Dhi Youth Movement Youth for Youth, to empower and to lead
AG
D H I Y O U T H M A G A Z I N E
DECEMBER 2013 & JANUARY 2014 ISSUE #08
Dhi Youth Movement Youth for Youth, to empower and to lead
DYM core group at t
he 0th Anniversary p
hoto shoot
Dhi Youth Movement began in early 2012 as a small initiative by a few young inspired individuals in Male', with the vision to bring a positive change to society by empowering young people to actively contribute to society. Our group, with a strong following on Facebook, was used to mobilize volunteers for a flash freeze on 29th March 2012 and since then there has been no turning back. We officially got registered as an NGO on 12th of December 2012 as Dhivehi Youth Movement under the Associations and Societies Act of the Maldives (Act No. 1/2003). Any and all Maldivians between the age of 16 and 27 are welcome to join DYM. And everyone's ideas and thoughts are welcome and appreciated.
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a letter from the
deputy editor Dearest reader, I trust you are in good health. It has been quite the experience hasn't it? 2013 has drawn to a close and we are basking in the dawn of 2014, it marks a little more than 9 months since our first journey. Now without further ado, I warmly welcome you to this month’s super special double issue of DYMag! This issue we have an amazing ensemble cast bringing to you the stories of their trade, a page from their lives and the issues that affect us all which they hold close. Moreover, we let you choose who will be on this issue's cover from a wide selection of notable youth whose contributions society has recognized, all of them nothing short of inspirational. The amount of support we have received has been overwhelming. My sincerest gratitude to all of you that have been with us so far. We welcome change and are open to any suggestions from your end and know that you will be given the chance; just let us know. Believe it or not, the future is always young and full of promise. Some of the topics we have highlighted in this issue includes the return of the popular Election Fever II (this time, with a vengeance!) as well as an interview with a rather mysterious cover person, whose identity I will not reveal here for the purposes of mystery, and the movie review we’ve all been expecting but not entirely sure of till you glanced at the content page. Moreover, you shall find a statement from the United Nation’s Secretary General regarding AIDS Day which is nothing short of an interesting read as well as a smart and thought-provoking article on the subject of feminism. Not to mention, the fashion shoots such as “An Office Tale” which will showcase some of the more fashionable choices for the modern man. Finally, a personal statement from yours truly: Do not forget those qualities of humanity, of hospitality, of kindly humor which belonged to an older day. The values which defined a happier time. A simpler time. A time mostly associated with top hats and canes, but that is beside the point. DYMag aims to create a platform to nourish and encourage new and enthusiastic ideas, and in the process, to resurrect these qualities from wherever it lays rest, but a lone effort will be futile. We will need to work together for the betterment of this pessimistic society afraid to dream for a brighter tomorrow. And together we can make the difference. Hassan
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TheDYM @sifrsabr
@shahaaa
f b. c o m / i m y. 1 1 7
Sifr
SHAHA
IMY
Editor-in-Chief
CONTENT DIRECTOR
DESIGN DIRECTOR
Sifr is simultaneously rude, charming and arrogant. His only redeeming quality is that he is proficient. Relentless in his pursuit of knowledge and impartial truth. Self professedly classy & stylish. Unapologetically sapiosexual, he enjoys the company of bright and attractive young ladies. He is a basketball player, a stargazer, a gym rack, a philosopher, a librocubicularist but most of all a philomath & mind of science.
Shaha is a free spirit who enjoys classic literature, tea with lots of milk, good books and lots of sunshine. She dreams of huge closets and making a mark in the world. She believes in mismatching socks, breaking stereotypes and handwritten letters.
Imy is just a dreaming, believing, photographing, graphic designing, video gaming, good food consuming, tv series watching, constantly ranting everyday teenager. Loves his friends and making new ones. Often dreams of traveling the world someday due to suffering from a terminal case of wanderlust.
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AGTeam @lulumoosa
@shaaaarkie
HASSAN
LUNA
SHARKY
DEPUTY EDITOR
MARKETING DIRECTOR
DEPUTY DESIGN DIRECTOR
Hassan is a free soul, who writes as a means of escape from the dull beats of life to his melodic, jazzy imagination. Slave to his own impulses, he cannot help but do whatever he thinks will maximize the most amusement out of any situation he is put in, for example; having to write this biography. As such, he has nothing in particular to say in this sentence, but feels the need to add it so that it satisfies the length criteria. Sarcasm is his knee-jerk reaction to stupid.
Loona is a very simple girl with a big dream to be a change-maker. She is very patriotic and loves volunteering. She also loves to travel and meet other young people like her. She loves a good workout session at gym and is also a netball player. Her ambition as of now is to be a diplomat. She has always had a passion towards journalism and wishes to pursue this as a part time career in the future.
Sharky is a self-trained mythical beast who is said to be able to spew surprising amounts of creative works of art from either end of the body. Sharky lives in a world filled with chaos, and likes to isolate itself from society from time to time, taking that moment to draw, listen to music, read books, eat food, or just relax under a shady tree somewhere on a Hawaiian beach.
