Is it time?

So here we are... has the time come to call it a day? My blog updates are becoming few and far between and I always seem to come up against technical problems... why wont’ my computer let me be?! lol.

Hmm... new semester started today, got a lot of course literature to read through so how do I use my time? By updating my blog and fixing the various issues I had :) A quick update on my life since my last post...

Life stuff so far includes –

• Weddings played a major part in my life over this past year or so. Faisal chachu got hitched, Adnan chachu also followed, Umer bhai got married to Gabby, Furheen baji got married to her other half and Ashar bhai remembered that he hadn’t had an official registration ceremony so we had that as well, lol. Friends getting married include Munira, Iyesha, Mahria, Abbey (Abida), Uncle Bhatt’s daughter Nasra, Uncle Singh’s daughter Harjeet, Jabeen, Noshien and many more that I’ve probably forgotten as all the weddings seem to merge into one huge party season!
• Work; completed my one year in Harrogate during which Abbey left after getting married whilst Liz and Dee from uni joined as well as Sarjil and Urvi from Bio2work. Had a good year and made a lot of friends but glad to be getting back to uni and the student life again. Here’s hoping I do well in my future studies, inshAllah.
• My DIY shenanigans have continued... redecorating my room by demolishing old fitted wardrobes, redoing the paint work, redecorating Aishi’s room and decorating Bilal’s new room in the extension. Feeling quite DIY competent but will my father ever admit it? I think not! lol.
• Managed to kill my car :( in a spectacular crash back in June 2008... hopefully my first and last. Still trying to figure out how I managed to cause so much damage?! I know for a fact that my father is still in shock!
• I finally got myself wait for it... BROADBAND! Woohoo! Yep I can hear the applause already... I also got a new laptop thus solving my technical issues. Basically I’ve finally entered the modern world... so what I hear you ask?! What’s the big deal? Well it’s a big deal for me, it took a while, being a student does not help, but I made it... so a pat on the back for me I guess, lol.
• Joined a lot of social networking sites over the years, but with FACEBOOK taking over everything lately it meant a lack of blog updates. Wondering if I really need these and contemplating a good clear out of membership to such sites. Hmm will get back to you on this...

Erm can’t think of anything else at the moment really. So back to the question; “To blog or not to blog?” hmmm...

Saima A says I have got way too much to do this year to be messing about with blogs and dealing other possible issues that will arise as I get more addicted to it...a bit like Twitter, lol. On the other hand, Saima B says that I’m gonna be writing so much these days anyway that adding one more post to my list won’t be such a big deal. Who knows, it may help with my writing skills (ha!) and act as a release for me allowing me to take time off from serious science to write about more light hearted topics every so often. Combining Saima A and Saima B gives rise to Saima C... a much more balanced view perhaps? A, B and C are all me by the way, just in case you didn’t figure that out already! :)

Hmm I think I’ll continue this blogging malarkey for a while longer and see how it goes. Perhaps find an alternative platform to blog from as Windows Live doesn't seem to cut it anymore. The search is on!!! (Ok I think that last line is stolen from The Apprentice... seriously beginning to sound obsessed with the programme, help!)

Anyone for a horror movie?

As well as the usual Rom-Coms, adventure and bollywood movies, I really do enjoy a good thriller/horror movie. A lot of my friends often ask why I watch such movies when I face similar situations on a daily basis. No, I don’t mean regularly being confronted by a mad man wielding a chainsaw* but more in the sense that we (as medics/researchers) often come across some pretty gruesome situations. Therefore people would naturally assume that in our time off we would try to divert our attention elsewhere rather than seeking out those types of situations; albeit in the form of horror movies.

And honestly I cannot pinpoint why I watch them! Some of the med crew think we’re a strange bunch of people, others try and find the humour in the situations and some think that we’re so desensitised due to our careers that these things don’t affect us anymore. I think I’m with the last group of people, in terms of being desensitised. When you’re in a certain situation on a regular basis, it doesn’t shock you anymore. That’s not to say that people become cold hearted and stop caring but maybe that their ‘shock’ threshold is set higher than others perhaps?

Anyway I’m wondering off the point…
Where was I? Oh yea, so thriller/horror movies. Movies that I think are well made;

