.

Amy Kuney- Where I Can't Follow

Enjoy.

Goodnight world.

64 Years Strong

Happy birthday India!

:)

Last Call: Young Cardinals

I'm much too tired to write much about them is that for 10 years they have been awesome and today they split. With the title track off possibly their last full-length EP, today's last call is Young Cardinals - Alexisonfire. I absolutely adore the video!

Goodnight world.

Last Call: Welcome

I couldn't stop listening to this song all day today! Short-listed for the Polaris prize two years in a row, I think Hey Rosetta! is absolutely brilliant. Did I mention they're our very own home grown pride? Pretty much all their songs are amazing, but tonight's last call is Welcome. Enjoy!

Goodnight world.

Top Three Underrated Feelings In Our Society

Hey there,
  Being a human involves our ability to feel. Feelings help us consciously realize how our body's feeling towards a particular situation and helps us make decisions. We can't control how we feel but we are all parts of groups that amongst other things tell us what's okay to feel, and what's not. Example: our workplaces tell us it's okay to feel competitive but not horny (sexual harassment classes, etc). What I want to share with you today are 3 feelings our society makes us believe are not "okay"  You ready? Let's go.

3. Fear: You've heard it before: "don't be afraid", "the only thing to fear is fear itself" and other cliches.Fear takes many other shapes than "feeling-scared-ness", fear is also denial, insecurities, nightmares, stress and anxiety on some level. Writing this I can't help but feel like we are pretty much afraid most of our day. Sounds scary? Well, feel it. And I do hope sooner or later you realize that fear is a part of us.

My saying is simple "don't be afraid to be afraid". Feeling truly afraid allows us a glimpse into our unconsciousness and helps us discover new things, figure out new ways to deal with old things, draw, write, paint, love, and more.

It's a sucky feeling yes, and you know what else? It's underrated.

2. Gratitude: It's not that our society tells us it's not okay to feel grateful, it's that it doesn't even mention this one. If I hadn't spent much of my teenage years around recovering addicts, marginalized youth and yoga enthusiasts, I wouldn't even have known what this feeling really meant. It's one of my firm convictions these days that hte difference between a good life and a great life is acknowledging when we feel this.No one can tell you how or where or what to feel grateful for, that's all up to you.

This is probably my favourite feeling. To feel grateful is to understand that I have it better than I could have had. Boy, what a realization that is. You can't help but start thinking about faith, the people you love, how good it feels to really be alive, ah.

One related observation I've made is that there is a genuine difference between not taking things for granted and feeling grateful. As always, I don't like spelling everything out for the readers but I encourage you to try to figure out what I mean by this.

1. Wrong: Feeling wrong is probably the hardest one to feel even on a deep unconscious level, it's no wonder our society doesn't promote this one. We all hate being wrong on some level. To acknowledge feeling wrong is to voluntarily take an ego-bruising. It's to recant and admit someone else knows something more than I. Many of us would rather go to the jail, commit crimes, lie, cheat, steal ... than admit that we are ... simply put... wrong. Feeling wrong in our choices reminds us of math classes from elementary school where we tried our hardest but damnit, we got a 0. We are not good enough, etc etc. That's the perspective many of us walk with unknowingly everyday.

But feeling wrong is to open the flood gates of unlearning and learning. Admitting our mistakes means feeling regret, shame or embarrassment, but it also means chance to do something truly right. It means listening to someone. It means to accept humility. This post is already long or else I'd elaborate on how many companies and health care systems have found the way to eliminate errors is to encourage their employees to start admitting when they did wrong (ie. made mistakes in their professional life) You want to know why science gets things right so often? It admits when it gets things wrong too.

Whether you like it or not, you are going to be or do wrong in the future, often times. Try to feel it, it's gonna suck, but it's really going to make a difference in your life, in your perspective of yourself and others.

Tell me if you think I am wrong, I'll be grateful for it,
Romil

Last Call: Sitting Waiting Wishing

A friend introduced me to this song a couple of months ago and I suddenly fell in love. What's there not to love - Jack Johnson's organismic voice, his awesome guitar work and the lyrics is all it takes to make you fall in love. He's one of my favourites now.

"But the world knows that I am not you

If I was, I wouldn't be so cruel

'Cause waitin' on love ain't so easy to do."

This one is for you.

Where Do You Want To Go Today?

Last Call: Champagne Supernova

I can't seem to get this song out of my head, so I figured I might as well share it with all of you as well. It's not exactly new, but does it really matter when the song's as awesome as this? Hope you all enjoy it. Champagne Supernova - Oasis

Goodnight world.

Last Call: Dark Into Light

Here is my pick for tonight's Last Call: AM & Shawn Lee's Dark Into Light.

I have been grooving to this song for almost a week now. Thought I'd share it with our followers ;)

Last Call: Breathe Me

Sia- Breathe Me

The video is just as awesome as the song. Take some time to really watch/listen to this.

Goodnight world.

Last Call: Between the Lines

I think this girl is soo cute. Between the Lines- Sara Bareilles. Enjoy.

Goodnight world.

Last Call: Protocol and Panorama

I just love these songs. I love the instrumentation, the lead singer's vocals, the lyrics, and the little glitch in the 2nd song due to a passerby- especially the glitch! Everything about the songs, the band, and the performances oozes sincerity. Plus, they're soft enough to soothe you to sleep. 

Goodnight world.

