Monday, November 21, 2011

Rants of His Highness #2


When you're tall, sign posts on the street tell you, quite literally, where to go. They do things like smack you on the head and say "Oi! You're walking in the wrong direction".

~P.S - Ouch!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

The Rules Of A Gentleman #5

Give her piggyback rides.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Rants of His Highness #1

Credit: iStockphoto
If I want to stretch out when I sleep, I have to lie down diagonally across my bed -.-'

The Rules Of A Gentleman #4

Call her beautiful, especially when she least expects it.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Rules Of A Gentleman #3

Always make the first move.

Winter is Coming...

Or should say it's already here? So this is me sitting at my desk at 1 in the morning, why? I'm in the middle of The Murder (Mid-Terms). Most people I know freak out during the examination period, which is fair enough considering it's what makes or breaks your semester, or if you care enough, your GPA. But since I can remember, exams have never really unnerved me. I'm not sure why. In any case, the lack of sleep is nothing new. So now, I'm taking a break, and I'm listening to the wind outside my window. Winter has come and the rains evoke a new environment. The turgid and pungent smell of water-saturated air now fills my lungs with each breath, and the drenched roads glisten wonderfully. I never used to like the rain, but now I look forward to them every year.

It's particularly windy right now, and the trees outside in the court struggle. Now I suppose it's because I'm settled on my rather uncomfortable and unergonomic chair in my warm room, but I find the sound of the trees wrestling with the winds music to my ears. Most people associate winter and rain with subdued or even perhaps melancholic moods. Perfect! The air is also only just starting to get cold, and I can't wait!!

Probably one of the most exhilarating and amazing experiences I've had is one in which I walked under a storm. The rain was so heavy I could barely see in front of me. And above, thunder rolled as if an avalanche was right over my head, while lightning streaked across the night sky in majestic, forking flashes. It was a remarkable experience I'd recommend in the blink of an eye. I'd always recommend any moment where our disconnect with nature is arrested. The hot shower when you get back home is also a very persuasive reward, don't you think?

Anyway, just food for thought I guess. I'll just get back to my cup of coffee and my 2500 word essay. Yippee!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

The Rules Of A Gentleman #2

Never let her walk home alone.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

The Rules of a Gentleman #1


Give her your sweater when she's cold.

Is Romance Overrated?

Is romance overrated? Some may have an immediate answer to this. I know I can think of bunch of people who'll say that the answer is yes without batting an eye. When one mentions the word, most people imagine "chick flick" cliches, things such as heart-shaped chocolate and perfume-scented poems. But romance and romantic gestures, when done right and appropriately, are never cheesy and over-the-top. Personally, I think that the corny and the cliche can work in certain circumstances. They are cliche for a reason, and still retain their charm. It's just that usage has to be tactful, perhaps even smooth.

Romance, I believe, is a natural manifestation of feelings and emotions. It's where one feels the need to make the significant other feel special, and consequently, feel appreciated therein. Romantic gestures are plentiful, and besides the tried and true, such as flowers or chocolate, creative and original gestures are unbeatable. I think that doing things such as making your gifts are perfect, because as such they require an understanding of the person. You can't make a gift the person will like if you don't know him or her. Also, the time and effort that would go into something like that would show. Now, this is obviously an opinion, which explains why it's on my blog, but I think that people nowadays tend to buy their way into affection. I don't remember the last time I bought a gift for someone close to me. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with it, but the immense sentiment that comes with what will most assuredly be a one-of-a-kind gift is unprecedented. It could be anything, from poems, to craft to even a little note, it just has to inexplicably show just how well you understand your connection to who you're providing for.

Bottom line; Romance is NOT overrated. It exists for a reason, a good one. Take the time to cater to someone's feelings. A kiss, a hug or an inquiry into their well-being makes all the difference. Give a damn.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

The Dark Sucker

                 The Dark Sucker Theory (courtesy of rec.humor.d)
    

For years, it has been believed that electric bulbs emit light,
but recent information has proved otherwise.  Electric bulbs don't
emit light; they suck dark.  Thus, we call these bulbs Dark Suckers.
 
