Writing is more then a passion...

“I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I am afraid of.” - Joss Whedon

Exactly. When I tell people that I want to write for the rest of my life, I'm faced with the facts. The facts that writing doesn't pay (J.K Rowling is one of the richest women in the world), writing isn't a dignifying job (who hasn't heard of Jane Austen?) and so on. But when I think about writing and all the possibilities it brings, I realize that one of the best professions is being a writer.  

Cause a writer gets to be whatever they want to be. A dragon slayer? A damsel in distress? A spy? Hell yeah, you can be an ant for crying out loud. You create people out of ink and those people can influence anyone. The power of words is what gives a writer strength.

You know that gooey feeling of warmth and happiness. The feeling that gives you a goofy smile and a odd feeling of hope. That's what I get when I think about writing. Writing screenplays, poems, short stories, articles, blog posts - writing whatever I want to because I am the writer.

The best writers, Hemingway, Sylvia Path and many more were all psychologically distressed. I think that's the reason they loved writing. It was a way out. A way out from reality. And quite honesty, I think that's the reason I adore writing. It's gives you the ability to do the things you always wanted to do without leaving your chair. You create people from scratch, people who may actually talk to in reality.
              

So when I tell people that I want to write for the rest of my life, I think about the myths. The myth that writers actually help people discover themselves. The myth that writers create places that people never knew they wanted to see. The myth that writers can get people to laugh, cry, feel hopeful, scared just by words.

The bottom line is that the myths are quite real contrary to the facts.   What do you think?                

This month I was OCD for...

It's been a crazy month! Hectic and tiring but at the same time I've been glad that I haven't had a moment to myself in a while - you learn the importance of solidarity when you don't have the luxury ample.

Anywho, I'm not one to completly let go of myself and forget about things I adore. So here are the things I have been loving for the last couple of months and the current month and totally recommend them to you!

1) Reign 

Okay, if you're into period, monarchy, forbidden love, blood and gory and of course supernatural forces - then this show is for you. I knew about the show since I watched the preview a couple of months back but forgot about the show when it aired because life happened. By the time I got around to watching it three episodes had already aired so I didn't mind watching back to back amazingness. 
The show is about Mary, Queen of Scots and her engagement to Prince Francis of France. Though the show isn't historically accurate, it does leave you itching for more. 
I absolutely adore period movies and now a period TV show with all the elements I love! Fangirling is an understatement when I think about this show.

Actors? Perfection with accents 
Love? Um, so much of it! Forbidden love, love that isn't right, the fact that they don't realize how in love they are!
Supernatural? A girl with a potato sack roams around the palace and sleeps under Mary's bed. 'Nuff said.  
Blood? Hell yes! 
So? Watch Reign already! You won't regret it.






2) Maroon5 "Overexposed" 


I had only heard a couple of songs from the album way back in 2012. Then I heard "Payphone" and downloaded the entire album in the beginning of October'13 (I catch on slowly) and haven't stopped listening to it!

Lyrics? Perfection. Nothing less then perfection.
Singer? It's Adam Freaking Levine - instant love.
So? Downloaded and love it.






3) Matthew Quick's "Silver Lining's Playbook" - the book & movie.



EXCELSIOR. I watched the movie first then read the book (arrest me) and I instantly knew that Quick know's the magic words create. The premise of the book is so simple but you hang on to every word because you understand Pat.
The movie is just as good. Dramatic, yet comedic. I love how the little things are big beaucse in reality when you hold someone's hand the first thing that comes into your head is "what is this?" (if you've seen the movie then you know what I'm talking about) The words you always think but never say are portrayed by actors that speak them with perfection.

The book? Buy it and read it then read it again.
The movie? Watch it then watch it again.
The actors? Two words = Bradley Cooper. 
So? If you want to be understood, read the book and watch the movie. Best therapy there is.

4) OneRepublic's "Native"                                                              Good Life, Stop and Stare, Marchin On...a few of the songs in my never ending playlist all by OneRepublic. You know when you hear a song you get all "Holy fudge, that's how I feel". Yep. Every single song in this album will have at least one line that will make you replay the song again just to hear the one line, because that one line is you.

Lyrics? Like they came out of your mind.
Singer? Ryan Tredder, need I say more?
So? So press the download button and enjoy the ride.

5) The Hangover Trilogy


The gif basically explains the three movies perfectly. I watched the censored movies and there always something about them that didn't ring the bell. When I watched them online, the bell rang - loud and clear. The movies are the very few nowadays that don't require any actual thinking. Clear plot, crazy twists and hilariously stupid dialogues make that movies so damn good.  

Funny? The best thing about the movies, is that the comedy is so stupid, it's what makes it so good. (Oh the confusing human mind)
Actors? Zach Gallafinakeas, Bradley Cooper and two other funny guys. 
So? If you had the week from hell, watch the movies and you won't feel that bad anymore. 

Let's Start Again Shall We?