Last Call: Ek Tu Hi Bharosa

It's too early to tell if this will legitimately be tonight's last call, but there is far too much purity and amazingness in this song to simply let it slide. Especially considering the unfortunate events of today's (Wednesday's) attacks in Mumbai, I feel the perfect song for tonight is Ek Tu Hi Bharosa  from the movie Pukaar. I understand this is the 2nd Hindi last call in a row, but for those who do not understand Hindi, the video does have subtitles. So, here is to looking forward to a future in which people can live in peace and with equal rights and freedoms, no matter what age, race, gender, etc.

On behalf of everyone associated with Friends Lovers or Nothing, I would like to say that our thoughts go out to anyone and everyone affected by not only what happened on Wednesday, but all such events around the world.

Some Days I Am More Hopeful Than Others

Even oceans merge somewhere, why can't men with differences?

Last Call: Saibo

I usually listen to an insane amount of songs throughout the day, so last call is the final song of the night before I sleep.

Today's last call (Monday) is a Hindi song: Saibo - Shor in the City

What's Real?

How hard it is, when everything encourages us to sleep, though we may look about us with conscious, clinging eyes, to wake and yet look about us as in a dream, with eyes that no longer know their function and whose gaze is turned inward.

 ~ The Theater and Its Double

Starry Night

What about stars?

Are you going to tell me none of the stars are really there?

Well some are there but some burned out ten thousand years ago.

I don’t believe that.

How can you not believe it, it’s a known fact.

But I see them.

You see memories.
-Anne Carson, Autobiography of Red

Fragile Things

Photograph by Mike Bailey-Gates

Stories, like people and butterflies and songbirds’ eggs and human hearts and dreams, are also fragile things, made up of nothing stronger or more lasting than twenty-six letters and a handful of punctuation marks. Or they are words on the air, composed of sounds and ideas-abstract, invisible, gone once they’ve been spoken-and what could be more frail than that? But some stories, small, simple ones about setting out on adventures or people doing wonders, tales of miracles and monsters, have outlasted all the people who told them, and some of them have outlasted the lands in which they were created.

- Neil Gaiman in Fragile Things

Fate...

"We make our own fortunes and call it fate"

Thoughts From Places- Blog Version: India

After four years of nearly non-stop undergraduate studies, I decided to jet off to India. Many people fear flying, but as the plane took off, I was reminded of everything I love about it. As the plane accelerates and is thrust into the air, there is a thrill that just cannot be explained. It is almost surreal to think that you are no longer bound to the ground but suspended in the air, just gliding ((I thought of you Nisarg)).

A giant mattress of fluffy clouds covered almost the entire span from Toronto to New Delhi, as if providing a safety net-like soft cushion for me- just in case. There were a few points where the mattress transformed into fluffy cotton balls that provided glimpses into the world below. The first time this happened, I was convinced I saw ice below, and as I looked to check my location on the flight tracker, I was astonished to find that- lo and behold, what I was looking at were the ice caps in Greenland. Couple hours later, there were the most beautiful snowy hills in Norway, and then the flight approached an end with desert sand dunes with the backdrop of snow-capped mountains at the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan ((I thought of you Farishta)). In one flight, I had viewed over 3 nations.

I have been to many airports throughout the years, but I had got to say that the New Delhi airport most definitely ranks as one of the best. There were more brand name stores there than you could count with your hands. Dior, Versace, Mango, and soo many more ((I thought of you Nikita))! The art work there was amazing as well, not to mention the most kickass sports bad I had seen, with supertrendy decor and furniture ((I thought of you Romil- the art)).

India is superhot, but the heat is bearable. But just when you think you're alright, cue the mosquitoes! My arm is covered in itchy red bumps, not to mention other miscellaneous ones littered elsewhere over my body. The food in amazing though, but my favourite has got to be the ice dish. It's like a snow cone, but in a dish. Although it is not as fun as the traditional Indian "baraf no goro", which is essentially a snow cone on a stick, the ice dish is awesome because the flavour remains consistent all the way until you're done. Not to mention, it's like heaven in the Indian heat.

Something I love about India: the fact that when you go shopping for clothes, besides the fact that the air conditioning provides an oasis in the midday heat, they give you food and drinks as well in an effort to lure you in and keep you there so that you would shop more. You get shopping done while you get free food, what's not to like?

Something I could live without: the gawking eyes of random men. As soon as I stepped down at the New Delhi airport, I instantly began feeling the eerie stares of all men around me. It wasn't just me though, they do that to pretty much any woman that walks by. They almost feel like piranhas at times ((I thought of you Meha, you would have loved the attention of the potential stalkers!))

Things I have to do still: say hi to the cows. Many animals randomly roam the streets in India, but every time I see a cow, I think of you Shreya. Don't worry, I promise to complete the mission before I return.

I probably have more to share, but after about the first 2 days, I'll keep it at this. What I kind of miss about Canada is the playoff season, the the impending federal election, the news (apparently Osama died??) and of course all of you. I haven't mentioned a lot of people, but it doesn't mean that I haven't thought of you! See ya next time, in part 2 of this series. :)

We have the power to choose

For the past two days, I've been catching up with the Harry Potter movies with my brother. Initially, I thought I'd read the books but soon to realize that there's a huge stack of books pending to be read on my bookshelf already. I don't know if I am the only one that thinks so but the HP movies provide life lessons - lessons on courage, love, strength, ambition, fear, friendships, perseverance and most importantly choices.

