Dhi Youth Movement Youth for Youth, to empower and to lead
DYM g
Dhi Youth Movement Magazine
Issue No. 02 June 2013
Dhi Youth Movement Youth for Youth, to empower and to lead
DYM core group at the 0th Anniversary photo 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
Content Director Dear Reader
First of all, thank you for the overwhelming positive response to our very first issue. It’s not easy getting people together to create a magazine but the comments, the criticism and the impressions make it all worthwhile. Seeing people become inspired by our work is always something that we love and aspire to do. This magazine for me is not just an issue that comes each month, it’s a journey. A journey of great minds, of coming together with a united goal and of using our talents to make something that is not only resourceful, but meaningful. Something close to our hearts, something that we are proud of. Something that we can fondly remember about and smile while we tell our grandchildren. In this issue, we bring to you three young creative minds who show us the beauty in everything. Their photographs tells a story, it takes us into their minds and make us see what they see. They help us see the amazing in the ordinary. To believe in the wonders of things that is happening all around us. Now that is magic. Every smile, every black and white wall and every photo manipulation is a form of art that bewilders us. We are proud to bring to you these three fantastic young minds and their work. They show us proof that anything can be done at any age. Not to be out shined, the rest of the magazine is filled with glee, with excitement, with emotion, with thought‐provoking details that we hope will stay with you and give you a piece of the writer’s mind and entertain you. From the movie review to the computer tips, from the doodles to the layout, from the front to the back, we hope that you will enjoy this issue as much as you did the last and will stay with us through this journey that’s just begun. Let’s have this adventure together. Shaha
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DYM TEAM Sifr, Editor-in-chief 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 and stylish. He enjoys the company of bright and attractive young ladies. He is a basketball player, a stargazer, a gym rack, a philosopher but most of all a mind of science.
FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @sifrsabr
Shaha, Content Director Shaha is a free spirit who enjoys classic literature, tea with lots of milk, good books and hot cocoa, rings, snail mail, twitter and lots of sunshine. She dreams of huge closers and making a mark in the world. She believes in mismatching socks, breaking stereotypes and handwritten letters
FOLLOW HER ON TWITTER @shahaaa
Nawaf, Design Director Nawaf is a fun loving, adventurous bloke who dreams of running for the parliament. He loves travelling and he can be seen instagramming at most times. He thinks of himself as stylish and enjoys being in the company of people who bring the best in him. He loves spontaneity and life, and is dedicated to his work.
FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @ib_nawaf 4
CONTRIBUTORS
Husham @shamkhashiu
Ibrahim Shareef @ibushareef
Mauloof @mauloof
MH @mhbellaluna
Lahchey @lahchey1991
Dan
Fazu Singa
Muru @murumohamed
The girl in the Toque
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JUNE
1 June
Global Day of Parents
4 June
International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
5 June
World Environment Day
8 June
World Oceans Day
12 June World Day Against Child Labour 14 June World Blood Donor Day 15 June World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 17 June World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 20 June World Refugee Day 23 June United Nations Public Service Day 23 June International Widow’s Day 25 June Day of the Seafarer 26 June International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 26 June United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture 6
Image Credits: Ib Nawaf
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inside this issue Regulars 3 Editor’s Letter 4 DYM team 5 Contributors 6 Calender
Entertainment
Misc
10 Book Review : Top Three Tales 44 Pan’s Labyrinth Review 46 Ps3 Super Slim Review
Ameen Didi 14 Poem: Sweet Baby 50
Issues
Specials 20 Interview with Refty 26 Interview with Naj 32 Interview with Mahin
Happily Ever After 18 Are you responsible? 38 I have a computer 42 Take Heed and Be the Man 52
living Dear Myself 40 Recipe: Chocolate Cream Cake 48 Recipe: Black Bean Quesadillas 49
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Ever since I can remember, my hobby has always been reading story books. But until I was 15, “Reading Story Books” was just the title of what I called a hobby. The thing was, in my early primary grades, my teacher asked me to write a paragraph about my hobby. I basically learned 3 things from my lesson that day. First: What a hobby is; Second: That I didn’t have anything called a hobby; and third: I could invent something as my hobby. So I sought help from my Sis, who said
that I could write about things like reading story books. And so the Fictitious Hobby of Mine was born. And to prove that it really was my hobby, I started going to my school’s Go-DownTurned-Library and started borrowing books. All of the books I borrowed had a length of not more than 20 pages, most of which had illustrated pictures on it. And the titles ranged from “Cinderella” to “The Little Mermaid”. Some varieties, huh? But I loved those books then.