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TheCONTR NAF NAANU
Model
Writer @ixmaelnaail
SARVY
Model @sarvyshibau
FUREEKU Writer
MUNZIR
Poet @ixmaelnaail
NAAL
Writer @naalish
THIHNAN Writer
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RIBUTORS TOBY
Photographer monkeygraphy
MADHID NADHU
Writer @nadwa308
Writer @marty_mahid
AFANEEN Writer
PRIZNER THYMA
Writer
Writer @Thymiihisham
ABO
Writer @aborushied
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Inside theIssue 7
Regulars 02 03 05 08 11
Letter from the Deputy Editor The DYM Team The Contributors Calendar Editors Choice
Fashion & Beauty
15 Lookbook - An Office Tale 27 Alice in Wonderland 35 Nails with Naal - Minion Nails
Spots
Fallen Women You Deserve a Smile A Year in Statuses Self Criticism AIDS Statement
Specials
39 Interview with Aseel 45 Art Attack - Moomin
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Entertainment
Living
13 Movie Review - Catching Fire
Column
53 Infirmities in Life - Mystery of AIDS 55 A Life of Wonder - A tale of Two Planets 57 Bloodwritings - Slither
60 Health - Why you should swim 61 Dating - Welcome Invitation
Misc
63 Poem - The Seas I Would Cross 65 Random - The Great Nano Tale
p h o t o b y : i m 8y
Calendar 9
DECEMBER 2013 01st World AIDS Day 03rd International Day of Persons with Disabilities 05th International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Devolopment 07th International Civil Aviation Day 09th International Anti-Corruption Day 10th Human Rights Day 12th International Day of Heavy Metal 14th Sam’s Birthday! 18th International Migrants Day 21st Zueshan’s Birthday! 25th Faraa’s Birthday! 26th Unity Day Navin’s Birthday! 30th Sharky & Dan’s Birthday! 31st New Year’s Eve
JANUARY 2014 01st New Year’s Day 04th World Braille Day 13th Prophet’s Eid Milad 20th World Penguin Awareness Day 25th Shamma’s Birthday Mh’s Birthday 26th International Customs Day 30th Mahin’s Birthday 31st Street Children’s Day p h o t o b y : i m 10 y
Editor’s
Read worthy articles
2013 Smartwatch Comparison Guide Will Shanklin | Gizmag
The War Against Children Janine di Giovanni | Newsweek
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s Choice
s from around the web
Hope still for ‘dead’ Comet Ison Jonathan Amos | BBC News
How Shadowy Groups Manipulate Internet Opinion and Debate Alcyone | Conscious Life News
Here’s My Plan to Improve Our World - And How You Can Help Bill Gates | Wired.com
The Magic Number: Bitcoin Prices Top $1,000 Cade Metz | Wired.com
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MOVIE REVIEW by Abo
The Hunger Games
CATCHING FIRE Director Francis Lawrence Cast Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Herrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Philip Seymour Homan, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland
image hdwallpapers.in
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Most sequels are generally assumed to not work well in Hollywood, especially if its predecessor was a critical success. e follow up to the rst movie oen ends up falling short to the standards set by the rst lm. In the case of e Hunger Games franchise, the rst adaption was vastly successful, both critically and commercially. And as a sequel based on a more layered, complicated novel than the rst one, e Hunger Games: Catching Fire was bound to fail; except this speed-rap of a dazzling movie never does. Director Francis Lawrence stepped into the shoes formerly lled by Gary Ross, director of the rst movie, and ups the game in ways that Ross’s shaky camera lenses never even attempted to do. e story picks up shortly aer the events of the rst movie’s ending (so do not watch it without watching the rst lm), where Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is preparing to embark on the nation-wide Victory Tour with her fellow victor of the 74th Hunger Games, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). Katniss is ordered to show the districts of the country that the love she showed for Peeta in the Games arena was genuine and that her antics to get out alive from the Games was not a de ance of the Capitol, ruled over by President Snow (played by an evil dripping, ferocious Donald Sutherland). Along the way, Katniss senses the smoke of a rebellion about to explode in the districts. As she fails to convince the president of her love for Peeta, she’s torn between eeing to save herself from her impending death or staying back to ght when, in a maddening turn of events, she’s pulled back into the 75th Hunger Games, to again ght to death on live TV. Only this time her competitors wouldn’t be terri ed teens, but experienced killers who were winners of previous editions of the Games.
e lm is always a mesmerizing catalogue of stunning visuals, whether it is a train ride through the poverty-stricken districts, or the far-stretched, shimmering beauty of the Capitol or the Hawaii-based, CGI-generated wonders of the arena. Cinematography is of top class, and so is sound and editing. For guys, there’s top-notch choreographed action, and for girls, plenty of high fashion. But none of it would have worked if not for the incredible ensemble of actors, led by the awe-inspiring, vulnerable but erce performance of Jennifer Lawrence. She’s not in the role to act as Katniss Everdeen, she is Katniss Everdeen literally, conveying the loneliness of her tortured soul with her expressions more than her lines. In the oen technology generated post-apocalyptic world of Panem, Jennifer Lawrence lets you nd the beating heart in the story. Liam Hemsworth, playing Gale (Katniss’s long-time friend and potential love interest) gets more screen time than he did in the rst movie, but still not long enough to make a lasting impression like that of Josh Hutcherson as Peeta. In his rst truly mature performance, Hutcherson brings out the Peeta that the female army of fans of the book always wanted. Both Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks, returning as Haymitch and Effie respectively, bring much needed humor to the movie, but also impress in the brief times that their humanness beneath is showcased. And my, Stanley Tucci is just electric in his portrayal of Caesar Flickerman, the grand host of the Capitol’s TV events. As the movie circles itself through the districts and onto the Games, we get to meet the new cast: Sam Cla in, as the designated pretty boy Finnick Odaire from District 4, covers up for what few fans of the book thought he lack in his physical appearance, with his genuine onscreen charm. He’s such a natural irt at rst, but shows wounded
depths when confronted with the horrors of the arena. Johanna Mason is brought to life by the no-bullshit, kickass performance of Jena Malone, and Jeffery Wright brings justice to the tech-freak Beetee with a weird but understated performance. But best of the newbies is de nitely Philip Seymour Hoffman, playing the head game maker Plutarch Heavensbee, with a wit and aura of mystery that I did not imagine in the book. But in spite of all this, the true kudos really goes to Francis Lawrence, the director. is is partly for his ability to bring the best out of his actors, and partly for his creative vision, but mostly because he steered the movie towards themes of political con ict, celebrity exploitation and effects of war on people. When the story could easily have become another cheesy teen romantic triangle story, he made it darker and more complex than what might have been expected of the PG-13 rating, But the romance is still there. But Katniss doesn’t choose who to kiss or love more by who’s hotter or who she loves more. She’s a teenage girl stuck in the middle of a ringing death alarm, with too many people to save from the impending doom. And in Jennifer Lawrence you see a Katniss who is a true hero for our time; no witchcra and wizardry spells, no werewolf fangs, no vampire speed or strength and no alien powers. Lawrence portrays the reluctant, terri ed human avenger to issues that reverberate within our present society with a relatable and startling depth. In the story, without Katniss Everdeen, there is no revolution. Likewise, without Jennifer Lawrence, there is no Hunger Games movie franchise. Yes, she’s that good.
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An Office Tale 15
A day at oďŹƒce requires something formal yet breathable and stylish! Shirts in solid colours and form tted trousers with matching ties are a must for guys while the ladies have more options including blouses and shirts. Have fun with accessories but keep the look polished and professional. A little bit of colour goes a long way to making you the most stylish at your work environment.
Models: Sarvy, Hoodh and Naf Photography: Toby Styling: Shaha Make - up: Nadhu Location: Trader’s Hotel 16
Shirts, Trousers, Tie: Kinan
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Shirts, Trousers, Tie: Kinan
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Blouse: Grace Necklace and Watch: Iris Shoes: Finesse 21
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Shirt: Kinan
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Blouse and watch: Iris Shoes: Finesse
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Alice in Wonderland Here is our take on Alice in Wonderland! î ˘is was photoshoot done in collaboration with Leykoka Looks! Make up of each look was created by the amazing Rizna Ahmed/Makeup Artist from Leykoka Looks Training Classes & Salon and the hijabs and gowns were by us (Shumsie’s Bridal Hijabs)! Photography was by Ishan and his amazing team from Portrait Album ! We all worked on the props and tried to stick to the actual story as much as we could. A very big thank you out to all the lovely people who helped us throughout the shoot!
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Nails with naal
Minion Nails!
Base coat Top coat Blue nail polish Black nail polish yellow nail polish White nail polish in paint brush
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Instructions! 1. Paint a clear base coat on all your nails. Let it dry 2. Begin with a bright yellow nail polish. Coat it twice for a nice even look. Let it sit and dry for a couple of minutes. 3. en do the outline of the dungarees the minions wear. Doesn't have to be perfect (yet). 4. Color inside it with blue. en perfect those outlines. 5. To nish up the dungaree, draw little rectangular shapes to make the pockets, a little dot for a button. I use my nail artist nail polish and brush for this ne lining. But a normal thin paint brush would do the job just ne.