“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

I believe that our choices define us and the ability to have such a huge power to impact ourselves is pretty awesome. Most people have made numerous choices throughout their lifetimes - even a simple choice between what flavour of ice cream to buy (not such a simple choice for many of us) and tougher choices, such as, what university to go to or the choice of letting go or holding on. Soon these choices which we've been making throughout our lives end up shaping the person we turn out to be. Sure, we might make mistakes but to realize our mistakes and make a choice of learning from them and moving on is a choice that defines as well.

In the worst of times, we might be depressed, heart-broken, unhappy, confused... but happiness is a choice as well! We can choose what affects us. Obviously, this isn't as easy as it sounds and takes a lot of downturns to realize it but it is possible. We have the ability to choose what hurts us and what makes us happy.

We can choose to let go. We don't have to let negative experiences define us. We can make choices that shape us to be the person we aspire to be.

DFTBA

Last December, Google Chrome introduced a browser extension called Chrome for a Cause. By installing the extension, Chrome kept track of the number of tabs you opened throughout the day, and as the clock struck 12, you got to choose what you wanted to donate the day's tabs towards. Google had pre-selected 5 charities: The Nature Conservancy, charity: water, Un Techo para mi País, Doctors Without Borders, and Room to Read.

It was a week-long initiative, and at the end of the week, the numbers were in. On behalf of the global Chrome community, Google made $1 million in donations as follows:

• Planting 245 278 trees in the endangered Atlantic Forest
• Providing 11 610 people in developing nations with clean water by building freshwater wells
• Developing 11 208 square feet of shelter by volunteers for impoverished families in Latin America
• Administering 106 934 meningitis vaccinations to combat outbreaks in Africa
• Publishing 142 518 books by local talents that would be donated to schools and libraries across Asia and Africa

Another initiative along the same lines as the Chrome extension is Freerice.com. Freerice provides a domain were you can tweak up on various subjects from vocabulary to geography to art while you donate grains of rice. Last year alone, 13 198 863 280 grains of rice were donated through the United Nations World Food Program to underdeveloped nations or to areas suffering from damage caused by natural disasters, like the recent earthquakes in Japan.

This shows that making a difference in the world need not be complicated or overly ambitious. Sometimes, even something as small as opening a tab- something you would have done regardless- could be impactful. Chrome for a Cause and Freerice highlights what can be achieved if we all get together and do our bit to help out. Let us all work towards making the world a better place.

In the words of the vlogbrothers, don't forget to be awesome (dftba)!

My better half

I've recently realized that the biggest flaw in my life used to be the way I perceived certain situations.

But over the past year so much has changed in my life --emotionally, mentally, and physically.

I'd like to thank one person for changing it for the better ...my better half.

We're such opposites.

No matter what happens in my life and which friend walks out of it

... I've got my number 1 fan always standing right next to me --mature, warm-hearted, funny, loving & whose priority is always me.

Someone who never ceases to remind me that I'm his "Miss. Perfect" and that I'm the one who gives him butterflies and sweet dreams of even a more sweeter future together.

Love.

Take Away Shows

Imagine strolling down the busy streets of London or visiting the majestic Arc de Triomphe in Paris and bumping into your favourite musical act performing in the open air. You just might bump into Arcade Fire singing Neon Bible, cramped up in a Parisian elevator or Florence and the Machine singing My Boy while unwinding at a scenic London park. Youtube channels watchlistentell and LaBlogotheque organize take away shows in London and Paris, respectively. What is a take away show you, you ask? It is when a band or a musical artist take to the streets or perform their numbers in a rather unusual setting. They take the acts away from the stage and into a restaurant kitchen or out and about. They feature anyone and anyone from rather popular artists like Bon Iver or Phoenix to the lesser known but equally talented ones from around the world, like Don't Blame Mexico or Guillemots. If you are a fan of quality, relatively underrated music, then these channels are just for you. It is quite something to view the artists when they are calm, relaxed, and just having fun. So kick back, relax, and let the music take over.


http://www.youtube.com/user/watchlistentell

http://www.youtube.com/user/LaBlogotheque

Two keys to a healthy, balanced life

Running and writing.

Why?

• they teach us about patience. about syncing the high speeds our minds think at and at actual speed life moves at and thus, can be experienced.
• they teach us to link the 3 dimensions of time: past, present and future. Writing means thinking about events, experiences and ideas form the past and figuring out how we want to express them now for future use. When running, you eventually reach a state that you concentrate less on the activity itself and start thinking with an increased heart rate. Your mental and physical body experience stress and you get to observe how you think and react during stress. 
• And most importantly, they remind us things don't have to be perfect. Every time we run or write, we have a vision for how it's gonna go and rarely do things turn out like that. When we run or write, we come face to face with uncertainty and living in the moment (two sides of the same coin to me).

The Faces of a Teenager

What do you get when you put together a relatively inexperienced  17 year-old boy, a camera, and a 365 project? Sheer brilliance. All of Alex's pictures radiate talent and passion. Click on the pictures for more of his self-portraits.

...

Funny how even the most mediocre of moments can transform into enchanted times in the flashback of your memories.

Harper...Again?

I am usually not a fan of partisan political bashing, but this election campaign, I feel compelled to speak up. It has been less than two weeks since the campaign began, and Stephen Harper has already got me asking...are you kidding me? Let's look at some of the more questionable decisions Harper has made recently.

From the very start, Harper declared that he will only be taking a maximum of five questions at each of his stops around Canada. So you're attending his rally but the 5 members of the press already asked questions? Too bad for you.