TOP THREE TALEs
by Muru
A few years had gone and come around and I found myself aged 15, lying on the bed of a cousin but hey, don’t get any wrong ideas, I wasn’t in my birthday suit! I was bored to death and my cousin gave me a novel and said that I would enjoy reading it once I started it. I was very reluctant to read it at first ‘cause I always said that novels had font sizes for ants and details for tortoises. But then I was like, what the hell, I’ve got nothing better to do, so why not give it a try, right? So I started it and my speed was so friggin fast that I finished 6 pages in 3 days!! Pretty awesome, isn’t it? I know it’s not. But as I read on, I got really hooked and found myself unable to put it down. So my whole point is, novels may seem boring but once you start it, it can be an awesome form of entertainment and so much more. Look at me, after that struggling start, now I’m a total book worm and it has benefited me in more ways than just being a medium of entertainment. So I would like to recommend 3 of the best novels that I’ve read for you to begin reading as a habit, or if you already have the habit, you can have a good reading experience with them. Image Credits: www.mrsqbookaddict.net 10
A critic from New York Daily News once said of this book’s author Sidney Sheldon that “If you want a novel you simply cannot put down, go to Sheldon.” Tell Me Your Dreams will leave no doubt in the reader’s mind that the critic was right. It’s the most intoxicating novel that I’ve read, with continuous surprises and lots of concocting twists that is guaranteed to keep your midnight oil burning. The heroine is named Ashley Patterson and she is accompanied by minor characters Toni Prescott and Alette Peters. The three women are suspected of a series of violent murders committed throughout the USA and the twisted mystery finally comes to a shocking medical discovery. Follow the breathtaking murder trial, the story continues to reveal. Steel is one of America’s biggest selling authors with an enormous collection of romance novels that deals insightfully with different aspects of life and love. The Ghost is by far the best DS book that I’ve read. The main character Charlie Waterstone’s life is turned upside down when his 10 year marriage with wife Carole ends abruptly. His difficulty to cope with life after his wife forces him to take a break from work. To get away from the stress he travels far from his home and rents an ancient house in a remote area in England, where he discovers that the house is haunted by the ghost of Sarah, a beautiful lady whom the house was build for. Charlie comes across the diaries of Sarah that takes him into her life which in turn helps him to let go of his past and find love and happiness again.
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You can start with any of the first three books but it’s best to go in order to get the best of it. After one book, I can guarantee you that you will be yearning for another. The thick later volumes will only serving to please your insatiable reading hunger that only Harry Potter can evoke.The characters are clearly drawn. Images by Shaha,Harry Potter Wiki and Book Reviewer
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“According to a diplomatic source, an estimated 50 percent of Bangladeshi workers in Maldives are not documented and a number of these workers are victims of trafficking. Migrant workers pay the equivalent of US$1,000 to US$4,000 in recruitment fees in order to migrate to Maldives,� US State Image Credits: Mahin Fayaz (fb.com/mahinfayazphoto)
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AMEEN DIDI The Orchid of Maldives compiled by Mauloof
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Sir John Lionel Kotelawala, the Third Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in Male'. On his right is President Mohamed Ameen didi dhoshimeynaa kilegefaanu, on his left is Vice President Velaanaagey Ibrahim Didi.
UP 19th November 1952, Wednesday was the day that the First museum was opened in Maldives Right to left: Adam Naseer Manik, Ibrahim Mohamed Didi, Mohamed Ameen didi & Ibrahim Rushdil Azharee. RIGHT Al Ameer Mohamed Amin and wife Fathimath Saeed.
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RIGHTThe first political party was the Rayyithunge Muthaqadhim party, formed in 23rd September 1951 . Here is the party's logo and flag. Muthaqadhim means progressive. This was President Mohamed Amin didi's Party.
LEFT President Mohamed Amin handing over prizes to the contestants of beauty contest held in 1953.
RIGHTTwo of the senior most Royal Air force officers and Mohamed Ameen on a vessel
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ABOVE President Mohamed Amin didi with his only daughter Ameena Mohamed Amin! ABOVE LEFT Final Resting place of Mohamed Ameen Didi (Vihamanaa fushi) Kurumba Island Resort LEFT First Republic Day The Delegation from H.Atoll. 1953 BELOW Declaration of the first Republic.
IMAGE CREDITS Mauloof’s Personal Collection Hmhaneef.com Remnant Memories of what I saw and heard. Part 1 (Novelty Printers) Iyye (Abdul Hakeem Hussain Maniku) Haveeru Online Made by Mauloof, information taken from Muthaqadhim Party (1952)
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And they lived
“Happily Ever After”
by Lahchey
“She touched his bloody face and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. They stare at the dead body laying almost 5 feet away oozing with blood. They look at each other again and smile. A romantic song plays and the screen fades…” What are you thinking now? They lived happily ever after. Ask the question again. DID THEY or WILL THEY? First of all, they killed a person. How can the rest of their lives be happy? Or at least for the next 5 years or so when they are dragged to the court proceedings where their guilt or innocence is determined. If that’s your idea of ‘they lived happily ever after’ then it too fades into a black screen as the one in the movies. These happy endings are a mentality which is scripted and it has been instilled deep within us, teaching us that what we may have with another person is not enough. I wonder, why these producers, directors and script writers do not make a movie showing the part after. Showing only the couple living a happy life although it is ordinary and without surprise. Why is it placed at the end?
The reality is there is no happily ‘ever after’, but of course there is happiness and living happily but, not till the very end - Not forever. Life is a ball of problems. There are ups and downs. If we say ups are the happy ones, then it’s after feeling the downturn. The picture here is that happiness is the state which occurs after some very significant difficult times. You have a misunderstanding with your significant other and you come to a conclusion and you talk it out. This is what gives you a blissful state of mind.
Life is a ball of problems. There are ups and downs. If we say ups are the happy ones, then it’s after feeling the downturn.
