Monday 28 December 2009

nyawww, a wedding

Just got back from one of my cousins weddings - had an awesome time, but even at this momentous occasion, I could not escape the gloom and doom that is extremism.

Idiot extremist relative (IER): "Oh so what are you doing these days?"

Me: "(sigh I know whats coming here) post grad"

IER: "Why do you want to study - females should stay at home, take care of the family blah blah (insert chauvinistic crap), wear buruga, you dress too seductively"

Me: "(blank stare) its because I don't want to depend on men, and also, I dont believe in the buruga and neither do my parents"

IER: "THATS TALKING LIKE AN INFIDEL"

Me: (wtf stare)

Thursday 24 December 2009

BEARDED EXTREMISTS PISS ME OFF

Specially when they give me weird looks and mutter amongst themselves because SHOCK , HORROR, I dare to wear shorts in tropical Maldives.

Oh sorry Mr. Fanatic, shall I fetch my stinky black polyester tent? Y'know, the one that is COMPLETELY unsuitable for Maldivian weather?

No thanks.

I shall continue to flaunt my knee caps, and attract you with my knobbly charms, for I am a DEMON WOMAN. DIEEEEeeeee

Sunday 6 September 2009

opshopping. or not

Mousie and I decided to go op shopping today. Unfortunately, all the opshops were shut. Brilliant scientists that we are, we used our mad powers of deduction to deduce that most opshops are run by christian charities. Most practising christians are usually at church on a sunday morning. therefore going opshopping on a sunday morning is well...very un-scientist of us.

We ended up at chaddy instead. Hurray for consumerism.

Tuesday 1 September 2009

You stay classy san diego!

I am trying to (unsuccessfully) fill in my lab book. any scientist out there knows what a tedious/boring/stupid job this is, and I have become very adept at procrastinating when I am supposedly filling in my lab book. yay :D

Life has been such a bore recently. Go to the lab at around 7am, back around 7pm, weekends spent at home. I have no life. Or maybe this is one of those lows.

need to get back to book. only one month more to fill in. aargh

but on the upside; San diego and Italy next year :D WOOO

Monday 18 May 2009

Things

I am grumpy

why am I grumpy

Things keep getting moved around

Why are things being moved around?

They've lived there for 2 years or more.

And yet new person feels the compulsion to move them to different and random spots

eg: the opened mail from the lounge somehow ended up in the kitchen in a drawer with the tea towels

w
t
f
.


urge to punch things in head = rising

Also, who the fuck leaves all the windows wide open WITH THE CENTRAL HEATING ON?

gah.

I think I might go to bed now.

Friday 10 April 2009

recession, hollywood style

Clearly they're cutting down on story writers and screenplay writers in an effort to beat the recession hollywood style; Does the new Zac Efron vehicle '17 again' remind anyone of that cute Jennifer Garner flick that came out a few years ago, "13 going on 30"? Its almost the same, just in reverse! and with cute boy instead of cute girl!

13 going on 30:




17 again.


She made up a life - but why?

On an online forum I frequent, we recently had a bit of a debacle regarding a new member. This forum is a fashion forum, and has a number of threads revolving around the lines of "what outfit I wore today" - and new member (lets call her horse&dog shall we?) started posting in it a few weeks ago.

from what we could gather, she was an 18yr old year 12er, living alone (???) in a house in melbourne, who had mega rich parents who lived in a farm on the outskirts of melbourne, a horse-dog and a dog-horse (even she couldnt keep this bit straight), and a wardrobe out of net-a-porter. She owned a brand new range rover, and said that her parents didn't pay for her wardrobe, and that she paid for it herself by working at maccas (her first reply) and a few replies later this changed to "I work at a boutique". Mcdonalds is a bit different to a boutique, but ok, maybe the poor thing was just a bit confused.