The Dark Sucker Theory and the existence of dark suckers prove
that dark has mass and is heavier than light.
 
First, the basis of the Dark Sucker Theory is that electric bulbs
suck dark.  For example, take the Dark Sucker in the room you are in.
There is much less dark right next to it than there is elsewhere.  The
larger the Dark Sucker, the greater its capacity to suck dark.
Dark Suckers in the parking lot have a much greater capacity to suck
dark than the ones in this room.
 
So with all things, Dark Suckers don't last forever.  Once they are
full of dark, they can no longer suck.  This is proven by the dark spot
on a full Dark Sucker. The dark which has been absorbed is then
transmitted by pylons along to power plants where the machinery uses
fossil fuel to destroy it.
 A candle is a primitive Dark Sucker.  A new candle has a white wick.
You can see that after the first use, the wick turns black, representing
all the dark that has been sucked into it.  If you put a pencil next to
the wick of an operating candle, it will turn black.  This is because
it got in the way of the dark flowing into the candle.  One of the
disadvantages of these primitive Dark Suckers is their limited range.
 
There are also portable Dark Suckers.  In these, the bulbs can't
handle all the dark by themselves and must be aided by a Dark Storage
Unit.  When the Dark Storage Unit is full, it must be either emptied
or replaced before the portable Dark Sucker can operate again.
 
Dark has mass.  When dark goes into a Dark Sucker, friction from
the mass generates heat.  Thus, it is not wise to touch an operating
Dark Sucker.  Candles present a special problem as the mass must travel
into a solid wick instead of through clear glass.  This generates a
great amount of heat and therefore it's not wise to touch an operating
candle. This is easily proven for lightbulbs too. When you compress a
gas, it gets hot, right?  So the light bulb gets hot because of all the
dark being squished into the wires. 

 Also, dark is heavier than light.  If you were to swim just below
the surface of the lake, you would see a lot of light.  If you were to
slowly swim deeper and deeper, you would notice it getting darker and
darker.  When you get really deep, you would be in total darkness.  This
is because the heavier dark sinks to the bottom of the lake and the
lighter light floats at the top.  The is why it is called light.

 Dark Suckers are only able to suck dark in a straight line. Dark,because of its mass, will not penetrate solid, opaque objects as it is being sucked by a Dark Sucker. When a Dark Sucker is operating, you will notice that dark that
is behind a solid, opaque object does not flow through the object or around it to the Dark Sucker. Some of the dark will accumulate on the side of the object away from the Dark Sucker as the Dark Sucker attempts to pull it through the object. These residual patches of dark are often referred to as `shadows.' Some surfaces are able to function as secondary Dark Suckers by sucking the dark from behind solid objects at an angle and then rerouting it to the primary Dark Sucker. These surfaces have a property we refer to as `reflective.'

 Finally, we must prove that dark is faster than light.  If you were
to stand in a lit room in front of a closed, dark closet, and slowly
opened the closet door, you would see the light slowly enter the closet.
But since dark is so fast, you would not be able to see the dark leave
the closet. So next time you see an electric bulb, remember that it is
not a light emitter but a Dark Sucker.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

The Rebound

Rebound. v. n. 

1. to bound or spring back from force of impact.
2. to recover, as from illness or discouragement.
3. Basketball. to gain hold of rebounds.

4. An undefined period following the break up of a romantic relationship.

Some experience one definition more consistently than another. At one point in my life, rebounds for me were on the basketball court. That was life in simplicity. Unfortunately, since I've stopped playing basketball, I still experience rebounds. Being the rebound is disastrous when generally speaking. It's especially painful for one so entwined with the notion of romance. I think I can only count 2 out of 10 times where I haven't been a rebound. When you're the rebound, you're the pick-me-up. You're the pep, the emotional energy bar. You're the repairman. Your only role is to put back together for another, what the previous other broke. Fortunately for someone like the plumber, he doesn't get attached to the piping he patches up. It'd be weird if he did...