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What exactly constitutes a happy ending in today’s society? The reality is almost no one lives happily ever. The mentality created by the movies has set impossibly high standards for our significant other, making it an impossible feat to please us. How can we possibly be satisfied with what we have when we are bombarded with images (fictional ones, to be clear) that make our current situation seem mediocre? Consequently, this leads to unhappiness and miscommunication. We expect the other person to simply perform the most dramatic signals of love. And when we don’t see them this then leads to break down. People often believe that if there are even few problems then the relationship is not meant to be. The part they mostly forget is that relationships are not only a commitment to share the good ones but also the bad and the difficult times. It’s a learning process. Obviously, we come across with so many problems, both small and huge. And in the process if you expect a sky high proposal you might be crushed. Expect the reality not the fairy tale scenes. We must work through problems that arise rationally and learn to appreciate people as they are. Then and only then will we get our happy ending. And instead of everything fading to black the future will shine brighter than that theatrically setting.
Image Credits: Refty Ahmed
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Refty
Ahmed
Describe your childhood a little bit? It was very fun. I had lots of family around, 30 to 40 people. Different people did different things, and they were all very talented people. I got into sports, and I challenged myself a bit at everything. I wanted to do better than them, since it’s a big family and you have to be the best. Tell us about a life changing event that happened I had a lot of them. The best one for me was when I got the chance to travel at a young age and met new people. These people encouraged me to do different things.
Is there anyone special in your life right now? Yeah there is someone. She has very good taste in photography and that’s how we connected. We started taking pictures, editing them, stay up all night talking about our ideas and then we got into Tumblr. What was your first camera? It was my phone. Then I got my camera, a Nikon. I earned all of my cameras and lenses, but the current one, my parents paid half of it because they were very supportive. They encouraged me and they asked me to do it all. I’ve decided that on my grave, it should be written that “I’ve done it all”
You travelled a lot? Somewhat yes, I got to meet different Where do you see yourself in 5 years? people and I liked meeting unique Not here. Probably Scandinavia. Football/Street Photography/Graphic people. work. I want to do a lot of things. Brilliant people, brilliant architecture, What did you learn from these people. That you had to do something different. brilliant lifestyle. Walking on the road, “Everyone plays football and what else you just click with people there. did you do?” They asked me. I had interest in photography and Photoshop 3 things you want to do before you die and I took my phone out and took Surf. Good football club. Travel. pictures and people liked it and said I should do it more.
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Image Credits: Mahin Fayaz (fb.com/mahinfayazphoto)
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Meeting your favourite photographer or getting your favourite camera Getting my favourite camera. I don't follow photographers as an inspiration, I want create something different. Rainy or sunny days? Rainy days Ice cream or chocolate cake? Why not both? A date or a photo‐shoot? A date. What’s your dream camera? Leica M. It's a range finder. It's tiny. I'm more into street photography. 3 songs in your playlist? Song for a waitress – Jason Reeves Big Jet Plane – Angus and Julia Stone Bohemian Rhapsody ‐ Queen
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t to
Image Credits: Refty Ahmed
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Why photograph stars? It’s different. No one does it. Tell us more about the challenge? I uploaded a picture of the Milky Way, Mahin and I were there in Hulhumale’ to capture the comet Panstarrs and we were just walking around bored and then suddenly I could see it, the Milky way. I took a picture, and then it all started. I uploaded it and I got a lot of negative comments saying you can’t do it, because there are so many lights in Hulhumale'. Then I thought to myself, I’ll even do it in Male’. This time I was with Ish and Omar. And I saw the Milky Way. I’m not into surrealism, or realism, but something in between. Take Tsunami Binaa, something real something you see and then the Milky Way, something surreal and I got both into one picture. How did you get into photography? I’ve always been into photography. My first photo I took was of the clouds, it was when I got my first phone in March 8, 2008. Your favourite picture? A picture of this old lady. I was in Sri Lanka at the time. I was in a cab on my way to Colombo to pick up some materials for an art project. Out of nowhere this old lady on a rickshaw comes up from the left side of my cab. It was merely a split second but I did manage to get a picture in time.
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What’s more important, fancy camera or good technique? Good technique. No matter how fancy your equipment is, if you don’t have good technique, that’s nothing. What is the best criticism you have received? Someone should invest in you. You are one of the best photographers in the country. What are your inspirations besides people and stars? My family of course, the people who love my work and love my pictures. Supportive friends and people who love me. Then there's the people who hate my work. What would you say to aspiring photographers out there? Never ever judge any other photographer because you don’t know what they are capable of. They might take shitty pictures, but ten years later, you might never know. Don’t copy other people, try to make the best out of what your mind has to convey in your photograph. Create something new.
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Describe your childhood a little I believe that God has blessed me with a special gift that I recognised and started developing at a very tender age, of course with the help, support and encouragement of my family and friends.. My creative abilities were further nurtured during my early school years where I studied art and further developed skills that later on proved beneficial. Soon after completion of my O'Levels, I pursued further training in graphic design and often lectured to people who were many years my senior. Working at a studio was my first job after leaving school gave me the confidence and experience that I needed to embark on my freelancing career. It was never my dream of becoming a photographer. But, I see the world in ways that I would like to show through my eyes and that of my camera. I see art and creativity in everything around me and my fingers respond in transcribing those visions into paintings. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time? So far my creativity has been limited to my own country. I would like to explore beyond the boundaries of the Maldives and see what lies out there in the world. So much beauty to photograph and paint. Travelling the globe would certainly give me that level of exposure as well as networking with the artists and learning from those more experienced than I. Three things you want to do before you die 1. Travel the World 2. Visit all the world's major corporations such as Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Vanity Fair, Elle. etc 3. Host a photography exhibition and publish my autobiography into my journey of becoming a successful photographer and Graphic designer and those things have changed every fabric of my life
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Naj
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Meeting your favourite photographer or getting your favourite camera? Meeting my favourite photographer A date or a photo shoot? a date Graphic designing or photography? Photography Rainy days or sunny days Absolutely rainy days. Dream camera? Hasselblad H4D‐60, Leica M9 3 songs in your playlist 1. I’m the only one – we are the fallen 2. Whiskey Lullaby 3. Infected mushrooms
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What would you say is your biggest achievement so far? Being hired by a high profile client because of my artistic capabilities standards, quality of my work and proven track record How did you get into graphic design? I got my very first PC when i was in Grade 7 and s t a r t e d e x p e r i m e n t i n g w i t h PA I N T familiarising myself with the tool. Later on I moved on to Photoshop. This gave me flexibility to be more creative. This is where my venture into the world of logo and website design started and developed. From all your pictures, which one is your favourite? Here is this one portrait photo myself where I am siting in my room reading a book entitled "How to become a graphic designer without losing your soul�. I added some light balls to enhance the mood of the moment. The final image was beyond my wildest expectations. The phote was taken at a time in my life when i was feeling depressed and unmotivated. The photo reminds me how someone can emerge out of such a state into a feeling of Bliss.