6. Moving on to nish those cute little faces, rst draw a black line all the way through as shown on the ring nger, then make nice round dots in black to make the frames of their goggles, smaller round dots in white for the eyes, and a little black dot just inside for the pupils. Hint 1: To make the dots you can either use a dotting tool or the back end of your paint brush will also do the trick as long as it is round. Use the different sizes of brushes or push in when u color more or less according to the size of the circle you want (I used this technique).
8. Finish with a nice top coat once your minions are completely dry. You don't want to smudge all your hard work. is will give it a nice glossy look Hint 2: If its hard for you to do all this on your right hand since you are right handed, Do something like I have done here. You can use the same dotting method described in hint 1. Hope you enjoy your minion nails for some fun and bright summery colors. Cheers!
7. en move on to making the mouths, make them all slightly different for variation. You can also give some of your minions little strands of hair if you like.
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@dhiyouth d h i y o u t h m o v e m e n t. b l o g s p o t. c o m dhiyouthmovement dhiyouthmovement@gmail.com
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Aseel 39
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Tell us a little bit about yourself, Aseel. I'm a Maldivian by birth, a proud citizen by choice and a patriot at heart. I call home to the beautiful island nation of Maldives where I am a potential environmental refugee along with the rest of the population. I'm a lawyer, a tea a cionado and a news fanatic. How did you come to be a lawyer? My grandmother wants all of her children and grandchildren to be doctors. ere are a handful of doctors in the family, all thanks to her. So even in my early teens, I wanted to be a doctor; a neurosurgeon at that! But, as I grew up I developed a passion for public speaking and writing. During my school life in Male', I represented Maldives and secured wining positions in several international orator y and essay writing competitions. Somewhere along the way it occurred to me that the logical move would be to build up on these strengths. at's when I decided to study Law. 3) What do you like the most about working in this eld? e thrill of litigation. ose nal minutes when you're rehearsing your arguments just before the judge walks in to the courtroom. e pressure during proceedings, when you're sitting a few feet from opposing counsel. e adrenaline rush of facing a judge who may ask you any question at any time. From all nighters working on bundles of papers and thick les to nally buttoning up your suit in court and
making your case. It's the tactics, the strategies and the game plan. It's my favorite sport. What, in your opinion, are the most pressing issues facing the youth of Maldives today? We are struggling to nd our identity. To belong. A lot of Maldivian youth today are neither here nor there; they are at a perpetual state of just existing. ere's plenty of blame to go around, from failed politics to family planning. But I think the most important thing is for us to have the audacity to point the nger at ourselves. To refuse to be de ned by the money we waste at 'coffee's' and the time we waste on social apps. Everybody is driven by s om e t h i n g . F i n d w h at y ou r passions are. Figure out what you're good at and nd a way to use it to keep moving forward. Tr u e , o u r l e a d e r s o w e a responsibility to the youth. But the youth have a bigger responsibility; owed to the future of the nation. What was your childhood like? Happy. I grew up in a lovely household with many cousins, aunts and uncles. e entire extended family grew up together. My childhood shaped me in to who I am today. Growing up, I remember CNN or BBC always being on the TV and this probably explains why I still can't start the day or go to sleep without watching the news! Even when I was much younger, I used to spend a lot of time at school. So a big part of my childhood includes memories
made at school. From the concerts and sports meets, to the jalsas and competitions. Describe a day which you will never forget. e day I won at the nals of a Climate Change debate held in Delhi by UNDP, SAARC and Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. I didn't think I'd win. ere were teams representing millions of students from their respective countriesand they were excellent debaters. I remember sitting at the venue feeling satis ed that I made it to the nals. en they announced the winner. I remember hearing my name, but it didn't register in my mind until they said “..from Maldives”. I can't explain how happy I was to have won something for the country. is year the Government recognized this and honored me with the “Raajje Ah Reethi Nan Hoadhadhey Faraaiythakah Raeesul Jumhooriyya Dhehvaa Haassa Inaam”. What is your favorite pass time? I really value peace and quiet, especially aer a tiring day at work. As a student in KL and later in Oxford, I used to enjoy going out to little cafés and bistros alone to have tea. Sometimes I go to movies just by myself. I also enjoy spending hours sitting in front of the TV watching the news with a good cup of Darjeeling. Other than that, I spend a lot of quality time with close friends over Shisha sessions. ...
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... Is there someone special in your life right now? If so, how did you meet? Can I use my constitutional right to remain silent? Hehe. Yes, there is. We met at the gym actually, she's a trainer. I walked up to her and asked her whether she was using the treadmill. She smiled and shook her head. Aer that, we kept spotting each other at random places and it was a while before we actually started talking. I remember one day, I happened to be downstairs when she came to the gym. She walked up to me and said "Are you waiting for me?". She took me by surprise! I smiled and thought to myself, "Yes, for far too long now". Overdressed or underdressed? A balance between the former and the latter. It's all in the ne details. 10) A day at the beach or a garden picnic? A day at the beach, with the salt in your hair and sand between your toes. Calming. Imagine you were stranded on a remote location, what are the 3 things that you would take with you? Phone, portable battery pack and a sim card with excellent network coverage. You might think that I'd use it to call for help. Au contraire! I'd just like to be able to keep tweeting about my experience ;) Who inspires you the most? People inspire me. People inspire me every day, to do better and to be better. ere's a man who stages a silent protest near Velaanaage every
week about the rights of persons with disabilities; he inspires me to stand up for what I believe in. ere's an old gentleman who sits at a bench at Jumhooree Maidhaan to sell perfumes and fragrances; he inspires me to work hard. ere's a lady who I have the pleasure of working with who has served the government for over 27 years, she knows things only experience can teach, she inspires me to work with dedication. e young and energetic team of Dhi Youth Movement run their own NGO, publishes their own magazine and celebrates a day of random acts of kindness; they inspire me to give back to society and to do my bit to make the country better. So yes, people inspire me.
Who's your favorite band? ere's so much to choose from. I get a lot of paperwork done while listening to Drake and Macklemore. I listen to B en Howard, Bon Iver, Passanger and Ed Sheeran quite oen as well. If I absolutely had to chose, I'd have to go with our local legends “Zero Degree Atoll”. What would describe was the best experience of your life? e time I spent in England. You learn a lot about yourself when you live alone. I put myself in a very productive routine that involved studying, cooking, cleaning, working out and so many other things. I remember in winter, when everyone else was warm and cozy indoors, I would put on a few layers, wear gloves and just go for a stroll while online streaming the local radio from Maldives. I was also able to expand my taste for tea and meet
so many people who inspired me in so many different ways. Probably shouldn't forget my visit to one of the locations where Harry Potter was lmed! Yes, I'll always be a 'Potterhead'! Is there anything you regret not doing? Not especially. e only thing w o r s e t h a n n o t k n ow i n g i s wondering what could have been so we should always try to live without regrets. Do what you love. Do what you need to do, even if it is difficult and especially if it is a challenge. What is your message to the Maldivian youth? We shouldn't expect anyone to do us any favors, be it the government or family. Everyone is good at something; nd out what you are good at. en nd a way to make a life and a name while you're doing that. So get inspired, work hard and give back to society. Don't let our peers and leaders underestimate our potential. Misinformation or no information at all? No information at all. You'd be in the dark in both circumstances; but at least with the latter you can prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Eleven or Onety One? Eleven. We need not x what's not broken.