Now you may be wondering why I am talking about this at all, but think about this; more and more we are an online society - sure we meet in real life (IRL), but we use facebook to set up events, we set up blind dates online, and we find support groups and make friendships online; often at forums for people with common interests, like said forum at which this incident happened. When this is the case, and people with fake personas come into play, it can be very damaging to peoples trust, and affects other people who may be more genuine.

As it was, I think most people who read horse&dogs posts realised that she was a bit far fetched - most of us were waiting to hear that her bf was a well known footy/rugby player (inside joke). What is ridiculous though is how much she protested when we gently questioned her; instant giveaway.

Moral of the story? If you're gonna make up a fake persona, get the details right, and maybe write it down so you can remember it too. Oh, and dont say your entire wardrobe is 5000$ dresses from NAP. No one has this, unless you're victoria beckham.

Friday 20 February 2009

RAGE

Rage: angry fury; violent anger

So ends the second week of work. My friend at work said there is always a period of intense rage when you return to work following a long relaxing holiday. And rage there was. It felt like it was a new year, but nothing had changed. My supervisor was still taking liberties he shouldn't, and annoying me with his lack of involvement. I stalked around yesterday in a blind rage, near snapping at anyone who attempted to say something stupid to me.

So I went home. Stopped at the shops on the way home, bought some green tea, made a huge pot at home, and just...relaxed. Stared out the window and came to terms with returning to work.

It made such a big difference! Getting back to work today, I felt like I drank away all my bad karma. I even managed to get back into my work and get tonnes done today. And now I am at home, relaxing with more tea, and a few episodes of torchwood before I start work on my presentation for monday...I suppose a friday night could be worse spent.

Wednesday 11 February 2009

lawls

a lawl for yall

It seems like I haven't even been away

First few days back at work and it feels like I haven't even left. Work picked up right where I left it, no slow easing back into it. Monday was a full on 2 day experiment that had been scheduled in my name. I only found out about it when I came in at 8am. Of course, this was one of those collaborative experiments that someone else was doing part of, so I couldn't even put it off and get organized. Oh no. Straight back into it.

ah well. back to gossip girl I guess

Monday 2 February 2009

At last, some good customer service

As some of you may know, I left the Maldives last night for Singapore, on my way back to australia. I could probably now pass as a fairly experienced traveller, given that I have been shuttling in between countries by myself for the last 16 years. Usually I travel SQ, mainly because of the ease in terms of connection (MLE-SIN-MEL) and exceptional customer service...at every SQ office except the hulhule check in desk. Don't get me wrong, theyre usually polite if brusque, and don't give me a hard time about a few kilos excess. Its just that they don't measure up to SQ's other international staff.

Last night though, an incident happened that made me shed a happy tear; finally, some integrity in maldivian service!

We were all lined up, waiting to check in. I was at the internet check-in line, as I had already checked in and picked my seat - just needed to drop off my bags. A tourist was ahead of me being served. Just as they finished and were walking off, this loud, rude maldivian guy barged in front of me to the counter. He was wearing the uniform of a nearby resort, and loudly demanded that the staff member put his tourists through first "as they were very important". I was about to tell him that there was a queue and he was welcome to join it when the maldivian supervisor interrupted him and told him to go join another queue, as this was for internet check-ins only.

Yay.

5 minutes later, I was getting my boarding pass when I saw the resort fella go up to the supervisor and say

"hey, why don't you do me a favour; these tourists are 15kgs over-weight in their luggage, why dont you put them through for free?"

Supervisor: "I'm sorry sir, but I can't do that. I can put through about 5kgs for free like I do for a lot of other travellers, but 15? I'm sorry"

Resort guy: "C'mon just do it for me, I'll make it worth your while *winks*"

Supervisor: "If I did that for everyone who asked me to, the plane wouldn't take off. The excess baggage office is there *points*"


Good to see that not all people can be bought.

Why do Maldivians always complain?

Lawl. They complain when they don't get flats, and then complain when they do.