• The Omen. A demonic child, need I say more?
• The Ring. Despite having to read the subtitles (which I find annoying sometimes), this movie scared the hell out of me.
• Blair Witch. Ok I know many of you will disagree but I think this movie was more about the feeling rather than the gruesome content. Watching it at 2am, all alone on a cold dark winter’s night… well your mind definitely starts to play tricks on you.
• Resident Evil. Well written, well shot and excellent acting/directing. Left on a bit of a cliff hanger at the end. Will always watch it whenever it pops up on TV.
• 28 days later. The concept of this was terrifying. To find out that the human species is being replaced by an army of zombies and there’s nothing you can do.
• The Descent. A group of friends explore an underground network of caves and eventually get lost. Here they find a group of creatures which leads to carnage and some terrifying cinema.
• Jeepers Creepers. Where the evil thing just won’t die no matter what you do. Very creepy.
• Final Destination. Death can come at any point but the fact that it actively plays catch up with you, like a cat and mouse game. Cue some really gory death scenes.
• Saw. Where everything is well thought out by the madman and the other person is completely helpless. Very terrifying and it makes you wonder about the human mind and what some people are capable of.
• Seven. A twisted killer and a film full of nasty shocks. The scene that sticks most in my mind is of the dead man strapped to his bed in an apartment. Or at least everyone thinks he is dead.
• Signs. I liked this movie because it incorporated personal family life as well as the ‘alien’ problem on the whole. Not many special effects but it plays more on your thought process.
• The War of the Worlds. According to the budget on this film, quite a few thought this movie was a bit of a letdown. Yet I still enjoyed it, I liked the special effects however I felt the ending lacked something.

Ok I’m sure I have loads more and this could go on forever, but please feel free to add anymore that you think deserve a mention :) My point is that the majority of these movies all have something in common, they are made by American or British film industry and they know how to do it well, like the Japanese and Korean film makers. So when I read that Pakistani film makers had produced a new horror movie, I did have my doubts. The Pakistan/India film makers are better known for their romantic, comedy and adventure movies as opposed to horror flicks. Those that do attempt them are usually copies of Hollywood movies thus not being very original or those that are originals often lack the special effects etc to back up their story telling. Perhaps this has now changed over the years as it has been a while since I’ve watched a horror movie that was produced in India/Pakistan. Please click on the following link (courtesy of my older brother, Imran) for more information.

< http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/btm/2008/Film_Detail.asp?filmid=7776 >

*Though there was that time when dad decided to do some gardening and felt that a chainsaw would be the most appropriate tool. A blog post for another time I think :P

Bilal

I decided to write out some of the conversations that I have with my younger brother Bilal as they often make me laugh and sometimes he does say some intelligent things, lol.

We’re both sat down at the dining table having dinner;

Bilal: “Baj, you know how you can run fast and if you put your hand on your heart, you can feel it. Why does that happen?”
Me: “Well the heart is a bit like a pump that pushes blood around the body. It uses a lot of force and you can hear it if you listen with the right tools. Sometimes when people don’t look after themselves (i.e. bad diet, no exercise) they get poorly and that changes the heart sounds.”
Bilal: “So if they knew all that before, they wouldn’t do it would they? But they don’t get a second chance do they?”
Me: “Yea, I know it's sad but that’s life. You’re very lucky if you do get a second chance”

Bilal’s lost deep in thought for a while and then says..

Bilal: “So what we really need is a back-up plan. Like two hearts in case one is faulty”
Me: “I suppose. But we should really take care of what god gave us in the first place”
Bilal: “Yea but just in case… you know like Dr Who!”
Me: Smiling… “Yea exactly like Dr Who. Good idea”

I love the fact that my brother picked up something from what he watches on TV. Even if it was Dr Who, lol.

He later went onto describe how we should be able to go into shops and buy what we need for our bodies. I think in his head he had some sort of organ cloning shop. I asked him if that would be wrong because we’re not valuing what God gave us and just think we can replace anything and everything. He went quiet and replied with “Well if God didn’t want us to do that then he wouldn’t have told our brains how to”. Fair point - so that’s me told then, lol. I think Bilal would definitely be in the pro camp for organ cloning and the like ;)

Comedians

I love comedy and lately I’ve come across a few new comedians - well, new to me anyway.

First up, Michael Macintyre. I think this guy is great. He’s not rude or offensive, is really enthusiastic and energetic during his routine and his mannerisms, well everything really... he just makes me laugh. I think another couple of years and he’ll eventually become a household name. I mean, come on how could you not like him? Here’s an excerpt of his routine ‘Live at the Apollo’.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es2l4yUBY6M

Russell Howard again probably not that well known, but I think he’s great. I first came across him on ‘Mock the week’ which is hosted by another one of my favourite comedians Dara O’Briain. Russell is somewhat different to Macintyre, as he is a little geeky but equally funny. Again here’s an excerpt from his routine ‘Live at the Apollo’.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-weFBV7YmHA

Ramzan Mubarak

Stolen from a ramadan mubarak message that was sent to me :)

"I am pleased to inform you that our special guest and neighbour Ramadan will be visiting you with his wife Roza and their two children Sehri and iftaar. They will be accompanied by three grandchildren Rahmat, Barakat and Touba, they will leave after thirty days by Eid Airlines. Treasure them and you will be blessed. :)

A very happy Ramadan too you now the festive season is upon us :)"

Cute, right?