Plant or Cat? at's a tough one. For the sake of some very important people in my life who are very fond of cats, I'm going to go with the latter. 44
Featuring Moomin, the mysterious human with hidden talent. Interest & hobby: sketching, playing guitar, reading manga & a big fan of anime. Follow him on instagram: moomin04 45
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Fallen Women
The Inevitable Downfall of an Unconventional Woman by Thyma
A study into the works of famous literary ď€ gures such as Kate Chopin (The Awakening), Gustav Flaubert (Madame Bovary) and Leo Tolstoy (Anna Karenina).
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e main focus of this study is to analyze the downfall of Emma B ovar y (Madame Bovary), Edna Pontellier (e Awakening) and Anna Karenina (Anna Karenina) who are all inevitably destroyed whilst attempting to be self-developed and sexually ful lled. “Virtue would be rewarded and wrongdoers are suitably punished” was the main style of a Victorian novel, which is why the acts of these women are de eme d “at ro cious” and “immoral”. e nineteenth century women were expected to devote themselves to being a mother and a wife and society condemned people, especially women, who go against their convictions. “is situation provided them with only two options; living as the society prearranged them or choosing to be free of this oppression.” Even though these novels are set in different domains, France, America and Russia, and the social and historical context are different, the main turning point, “adultery”, of their downfall and the inevitable conclusion of “suicide” are similar. In this study, we will be attempting to understand the downfall of these women and how suicide plays an important role in each one of their deaths. Madam Bovary, published in 1857 as a book form, is about a young woman who is dissatis ed by her marriage. Emma Bovary had always envisioned her married life to be like the fanciful romantic stories that she read in her youth such as “Paul et Virginia”, a novel by Bernardin de saint Pierre and according to Chadwick it was highly “sentimental and saccharine sweet”. When she realized that “the words bliss, passion, ecstasy that had seemed to her so beautiful in books” (p.23) was not her feelings towards her husband, she attempted to nd self-ful llment using adultery with Rodolphe and Leon but both of these extra marital affairs are short lived. Emma’s “failure in marital and extramarital love affairs causes Emma to disrespect the institution of marriage and relationship” and she is constantly facing disappointment. “…but one day, sooner or later, this passion of ours would inevitably begin to cool, for such is the fate of all this human.” (p.180) this statement seemed to be proven true in all of
Emma’s relationships throughout the novel. Emma also buys herself and her lovers’ luxurious goods in an attempt to ful ll her desires to become an upper-class woman and eventually indebted herself so badly that she almost prostitutes herself to Rodolphe for the money. Flaubert seems to mock his female character by giving her what she wants but “he does not allow Emma to enjoy those happinesses for a long time, Emma has to feel the despair and disappointment again.” e Awakening, rst published in 1899, depicts a rebellious woman who opposes American customs and gender roles. Edna Pontellier nds that she is tired of devoting herself to marital life and family. Her husband regards her as a valuable possession in his collection and not an individual human being. “In short, Mrs.Pontellier was beginning to realize her position in the universe as a human being and to recognize her relations as an individual to the world within and about her.”(p.25) is leads Edna to realize that she deserves something more out of life than being a mother and a wife. During this era, it was almost blasphemous to consider otherwise and the sole duty of a woman is that of “an Angel in the House”, however she feels that this is binding. She starts by refusing her husband’s command, this is signi cant because these incidents although trivial “emphasizes the unequal power distribution between the contemporary husband and wife”. In addition to Edna defying her husband, she develops a close relationship to Robert Lebrun, a younger and single man whose mother owns the resort they are vacationing in. Edna and Robert spend time together and she develops feeling for Robert. She engages in relationships with Robert and Alcee Arobin, and just like in Madame Bovary, these relationships are short lived and heavily criticized. “Why do you love him when you ought not to?” (p.155). Furthermore, Edna’s discomfort in the Creole society leads her to be unhappy about her position in society. All of these lead to Edna trying to escape from these restrictions in life and the ways in which she try to escape depicts her as a “rebel”.
Anna Karenina also shares the similar fates of the above mentioned books. Published in 1977, writer Leo Tolstoy portrays Anna as another “fallen woman” and much like Emma Bovary and Edna Pontellier, Anna Karenina feels trapped in her marriage as well. Anna Karenina rushes to the aid of her brother, who was caught cheating by his wife Dolly, and brought about reconciliation between the two of them. She meets Vronsky, a dashing military man who was already engaging the attentions of her niece Kitty. Vronsky falls in love with Anna and engages in mild irtation. At rst, she refuses to be part in it and then succumbs to him. “Under Vronsky’s bold advances, she slowly begins to consider the pursuit of her own happiness.” Anna’s husband, Karenin, a highly unsympathetic gure in the novel, had a primary goal and his primary “goal consists of safeguarding my reputation” by maintaining the “external status quo” (p.281, 282). is was during the earlier stages of their relationship. is was the attitude of the Russian urban society. “…For while retaining a thin veil of morality, Russian urban society of the nineteenth century accepted, if not condoned, affairs if they were conducted discreetly” and Anna was expected to carry a discreet affair with Vronsky whilst maintaining her marriage to Karenin. However, she rejects the social convention and embraces her love for Vronsky. e double standard throughout the novel is that Stiva, Anna’s brother, conducts numerous affairs throughout and the society accepts it and forgives this as it is part of nature, however when Anna leaves Karenin f o r Vr o n s k y, s h e i s a s o c i a l l e p e r. Furthermore, Vronsky’s “liaison with Anna, which had made so much noise and attracted general attention, had lent him new brilliance” (p.306). Anna feels trapped and her only connection to the social world is through Vronsky. She becomes bitter and jealous and this leads to her inevitable downfall. ....
(To Be Continued)
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by Prziner You and I. WE. We all want to be strong. Real strong. Like a rock. We all want to be unbre a kable. Indiss oluble. Fir m. Shatterproof. We don’t want to get hurt. Sometimes we hope to be numb. We wish to be immune to feelings. at we could open up the chest and take away the pain. at we could block the memories which haunt us. But how many of us really want to be numb? How many of us really want to block the feelings? Honestly, we don’t. We are just scared little human beings. We think we could be independent. We could be mavericks. We tend to close our doors to people; to protect our own self. We take comfort inside closed boxes; in fear of rejection and pain. We put things off. We keep our shield held up strong; in defense of any harm. Actually we are doing no good that way. Absolutely no good. Not to commit a mistake, being over protected isn’t good. No, it isn’t. Independent is good. But at the end of the day, we yearn to be with someone. We long to have a person around. And that’s not bad all. We are a team, we were made to be with people. Not alone. Having someone is good. Having people around you is better.
