Making up

It's been another month. A full month, and I realize was "supposed" to update a day after my previous post but *inhales deep breath*.... I admit I've been a bad blogger who's forgotten all about my blog's one year anniversary and I would absolutely understand why my blog would dump me if it were a human being. I'm not one who finds excuses for everything (especially regarding this case seeing that I *cough* have no acceptable excuse).. But, I WILL make it up for my blog. *begins to run out of breath* I shall update twice a week. Yes you heard me -read that- two, tnein, dois, deux, bi? (that's as far as counting knowledge in different languages goes). *wheezy voice*

So *claps hands together*, since we've found common ground there.. where were we last time?

Ah yes, I was fuming over the fact that I was no longer taken for the self-proclaimed over-achieving nerd I am, and how my exercising, training, taming and continuous straining for the gooey thing that resides inside my head (aka brain) for a full year didn't stop my father paying 5 times more what an average or less than average art stream student would pay for an English Language and Literature seat. Or 5 times more what the girl sitting next to me who got 68 in Tawjihi but has a papa who "knows people" pays. It's really disappointing, injustice I mean. Money isn't the case here, I come from a quite capable family Al-Hamdulilah, it's the concept I'm talking about... I'm paying more than what a Medicine student on the normal program or a Pharmacy student on Parallel program pays because I'm a gulf graduate, and believe it or not, that's a form of taboo.

People still have the misconception that education in the gulf is as easy as it used to be. No wait, let me clear that up, UAE is an exception, especially for the past two years... KSA still gives marks bil kilo (in kilos) as we say. So my 96.4% Scientific stream sounds like a 76.4% when 5arrijet el emarat (Emirates graduate) is added after further questioning, or at least that's how you'll be treated (but when have I ever abided by rules? I still succeed to impress with fast, witty and smart comebacks and leave the individual I'm conversing with rather surprised that I can actually link two sentences together flawlessly.. yes friends, they think we're THAT dumb -_-). To make it a tad more clearer, had I stayed in Jordan, I would've gotten the same average or higher, but gotten a normal seat, without having to go through the stress of being lost and the disappointment of feeling mistreated and would be paying LESS than what the was6a dropout is paying. Again, injustice sucks. Ah well...


I pass by this gate everyday.. and I go through the struggle of getting my wallet out of my backpack in order to show them my ID, I mean COME ON, don't I LOOK like one?




So, it's the second week of University... I have formed a general opinion on the one I'm attending; The University of Jordan. But I'm going to give it two more weeks grace to leave a better impression before I start sharing my endless observations.


It showered on us last week while we were on our way to buy a book... the stuff you go through for education =p.


Oh, btw, my two posts per week thing starts next week.

Till then..
PEACE!

My Adventurous August

Okay okay, I'm good at postponing things, people who don't follow my blog regularly (88.8% of you) wouldn't notice though since I realized just now that my posts don't carry date tags... Suckers! *blinks*. Do excuse that, I'm fasting; simultaneously keeping up with +2 topics can be quite a challenge at the moment.

August was really fun this year, whether it was the "Know Your Country Tours" my uncle would take us on, or the heart-stopping, make-your-temple-throb restaurant-bill dining, or getting sprayed with a stray McDonald ketchup packet while jogging thanks to random fumbling feet and late night sleepovers with my cousins that included all sorts of movies ranging from the best of the box office to poorly-directed, shitty-dialogued British indies.


Translated: Welcome here (Jordanian dialect)



Qasr Al Harraneh (there was a camera crew shooting those Visit Jordan videos, my uncle was capable of messing up their best shooting moments by peeping through the castle door while they were zooming in XD)



Al Harraneh Castle



Qasr Amra



It was what you may call a high-end bath back in the days


We also happened to attend Jadal's album release.. they're a Jordanian Arabic Rock Band, really worth listening to if you're willing to hear something new.. not your typical 7abibi/7ayati/ya 3eini ya leil/amoot/anta7ir music that everyone's singing nowadays. Let me add, I don't listen to Arabic music with an exception to this band.. so try them out.


Left to right: Rami (vocalist), Mahmoud (guitarist) & Laith (drummer) from Jadal.. More photos here.

It was all fun until my summer got cut and I suddenly had to leave to the UAE thanks to an issue I'll will lengthily blog about in the posts to come. Just to give you a heads up; I, Velvet The Great (ignore that again please, remember, I'm fasting) who studied my butt off during my senior year of high school (Tawjihi / Thanawieh 3amme) and got 96.4% Scientific stream (and gained a good few *cough* kilos) was no longer considered an over-achieving student. On the contrary, I was just like any other drop-out or failure of a student who didn't study worth a rat's ass... And I couldn't get The English Language and Literature (not MEDICINE) seat I was positive I'd get with my feet crossed up on a table... Like I said, I'll get to that issue in a future post.


Back to the UAE

So I left to study at the Super Uni (as my cousin calls it)..


Orientation at "The Super Uni"

Buuuuutttt....




I'm back in Jordan now.

To be continued...

Belated Petra Post

"Last Thursday I experienced one of the most amazing adventures in my life entitled PETRA. I've been there before (3 years ago in 9th grade on my oh-so fun school feild trip -keywords: 9th Grade & School-) but this time, it was just out of this World. We (as in big bro, two cousins and me) gathered our gear the night before and started our road trip first thing in the morning. We barely noticed the 4 hours in the bus pass by (provide yourself with a brother annoyed by the smelly feet of the tourist sitting next to him and I assure you, time WILL pass by). "


Hit the brakes! *screech*... That was a month back, I've been too busy or rather not in the best position to post. So much has happened during this month. Before I get into my Adventurous August and its happenings, I'll share some snippets from our smelly-yet-incredibly-fun-infused trip =)


There she is.. The Treasury.