This "repairman" doesn't get attached, maybe it's because he's always eating mushrooms...?


Rebound relationships are believed to be short-lived due to one partner's emotional instability and desire to distract themselves from a painful break up. Having said that, a person who is on the rebound is believed to be psychologically incapable of making reasonable decisions regarding suitable partners due to emotional neediness, lingering feelings towards the old partner, or unresolved problems from the previous relationship.

Unfortunately, a person isn't piping, literally speaking...we may have to revisit that definition on a figurative level. This means that it's nigh impossible for the "repairman" to remain uninvolved and unattached. So what happens when it all goes down? If it isn't already obvious, and it will be to those of you readers who have had some experience in life, the "repairman" gets the shaft!

The trouble with meeting someone who is on the rebound is that usually once they work out the ghosts haunting them from the previous relationship, the current relationship ends. There is even a term for this; "The Transitional Relationship".

RAWR!!!! I WANT EMOTIONAL STABILITY AND HIGH SELF-ESTEEM!


Advice? Find out fast whether or not there are copious amounts of emotional baggage, and there will be with someone on the rebound, and keep your emotions away. Put them in a bank, under your mattress, in a safe, it doesn't matter, just lock them away. If you start to invest in that person, you'll be left with picking up the pieces.

No one can blame the rebounding person. In most cases, they aren't going out on some dogmatic mission to make someone miserable. So don't feel you have to go out and destroy this person. Leave that for your next raid. 

Hey everybody, 10 minutes until the raid to hunt down and kill Pinkpoodle's ex!!!


Rather it's the other way around. They are looking for a way to remove their own misery, to feel better about themselves, to move on. The rebound is who does this. He picks up the pieces. He makes her feel better about herself, and shows her that there is value where she once thought there wasn't. Over time, usually a short amount of time, the emotional needs of the rebounding person are met, and then....they move on. The rebound is left shattered! Lost, hurt, confused, shocked...all of the above and more.

Is it a plague? No, it isn't. It's just how emotions and psychology work. The rebounding person isn't at fault here, and neither is the rebound.The biggest favour you would ever do for yourself and for others would be to make sure you're more than over your ex, before you give another a chance.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The Dreamer Within

There have been countless times where I've been hurt. Hurt by people, by the world, by history, by myself. I learned a long time ago that I have this dreamer within. A foolish idealist who'll continue to struggle with the harsh realities of this existence. At first, I hated it. I hated him. He sat inside of me, lost in delusional fantasies. He distracted me from dealing with the slaps and punches life threw at me. It felt as if I had to exorcise him, him and his glazed eyes, his ever optimistic spirit. It pervaded my core, my mind, my heart, surrounding me with an aura of hope. Hope that caused pain. And yet, as much as I despised him, as much as I fought to remove him, he would always win. He would always put a smile on my face. His thirst for life, as Idealistic as he saw it, drove inspiration through me. The muscles in my neck resisted, but they would always succumb, and then they would slowly lift my head up, drawing my eyes to the horizon. A horizon that was ambiguous and mysterious. The dreamer within loved that. He loved the fathomless unknown that the future was. For him, not knowing the future gave him a sense of adventure and of hope. All the things life teased me with and then took away, the dreamer within knew, that at the horizon, there the things lay. Until now, he lays within me, but now I am at harmony with him. I've realized, he isn't an intruder. He's not a parasite or an alien. He is me. I am that dreamer within. And woah does the future look bright!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Out Of The Abyss...