What is happiness if you have no one to share it with? What is the use of the wealth if you don’t have a soul with you? We hide because we don’t want is to get hurt. We hide because the pain of falling apart is unbearable. But we forget to realize, we fail to understand that together with protecting us from the dark spots hiding blocks the road of our happiness. We block it all. It stops your smiles. It chases away your joy. Its leaves you with numbness!! Life is not easy and if it was it would be boring. Obstacles, Challenges, Hurdles, Traumas are scary. Very scary. But we have it in us, to face it. It’s a choice. A very hard yet simple choice. Answer to many things. Answer to your life. All you need to have is a little courage and a ray of hope. Don’t let the hardship get you, make it a reason for your growth. You fail, that’s okay. Again you fail and that’s okay too. What isn’t okay is you dropping out. You isolating. What isn’t okay is you been down. Don’t ever let a failure de ne you. Today you failed, you drop out and you will be remembered as the failure. But if you muster up the courage and try, try and try until you get what you want then
you will be remembered for your bravery. It’s all about how you perceive things. Make a decision. Today. Make a choice, right now! Make a vow to yourself that you would never let injustice happen to your own soul. You would never make your soul feel like a coward. Yes! It’s in your hand. In your very hand the path to choose. Keep your head up, chest out and wear a con dent face. Step out. Maybe you are dying inside, because of anxiety, you are so scared, nervous. But never let it show in your face and the path will fall into the way you want. Pat yourself and say you are a princess, and you will walk like one. Lie down and say to yourself you are a loser, you will be a big loser. Believe me, it’s just you. It’s on your head. It’s the way you decide to see life. It’s never too late to take a step forward. It’s never too late to let yourself be happy. And it’s today, it’s right now. Smile, and begin your happy life. You deserve it.
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A YEAR IN STATUSES by Nawaf Hey there awesome people. I have been trying to write for the magazine since the rst issue with no luck and its already the 8th issue. Given I will be leaving this January for my studies I just had to contribute something for this issue.
March 20th, “Today, a 17 year old friend passed away. Just 17. All the dreams, all the plans, all the wishes, all the hopes, everything gone. Make a pledge today, to start and to do everything you wanted to do. Write the book you dream of writing. Pen the song you planned to pen. row the party you always wanted to throw. Meet the people you wanted to meet. Start a campaign against the things you don't like. Write the blog post about how you are fed up of the system. If you love someone, fear not and just tell the person how much you love him/her. If you don't love anyone, nd someone, life is too short to be spent without falling in love. Be yourself. Don't change because the society doesn't accept you for who you. And if you feel you are right, challenge the system, individuals have tried and changed the norms! You can too! Just don't wait for tomorrow. e world might last another million years but our lives are short and tomorrow might just be too late. May God grant her eternal peace and give us the courage to peruse our dreams and ful ll them.” August 12, “We live in a country which claims to be 100% Muslim. But are we really? What percentage of Maldivians prays 5 times a day? 50%? 25%? 10%? Probably less. How many of us regularly
read the Quran? Or is reading the Quran only compulsory till you nish primary school? How many of us can read the Shahada and its meaning? Seen and met a lot of Maldivians who don’t know the meaning of Shahada, the very rst pillar of Islam. So, the next time you head out and screaming laadheenee laadheenee look back and think twice about how dheenee you are.” September 7, “Too many MDP fans on my wall writing statuses about how shameful it is that people sold their votes for money laptop and what not. So I just had to say this. Just as you believe in MDPs ideologies to be the right one there must be people who believe in PPMs and JPs to be too. And people might actually like their manifestos better too. Your views and ideologies might be the best for you, but might not be the favourite of another. Respect opinions. Respect differences. Respect just because we are all humans.” October 6, “Dream, dream, dream and dream a little bit more. Our lives are very short and by the time we know what we want a quarter of it is already over, leaving it a lot shorter. And dreaming, wishing, hoping helps explore t he un k now n, helps to go b e yond t he boundaries, helps to get out of your comfort zone, helps you to ful ll your potential. 21 years ago this day I was born and looking back now, yes, there are a lot of things I could have done better, a lot of things I wish I hadn't done and a lot of things I wish I had. But, I don't regret any part of my past. Because it is this what has made me who I am today. is post is not about bragging, or praising myself but on that dreams do come true.
Born to a middle class family much of my life I thought I was bound to end up living the rest of my life here, doing some desk bound job which I would probably hate. But I always knew I wanted more, and I worked for it. Been the school captain of HS, deputy captain of SAM and VIHS. A'level National Top 6th place with no great O'level results and never a tuition taken ever. Travelled to places where I never thought I would set my feet, the States, England, Switzerland, travelled to 3 continents and the 4th real soon. I am an ambassador of the One Young World, a Global Trustee, a trainer of LTLT training over a 100 youngsters in the past year. Co-founder of Dhi Youth Movement and God willing I will be heading to Australia to start my undergraduate degree. If you believe in yourself and work for the dreams to come true, you can make them come true. Just dream a little bit more every day, and thank you all for the beautiful wishes.” October 25, “Most of us wear masks. In fact almost all of us do. We hide who we are. We hide it from our family. We hide it from our friends. And we hide it from ourselves. e need to be 'normal'. e desire to be 'normal'. But that moment when you take off that mask and show the world who you really are makes the desire to be 'normal' insigni cant and incomparable. Be who you are. Love yourselves for who you are. Life is too short to be spent wearing a mask and hiding behind it pretending to be someone who you are not. e world will mock you and bully you no matter what. So, face the world, and ght the world with all your might, cause you are the strongest as who you are. Because in the end living one day as who you are is better than a lifetime spent pretending to be someone you are not.”
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Self Criticism by Afaneen
Are you also one of the many people who talk to themselves, in their head, while working out? Do you also tell yourself to give up, thinking that you don’t have the potential? All of us have that little innervoice. is ‘voice’ can have a tremendous effect on your workout. A workout is always begun with some sort of inspiration. is lasts for the rst few weeks and then it slowly fades if you’re not able to attain the results you expect. It continues until you’ve reached a point where all you can do is criticize yourself.
which your body changes and prepare your mind accordingly. We always hear of certain people who have succeeded in shiing their looks. You can always look up to them but that does not mean your story has to be a replica of theirs. e best thing to do is hope, but also to not get your hopes up too high. During an aggressive workout, your body will tell you to stop. When this happens, you need to tell your body “No, we’re going to nish this.” and NOT “Okay, you’re right. is is way above my standards.” Mark my words, there is no better feeling in this world than to build up your con dence and endurance with the bricks that your inner self-critic throws at you.
S e l f - c r i t i c i s m i s n’t a l l b a d . e ‘inspiration’ mentioned above, also comes from a small criticism like “I should probably get rid of some of these fats” or “Just a few months of Yoga and I’d look just perfect”. Nevertheless, when these turn into “I’m all ab” or “I can never be as attractive as all those girls on MTV”, that’s when that little inner voice needs repairing. is is what we call “Enforced Criticism” and the name itself tells you that it is utterly unnecessary.
ere’s no reason to not be able to enjoy silencing your inner critic. Try giving a name to it, for instance, Abby, Dorothy, Mike or even the name of an inanimate object like ‘bag’, whatever oats your boat. is makes it an easier, funnier way to communicate and possibly hush your inner-devil.