Speaking of attending rallies, if you wish to do so then you have to sign up prior to the event. That all seems alright until you come to realize that all of the sign up sheets get screened ahead of time. Screened for what, you ask? Criminal records? Nope. Just the usuals, like whether you are curious about other parties or even interested in saving the world. So far, the conservative volunteers have ejected people from the rallies for reasons such as posting a picture on Facebook posing with Ignatieff, wearing a t-shirt promoting alternative energy, and even for promoting the usage of reusable water bottles around campus. Are these people not going to vote, come May 2? Are they any less entitled to taking part in the Canadian democratic process? If Harper's wanting to convert his minority into a majority this time, would these not be the exact people that would help him do so?

All of the parties have their own Youtube accounts. All of them allow for viewer comments, except for the Conservatives. They tell us we matter. The people of Canada matter. They are running for us. Why is it, then, that our voices are being suppressed and our word not being heard? Are they seriously that afraid of critique? You'd think after multiple bouts of their minority leadership, they would be used to the critics and be able to implement it positively.

Well, maybe he doesn't have to listen. After, he did change "The Government of Canada" to "The Harper Government".

Stephen Harper says that there are only two true contenders, the Conservatives and the Liberals, and that is the only debate that matters. He brought up the idea of a debate between just the two leaders, and then when Ignatieff agreed to it, Harper said that he will only participate in the debates that had already been scheduled by the media and none others. Rick Mercer has offered to host such a debate, so I guess we shall wait and watch what excuse Harper comes up with this time.

Speaking of inconsistencies, when Paul Martin was in power, Stephen Harper had approached the other parties in the minority (Duceppe and Layton) to form a coalition to bring down the Liberal government. Both the other leaders have confirmed, this but Harper maintains that he did no such thing, and that if Ignatieff were to form a coalition with the other two then the world might just end.

All this is just what has cropped up in the past couple of weeks. Let us not forget the several counts of contempt that caused the parliament to dissolve, the billion dollar security at the summits, the lost UN Security Council bid, the elimination of an emissions control goal, the mounting federal deficit, the lack of confidence in his governance in parliament, the multiple prorogations, and the fact that this is the 4th federal election Canada has seen in 7 years.

Is this really the man we want to hand a majority to? Come May 2, make your voice count!


Edit 04/07: Seems like some big names like Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene would agree with me:

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/971204--party-favours-election-ephemera?bn=1

Understanding Understanding

I know in two weeks, I am going to hate the title of this post, but it makes sense tonight and I guess that's all that matters.

This post is about helping us understand the meaning of "understanding" better. In my experiences, I have found that lots of time we think we understand what someone is going through, but we don't. Sometimes, not at all. Take any situation: a friend getting rejected or dumped, a parent's back pain, a professor's frustration with students handing assignments late, a coworker's stress and the list goes on; when we listen to them tell us their situation, we think we understand, but we don't, not past the surface.

Here's a typical scenario: someone tells us something that is bothering them. We listen and understand then suggest a solution to them. Soon enough, THEY are the ones that don't understand us. Why can't they do what I am telling them to fix the problem? The solution's right there!

It's taken me a while to figure out why this happens, it's not the other person, it's me: I don't understand what it means to understand. A part of me puts the blame on schools. Teachers have told me dozens of times over the years that "to be able to answer the question, you must understand it". Soon enough, that meant "to have the answer means I must have understood the question". Do you see the difference between the two statements? Look again, it's there.


To understand someone is to reach out to them in the same way they are reaching out to you. It's to dive into the pool of their troubles when they think they are alone. It's to figure out how they are feeling and trying to feel that. It's about becoming as vulnerable as they feel. Understanding should be hard because it's about voluntarily getting out of our comfort zones and stepping into someone else's world. It's not about what happened (the event), but how the other person experienced it. What did they see it as? What did it remind them of? How does it connect with who they are as a person? Note: not one of these questions is about the outcome, the solution or the next step.

We understand not only with our minds, but with our hearts and all our senses. We have to be willing to tear down the walls that separate us and make the other person feel alone. We have to be willing. Understanding is about courage and patience.

Understanding Change
I believe we can't change anyone in the slightest unless they want to. So, first, we must be willing to understand them and then we understand whether they want to change or not. If not, then trust me, understanding goes a long way towards helping the other person realize that they matter, they belong and that they are important.

But let's talk about change. Here's the DARN acronym that can help you spot "change talk". It helps you understand if the person is wanting / willing to change. In their words or actions, you may spot one or more of the following.

Desire (I want to, I wish, if only, etc)
Ability (I can, I could, etc)
Reason (I must, because, etc)
Need (I need to, etc)

These are signs that they want to change. Doesn't mean they will, but by trying to understanding why they want to change, we might be able to be more effective peers in their journeys.

So I ask do you understand?
Romil

"Let's Dance" A TV for 2 short film

"Let's Dance" a TV for 2 short film from John Alan Thompson on Vimeo.

Legendary Rivalry...

Those unfamiliar with the game of cricket please click the X mark on the right hand side of this window because I'm not going to teach you anything. Those familiar with the game you will know that cricket is a sport for the cool-minded, professional and tactical players. It is like the game of chess you are IN the game till the very end and because of the length of the game the frustration of each player grows as the game progresses.

Although, many are unfamiliar with the frustrations that are brought onto the field from political wars, wars between nations and rivalry from the moment a nation was created. Still confused? I'm talking about India-Pakistan. From the day Pakistan was declared its own nation there has been a war- a war that was about religion, land, power and now cricket.