What is more important? Fancy equipment or good technique? Great technique always supersedes fancy equipment. I have been exposed to the worse and best in equipment. The skill, knowledge and experience of the photographer will always produce an inspiring shot with what they have. Being dependant on fancy equipment sometimes removes the element of one's total creative ability. Who are your favorite photographers? Tim Walker, Aaron Nace, What are your inspirations to take pictures? The largest part of my inspiration is drawn from people regardless of gender, race, colour or age. Also, all of the earth elements; water, sounds, air, fire and even music. The mood it stirs within me feeds my creative spirit and determines how i transcribe what i feel into my depictions whether it is through Photography or paintings. Are you into astrophotography? Yes I do. I have captured astrophotographs. I enjoy stargazing and as with other aspects of my repetoire of subjects, this is just another dimension I enjoy capturing through my camera
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What would you say is your signature? Conceptual photography. Photography cannot always capture specific elements of reality.The artist however can use modern tools to exemplify what is already there without removing the true essence of the photograph. Even from a creative point of view, artists can create using a world of complete imagination. Ideas only seen in their dreams or sense of possibility of a different reality than we know. The style of the photographer is very personal and should be encouraged to use all the available modern tools to maximise the full potential of the Artist. What is your message to aspiring artists? Believe in you dreams. Practice practice practice. Do it not only as a career but let it emanate from your passion that dwells within you from this path you have chosen. Within this mindset, your creative spirit can be allowed to take flight. The financial rewards should just be the icing on the cake. What would you like to say to your fans? God has blessed me with a wonderful family, friends and a remarkable fan�base. My fans are the ones who gives me the strength to continue doing this with their encouragement, comments, and support. My heartfelt gratitude to all who have followed my career and been there for me in every way.
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Mahin Fayaz Describe your childhood a little? Childhood? Lonely. Just family. When I was little, my dad left my mom. I went to Malaysia first and then Singapore with my grandparents and my aunt, and then came back, lived with my mum and went to Iskandar and did my middle school here. After that my mum remarried when I was 7. He was a doctor, so we first went to Bangalore, and that’s where I did my middle school and after that we went to Thailand for one year. That’s where my dad did his dermatology, so I didn’t have any friends and then we went to the US, where he finished up all of his exams and everything, and that’s where I went to high school. So yeah, that was my childhood.
Tell us about a life changing event that happened. That was high school actually. In 10th grade, I was a science and math student, and what happened was I was into art. It was mandatory, and so I was really good at drawing apparently, and my self‐ portrait was displayed at the national gallery there; and then one of my classmates, her name was Nicole, she insisted that I take photo class, so in high school I had photo classes 1 to 5. Each was half a year, and I started photo 1 in the 12th grade; that was my last year and I took it for a month and then my counselor told me to take another class to complete my credits, if I wanted to go to engineering school, as that was the plan then. I fell in love with it ever since.
So you travelled a lot. What would you say Your parents, are they supportive now? your favorite place was? I don’t really have a preference. I actually Not really, no. Not at all. like Male’. So how do you get about? Besides what you’ve already mentioned It’s just me. That’s what it is. They don’t provide. I’m not blaming them, but it’s like what other places have you tavelled to? Yeah, in‐between we would have they don’t have to do anything for me, I’ll transitted in Canada, then there are still carry on. Europe transits and yeah, Sri Lanka. That’s about it
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Who are your favorite Photographers? Non Maldivians, Elizabeth Messina. She is one of my all‐time favorites, because she shoots medium format film, natural light only, and that’s the way I do it. Such an inspiration. Ren Steflan? Funko introduced me to his stuff. Really good shit. He is incredible. He does photo journalism, but if you look at some of his photos, they look set up, but they’re not! They’re split second decisions that turn out looking amazing. Maldivians: I really appreciate Funko obviously. Very good fashion photographer. Refty, young prodigy. Naj, visual artist, very good. Nazal Shiyam, my friend as well. And Nuha is very good. Millzero has improved a lot since his old stuff, and Hani Amir, incredible artist, he’s not a photographer. But his photos are really good. There are a lot, well, not a lot but many more I haven’t thought of. Do you have a favourite from all your pictures? Yes, my favorites are my portraits, but I can’t pick a favorite. Because the reason I do portraits will be taken away and that is the most non‐discriminatory thing I do. Out of the other stuff there’s a photo of the moonrise that I took that I keep and people look at it and they say that’s a nice sunset. They look carefully, and they see the stars and I love that, plays with your head a lot.