First of all, you need to understand yourself. You need to know the rate at
R ome wasn’t bui lt in a d ay. e astonishing landscapes and distinctive
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architecture of the most beautiful buildings of that part of the world did not appear out of nowhere. What we see today is the hard work of skilled workers, which took years to be completed. Imagine if they had given up halfway. e same concept can be considered here. Your body is Rome and you are the skilled worker. Without patience and persistence, it’s going to be a long ride for you. Self-criticism, in general, leads to depression. Depression deprives you from many aspects of your life. inking too about much health and tness till it becomes a negative in uence will end up making you even unhealthier than you initially were. If you think you cannot get rid of these criticisms all by yourself, seek help from a professional. It could be a therapist or even your instructor. ere needn’t be any harm or embarrassment caused by this. As I have mentioned before, trashtalking is something many of us tend to do.
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World AIDS Day 1st December 2013
Statement by the Secretary-General of UN, Ban Ki-moon "On this World AIDS Day, I am more optimistic than ever. Much of the world is accelerating progress in responding to HIV. ere are signi cant decreases in new infections and deaths, and we are making good progress in realizing our target of ensuring 15 million people have access to antiretroviral treatment by 2015. is is crucial to halting and reversing the AIDS epidemic for good. But, as revealed in the UNAIDS World AIDS Day Report for 2013, there are still worrying signals that some regions and countries are falling behind. We are making advances in reaching vulnerable populations through efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination, but there is still much to do to end this problem. We must recommit to breaking the remaining barriers, including punitive laws and social exclusion, so we can reach all people who lack access to HIV treatment and services. To create conditions for an AIDS-free generation, we must also step up efforts to stop new HIV infections among children and ensure access to treatment for all mothers living with HIV. I especially urge action to end the discrimination and violence against women which cause terrible harm and increase risk of HIV infection and death from AIDS. I commend all partners that are making signi cant contributions to the Global Fund to ght AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which is one of the most important sources of funding for the global response. Major economies are leading by example, ensuring sustained resources for the response to AIDS and other diseases. Many low- and middle-income countries have also signi cantly increased domestic expenditure on AIDS responses. All deserve our full support as they explore nancing options to promote long-term sustainability of the response to AIDS beyond 2015. ere is still much to do. If we want a future free of AIDS we will need continued investment, commitment and innovation to reach the vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. On this World AIDS Day, let us resolve to consign AIDS to the pages of history." Find out more: https://www.un.org/en/events/aidsday
United Nations - Maldives | enquiries.mv@one.un.org | http://www.un.org.mv UN Building, Buruzu Magu Malé,
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INFIRMITIES IN LIFE
Mystery of AIDS Marking World AIDS Day by Thihnan
AIDS is caused by a virus – the human immunode ciency virus (HIV). Most people believe HIV and AIDS are synonyms but it is not. ey are complementary. When this virus enters the body, it attacks the human immune system weakening it. Once the system is weak to a certain level, this condition is referred to as AIDS (Acquired Immunode ciency Syndrome). erefore AIDS is not a disease but a result of HIV.
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Everyone is aware of the spread of AIDS. It is transmitted from one person to another through unprotected sexual contact, exchange of body uids or inherited by parents. For AIDS to be transmitted, one party must already have the infection. If this is the case, how did the rst man acquire this syndrome? rough extensive research, it was found that a chimpanzee in West Africa produced a virus that was quite similar to the HIV. erefore most likely theory for the origin of AIDS was that it was rst transmitted to man by an animal when hunters were exposed to infected blood. From then on, it is now accepted that this virus found in chimpanzees mutated on invading a human body to be better suited for the new host. Moreover, it is possible that AIDS started off around 1940s and spread largely in Africa before spreading to other parts of the world. Finally, in 1981, an American was medically identi ed of AIDS making it the rst official case. is was then followed by an alarming rise in the number of HIV patients around the world. Many laws were passed in desperate need to obtain control. Such laws included isolation of HIV patients and prevention of the right for HIV patients to get married and have children. Regardless, no such improvement was found and if anything, the numbers got even larger.
image Alexey Kashpersky
One of the main reasons for this is that many HIV patients are unable to identify themselves. ere have been reported cases where many infected people are unaware even 20 years aer the virus infects the body due to the viral nature. Once the virus enters body, it inserts its DNA into the human DNA and remains ‘frozen’ or inactive for a long period of time. Usually in this period – commonly referred to as the latency period – there are no evident symptoms. Latency period lasts for about 8 years on average which is why it is usually wise to run through tests to be on the safe side. What made AIDS shocking to mankind was that it became popularized as incurable or the guaranteed death which might have led to many believing that AIDS is a killer. It was found later that this is not so. For an HIV patient, any disease is a killer. When a person develops a weak immune system, the body is unable to defend itself against pathogens meaning even a common cold can result in death. erefore, AIDS simply assists pathogens to raid the body. e next question which comes to mind is why we have not still found a cure. What makes HIV special? Unlike any other virus, the HIV is able to turn the immune system against the body. e virus on entering targets a special cell in the immune system known as a T-Helper cell. It then implants its viral DNA into
the DNA in the nucleus and turns the cell into a virus producing machine. is process continues until the cell is destroyed but the clones made beforehand infect more and more cells until the body has no more T-helper cells remaining. It is difficult to inhibit this process because viruses in general are very small. Moreover, to add to the difficulty, the HIV has a special property where when it senses danger, the virus can remain dormant inside a cell until it is safe for it to re-infect. Scientists however are still keen on the cure and claims to be edging closer to the breakthrough. "Since the discovery of the virus, we have learned a lot about the virus and how it gains access to cells and how it works," immunologist Fabio Romerio of the Institute of Human Virology explained. "But I think we still do not have the key piece of the puzzle that would allow us to gure out exactly what happens when HIV infects human b e i n g s . We n e e d a f u n d a m e nt a l understanding of how HIV interacts with the human immune system.” Till then, it is important that we focus on the only strategy possible; reducing number of HIV patients through prevention techniques and awareness.
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A LIFE OF WONDERS
A Tale of Two Planets by Mahid Monday the 18th of November saw the launch of NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Mission which seems to have been stretched to the limits of scienti c j argon to for m t h e c atchy word “MAVEN”. e space probe will travel for 10 months towards its destination, nally settling in an elliptic orbit of 6,200 kilometres at a height of 150 kilometres from the surface of the red planet. e mission comes aer a little over a year when the heavily publicised Curiosity Rover made a successful landing in Gale Crater on Mars. Since 1964 space institutions in (former) USSR, USA, Europe and Japan have spent enormous resources on exploring Mars, more than any other planet. erefore it is an extremely valid question to ask: Why Mars? It might be of help to know a bit of history of the red planet to understand our deep-rooted fascination with it.