Yes, I have been gone for a while but in my defence I was in a rut. Call it writer's block, depression or just plain laziness, I was hesitant to write cause, well, I didn't have much to write about. But after being away I've come to the realization that I don't have to have super, amazing, interesting or perfect content. I just need content and the rest follows.So I'm going to start by telling you guys what I've been up to.

In the past month:- I quit my job as a teacher in a school.-  Had no money and hated life.- Got a job as content writer but quit after a week.- Got another teaching gig .- Started my studies again.- Got a new laptop (queue happy dance here)- And realised I give up very quickly...

Buuuuuut then I read a quote (a Doctor Who quote but a quote nevertheless) and it all made sense.

"We're all just stories in the end, just make it a good one"

That's just it - we're all stories. We have different plots, different conflicts, different characters, different dialogues but most importantly, we're all the authors of our own story. And  I don't mean the in omniscient manner, but more in the sense that we have control over some things in life. I may have given up and I know that everyone does once in a while but I certainly hope it doesn't make me a bad person, in fact I feel as though I learnt a lot through the process of constantly giving up. I realized when I'm needed and when I'm being used, I realised that sometimes I don't need to like everyone and they don't have to like me and the toughest lesson that I learnt the hard way - sometimes you just have to let things go and see what happens...

So whatever happens in life, be it the good, the bad or the absolute horrible, just think of it as a new chapter in your story and how it'll change the rest of your story - you never know when the plot can change but that's up to you.

PS. I may have gone on a temporary "I hate my life" vacation but I'm back with a hypothetical suitcase filled to the brim with new ideas. 

Carpe Diem right?

The Greeks say kalos kai agathos - a singular balance of the good and the beautiful. The Greeks knew what they were talking about. A singular balance of the good and the beautiful - finding the perfect balance, be it spiritual and wordily or any other type of balance. The thing is ; we need balance in our life but then again , it's easier said then done. I can spend a whole day watching a season of a TV show and not do any philanthropy or spiritual task and BOOM! There goes that innate balance I was hoping to seek. So I found the next best thing. Something easier and well, more probable then finding "balance" in a world where you have to be amazing at everything. And by everything I mean, the clothes you wear, the way you talk, walk, sit, stand, eat, drink and all that jazz. It can get tiring and sometimes you'll feel like the world has swallowed you whole and you're drowning, looking for redemption of some sort, when you realize that it really doesn't matter what people think. This may take years, you may realize it on your death bed or the moment someone rolls their eyes at you - but the point is you realized one of life's most common yet misconceived truths - you can be the talk of the day just by doing or saying something out of the norm. 

So the thing that I found out, in my seventeen grueling years of life, that in order to find balance in life, you have to find your anchor ; the one thing (or many) that brings you back to who you are, your purpose, why you say what you say, how you say it, the way you walk and talk, eat and drink, find that one thing that brings you back to shore when your drowning in the madness of the world. 

an·chor
n. 
A source of security or stability.

Anchor's are usually used to hold a boat down and help it from floating away, similarly  the anchor of our life is a source of stability, it should help us from floating away when the tide gets rough. It should bring us back, be a source of reviving. 

 The anchor of my life, the thing that brings me back when I just can't go on, is my favorite TV show, song or book at that moment. Yes, as lame as that sounds and as worldly and materialistic as it defines me to be, those things are my anchor. The Doctor's helped me numerous times when I felt too small or unimportant, Stiles helped me when I felt like nobody understood my sarcasm,  Elizabeth Bennett helped me when I felt alien to the world. My anchor may be intangible and fictitious to outsiders but to me, it's my key to the alternative universe I created a long time ago. The universe in which I feel safe and happy. The universe that has been my anchor for so long but I only realized it when I wasn't busy trying to find a logical anchor that people would understand.

Find your anchor. Find the thing, person, day, memory that brings you back and hold on to it. People may laugh and point but that's the beauty of your anchor - it's your's. Because when you're all alone, in the night or walking to work, and all those thoughts come back to you, the ones you thought you had forgotten, the ones that haunt you and make you feel worthless, well they're nothing compared to the weight of your anchor and you'll swim back up to shore holding that heavy anchor - the anchor that isn't pulling you down but helping you swim back up to the sun rays. Truth is, either life can be sweet like an 80's movie or absolute crap, that's up to you. Be negative if you want to - you're allowed to have bad days, weeks, months or years, but when you realize how much potential you've got and how much magic is inside of you, hold your anchor to your heart, breathe in, and let life take you in. Carpe Diem right?

Things I love oh so much!

