Bring “Amino” Back

Hey there, It’s Moey blogging from Amino’s blog… Please bring her back, I miss her blog and she refuses to blog anymore. HELP!

Amino is a full time English Literature Sophomore. Hobbies include: criticizing the society, reading, and writing. An androgynous writer, conflicted idealist, and a passionate athlete, invests spare time devising plans to take over the world, breakdancing, and explaining all the conspiracy theories to online friends.

Lives for activism, books, and Japanese Manga. Earns a living by being a freelancer, translating documents, and eventually finding a decent job. Most commonly known to be enthusiastic about: gender bending, human rights, and science fiction movies.

Inspired by John Lennon, Sarah Waters, Edward Said, and Margaret Weis. Cherishes privacy, honesty, and independence.

Amino’s known to be the guardian of all freaks and socially condemned figures. Often accused of being a socialist, crucified for promoting liberalism, scorned for admiring anarchy. Practices a tolerant attitude under the roof of personal insecurities, and is not afraid to be wrong, rather terrified to regret.

Favors allegories, satires, and irony in literary texts.

About

 

 

Utopian Writer happens to be the person you’re curious about. She is an English Literature student, androgynous writer, conflicted idealist, and a passionate athlete.

 

FAQ:

Is A.J Blake your real name?

No, A.J Blake is my nom de plum — pen name, or pseudonym.

How old are you?

I was born on the 21^st of December, 1987. You do the math.

What school were you in?

I graduated in 2005 from the Ahliyyah School for Girls – most commonly known as the CMS.

How many languages do you speak?

I am trilingual. I speak Arabic, English, and French. I am currently working on my Latin.

 

Are you a published writer?

You can check my bibliography below.

 

Bibliography:

Poetry:

Great Minds From Around The Globe (Young Writers)

Poetry In Motion Across the Miles Vol II. (Young Writers)

Eternal Portraits (The International Library Of Poetry)

The Best Poems and Poets of 2004 (The International Library Of Poetry)

The International Who’s Who in Poetry (The International Library Of Poetry)

Awards and Distinctions:

“Peace And Stability Through Trade” The 2003 World Trade Centers Association’s Essay Honor Award.

The 2006 HAMSA’s Dream Deferred Contest – Finalist.

“The Labelling Committee” Quarter-Finalist in the Writers of the Future Contest Q42, 2006

New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s Resolutions

There is always a story behind everything, one we might not expect, and today we’re
going to explore the New Years Resolutions story. I’ve asked 20 people randomly when
do they think the New Years Resolutions tradition started.

10 out of 20: Thought it started after the cold war.
5 out of 20: Thought it started in the late 60′s (And that the hippies were the ones
to invent it along with the term “Groovy”)
3 out of 20: Thought it started in the late 80′s, early 90′s.
2 out 20: Gawked and told me “Huh?”

So the question is… when did the New Year’s Resolutions tradition begin?

Answer: The tradition of the New Year’s Resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C.

Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar. He was always depicted with two faces, one on the front of his head and one on the back. Apparently Janus had two faces, so he could look back on thy past and forward to the future. Sounds surreal, that our current celebrated tradition has that kind of story: Mythology, symbolism, and history…

Could it be that those elements of the story are the ones that make it almost impossible to achieve. How many people do you hear saying “I’ve accomplished my New Year’s resolutions.” Could it be that those goals we put ahead of us are just a myth, a small figment of history we can’t let go of, or perhaps a symbol we forgot the purpose of its symbolism and deemed it real. These are of course my own ramblings, but there are teams of researchers around the world that actually investigate this phenomenon. Also, they are people who dedicated 20 years or more to discover the true reasons why we can not keep up with our own goals.

Marlatt who studied this subject for over 20 years gives us tips about how
to achieve your resolutions:
• Have a strong initial commitment to make a change.
• Have coping strategies to deal with problems that will come up.
• Keep track of your progress. The more monitoring you do and feedback you get, the
better you will do.

Sure-fire ingredients for setting yourself up for resolution failure, he adds,
include:
• Not thinking about making resolutions until the last minute.
• Reacting on New Year’s Eve and making your resolutions based on what’s bothering
you or is on your mind at that time.
• Framing your resolutions as absolutes by saying, “I will never do X again.”