Egyptians are generally credited with the earliest written acknowledgement of Mars, noted as a “wandering object” in the sky, though references can be seen in early Chinese and Indian astronomical records as well. e planet was named by Romans aer their god of war which, like the names of many other celestial objects, was later adopted by European languages and culture. roughout histor y, astronomers, both medieval and ancient, have paid a keen interest on Mars, with giants like Aristotle, Ptolemy, Tycho Brahe making detailed observations on its orbit. In 1610 the revolutionary astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei became the rst person to view the surface of the planet with a telescope. e seemingly biased fervour shown by astronomers to Mars above all other planets might be due to the fact that it is the closest to us. Due to its relatively close proximity to us, it was very natural
indeed to entertain the idea that the planet might be hosting life forms. Speculations began very early on, that Mars might be inhabited by intelligent life, possibly older and wiser than us, who are perhaps watching our own world with equal captivation. Works of science ction and popular culture sprang around the mystery of the planet. e most notable is perhaps the sci- classic e War of the Worlds by H.G Wells. e novel tells the tale of two brothers from England amidst a Martian invasion. Technologically advanced and extremely intelligent, the aliens arrive on our planet with war machines and wreak havoc among humans. Or the Adventures of John Carter about an American explorer, who roams the red planet “Barsoom” and encounters strange and unearthly life forms, ghts alongside a four-handed Martian species and eventually falls in love with a princess named Dejah oris.
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With the almost-sacred obsession with the planet, the excitement and frenzy was justi ed when an Italian astronomer named Giovanni Schiaparelli reported the existence of canali on the surface of mars. ough the astronomer meant “grooves” or “lines”, canali was hastily and erroneously translated into English as “canals” which was a feature of cities, implying a civilisation. Among those moved by this observation was Percival Lowell, who formulated complex explanations on how a civilisation can function on Mars and inferring that the canals were means of transporting water from the poles to the equator where the Martians lived. When Lowell was shown to be wrong in his convictions he desperately held on to them and died trying to prove their legitimacy. A pivotal point in Mars exploration was the period of Cold War. While the two superpowers, Soviet Union and USA, were in a race to establish economic, cultural and military dominance, a lateral and far more subtle competition was brewing on either sides of the Atlantic: the race to space. It is the depressing reality that, through the course of history, war and pursuit of wealth have proven to be more powerful motivators of human progress than the more romantic natural curiosity of the human mind. A more honest version of John F. Kennedy’s landmark speech would have been “we choose to go the moon not because it is easy but because we’re afraid that the Soviets might beat us to it”. However un attering the initial motives might have been, no one was fooled that nding life on Mars would have profound
political and philosophical implications for us. From 1960, in the span of two years, the USSR launched four missions to Mars, all of them failed with one losing communications en route and last one failing to launch altogether. e rst mission by the USA in 1964, named Mariner 3, also could not achieve a yby due to the failure of its solar panels. e rst breakthrough came in 1967 when Mariner 4 managed a yby and captured close-up images of the planet, established the presence of carbon dioxide and the direction of magnetic eld. e rst successful landings were achieved by the Viking 1 and Viking 2 landers which did a series of experiments to determine the presence of microbial life on martial soil. Although the results of these experiments were inconclusive, high resolution photographs of the Martian terrain were transmitted back, Martian weather patterns were analysed and the orbiters successfully mapped the surface of the planet. e most intriguing results of all came from the Curiosity Rover. ough it is widely accepted that microbial life is not present on Mars currently, the data from the rover implied that the very crater in which vehicle landed, was capable of supporting life in the past. e drilling done into Martian rocks provided evidence that bodies of water owed on the surface in ancient past. NASA recently released a video showing an artistic rendering of Mars’ lush, wet and warm surface which existed 4 billion ye ars ago. e re is an e me rg i ng
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hypothesis that life on Earth could have originated on Mars, and was carried to our current home via an asteroid, and the data from Curiosity compliments the hypothesis to a certain degree. In conclusion we return to the question whether it has been worth it; whether the stupendous investment has yielded a satisfactory return. ere are many who would say that the space exploration is nothing but extravagant indulgences by a few academics; that we should “sort our problems here” before we head for the stars. I would argue otherwise. Space exploration has done nothing but help alleviate the calamities and improved our everyday lives. e primary goals of space missions are distant and oen elusive. However this journey has given us breath-throughs and inventions that lied us and made our lives better bit by bit. Space exploration gave us satellites, and in turn GPS, and paved way for modern communications. It led to pro st he t i c l i mb s w h i ch ch ange d innumerably many human lives for the better. Improved medical equipment, fo o d - s afe t y it e ms , b e tt e r pu b l i c infrastructure and cheaper electronics have all been contributed to, by the space program. It also lis our spirits aer times of catastrophe because, in my opinion, few things encompass our collective intelligence, will and scienti c knowledge than a spacecra leaving the ground, breaking free of gravity and journeying into the depths of space. Even taking away the “spinoffs” of space missions, there is a cause that makes all our efforts worthwhile. e holiest of causes: e pursuit of knowledge.
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image Australian Sports Commission
WHY YOU SHOULD KEEP SWIMMING THIS DECEMBER by Thihnan I’m very happy to say most of us are quite health conscious now. While most of us are gym racks, others enjoy regular jogging with friends or are sportsmen. Because we all have a special dedication to one form of physical exercise, simply because we feel most at ease, I am here to change that. For me, one of the best workouts is to simply swim around. Want to know why? Light and Easy Usual exercising can get you cramped up and especially if you li weights, there’s always the risk of pressuring your joints or bones. Even though this is no reason to not work out, if you have arthritis or little experience with weights, it would be advised for you to not work out unless under supervision. So what do you do then? Swimming is the only exercise you can perform without putting a lot of strain on your body. When fully immersed in water, the upli force provided by the water is able to support 90% of your body weight with no effort at all. is way when
you swim around, you can work all your muscles and joints effectively at the same time making sure you aren’t straining any injuries! Achieve your goals Most exercises concentrate on a speci c part of your body each time. With swimming, you are providing an entire full body workout without even thinking if you’ve worked every bit. Swimming also gives you the boost for your muscles to more or less look what you want them to look (if you know what I mean). If you are pushing hard for those six packs or hard biceps, swimming will guarantee that. Want proof? Just look at every professional swimmer. Swimming is an exercise where you apply a force to resist another. It has been found that such exercises is the best way to tone and strengthen muscles in your body. Fat killer and motivator is is probably the most obvious one but I bet you did not think swimming would be one of the highest calorie burning exercises ever. Even if you swim for about
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20 minutes, you can burn about 200 or 300 calories. is is equivalent to 30 minutes of running. Swimming has also been found to help remove high density lipoproteins (bad cholesterol). When you swim, the arteries carrying blood around your body will dilate or expand meaning it can increase blood ow. is way it can more efficiently remove those bad cholesterol lurking around in your body. If you want to know how important this is, let me tell you, the bad cholesterol is what makes us chubby and put on weight! If you need a stamina boost, swimming is the best option. Swimming will keep your heart pumping stronger meaning the next time you try running you can probably hit that extra mile! So this December, go out with your family and friends! Even if it’s to the beach or a fun trip to an island, don’t feel bad because you are missing your workouts. ink of it as an encouragement into one of the best exercises there is!
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Welcome Invitation by Sifr
Let me tell you a story. A story about one of the most interesting parties that I have never been to.