Aih foaraa hisaabah huriHAAAA eccheh

Hulhumale' Winners Complain About Down Payment
29 January 2009
Aishath Shazra
print

A number of Hulhumale’ flat lottery winners have complained the Rf100,000 (US$7,843) down payment for the apartments is too high, with many saying it will be impossible to pay the money without resorting to loans.

Speaking to Minivan News, one winner, Fareehsa, 31, a working mother who currently shares a small flat with her parents, said, “I am extremely happy to have won the flat but I have not given much thought on how to pay the down payment.

“I am against borrowing money, but I if I have no other choice, that’s what I have to do.”

But the deputy director of HDC, Nuha Mohamed, has said it is important to remember the development project is a non-profit venture: “We have just included the construction cost and the cost of land in the pricing.”

She said the HDC had received “some” complaints about the down payment and the issue was raised on the night of the draw. “The ministry of housing has said it will try to lower the down payment amount,” she added.

Another winner, a 28-year-old woman who wishes to remain anonymous, said although she had won a two-bedroom apartment she might be forced to give one room to “whoever can make the payment”.

At present, she lives with her mother and six others in the 400 ft² house and since she got married, her mother has been sharing a room with her sister.

“I am lucky to have won the flat,” she said, “but I should be able to afford it. Let’s see how the government can make this affordable for us.”

In addition to the down payment, she said the selection process for the lottery remained unclear. “My half-sister is in the same situation as me. Her dad’s house is 100ft², has two floors and he lives with his wife and kids.

“From this house she probably only owns a space the size of a tile, yet she wasn’t chosen for the lottery.”

As a result, many have complained that some people may have provided false information in order to be chosen for the lottery. On this point, Nuha said the HDC was currently in the process of verifying information given by winners.

“We had over 8,000 applicants so we waited to confirm the information after the draw. It’s easier to verify the information of a smaller number of people.

“We are consulting with various government institutions like the municipality to verify everything. Each category has 50 people on the waiting list, so if the information provided is incorrect, someone else will get chosen”.

After confirming the information, the deadline for the down payment will be announced, she added.

Hulhumalé is built on reclaimed land and was completed in 2002. The 188-hectare island was designed with the intention of housing 60,000 inhabitants from the capital Malé.

HDC allocated 488 newly built flats to the winners of a lottery draw and the organisation estimates 4,000 people will move into the flats.

The apartments, which fall into the category of the Social Housing Scheme, consist of two- and three-bedroom flats.

The flats are handed over to the winners after the down payment, which is 20 per cent of the total price. The remainder will be repaid in monthly installments for the next 20 years.

Friday 30 January 2009

Schweet? PWEET

Yknow, if I read one more blog where they use the word "Schweet", I'm going to hurl. And then stab the author in the eye with a pencil

Thursday 29 January 2009

Islam and hypocrisy

My family prides themselves on being moderate. Sure, they pray, but 'we're not like those extremists, oh no! And yet, a conversation at the breakfast table today had me speechless.

A close family friend (non-muslim) was visiting, and we were talking about the world at large, as we usually do at these sorts of gatherings. The talk inevitably turned to our favourite topics; economics, politics and religion. We were talking about how the current recession would hit the Maldives hard, because of us importing practically everything, and because of the Rufiyya, that really should be devalued but isn't. Our friend is an exporter from overseas, and had come to see if he could drum up business, as in the last few months, orders from the Maldives had practically dried up. Smart arse that I am, I said that "well, being good muslims, perhaps we should go back to goat-herding. I hear it's really lucrative". I wasn't prepared for the fact that my family (particularly dad) would take this completely seriously. Sarcasm was NOT noted. Dad started going on about how "blah blah in times of need blah blah animal husbandry blah blah anyway thats how the prophet lived blah"

Point taken about farming being an excellent way to survive a recession. However, following on from this, someone else mentioned the current furor over the prophets bride, Aisha, and whether she was a minor. I immediately remembered the story about the girl from the atolls. 12 years old and raped in her bed by 4 adults holding an axe. These men received a lenient punishment because the judge thought that as this young girl (who was being 1. physically threatened by 4 grown men with an axe and 2. shit scared) didn't scream, she was 'ASKING FOR IT'