According to research, the Top 10 Most Common New Year Resolutions are:

1. Lose weight

2. Stop smoking

3. Stick to a budget

4. Save or earn more money

5. Find a better job

6. Become more organized

7. Exercise more

8. Be more patient at work/with others

9. Eat better

10. Become a better person

Have you prepared your New Year’s Resolutions Yet? Am in the process of posting them, feel free to post your resolutions. On a side note, Jameed, cracked me up with his “2006 surprise”, i think one of his resolutions would be “Get stainless steel knifes” =)

Smurf is back…

Ah! The weekend, this word is like music to my ears. Sheesh, it’s been long since i posted. My life has been a mess, basically because am “adapting” to a new environment aka JU. Where islamists want to show you the light, satanics want you to join the cult, cool people sit at the back and people who forgot their glasses sit in the front. Sounds typical so far? Oh yeah! Well, my first week at the JU seemed to be shocking to some, basically because i enjoyed my time. Most kiddos suffer on their first semester, new friends, new places, you get lost and found (eventually). Well, being the social fiend i am, i got to know most of the Adab people on my
first week. My friends were kinda shocked, for two reasons:
a) I seem to be in a jolly mood.
b) Am over-friendly.

Why is that i changed? I don’t know, they say university changes people. Or maybe it’s because when i was in school it was different. A limited number of people to adapt to, to be friends with, whether you like them or not. Compared to the 30,000 students in the university, hell yeah am gonna change. I mean, the whole process is amazing, meeting new people that intrigue you.Getting to know what they like, and what they don’t, their siblings and their odd hobbies ranging from: shooting empty beer bottles, collecting dead insects, watching the commercial channel, and watching silent movies. I mean your friends that you lived with for twelve years never seize to amaze you from time to time. But this is different, it’s a whole new building process: impressions, experiences, laughter, anger. I have my friends asking me “Amino, where the hell do you go in the breaks?”

Where the hell don’t i go in the breaks you mean! The university is like a treasure hunt for me, getting to know every corner, secret places, secret societies (yes they do exist), and joining events (except for the Smurf Gathering thing). The thing is, most of my friends now are sticking together, calling up each other to meet; basically afraid to be alone. But who can blame them? It’s a new place, but for me i think it’s better to be alone, not to stick with your circle of friends, otherwise how will you meet new people?

For some whose athletic like me, you can guess where i spend most of my time: the gym (the infamous gym that most smurfs pout when i tell them it exists). Basketball… running on the
track… reading on the benches… or even laughing my ass off in the changing rooms (where you’ll meet girls who are in the “Reyada” but look like they’re going to a party). Ohh.. loads of stuff to tell, but i don’t know how to organize my thoughts.

On my second week, i had my share of basic smurf shock: assignments. Yes, the big ugly A, three reports to be delivered in 2 days about a Chimp named Koko, Animal cognition, and Sabaweeh (flash news:that’s the Persian guy who put the arabic language on track, yep he’s Persian not arabic).

I worked my ass off to research, summarize, and write an essay about. I came to thy cluttered lecture to discover every single person has copied and pasted the info on the net. Hellooo? Plagiarism? Was i the only one who was taught you do not copy other people’s work. Well, the professor kinda warned them in a nice way, but i was intrigued that most of us are not taught how to write a research the right way (of course that was a must in the IG).

My other share of B.S.S (Basic Smurf Shock)… the friendliness you’re treated with at the library, think again, they’re the rudest unhelpful people on planet earth. You ask them for help, they mock you, they snigger as they watch your smurf butt suffer trying to understand the idiotic classification system.

Well, that’s it people. I am sorry for this disoriented dysfunctional post, will post later on. After am done with the linguistics chapters…

P.S: Happy Ramadan to all..

Chronicles of a very gullible smurf….

Now, that would be cool right? And the pic posted expresses our utmost zest and enthusiasm being the smurfs we are. On second thought, nah it’s not. Being a JU smurf isn’t
exactly the best situation you could be stuck in. Why?

Bare my attitude, and read my story.

So i go to the Al Hasan Bin Talal Hall, holding my official paperwork, and am met by a very
friendly student guide who hands me this “Gift”. And i am shocked, what gift could they
grant us?

And here am gonna ask you to visit Robz’s post here. The student handbook and map are a
“gift”. Wait, i thought they were obliged to provide us with such stuff when we first
applied. Oh never mind that. The pen doesn’t work, and the map is wrong, and the caricature
inside the booklet is basically well “Vulgar”. Why vulgar? We have such a beautiful
language, and instead we use common slang that basically made me feel well.. pissed. Cause
let me say it in their common slang – 3am ibtestahbeloni? I mean, it is kinda of funny if
you’re in a good mood. But maybe it’s not that funny when you stand in line to get a piece
of paper that says what subjects do you have. Followed by a visit to your Academic Advisor
who is sitting in open space surrounded by hordes of people, and asks you to pick a subject
besides the other three. I stood there “What?”