It was the days of the Libra in an year not so long ago. And this particular day just so happened to be the birthday of a dearest friend of mine. Well, when I say friend I mean lady friend. I think you catch my dri. She was and still is quite a sweet creature. e sort of girl that goes out of her way to help others and likes to volunteer at care homes, soup kitchens and what not. You would think her kind to a fault when you see her anxious about keeping everyone happy. At times I did my civic duty as a good citizen by calling her a ‘doormat’ among other lovely things in an attempt to show her the errors of her kind ways, but alas to no avail.
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Etiquette dictated that such a nice person surely be rewarded with a proper well thought out gi on her birthday. Or so I thought. Dearest reader if you remember my previous dating article you might notice that me and gis are always a recipe for disaster. And as the special day approached I was biding my time for I had used my excellent powers of observation and cunning deductions to work out that she was a certi able sweet tooth. Some of you might be scoffing right now. “A girl with a penchant for the sweet? Oh but you must be joking. Great work Sherlock!” But wait there is more. I had also managed to deduce the precise brand and avor of ice cream she favored most. So off I went to the nearest ne foods outlet to nd the fancy brand of ice cream known as Häagen-Dazs or just ice cream to the rest of us mere mortals. (Incidentally Häagen-Dazs is an excellent example of fantastic foreign branding. Born at a kitchen table aer hours of saying nonsensical words until a suitable combination came up so chosen so that the name would be unique and original) Aer a brief interval of irtatious exchanges she infor med me she was at a par ty at t he Dharubaaruge. It was a brisk enthusiastic walk to the party. I couldn’t wait to impress the birthday out of her. Once there I announced myself via a text message, in it I asked her to come meet me. In a quick glance I surveyed the party, the music was booming and it looked like they had set up a mock dance oor and fancy lighting. is was de nitely a sweet birthday bash. I couldn’t wait to see it all from up close. Quickly I adjusted my do and brushed imaginary lint off my dark satin tted shirt. Making sure I looked my Friday best. And then she came out. Wearing the most breathtakingly gorgeous black cocktail dress. It owed up to the knee with a square bodice and was adorned with a black satin sash across her prim little waist. e magni cent diamond rivière necklace hanging so elegantly
around her neck was the bluest of lagoon blue. In other words, she looked stunningly beautiful. As she searched about for any trace of me I grinned with satisfaction as I stayed in the shadows just observing her for a bit. With a smug grin I walked up to her and said happy birthday. As you can guess she loved her gi. She looked genuinely surprised that I knew of her preferred avour and brand of creamy desserts. While we were having our very romantic rendezvous suddenly to my surprise more gures began to appear behind her from the party inside. Perhaps it was all that time I took admiring her but I had not noticed all these people there. I found myself face to face with her whole entourage of friends and family. And possible even friends of family too. Judging from the small ea market that had gathered to greet me. All of a sudden I felt an overwhelming urge to bolt. Courage I said to myself as I soly inquired of her whether all these ‘caretakers’ were there to make sure I did not abscond with her from her very own birthday bash. All the while pretending that I was not only just a bit intimidated by this warm reception. As it turned out they were all there just to get a glimpse of the fabled Mr. Darcy, her pet name for me. None of them had met me before and apparently she had been regaling them with tall tales of me. Moments later she said her great many thanks for me showing up and surprising her. Many more kind words were spoken. As she stood there with a smile and her clique of friends hovering behind, there seemed little more to do than just to bid her goodnight. So I did just that and went on my merry way. A welcome invitation still pending to this day. us ends the story about one of the most interesting parties that I was never invited to. If there was a moral to this little trinket of a story it would be this, keep your gi till the hostess invites you in and the cake is safely in your mouth.
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The Seas I Would Cross
by Munzir
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What I am witnessing I would need a thousand scribes For how can words describe Like a doe sitting on a tree bark y eyes gleaming in the moonlight Singing in the very sweet and sublime voice Pleasing my ears at made the larks of heaven jealous
ere never exists any labour In this pursuit to prove my undying love On this journey to the abyss Everything is crystal clear For I see things clearly When thou proclaim thou love me Mine ears crave for thy sweet and sublime voice And my thoughts are nothing but a picture of thee near me
Mine eyes never set sight on such perfection Indeed, the universe choose to make beautiful things rare Serene and tranquil like the moon I must however, face impending doom For my soul hath been set alight by thee By thy aming red hair And my eyes are entangled there
ou art the spark that ignites my soul e ame that keeps me at peace e only mistress that I desire to appease
However hard I ght To extricate myself from seeking your love, I fail Woe is me, my actions I condemn For avoiding the fate that hails "Twain thou must be, enter the garden” Sang lucifer; "Consume the fruit” e arch angel watched, in the garden of Eden "ou besieged her fortress and destroyed her walls” "Why must thou not seek the spoils of war?" "Especially when they ow like waterfalls” A wandering traveler, thirsty for love Surprised am I, for I found the mistress Who hath quenched my thirst, the beautiful temptress Whose lips so perfect like a ower I am the bee, sucking its nectar And I've made myself an abode On her immaculate twin breasts Where mere words do not do its beauty justice ou art all I desire e goddess whose amorous kiss burnt my lips Whose passionate love bites awed my cold and bitter existence While feasting on drops of my dripping blood My eyes, like sh trapped in a net Whenever I glace upon thy smiling face Like deer cornered by tigers I become vulnerable to thee So feast on what is rightfully thine For I belong to thee Lit by thy sunbeams, bright is my existence Hordes of fearful demons Dareth not touch thee I hath slain them all, for thou love me e seas I would cross e lands I would conquer e vile demons I would slaughter For thou, everything is my passion
image rijksmuseum.nl
Insanity is what I must feign For I have been suffering Even when drunk by pleasures foreign Nothing intoxicates more like thee Pain is suffering and this, noble I am but a helpless creature on an endless struggle To be perfect for perfection, thou It feels like an endless journey A single night without your warmth and light I pledged to conquer the darkness Besieging the walls that separate me Under this facade of happiness Lies a soul of misery For I wish not, to part with thee Even for a single night To have only your shadow within sight Is good enough for me Venom from the viper Of eyes like beads Of fangs like daggers at pierced deep inside my esh My wounds so deep they never heal But despair not, pleasure is what I feel Transcending on the limitations of the mortal female y warmth what thy master avails e standard of beauty beyond compare Feline in her movements, the woman I desire Under my switch blade Lies thy demonic chalice under this facade that stemmed aggression Lies an elaborate masquerade What appears to an onlooker is false For we are from the depths of what exists In the pit of the abyss Is indeed the same as those who dwell in this realm To me, Sanity bid goodbye e unbreakable chains that bind us Are two worlds apart But the eternal love that cements us Has locked our hearts I swear in the name of everything sacred Crucify me on the cross And I shall never complain For my entire life belongs to thee Without thee I am at a loss
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The Great NaNoWriMo Novel by Fureeku
"Once upon a time there lived a happy and healthy bird. Suddenly weather changed. It was dry and no fruits were available. She found a huge storage unit. With a single vent pipe. Inside were nuts. Peanuts. [She got hungry. So she went in through the vent pipe, and ate a peanut. Aer that she ew home. It did not take long.] x1999. Weather changed for the good. ere were nuts everywhere. She was happy ever aer.”
The End
image indiedb.com
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p h o t o b y : i m 67 y