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What are your inspirations? What I see, and music helps as well. I think it’s mainly setting the mood, for example you play Ben Howard, something acoustic or if you listen to Black Keys, or garage rock, or blues rock and then you got that mood you’re in and kind of helps you see things in a different light but that’s always consistent in a manner; it’s always gonna be a face or—and minimalism, minimalism is all I do. It has to be minimalistic. I can’t have things flowing around, I can’t have that rock in the corner, or that extra leaf coming onto the edge if the frame and just ruining it. Other artists who draw and paint, they inspire as well.
What brought you to doing portraiture? I started drawing faces actually, when I started drawing. In the beginning it was a challenge. I was like hey, what is really hard to draw? A person’s face is very hard! Started off with that. If I take a portrait of you for example, chances are you would like it and appreciate it in terms of the technical whatever. You’d think it was a good photo. But you wouldn’t like it, of your chances. That’s what usually happens. People don’t like the photos of them I take because it’s too raw. But that’s what I’m going for. Because you know how people they’re like hey, I don’t like me in photos, but I like myself in the mirror when I see myself and its good. That is what I’m taking actually. How I see them, but that’s how I do it. I don’t wanna sugarcoat them. Visually. I don’t like that.
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Why take black and white photographs? Black and white is really raw. You don’t have colors to work with. In the beginning black and white seemed easier because I didn’t understand Photoshop really well. The thing about digital is color rendition isn’t exactly very faithful; with film it’s very nice, it’s standard, you get what you want. It doesn’t change. Black and white is just soulful. For example you take a photo of someone with a certain background and there’s separation due to colors, but in a black and white you can mess it up big time because of the shades. The shades of the background matches the shade of the face. Black and white is the whole minimalism thing again in a way. Because when you look at it you can’t go “oh, I like that color there!” Here, it’s like eyes, soul, that kind of thing. Direct.
have are basically running on nothing. They just have enough money to live. Nothing to buy new gear and etc. and they have all these big shots who have all the gear and they shot good. They’re good at what they do, that’s why they are big shots. But they do it for peanuts how are we gonna get that? If they don’t set a price for their work, the market is saturated, that’s the main problem. What’s more important? Fancy equipment or good knowledge? Always knowledge. You could use one of the photographs for an example. There’s this shot in my portraits of the girls floating on the water? That was a point and shoot! That’s all I have to say.
What’s your message to aspiring photographers out there? Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Just shoot. Keep What’s the best criticism you’ve received shooting. in your photos or your work in general? There are a couple. I mean having someone like Funko who’s always motivating you, it’s really good, and there are people who think that my photos are taken with much better equipment than I actually have, so that’s a good thing. That gives me more levy? to tell them, “guess what, I’m shooting with a three year old crop sensor beginner camera people buy” so it’s good. Do you have any other challenges that you face because it’s Maldives? That is the main thing, because you can’t survive without any income, and so almost all the good photographers we
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Smooth sandy beaches, I love. Peachy people of the Maldives, I love. Shady shiny islands, I love. The enthralling weather, I love. The green that colors every island, I love. The sunny side of life, I love. The environment that we live in, I love. Correction, the environment that we lived in, I love.
ARE YOU RESPONSIBLE? by
MH
How little we care about our environment is seen everytime I look at the artfully littered roads, when I look at the beautifully diesel coated seas, when I look at the skillfully cut trees, when I look at the brightly burning garbage, when I look at the monumentally unused rotating fans and even when I look at the untidy classrooms. With each glance, I am obliged to accept the treacherous truth. As if Maldives is not warm enough already, I sincerely cannot not fathom why a fair number of Maldivians do not understand the risk that we are neck deep in. If any country is going to be affected by global warming, Maldives is going to be sky high on that list, and that is not recent news. Yet it still is news to our own people, neighbors and friends. We are the leading skyscraper on that gloomy list. Believe me, this ‘warm race’ is one race that we do not want to win. I know as Maldivians there is little that we can do and that it is an uphill battle that we must fight. Diligence is what need and what we lack. Let me humbly
remind you that it is little that becomes more - it is one that becomes many. These days when you are saying something to one person, you are saying it to a thousand. So please do your part and aim to save your future, your country. Yes, a lot of people love Maldives, but never can they love Maldives like Maldivians do. Together they can, together we can. Even by switching off fans and lights when they are not in use, you are helping. Instead of driving, walk to the places within a walking distance. Have a garden. Use CFC free products. Plant a tree and watch it grow. Have a multipurpose paper bag. Unplug appliances. Use one less paper napkin. Print on both sides of the paper. Use energy saving lights. Get skylights. Check for water leaks. Recycle all you can. Use rechargeable batteries. Stop using plastic bags, because they suck. Teach your kids these habits. Share what you know. What do you have to lose by doing that? You would lose a crappy future and you would only gain a fruitful future.