I didn’t know what the hell am doing, and why the hell there isn’t a single elective in
there that is related to my field of study. And when i tried to ask, well there are
gagllion of gals pushing me into the wall. We have absolutely no sense of line,
organization, and our life is a perfect example of El 7esbeh.

We are poor gullible smurfs that do not need jokes and funny caricatures in our student
booklet. Rather than a simple explanation of what we’re doing. A girl in line asked me
“Listen, so am gonna be taking those 3 subjects for the rest of the four years?”

Imagine, how naive we are when it comes well to our first year. The student handbook should
have been given to us beforehand, not during the registration. It is a wonderful
initiative, the “gift”, and the guides and the unusual friendliness we were treated with.
However, we are not satisfied, because we are small blue creatures that can not understand
the university system on our own. We are not satisfied, because our blue skin becomes very
itchy when we have to perform everything we don’t know in a rush. And our small white tiny
feet hurt when 4th years send with false directions to the Southern Gates. So here is a
post from a poor gullible smurf, I can’t wait to start the uni courses – where of course
my smurfness will gradually vanish by trial and error.

Rock my World!!

Imagine a very quiet Friday night, sitting on the bed, relaxed and perched in happiness for the bestseller in your hand. You touch the smooth cover, slip your fingers around the edges, your eyes watching the art anxiously. With a soft gesture you flip to the first page, skipping the introduction (that most people never read ), and onto the real deal. The author who spent almost a year writing is back home anxious for reviews, like a father waiting for his son’s results. All for you to have this magical moment, the moment you first fall in love with his precious baby. The letters are elegant and curvy, like an aristocrat woman, the pages are made from a tree you never met, and probably you’ll rock her world if you ever met her, let’s just say that couldn’t thank you more. Hint: buy the recycled editions. Nonetheless, you’re in the mood, ready and ecstatic. The first sentence pushes the surge of “this is totally worth it” feeling. And then.. the unexpected happens (doesn’t it always).

BANG BANG BANG – Let me rock your world baby.. let me shatter the very few moments of peace you have. Let me ruin your friday and almost everyday if you’re living near families with loads of sons to marry. What am I talking about? Oh.. don’t play “Clueless” with me…I loved the series way more than the movie.. but..

Fireworks! Fireworks.. viva la fireworks!! As in let’s fix that rocket into the ground (with no instruction manual whatsoever), even if it hits the neighbors roof, what the hell… we’re expressing our happiness, no harm.. no pain.. and no gain…

What gain? What do you exactly gain by waking every single child in the neighborhood every 2 hours with fireworks! First it was the rifles and machine guns, (gladly, we didn’t reach the bazooka stage). Until, fireworks were made accessible to the public. And the general public met their newest toy available, way after the pokemon and Cassandara skirts rush!

It became a nightly ritual for me, whether it’s a wedding in The Palm Village (which obviously has no palms), or it’s a celebration for a dude who passed with a 56 average or if it’s simply kids playing!!

Why am i so disturbed? Well, for starters I don’t like the fact the Amman’s sky is screaming “World War III”, and i don’t like waking at 1 am because someone decided he’s too happy to sleep. You’re too happy to sleep, put on some headphones along with “La Tortura” or whatever is hip today… and dance yourself into oblivion or sleep that is.

I mean, Enough is Enough! This epidemic is becoming way out of control… you think me and my book should go to hell fine. I mean seriously fine, think of me as the dumb neighbor and as they say it 5odni 3ala gad 3aglati. Show a pinch of altruism that our religions always preached.. rather than shower the girls walking in the streets with catcalls of “Allah yehdiki!

YAY!

It’s been long. Well i was in the National Results Anxiety Week… yep it’s a national stress holiday for all GCE students. Well the good news are, I got A’s YAY for me!! That means no more weight gain (i tend to put on weight when am stressed). Well my vacation is about to end, work work work to do. That’s all for now!! YAY for me!

Humor Me :: Semi-Weekly Section ::

Kissing Syndrome

Another incident of unique “Arabicism”…

Marhaba *kiss*, keefek *kiss on the other cheek*, a5barek *kiss*, ishta2nalek *another kiss on the other cheek.

Seems familiar huh? I can assure you that Arabs are the touchiest, most emotional nation on earth. So what am i talking about? The Kissing Syndrome, in which the Arabic world is plagued with. It’s like when guests come over, you don’t know what to expect. Some kiss each cheek, some do it twice, and some thrice, and believe it or not some multiples on one cheek and one at the other.