Every time these two nations face-off on the cricket field there is a national holiday! Not because people are interested in the game, well some of us are, but because they want to see what this game will lead to! If the game is held in Pakistan, then all the Indian players fear for their lives and go there with the ULTIMATE security, and vice versa. It really gets intense when you have two nations who have fought a war over a piece of land and STILL haven't come to a conclusion. Some encourage brotherhood and try to calm the event down but honestly, Indian versus Pakistan is what cricket is all about.

A few stats to help you understand the history of cricket between the two nations...

India and Pakistan have faced each other in one day international games 120 times. Out of that Pakistan has won 69 times and India 47 times. The rest of the games had no results. In test match cricket (4 days matches) they have faced 59 times out of which Pakistan has won 12 times and Indian 9 times. The rest had gone for a draw. But do those stats mean anything when it comes to the super-important-mega-epic Cricket World Cup? Yes, they do. But every time Pakistan and India have faced off in a world cup semi-finals, India has won.

On March 30th, 2011, India had won AGAIN against Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup held in Mohali, India. This was one of the biggest games in cricketing history. It spread over 67.3 million TV's around the world and who knows how many people per TV. So that is definitely the biggest game of all time. Many big news papers had the game results on their front page and most readers had NO idea what the game was even about but after a few sentences in they would quickly realize it wasn't about the game but about the War.

That my friends is what being an Indian or Pakistani watching an India versus Pakistan game is all about.

Earth Hour 2011 in pictures

Click on this link to check out some of the pictures taken during Earth Hour 2011:http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwfcanada/sets/72157626083134896/

Enjoy :)

Earth Hour 2011

There is about an hour and half left before Earth Hour in Toronto, but if you are still on the fence about it, here is something that will help you make your decision:

http://lolsnaps.com/upload_pic/1537.jpg

Blueballs is a serious issue. Make sure you power off!

It's kind of a funny story...

Recently, Parita made me watch It's Kind of Funny Story... it took us a span of 3 weeks to actually watch the whole movie together (thanks to school) but now it's definitely added to my list of favourite movies.

It follows Craig (Keir Gilchrist... who I've developed a crush on after watching the movie), a teenager with suicidal thoughts. When these thoughts catch up on him, he visits a hospital for a quick fix of medication to help him overcome these thoughts, but instead ends up getting admitted to the psychiatric ward of the hospital for 5 day stay. The movie follows his stay at the ward and his interactions with the rest of the patients, in particular Bobby (Zach Galifianakis) and Noelle (Emma Roberts).

Bobby: "You're cool. You're smart. You're talented. You have a family that loves you. You know what I would do just to be you for just a day? I would, I would do so much. I would, I don't know, I'd just... I'd just live. Like it meant something."

The story proves to be an eye-opener.... Yeah, there are horrible things that happen in life and yeah, it sucks! But at the end of the day, there are things that we ignore and the things we take for granted. We often fail to look at the worst situations through a positive perspective and to use it as a learning experience. The one thing I fell in love with throughout the movie, other than how cute Keir Gilchrist's character and Solomon, was the friendship between Bobby and Craig and their moments together.

Bobby to Craig: "Babe, you can't live your life in fear. You're gonna end up like Muqtada, or worse - me."
Bobby: "That's the part where you go, 'Hey, Bobby, your life's not that bad.'"

I have a good feeling that the movie will leave a smile on many once they finish watching it. It may be a predictable ending but it's the moments in the movie that are worth waiting for and figuring out the reason as to why you're smiling at the end of the movie.

Craig: Okay, I know you're thinking, "What is this? Kid spends a few days in the hospital and all his problems are cured?" But I'm not. I know I'm not. I can tell this is just the beginning. I still need to face my homework, my school, my friends. My dad. But the difference between today and last Saturday is that for the first time in a while, I can look forward to the things I want to do in my life. Bike, eat, drink, talk. Ride the subway, read, read maps. Make maps, make art. Finish the Gates application. Tell my dad not to stress about it. Hug my mom. Kiss my little sister. Kiss my dad. Make out with Noelle. Make out with her more. Take her on a picnic. See a movie with her. See a movie with Aaron. Heck, see a movie with Nia. Have a party. Tell people my story. Volunteer at 3 North. Help people like Bobby. Like Muqtada. Like me. Draw more. Draw a person. Draw a naked person. Draw Noelle naked. Run, travel, swim, skip. Yeah, I know it's lame, but, whatever. Skip anyway. Breathe... Live.

Happy World Water Day!

A couple of weeks ago, Romil introduced me to Vlogbrothers on youtube, and I fell in love with them ever since. One of the brothers recently went to Haiti with water.org to answer a request by the citizens of a small town near Port au Prince and develop a well there. Through a comment on his video, I came across another brilliant organization called Earthship. They develop cheap, sustainable housing with environmentally friendly methods of acquiring electricity, clean water, food, and heating and cooling. Through this, they not only help out those in need with affordable necessities, but they decrease the dependence of less privileged individuals on aid from nations like the United States and Canada. In many cases (like in Haiti), the development of these homes also helps clear up the surrounding rubble. Please do check these organizations out. There is more than one way to help out, and Earthship also provides internship opportunities. Also, be sure to visit the Vlogbrothers, because I believe they are brilliant with regards to intelligence and heart. For all of you who aren't aware, they are the ones that started up Project for Awesome on youtube.