Image Credits: Ib Nawaf
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I write this with the hope that I have managed to scratched your skin just enough to let some 'convincing' get through (sorry if it hurt). But it was necessary. And it still is. There is so much to be done but together all things become easier. And let’s not throw a wet towel over the pleas of this country. Let’s be more responsible, let’s be more Maldivian. Image Credits: Naj (fb.com/naj123)
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Dear Myself
by Shaha
Writing a letter to yourself is an interesting thing because it makes you think, think of your life, your decisions and what you want yourself to be. There are two ways you can go about this. You can either write to your past self, or you can write to your future self. I’ve done both of these and from my experience I feel the future self‐letter is better because then you know exactly what your younger self wanted you to be. While this concept may not be for everyone, if you give it a try, you might find yourself liking it. Knowing what you thought back then and thinking of what you want for your future now. It can be a kind of a guide for you. And it’s beauty is just that, it’s for you, from you, the person who knows the most about your life. 40
Websites to check out
futureme.org/ - This website lets you e-mail your future self. So easy and kinda fun.
“If only I knew then what I know now” is something I often think. While I do read my journals every now and then, it’s in the past and no matter how hard I think about it and how many letters I write to my past self, it’s not going to change but my future self is someone that I can influence. I can tell her to take precaution, to not treat people badly and to be assertive. I can remind her of the past, I can ask her to do things that I’m not yet ready to do, but hopefully will be in the future. I can give her advice and that’s why I do it. Every year, I write a letter to my future self and it’s become a habit to rely on my younger self to be my personal therapist. This year, I turned 21 and
on my birthday I excitedly opened the letter I wrote two years ago. I felt like ‘Anjali’ from the Bollywood movie ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ when she received a letter from her mother every birthday. I was overwhelmed with emotions. My younger self was so right so many times, and a bit crazy too but she had such good advice and every now and then the letter gives me strength to go on with my life. So the next time you’re in a bad place, tell yourself that it will get better. Write it. It doesn’t have to be on a specific day or at a specific age. You can write to any point in future or past. Take the pen, open that mail browser and get busy!
letterstomysel f.net/ - Nicole takes entries from her old journals and gives advice to her young self.
alettertomysel f.com/ - Leo’s story about how the letter to his self is so inspiring and heartwarming.
oprah.com/spi rit/OprahsLetter-to-HerYounger-SelfOprahWisdom - and the Queen of inspiration herself wrote a letter to her younger self.
Image Credits: HeatHandmadeUK (hearthandmade.co.uk/)
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I have a computer! by Husham
Today’s developing world is filled with technology, from the bathroom to the pocket and beyond. But how m a ny o f u s a c t u a l ly t r y t o understand what is going on inside these little gadgets that we use almost everyday. Today I will be considering the computer, laptop or notebook (whatever you want to call it). I have seen many of my friends having a laptop powerful enough to do so many wondrous things. But sadly the only things they can manage to do with such a powerful machine is to play a game (obviously coded by someone else) and watch a movie.
You have the internet, you have a PC and you have your brain, why not try to understand the PC a little bit further? Perhaps learn a few neat tricks too while you are at it? For those of you who watch movies on your PCs and more often than not fall asleep while watching your ”exciting” movie. Ever wonder if there was a way to automatically shutdown your PC after a certain time passes? Obviously NO. Here is something you can do to shutdown your PC after a certain time thus saving energy, without using any additional software.
Image Credits: desktopped.com
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Press the start button and leave your mouse and type Shutdown.exe –s –f –t 00 Replace the 00 with the time (in seconds) that you would like your PC to shut down. Ok, now you might be wondering what those letter and numbers mean. Don’t worry, just look below for the explanation. 1. Shutdown.exe (initial app used to shutdown, restart or logoff the PC) 2. –s (command for “shutdown”) 3. –f (force the action, because sometimes some apps prevent the PC from shutting down) 4. 00 (the time in seconds to shutdown) Here are some other additional tips you might find useful. Shutdown.exe –r –f –t 00 [replace the 00 with the time to shut down in seconds, this command restarts the pc after given time.] Shutdown.exe –l [this command logs of your pc immediately] Now, watch a movie and have a good night's sleep without a care in the world because if you fall asleep while watching the movie you don’t have to worry about your PC, it will be sleeping with you. Good luck and try to understand the many devices around you. Don’t just use it. Understand it. 43
Cast: Sergi L贸pez. Maribel Verd煤, Ivana Baquero
5 Review by Shaam
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Synopsis: Pan’s Labyrinth takes place in Spain, five years after the Spanish Civil War, during the early Francoist period. The movie revolves around a young, intuitive and imaginative girl named Ofelia, who is stepdaughter to the vicious Falangist Captain Vidal, who hunts the Spanish Maquis that are fighting against the Falangist stronghold. While Ofelia’s pregnant mother grows ill, Ofelia meets a mythical creature known as a Faun, who brings the revelation to her that she is a princess of the underworld. The story unfolds, interweaving her magical adventure in the labyrinth garden, ultimately intersecting with the increasingly cruel and destructive path of Captain Vidal and his regime. Review: Guillermo Del Toro (well-known for directing movies such as HellBoy and The Hobbit), brings a movie that is a fantastic blend of horror, fantasy and drama. The movie is quite possibly his greatest direction and writing effort. What makes Pan’s Labyrinth so effortlessly amazing to me, is not only its beautiful direction and writing, but the spectacular art direction, cinematography and makeup, all of which has been acclaimed by critics and won Academy Awards. Like most fairy tales, the movie deals with the protagonist Ofelia, who is in the cusp of womanhood, when she meets the mystical Faun. The movie seamlessly shifts from the harsh reality of the notorious Captain Vidal and his evil regime, to the enchanting and often bewildering fantasy in the pan’s labyrinth - a hard feat t oachieve.