It is funny come to think of it, how each person argues how the greeting procedure could be. Someone like me for example, performs the stretch-your hand-and-stand-back method, basically to avoid the whole kissing viscous cycle. I mean, enough with the kissing already, like sometimes the individual turns when you’re kissing… and you’re like huh… what next… i mean the kissing cycle is confusing, not to mention makes me sick.

I mean imagine all the germs that are transferred through this process, especially that sometimes a stranger lady comes in to a gathering and i am supposed to kiss her, like “What the?”

I mean you could leave all the “Hello, how are you doing, what’s new, missed you” jazz for when you sit down, not as a greeting. To me, i find this whole thing dumbfounding and irritated. I mean did i say Humor Me people? Enough with the kissing already!!

The Baby Mirror Test

As human beings, I believe from the first moment someone places us in front of a mirror we become addicted to that little kid smiling at us. And believe it or not, we walk around looking for that little kid, one who smiles at us radiantly and passionately, a small look of confusion and amazement in his eyes.

I believe I don’t remember my Baby Mirror moment, but I remember seeing my nephew’s first one. The way he smiled and tried to touch the mirror endlessly to touch that baby looking at him. Stocked with nostalgia? Not really, I am here to talk about those simple emotions. Being young isn’t about Oprah’s makeovers, or those anti-aging secrets, or magic pills. The Life Elixir unlikely exists anywhere other than in Harry Potter. But I believe there is a semi elixir out here in this world that only few realize: The sense of Amazement and Wonder. As children, we are amused by almost anything, but as we grow older and get sucked into the whirl of routine we suddenly lose it. Everything becomes monotonous and meaningless by the time we finish college.

Why do some people still have a young heart? Well, they try their best to try new things and endeavor into risky adventures… the kind that alerts your flight-or-fight instinct. We need to maintain that sense of wonder, and provoke amazement weekly in order to survive that whirl.

When was the last time you sat on your chair and spun like there is no tomorrow? When was the last time you shared a pack of M&M’s with your friend and discussed what each color gives you at first sight. When was the last time you climbed a tree… ran a mile or wrestled with your sibling. Think young… think fun.

Hola, Salut, Hello, Ciao, Marhaba..

For those guessing that i picked a Modern Languages Major.. this is your lucky day…. because… *tadaaa*
I picked an English Literature & Language major, how did i make up my mind. Well, i imagined myself tired.. and sleepy, stuck in the traffic, having a bad hair day and barely ate breakfast. And then, I thought… what major would you head on to on such a day, and still believe it’s totally worth it.
The contestants of course were:

• Journalism
• English Translation
• English And Spanish
• English And Italian
• French Language and Literature

So i pondered, and came up with the ultimate test: The Peer Pressure/Society Pressure test.
Am sure you’re not familiar with this test, since i’ve invented it a couple of years ago, but the common name for such a test is “Follow your heart.”

Everyone was like: take English Translation… and you know all the jazz. And i said, maybe they’re right…and I went there to the Mowazi Registration Office in the Jordanian University (I’ll get back to that later on). And my father absolutely had no idea that I actually didn’t make up my mind about my Major. And as i was filling the application, the test came… I held my pen to write: English Language and Translation, and something stopped me. And the voice in my head said: come on why not, everyone seems to think it’s good.

And i ended up writing English Literature and Language. I am never confused with my decision making actually, which baffles a lot of people, I just pick either one… and i know my heart in the right time will tell me what to do. A lot may say, this is stupid, but really true… my heart always seems to lead my decision making. The heart orders and the mind later on makes his best in that decision…

So… you’re thinking: “Whoaa, Amino is super zealous today, with all the positive energy.”

Hold that emotion for a nanosecond, because am about to spill the beans.

So because GCE students are shoved with the Internationals means that we should pay our fees in Dollars? I mean, we could easily pay the equivalent by Dinars. But noo, we have to take the sum in Jordanian Dinars, exchange them for dollars, and then give them to the bank on campus, and then the bank would transfer the sum back into dinars. Anyone spotting a flaw here? I am a Jordanian citizen, and the fact that I am in the Mowazi doesn’t mean i should be treated like an International.

So I am a semi-official UJ student (With an easy number), unless i fail to get my equivalency before 1/9. How does it feel? Well, it feels great that am in the uni, not because it’s the UJ. More like, it feels great to be a Uni student.

Okay, a petit confession, my happiness was focused on the fact that the Uni has a Track & Field team, cause many unis don’t. I don’t know if my dad actually saw me drool, when i saw the running track encircling the turf of the soccer pitch. Sports always played an integral part of my life, especially Track… the thought of running 7 laps in the sun (that’s 2.8 km) makes my heart jump. The surge of adrenaline when you run, the euphoria, and sweat of achievement… they are just more than enough to brighten up my day.