P.S.: Happy World Water Day!


http://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers
http://water.org/
http://earthship.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=710&Itemid=2
http://grassrootsunited.org/about

People, Places and Things

I spent much of my past week in Fredericton, New Brunswick on a work-related trip. It was filled with warm hearted people, beautiful places and thought-provoking things. At the end of the day, Fredericton isn't that different from Toronto, it's also filled with people, places and things but for some reason, I had more time to observe them, listen to them and learn from them.

Yesterday, Susan (a friend of mine from Fredericton) & I went to the airport a couple hours before my flight to drop off two participants from the conference we were at. A couple things you should know about Susan: she's an extremely kind, loving and intelligent woman and a couple things you should know about me: I study Economics and I like talking about it with people who don't study it more than people who do (I end up learning more). After dropping the participants off at the airport, on our way back to the car in the parking lot, Susan mentioned how often she comes to the airport. She wasn't kidding; when we were walking through the airport earlier, she had greeted pretty much the entire airport staff from the woman working at the cafeteria to the person working behind the Air Canada check-in counter.

That was Susan. She greets everyone with a smile and isn't afraid to get to know someone. I spent four days with her in her hometown and witnessed the incredible relationships she had built in her life. My economist brain started thinking and realized that the way our breed invests in stocks and bonds, she naturally invested in her relationships, all the time, every single day.The returns on her investments were evident.

Back to the airport conversation, she mentioned how the airport had recently installed an automated parking gate and had let go of the person working there. She said she missed him but more than that, she couldn't understand why did the airport let him go? Where does that job go? It hit me then: this was a conversation between two particular people (Susan and Romil) at a particular place (Fredericton airport) about a particular thing (automated parking gate) but when you think about it, these questions are asked worldwide everyday just by different people in different places about different things.

I gave her the answer my economics education gives me:

When the airport saves money on wages, they use it to for cheaper services, higher wages for other employees, or increase the profits of its shareholders. Someone somewhere ends up with more money in their pocket than before.  With this extra money, people buy things in other places which keeps the economy going. It's a giant cycling chain; we see only one side of it (the automated parking gate) but not the other side of the story.

She took a moment and said:

Well, that makes sense but when you know the person working behind the parking booth, it's more difficult. When you realize that a few months later, he still doesn't have a job, it's frustrating. There are only 350,000 people in this entire province [New Brunswick]. There simply aren't enough jobs to go around and when companies take these kind of jobs away which we know won't come back to the province, it's hard. We don't see the automated parking gate as progress, at all.

Of course, she was right. It made me think about all the little towns across the world that depend on these kinds of jobs. Yes, someone somewhere is saving money, but what about the person who lost the job? What about the relationships he had at his work with people like Susan? Yes, the giant cycling chain we call the economy will keep turning and keep us "progressing", but at what costs?

And I guess that's one of the things I learned this week: All peoples, places and things have a story to tell. Listen close before it's too late.

Conundrum

Many of us go to university or college and come out thinking we want to create change in the world. There are so many issues, so many opportunities, so many barriers. How do we know what to tackle? Everyone seems to need our help, but there's just one you. How do you know what to pursue?

Strombo is my Boyfriend

I was super-bummed out a while back when I found out that CBC's The Hour had been changed to George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight and been cut down to only a half an hour. The Hour was one of the most awesome shows on Canadian television and George usually had two phenomenal guests come on. Today's George episode was true to its roots. Although there was only one guest, it was incredibly brilliant. The guest tonight was Stephen Lewis. For those who don't know, Lewis is an ex-Ontario NDP leader and after he quit politics, he joined the World Food Program to combat hunger and UNICEF to combat AIDS. It was 30 minutes of pure unadulterated inspiration. Lewis spoke of the vicious cycle of how AIDS infliction in many African nations leads to a decrease in food production, leading to hunger, which in turn leads to lower absorption of antiretrovirals and a persistence of further AIDS prevalence. He recently collaborated with Knaan to encourage the House of Commons to legalize the production of generic drugs in Canada, which would make drugs much cheaper for those in need than how much they presently cost due to patent protection. The House voted overwhelmingly in their favour and now they're pushing to get the Senate's approval and have the legislation passed before the possible spring election. This was just a bit of what was discussed. If you would like to watch more of this or catch other amazing interviews, visit http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/videos.html

P.S.: With all the political turmoil in Africa and the Middle East and the natural disasters in places like Pakistan, Chile, New Zealand, and Japan- not to mention other nations and issues that slip under the radar- please try to do all you can to help out. Do make sure to do research on the charities first though if you choose to donate.Hope you're all well.

Growing Up

It's interesting to see how fast times change. Before you know it, you are all grown up and roles in life start to alter or completely switch. My friend and I were discussing how difficult it could be when you first realize you are no longer a child, you have many responsibilities and the decisions you make can make a great impact- maybe even globally.

As perplexing as that may be, it isn't all bad. This morning my mom came across an old sudoku book that had been lying around years and asked me the rules of the puzzle. I started off my day teaching my mom how to correctly fill in each of the empty boxes. It was almost as if I had a great skill that I was imparting upon her. Her eagerness to learn was incredibly endearing and transformed her into a curious little girl. She stumbled through it and found the task nearly impossible to do, but her determination caught me off guard. I couldn't help but think back to when I was little and she kindly and calmly instructed me on how to ride a bike. Before I knew it, she had finished her first puzzle and was beaming in the most modest way possible. Later on at night, she was teaching my grandpa how to do the sudoko and I thought: 'My baby girl's all grown up'.