The movie therefore becomes something of a darker Alice In Wonderland, that strikes the heart of adult audiences, while also appealing to their inner child. Watching Ofelia’s struggle to realize her dream of being a princess of the underworld, and the lengths to which the Faun tests her desire to become one, I was left bittersweet and with a sense of wonder, watching the movie. With a gutwrenchingly tragic, yet beautiful ending to the movie, I personally, was left in mild tears - you cannot help but root for her innocence. The only minor flaw for the general audience would be that, the movie is entirely in Spanish. But don’t be disheartened – the movie comes with English subtitles. While the movie is almost seven years old, I believe it as a timeless masterpiece – good enough that you would think it’s an adaptation of a classical novel. Ofelia’s innocence, her enthralling, often terrifying and magical journey will live on forever in my mind. I would highly recommend it to watch with your friends, or even alone on a cold, stormy night. You won’t regret it.
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Ps3 SS Review
by Dan
Recently, the gaming world has been set alight with the news that the next-generation of gaming consoles are nearly upon us. And Sony s made news with their all new Super Slim PS3 line. Now many would wonder, with the PS4 nearly upon us why has Sony chosen to release a new PS3 model on us? Is it worth it? Or is it just another money making tactic to take advantage of us fanboys? So just a little bit of trivia before we get down to business. The Playstation 3 or the PS3 is a home video game console made by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the successor to the Playstation 2, and is a part of the seventh generation of video game consoles. It made it s debut on November 11th 2006 in Japan. There are 3 different versions of the PS3, the FAT version, the Slim and now the new Super Slim which I will shorten down to SS for the rest of this article.
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So, what s it like? Well, for starters Sony has managed to shrink the Slim down and still keep nearly everything we liked about it and throw in a couple of improvements too. It s way lighter than the Slim (The slim weighs in at around 4.7 kg while the SS weighs in at around 2.1 kg) , quieter than the Slim (yes, it s way quieter, surprising I know). They have also thrown in a new retro cover tray that slides open and the monstrous 500 GB upgrade you could get, this addition packs quite the punch. There s nothing new about the software so don t expect any increases in software speed or anything. But it s impressive how Sony has managed to make it so small and light. And now for the cons. I like the design but the sliding cover looks odd and slightly weak compared to the rest of it. And there s the fact that you know,
it has a sliding cover. This means, more responsibility and the fact that the inside of the PS3 is now more susceptible to accidental damage because the lens and all are uncovered each time you slide it open. And you can hear your disc reading at times. The lack of a HD cables with the PS3 itself is startling and at best has become an annoyance. You would think that after three models, Sony would start shipping cables with them. There s still no support for PS2 games, and you still get only two USB ports just like previous versions. So, is it worth buying? If you already have a Slim, I would say no. But if you re getting into the gaming scene or if you still have one of the first models then I would say go for it. The SS is a beautiful machine, the only problem is we ve seen most of it before.
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Chocolate Cream Cake
by The Girl In The Torque
How many of you like cheese cakes? And what about chocolates? I’m sure most of you do. Yes, this wonderful dessert is a combination of what almost everyone of us craves for and its not that difficult to make either. Its a cook�free recipe thats child friendly and at the very same time deliciously mouth watering.
Serves: 6-8 Chocolate crust: 1 cup ground nuts (Preferably Pistachio) 2-3 tbsp maple syrup 1/2 cup cocoa powder pinch of salt 1 teaspoon vanilla
chocolate filling: 2 cups cashew, pieces 1/2 cup coconut oil, liquid 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup water 2 teaspoons vanilla 3/4 cup or cocoa powder
Chocolate crust: - Throw in all the ingredients into a food processor (or a blender) and pulse till combined. You want the crust to slightly stick together. - Grab your mini cheesecake pan and scoop your chocolate crust into your pan. Press down with fingers to firmly place the crust into pan. Chocolate filling: - Soak cashews for about 10- 15 minutes then rinse well. Place cashews into blender with maple syrup, vanilla, and water. Blend for a little bit to get it creamy. - Next add in your cocoa powder and coconut oil. Blend till creamy. You may have to scrape down the sides a few times. Just keep blending till it is nice and smooth. (we like our chocolate cream cake on the rich chocolate, not too sweet side but you may add in a little bit more sweetness to suit your taste buds) - Once the chocolate filling is blended begin scooping your filling into your mini cheesecake pans. Fill them to the top. Set the chocolate cream cakes into your freezer to set for a few hours before removing from pan. - At this point you may eat it directly or if you want, pour over some delicious melted chocolate or a chocolate sauce over it
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Black Bean Quesadillas Today, we are focusing on simple and easy recipes to suit your lazy/busy lives. So here we go! A two layered; easy to make wrap that could either be rolled and made into a take away or eaten directly on the spot. Yes, it is much simpler to just grab a snack from our convenient stores or have a take away meal from one or the other bakery. But you can be quite certain that our quesadillas does not contain as much as sugars and fats as those snacks because guess what? You know the chef. But if you want to die of cholesterol or diabetes, be my guest. Anyways, for those of you who would like to have a change of habits or remain on a healthy diet, you definitely have to try this. 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 teaspoons tomato sauce (preferably mixed with finely chopped Thai chilies) 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups shredded red cabbage 1 medium carrot, shredded 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed 1 ripe avocado 1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons minced onion 4 8-10 inch whole-wheat wraps / tortillas First we would need to make the two layers. 1. Whisk vinegar, oil, Thai chilies and tomato sauce mixture and salt in a medium bowl. Add cabbage, carrot and cilantro; toss to combine and leave aside. 2. Mash beans and avocado in another medium bowl with a potato masher or fork. Stir in cheese and onion. To assemble the wraps, spread about 1/2 cup of the bean-avocado mixture onto a wrap (or tortilla) and top with about 2/3 cup of the cabbage-carrot slaw. Roll up. Repeat with remaining ingredients. You do not have to stick to this exact ratio. Increase a little bit from here and there and see which amount fits your satisfaction. Now that it’s done. You may decide what you want to do with it. Cut the wraps in half to serve if you want, store it in the chiller and heat before serving or just eat it up as it is.