ASKING FOR IT

I mentioned this story to my audience, and all of a sudden, the crowd went wild, as they say. Dad was the loudest of all. He immediately took the stance that "there are many girls like that in Male who misbehave" and that "they walk around in short skirts and lipstick". Oh yeah. Just because some chicks in Male who are young have one boyfriend or make out with them means that this girl in an Atoll was ASKING FOR IT from 4 grown men. At once. In her family home.

so she was asking for it? This 12 year old girl? Whether the story I related was accurate or not was another question. What troubled me was this; my father, a normally sane, moderate, modern man, who was kind, charitable etc...was taking the same stance as one would imagine a fundamentalist would take; just because it was a woman who was the victim.

At that point (following several minutes of heated argument), I knew there was no point in trying to convince him. All I can do is make sure that my younger brother NEVER learns this attitude.

I think I'm still in shock.

I'm back...

Long hiatus from posting. I have this terrible habit of not sticking with things...I know that thats no excuse, and that the true blogger finds some time, any time to blog, but I just couldn't be bothered. To tell you the truth, I've always found it hard to be open about my life, and since interesting blogs are just that; the mundane aspects of life, I find it hard to share this with the world. How can the coffee that I drank today be of any interest to people, I think. But I digress. A new year, new beginnings, and here I am, back where I started last year.

I'm currently at the tail end of my holiday in the Maldives. This trip has been one of the best trips ever. Perhaps its because it was so short, perhaps because old friendships were renewed and new ones forged. Either way, my return to australia is tinged with sadness, because never before have I felt like I truly belonged.

I suppose these things are better in small doses. The Maldives has changed so much since I left back in 2000. Buildings are bigger, the shops are shinier, but at the same time, people are ruder. Its now dangerous to walk around at night by yourself or even with a friend. Drug addicts line darkened streets where the government installed street lights have been shattered by bricks, all so that shady deals can be done under the secrecy of darkness. Policemen, perhaps still burdened by some of the more absurd 'human rights' rules set by the previous regime remain unable to cope with the crime here in the capital. They saunter around trying to look in control, but more often than not can be found guarding places that are least likely to be trouble spots. Last night, on the way back from a late coffee with a friend, we saw a couple of policemen guarding...a tree.

The landslide election victory for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) late last year made many people think that everything would change. Our tiny nation has never seen multiple parties before. So many choices, so many stances. Pro-westernisation, Pro-islam-extreemism, Pro this, Pro that. We heard it all during election time, and it seemed like everywhere where Mohamed Nasheed ('Anni') of the MDP went, there was an air of hope, a feeling that maybe this time, we would get it right. The previous regime had its time in the sun, but the problem, like with so many men, was that he didn't know when to step down. Nepotism, greed and sloth got the better of him, and instead of being a symbol of prosperity to us all, he is now our shame.

Unfortunately, 3 months into Anni's government, and nothing seems to have changed. Admittedly, this is not very long, but at least there should be talk of change. Instead, there appear to be broken promises.

1. A university to be situated within Theemuge, the presidential palace. Instead, 2 government offices have been moved into this 45M Dollar palace, build of marble and the sweat of expat workers.

2. Job security: Already, 1000 existing jobs in the Home ministry are being dissolved.

3. A 'new maldives': Anni's appointments to the cabinet seem random, as if they have been made without examining the appointees past experience. The minister in charge of The Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture is a previously practicing dentist. What is he going to do, check the teeth of the watermelons? The one obvious appointee is the Health Minister, Dr Aminath Jameel, who did her PhD in geriatric studies. Of course the one appointee that had everyone's tongues wagging was the man now in charge of our nations defence; the same man who sold us out back in 1988.

Time will tell, and for the sake of the Maldives, I really do hope Anni and his new government succeed. But for now, I remain skeptical.