Lol it was lame, I admit it, but I felt so happy for her and it was really interesting how for a portion of the day, the roles had switched. I guess growing up won't be too terrible...

Happy [Belated] Women's Day!

As most of you may know, yesterday was International Women's Day. Although I'm an hour late, I would like to take this time to acknowledge not only the achievements, but the immense importance of the women in our lives. It could be your mother or aunt who feeds you until your buttons are ready to pop, your grandmother who nurses you back to health with all sorts of gross yet seemingly miraculous traditional medicines, your sister who bails you out whenever you're in trouble, your friend who knows exactly what to say when you're down, or your daughter or niece whose single smile can not only brighten, but make your entire day. The women in our lives are so truly special and it is great to have a day where you can be thankful for their mere existence.

Those who know me can probably attest to the fact that I spend many a days at the mercy of my laziness. I was about to give up and surrender to the sweet siren call of sleep when I started listening to Lupe Fiasco's new song, Words I Never Said. Incidentally, Lupe's new album, Lasers, dropped yesterday as well so make sure to go buy it because this man is a lyrical genius. As I listened to the song, it hit me: "I can't take back the words I never said". If I didn't blog about this now, I never will.

Flashback to this morning. I visited the Women's Center on campus and this poster caught my eye.

For a while, I just stood there astonished. Under any other circumstances, 97.25% would be considered extremely high. Nearly perfect, even. Then you read the surrounding text and you ask yourself, 'Are they kidding me? No way can this poster be serious. It's not possibly that not everyone at UofT thinks rape is wrong. Everyone must know that if it's not consensual, it's not right?' Unfortunately, that is not the case. We attend university to get an education. To learn and prepare ourselves for the "real world". If 2.75% of us do not understand rape, what must the stats be like outside our sheltered little campuses?

Almost every female I know can recount a story of rape or some type of sexual abuse encounter or another. The unfortunate fact is that most women get abused by people they know and the majority of the cases do not get reported. This is the sad truth and something must be done about it. What better time than Women's Day (or Day After Women's Day, if you will) to start spreading awareness. No better day than today to start building a brighter, safer future for the next generation.

If you were affected, the important thing to remember is that you are beautiful and loved and one incident need not define you. You are important and no one can change that. Make sure to talk to someone about it. The following websites could be really helpful:

Kids Help Phone: http://org.kidshelpphone.ca/en
Assaulted Women's Helpline: http://www.awhl.org/

I'm sorry for the lengthy post; I promise to keep it short next time. Hope everyone is well!

Choices

My week of hell is over and I finally kicked up my feet to relax this weekend. And I got to catch up with a whole bunch of friends that I was neglecting because of school and of course, I finally found the time to add to the blog.

Adding to Romil's previous post at the bottom, I think it's important that we all realize how important we are and how much we matter - not to others - but to just ourselves. It's hard to realize how much we matter to ourselves when we focus on how much we matter to others. Recently, I realized that the key to feeling important is to make the choices in life that make you feel like you matter - the choice that makes you happy. I've been making choices that some might not approve but as long as I can still look at myself and be happy with who I am ... then who gives. The most important thing to feeling proud of you are is to be happy with you are... to be comfortable in your skin and your choices in life.

I think I can say that about most of my choices so far and it feels good. However, it's not so clear sometimes but I still keep making choices.

Mirror Mirror On The Wall

It's no secret. When we feel down, we tend to make more unhealthy choices. I think it has something to do with the way we view ourselves in the mirror. I remember, after a crazy night of bad choices I was at my family doctor's and he just couldn't understand why I indulged in the choices I did. He looked at me said:

The most important thing is to be able to get out of the shower, look at yourself in the mirror and say "I like me and I am proud of me." Try it once.

I thought about that and decided to try it the next day. Since that day 8 months ago, I have tried every single day. Some days, I stand there for minutes trying to figure out why. Other days, it's easy. Truthfully, other, other days I completely forget. The point is to keep trying I guess.

Today, I challenge you to take up his advice for one week...

The most important thing is to be able to get out of the shower, look at yourself in the mirror and say "I like me and I am proud of me." Try it once.

Today...

Today i woke up feeling stronger about myself. Nothing was going to stop me i kept saying, but honestly had no idea what i was going to do. I knew i wanted to do something. I wanted to put myself through something i wanted to experience something. But what? I had no idea. I checked the weather to see how it was outside, maybe i could go take some pictures? The weather was shitty. It was definitely going to rain and that made me so upset. But i looked outside and thought "its not raining right now... maybe i can just go somewhere close". So i packed my uncle's camera, since mine isn't working, and headed out took some pictures faced some problems but right then i knew THAT is the reason i am stronger today. I was able to take the pictures head back home and thanks to nature, who supported me all the way, it started raining as soon as i got home. :) These are the kinds of days i look forward to and these are the kinds of days i will work towards.

Don't stop surprising yourself. If you think you're capable of something, do even more. Prove yourself wrong! ah... pretty pumped! maybe ill post some music haha! check it out in eargasm.

Gifty Singh - Let It Go (Visual Poetry)

One of my greatest joys is to watch my friends grow, create and express themselves. Almost everybody that knows me knows Gifty Singh is one of my best friends. I've also had the pleasure of working with him on his music passion, and now a developing career.

This is a creative video for a song called "Let It Go". It is such a great feeling to see that he is finally getting the resources and talented people behind him to help realize his dreams.

This post isn't a promotion of his work as much as an expression of my gratitude and pleasure of having him as a friend.