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Sweet baby of mine by Fazu Singa The moment I touched your tiny palm When immediately you took hold, closing Your fingers; And I wondered if you held on ‘cause you Knew it was mine; Made my heart flutter at the sight Seeing you chew…. Oh, sweet baby of mine. I thought I would drift into sleep Watching your sweet slumber; But then the day’s light tweaked bleakly In through the window; A sleepless time, A memorizing sight that blew my mind; Baby, you’re perfect and you complete A part of me
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Image Credits: Mahin Fayaz (fb.com/mahinfayazphoto)
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Take heed and be the man by Ibu Shareef
What’s your favorite soccer team? Who’s your favorite singer? Who do you think would win the American idol this season? The truth of our football team, we would fight for it, we would fight for our favorite singer and we would fight to defend the singer we believe would win the American idol. We would go like "Hey man, did you see Messi play Champions League last night, he was awesome man." The guys who support Manchester United would be fighting the fans of Chelsea. You might not speak to your friend if for example you support Manchester United and he supports Chelsea and you lost by 3-1. The truth about such a trivial thing we would fight for it, defend with our words, with our intellect, with our eloquence but what about the things that defines us? Where’s the noise for our Dheen? Where is the noise people? Years go by very fast, this life is very quick, just a few years ago i was 16, i am now 23. Do not underestimate the flow of time and
also you have to understand the importance of the Dheen for yourself. Make the stand today, is Islam important to me, is it just like any other religion, is it something I do only on Fridays, is it something I do because of my parents, or is it something I do because it is part of my identity. Is Islam just an identity thing for you? Like a hat you put on when you go out? This is shallow. Is this the truth for you? Is this your world view? Do you really believe there is a creator for the whole universe and he is the only one that deserves to be worshipped and worship being a comprehensive thing, that we don’t refer to our egos anymore but we refer to the divine, we free ourselves from our egos and desires, we free ourselves from social pressure, we free ourselves from social conditioning, we free ourselves from the girls or boys next door, because they want me to look like the way they look, what we call conformity. How are we going to free ourselves from these things? Image Credits: Tablet Magazine
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By referring ourselves to Allah, Allah in the Quran says something very profound, Allah says that he sends the Prophets to free ourselves from the burdens; the Scholars said that these burdens mean the burden to society, because we are all burdened with something. Many of us look exactly like each other because we always want to conform; we always want to burden ourselves with other people. We always bend to peer pressure. Even in our own families, we are like, "Oh! I can't wear the same outfit to that wedding, what are they going to s a y. " T h i s is the dangerous superfluous reality that we have fallen into. The point I am trying to make is this, look at these ridiculous burdens that we put on ourselves just to conform to what others think, when it does not really mean anything. Is Allah going to ask you what grades you got or how much money you saved in your bank account? Think about the energy we put into these things. We are so busy that we don’t even think about how we are going to care for each other, bad news people, look at ourselves, we can’t even care for each other properly and we worry about these useless stuff. If you break reality down, it does not make sense, how could we act like this, just because of our pride and ego. These two traits are the biggest destroyer of families, the biggest destroyer of societies, biggest destroyer of nations. Allah mentions this, don't have civilizations based on social arrogance, look to what happened to people before you, it does not mean Image Credits: Alislamedia
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nothing, so this is why the Prophets came to us to remove ourselves from these burdens, to say that there are higher goals that we should aspire to. Broader horizons. We are the leaders, Allah says "We are here for the people," not from the people but for the people, we should be leading people. 10 million people in Somalia are starving, why is that when 10 million people in America are dying because of too much food, obesity. Why do we have this situation? Don’t think “I am not to blame!” We are to blame because we have the solution and don't think we don't have enough food and resources, that's an outdated cliché', that doesn’t work if you think about it logically. According to the Food Agricultural Organization, there is enough food in this planet to feed 3 planets, so what is the solution? It is not more resources, it is distribution and what did the Prophet tell about distribution? Zakat, Sadaqa, taking from the super-rich and distributing to the poor, the distribution of wealth. Islam solved this problem years ago, in New York Wall Street a nonMuslim woman was holding a placard which said, "We must do banking the Muslim way." They are telling us we have the solution and we don't even know it, do you see my point, be proud of your religion my friends. This an excerpt taken from the Rationality of God's Existence lecture by Hamza Tzortzis at the University of Minnesota and altered to fit to our society and situation.
“In 2000, for the first time in history, there were more people over 60 than children below 5. By 2050, the older generation will be larger than the under-15 population. In just 10 years, the number of older persons will surpass 1 billion people - an increase of close to 200 million people over the decade. Today two out of three people aged 60 or over, live in developing and emerging economies. By 2050, this will rise to nearly four in five.” Ageing in the Twenty-first Century: A Celebration and a Challenge 54
Image Credits: Refty Ahmed
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Thank you for reading, See you in July!
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