Yes, it looks weird, big bro is quite photogenic


Lunch & resting. This is where tours usually ends, but we decided to get our game together and keep going.



El Deir, the main reason we climed an hour and a half of stairs.. to see the shooting area of Transformers 2, I can assure you, we found no Matrix.. We did find a creepy Norweign couple who thought they could talk to donkeys though.



We found monkey boy too.
More pics:




It was an exhausting trip, yet I'd gladly go for it again. If you haven't visited Petra before, take my word for it; it is a MUST.
Will blog about my Adventurous August tomorrow Inshallah, this post is just too colorful to be part pooped by it.
Peace!

On self confidence...

I was sitting on the beach chair in my (failed) attempt to tan after enjoying a good hour of swimming at the ladies gym when out of nowhere this girl (very big girl mind you) heads towards the chair next to mine. All I can remember was the nausea and the bile making it's way up my throat, gulping it back I tried to focus on the screen of my mobile phone and NOT PANIC. Don't take me as a judgemental person YET. The thing is, she was wearing this bikini (or at least I hoped she was) that was literally stuck in between the layers of neatly folded fat. With every step her body jiggled in a very disturbing stomach-aching way. I could only imagine the different types of microscopic creatures that were living in between the folds... yes that's how FAT she is.

Now, I'm not claiming to be a super model or anything, I'm an overweight person myself, but I do my best to avoid capturing even MORE unintended attention (
IE: I NEVER wear a bikini while swimming, shorts and a tank top are just fine) but this girl was just challenging the whole world with her self confidence. Sure a girl should feel good about herself no matter what size she is but please not on the expense of other people's innocent eyes... I've been scarred for life.

Now that I've got that off my chest...



Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is coming out VERY VERY soon. The release is on the 16th of July in the UAE, and on the 22nd here in Jordan, I am considering going back for a few days just to watch it IMAX... if only things were so simple. I haven't been this excited since Twilight's release... it's a shame I won't be doing anything special like we did for Twilight last December... I miss all my crazy UAE friends. But I'll be sure to carry a wand, paint a scar on my forehead and run around the mall on a broomstick. Yes I'm THAT self-confident, you see... I'm hurting no one yet expressing my passion for Harry Potter... THAT is okay, tight bikinis on fat people IS NOT (can't let it go)!

Peace!

I said that....



I'd Be Back...


And here I am *throws papers on the desk and lifts feet*

We're back in business.

Farewells...

Shouldn't there be a policy that punishes bloggers who stop posting all of a sudden? *clears throat, looks down and points at the nearest person*. If there was Internet Social Services, I would be charged with First Degree Neglectence and my blog would be taken away from me... I could beat myself up all day on how idle I've become over here.

Time has flown by... Only one more week and school ends, I've survived this year Al Hamdulilah, with the help of God, family, friends & the Internet. It's been a long journey, 14 years of studying suddenly end and a whole new stage starts; University. Looking back at all those years, I realize that I never missed out on anything, I've always been an honorary student (and no, that doesn't mean I'm a nerd), never stayed in one school for more than 3 years which means I've come across different people from many paths of life, made friends I won't ever forget no matter how many miles lie in between, gained enough knowledge to know what I'm talking about and speak it out loud, and most importantly I'd change absolutely NOTHING about all these years that've passed. I've had my ups and downs, I've made my mistakes, but I've learned my lessons. I know more about people and how they think, interacting with different attitudes does that to you.

All of a sudden, it's over...

Yes, I still have two weeks of Finals to endure in mid-May, but I'll live through it Inshallah...

So this is just a temporary farewell post, until I'm done with finals that is. Once I'm done, I will nourish my blog regularly...


For now...
Peace out!
Hala.

Discrimination?

Wake up on the tunes of Clair De Lune by Debussy.
Hits Snooze.
Alarm goes off again.
Sighs.
Gets out of bed.
Wash up.
Pray Al Fajer. Check.
Put on ugly navy skirt and striped blue and white blouse. HUH?

So my school decided that Saturday is no longer a weekend for student's with averages above 90%. Why? Because we are sheep. Not any kind of sheep though, sheep that contribute in a very high yearly income to the cheapskate private school we attend, not only do we do that, we also provide quite a sharp reputation by getting the highest marks in the Emirate. Only difference is, they don't get to slaughter us (at least not the traditional way, they have more creative methods you see).

Baaaaaa'aaaaa...


Yes so back to the discrimination part... Students +90% averages have to show up on Saturdays for extra sessions. So do students under 75% (the ones who need things to be explained to them more than twice at school). And the students in between? Screw them is an expression. So they're putting us into boxes.. labeling us. High Income, stupid dumbs & screw them.


I'll see what achievements we'll make today and decide whether coming next week is worth it or not (I seriously doubt it). Until then...


Put iPod in school bag. Check.

Throw in school books. Check.

Have breakfast. Check.
Wake dad up. Check.
Park the car in front of the house (and argues internally whether taking it around for a drive is worth getting yelled at. No). Check.

Peace out!


Baaaaaaaaaaaaa..