Romil

Dear Stalkers

Why is it that every girl, or mostly every girl that I have befriended or encountered has had an awkward stalker story to tell?

Even the most, how do I say this in a nice way --the most irritating, repulsive and uncanny kind of girls have had stalkers. But one stalker doesn't seem to suffice for these kind of girls because they usually end up having two or more.

I would like to share stories in which creepy guys give me random mix CDs, follow me around in their personalized licensed plate car, ask my parents for my hand in marriage/propose to me on facebook or just shower me with presents.

I just want a "stalker" for the purpose of entertaining my friends mostly, because lately that's what my life's purpose has been ...to keep my friends entertained and laughing.

So, here's my memo to anyone out there.

Dear Stalker,

Am I some kind of a stalker repellent? Just what is it?

Please let me have those disturbing memories and stories to share.

Yours truly.

The Perfect Recipe

Warning: This post may contain traces of cheese.

There are so many instances in life when the reigns seem to be slipping away and the walls begin to crumble and things appear as if they're bursting from the seems. We feel so helpless and vulnerable when things spiral out of our control and all we can do is curl up into a depressed little ball and lay on your bed, staring listlessly at the wall. How do you get out of this black hole of terror? It is important to remember that you are important and you do matter in this world of nearly seven billion people. Everyone has their insecurities and everyone has their weaknesses. Everyone most definitely has had their fair share of heartaches and disappointments.

My three time-tested fool-proof ingredients in the recipe for overcoming this are:

1. Friends
2. Music
3. A nice big calorie-filled slice of cake (although, following it up with some exercise wouldn't hurt- trust me, your behind will thank you after you have sobered up)

I find that everyone needs at least one solid pillar of a friend that they could count on to talk things through. Impossible issues suddenly morph into simple barriers and the end of the world turns out to be just a simple challenge. Music can almost never do any wrong. There is something for every occasion, and there is nothing quite like the feeling of finding a song that perfectly fits your mood and state. It's comforting to hear someone singing about exactly what you are going through or to be sent into a sweet trance to help you escape your miseries for just a while. And then there is cake. Really..need I explain? I warned of cheese earlier on, and although I haven't listed it in the recipe, some cheese can never hurt. 

So here's to a beautiful happy journey. 

How to overcome laziness for dummies

The title says it all but I must admit I had a hard time getting myself to start writing this post... I got so lazy. For some reason, most of the people I befriend end up being just as lazy as me so there's never really a motivation for me to try. This is my attempt to overcome laziness ...

1. Do the opposite of what you don't feel like doing but should be doing (if that made any sense) - If you don't feel like reading, read. If you don't feel like exercising, then exercise.

2. Start doing things when you think of them - If you have to pay the VISA bill by the night, do it right away rather than putting it off for the night. You might just forget... that's from experience.

3. Do a little at a time - there's no need to finish a whole 10 page essay in 3 hours (unless you're like me and it's due in the next 3 hours) Try to start early and do a little at a time.

4. Motivation/Rewards - this would have to be the only reason anyone would do work (at least in my understanding) Keep reminding yourself why you need to do what you're doing. Why is it so important to finish it...Once you find the reason, use it as a motivation factor. If motivation doesn't work, try rewarding yourself. Maybe if you finished your studying on time, you could watch an episode of your favourite tv show to reward yourself :)

And oh yeah, learn to feel guilty. If you don't finish something and you feel guilty about it... maybe that will force you to work hard next time.

Little things that cheer me up...

Dance sessions in front of the mirror followed by a late night cold shower with music :)

Friends & Quotes

I'll share two today because they've been on my mind recently.

On one of my dozen GO bus trips this week, I came across a bus driver having placed a whiteboard beside his ticket booth. On the white board he had handwritten the quote 

"Friendship is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." -Aristotle

More than the quote I enjoyed the idea of my bus driver wanting to share something with me and others. It helped remind me that every single one of us has something to share. Sometimes we ask them and keep up with their lives, sometimes we are too busy to. I sat beside him and we talked the whole ride. His name was John, he likes dancing and got divorced on his birthday. He was as full of laughter, sadness, strengths, weaknesses and life as me.

The other quote if from one of my greatest friends who always has challenged me. He likes to say:

Real friends are willing to risk their friendships.

Think about it.

Cheers,
Romil

My anthem

Good morning! I'll keep this short because I promised myself that I'll actually be doing work today. Recently, I've been trying to find myself a new path to walk on and figure out the right thing to do. Actually scratch that, I know what the right thing to do is but like everyone says, right thing always ends up being the hardest thing to do. I've been using music as my distraction for the past few weeks and its been working so far but my ipod seems to be stuck on this particular song for the last few days. I thought I'd share it. One of my favourites of all times.

Good Morning

Most people would agree that there is not much in the world that is better than waking up at noon on a lazy Saturday morning (er...afternoon?). The whipped cream on this delicious coffee would have to be if you're waking up to the perfect soundtrack heralding in your day. I have added a few of my favourite songs to wake up to over to the right. Enjoy!

Waking Up- One Republic
Good Morning- John Legend
Bubbly- Colbie Caillat

Cake Wrecks

So I had one of those days where you wake up thinking how today's the day when you'll get crackin' but now it's past midnight and I have a 5 lines down on my report. I don't even know what I did the whole day... overall, it was a good day. Anyhow, I came across this blog recently and I love it! I guess I kind of know what I did the whole day :) Check it out: http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

I have a good feeling about tomorrow. A lot will get done!

Let the bass kick..!

Start off with a bang? why here you go!