1. Teen Wolf 

Jumping onto a bandwagon once the bandwagon has left and gone really far is my "thang". The Teen Wolf bandwagon hadn't gone far off and I jumped once that thing like my life depended on it - and for five days it did. I stopped watching TVD during Season 4, it just want' good anymore and being a Stelena fan, I didn't see the point of being victim to another "friendzone" example. But OH MY GAWD Teen Wolf is like ASDFGHJKL and then some more! Let's put my Teen Wolf journey in gif using Jess

At first I was like:

Upon seeing Derek Hales:

Then it got to the point where I couldn't stop thinking about the show:

And then it was all:

Bam. I've been bitten and I do not mind at all. Plus Stiles is like THE BEST MALE CHARACTER EVER ON TV (I shall have to write an entire blog dedicated to him)

2. Mikky Ekko

He's sung with Rihanna, been featured on Teen Wolf and has found a way to my playlist. Currently, I haven't been able to stop listening to "Pull Me Down" & "We Must Be Killers". He's lyrics are beautiful and I think I've had enough of the bubblegum pop music genre for a while so Ekko has been a perfect substitute.

3. The First Time (2012)

Speaking of Dylan O'Brien (aka Stiles), he had played Dave in he's feature film "The First Time". The name of the movie kinda makes it seem like a mushy gushy romantic film, which in all honesty, it is but it isn't. It's realistic and the female lead vaguely reminds me of an Elizabeth Bennett type of character. The dialogues, cinematography, actors and story compliment each other and the soundtrack is perfect. *Sigh* uncontempary love stories make me giddy and oh so happy. 

*You can watch the movie here . 

4. You little chicken nuggets! (: <3

When I started this blog, I wasn't all for the numbers. And it's not like I've hit big numbers or anything but the blog itself is about to hit 5000 views which is phenomenal! When I told my Mum she didn't believe me! So thank you, you amazing people, I cannot tell you how much ever single view means to me! xoxo

My other magical realms: 

tumblr:  http://ijusthavetobelieveinmee.tumblr.com/

instagram: hrhkulsoomhussain

Red lips are my kryptonite!

                                               

 Top: Color Studio Lipstick in "Eternal Love"; Middle: Catrice Ultimate Shine in "Pink Me Up!" Bottom: MUA Lipstick in "Shade 1"

Pink and nude lips were always my go to colors for lip glosses and lipsticks. But in the last couple of months dark, plumy, red lips are my kryptonite. I guess maybe because I've seen so many people wearing the darker shades that I jumped onto the bandwagon but boy! - do I love this bandwagon. 

I never thought that dark shades of any type of lip  product would look good on my but I love the way the colors bring out my hair plus I don't mind the compliments I get! Darker shades look good on any skin tone but you have to make sure to play around with the different shades and tone down the lip color itself after applying by dabbing your lips on tissue. 

My go - to lipstick has to be the MUA Lipstick in Shade 1. It glides on and it's longevity is amazing. It looks brown in the packaging but is a deep wine red that gives the perfect vampy lip that I absolutely adore! Catrice's Ultimate Shine is a berry red that is perfect for the fall (but honestly I don't use lip colors per the season) and Color Studio's Eternal Love was my first red lippy, so considering that it was way too bright. A bright poppy orange red, I don't lean towards this color that much anymore, not only because of the vivid pop of color but because the lipstick itself is super drying.  

What are you're favorite lip color's at the moment? Do you like red lips?

How far would you go for money?

    

Finding a job that you really love nowadays is hard. Finding a job that pays reasonably well is hard. But what's more important? You're passion or the money? 

Recently, I started working in a school - and by recently I mean a month ago - and it just didn't feel right. Does that even make sense I wonder? The thing is that there isn't any passion, commitment, or just the feeling of plain joy working this this school that shall, obviously, remain anonymous. The other teachers seem fed up and frustrated and the curriculum itself is too shameful to discuss. 

Now rewinding back to two months ago when I got the job. I was super happy, because not only was the pay amazing, the name of the school was pretty prestigious and I was over the moon. And now back to today, right now. I'm definalty not "over the moon" anymore. I feel like I was conned and it's not a pretty feeling. But one thing keeps on circling my mind. A simple question that make's me wonder not only about the mentality of other teachers but the education system in general. Would you rather work in a place that pay's a hell of a lot but doesn't give you a sense of accomplishment or would you rather work for a place that pay's okay but give's you happiness and self- accomplishment? Basically, how far are you willing to go just for money?

P.S. I realize that everyone has personal finance problems. 

I gave my resignation letter only to be swamped with questions as to why i'm leaving which left me perplexed. I mean, don't they see the crashing management for themselves? Or has the money blinded their common sense? I was brutally honest when I said that for me, I don't want money if I don't feel comfortable working in a place where I, as a person, am not allowed to do  things that I should be allowed to do. I mean, I need room to work and "ain't nobody dulling my shine!".  Unfortunately, I think I've started a civil attack. Other teachers are now prepared to resign because they realize that the circumstances their working in are a bit too strict. I kinda feel like Katniss.

Back to my point. Maybe I'm not one to work under someone when I know their wrong? Or maybe ethics are of greater importance than money? Whatever it is, I don't think anyone should ever have to settle for less, after all

                                          

What's more important for you? You're passion or money?