Phew! Ha ha, yeah, I managed to write today. How so? Well, it's the Eid ul-Fitr holidays here in Kuwait, and so that has given me some respite from my summer internship. It's been keeping me real busy, working from the early morning until the afternoon. Time has slowed now as well since the latest bowling tournament has ended. Would you believe that I started competing in it within the last 4 days? Yep, well, I made up mind so late. In the end I didn't qualify, missed the cut by a mere 8 pins ><! Still, it was good fun. Now bowling is more mellow, and I'm only playing once a week in a team league, which is a great pace, allowing me to get back to all the little things I like to do.

I go back to my internship for one more week on Sunday (Friday and Saturday are the weekend in Kuwait). Then, on the 14th I'm off back to uni in Cyprus. Time has flown, and I must admit, that keeping so freakishly busy, and fasting in the Holy month of Ramadan has helped it along.

Okay, so I wanted to let you in on one of the best pieces of advice I think I've ever received.

"Start your own library, and never stop adding to it. Whenever you're traveling and you come across a book that piques your interest, buy it, and add it to your collection."

 Now, this advice, as "obvious" as it may be, had an immediate profound effect upon me. I'd been battling laziness and excuses concerning reading. I had stopped reading books! The horror! But this was the answer. So I went out and bought my first addition to my personal library (and consequently, I've added a library room to my imaginary house):

Architecture in the 20th century by Peter Gossel and Gabriele Leuthauser.


A great informative and referential set of books.

The books come as a set in two volumes. So far, I've managed to almost finish the first one, and it's been quite satisfying, reading from actual physical paper. As per usual, I got lost once again in my head, this time, daydreaming about my library. I wondered what my bookshelves would look like, what furniture would garnish the room, and how many levels my library would have. Studying to be an architect most definitely provokes me to salivate over an opportunity to design such a room. Perhaps in the near future ;].

Speaking of books. I'm also reading A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. I'm not sure how many of you recognize the name, but it most certainly is a famous one within the literary as well spiritual world. I admit it does look like one of those self-help books, and well, it is. But, I'd recommend this one. I've so far gone 1/3 and it's effect is amazing! From my understanding, it speaks of a much needed inner-peace, and one that is very much achievable. It seems to me that tolerance and patience is the most I'll gain from not just reading but fully understanding and incorporating what the book is talking about.

Overcome that stereotype that shadows the self-help book, and pick this one up.
 The basic premise is that it tries to explain to you the source of all dysfunction in our lives: Ego. And it explains it well. Already, through testing its application in my life, it has given me results. I exhibit an inner patience I never knew existed. You wouldn't go wrong by picking this one up.

 I've also drawn one more friend of mine. Here is his portrait. His photos provided me with an opportunity to do one that was slightly different. The angle here was a nice change.


 What I liked most was the way the glasses switched from black to white across his face. Not quite complete yet altogether there.

Importantly though, is a thought that's been running through my head concerning my blog. I realized, quite a while back now, that my blog has no distinctive topic. Rather, it's a hodgepodge of the various things I get up to, but with no real system. So I've decided, that very soon, I'll be splitting it all up into different blogs. I'm not going to start all of them right away, but rather I think I'll just make sure I compartmentalize the topics and provide a bit of focus. Perhaps that will also let me blog more regularly. Here's hoping ;].

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Lazy days are Hazey days

Luke here.

Yes, that's right. I haven't disappeared, kicked the bucket, or if you're into the last Harry Potter movie as of late, disapparated. Yes, that's right, I'm still here and you're most assuredly stuck with me (erm, unless you stop following my blog, and never come back......please don't do that).

Why haven't I written in so long? Unless the title hasn't already given it away, it has mostly been because I'm lazy. Utterly and unabashedly lazy. I'm back in Kuwait for the summer, and I'm juggling bowling, my internship and lots and lots (and I mean LOTS!!) of sleep.

That smile? He err....he's on Prozac.


I got back into bowling after taking a year-long break. I didn't think I was going to play again, at least not this soon, and at first I almost didn't. But I was convinced to play and after a short practice session, and I do mean short, I tried my luck in a tournament. In Kuwait, bowling is big enough to warrant monthly tournaments. I made the cut into the semis and after 9 games therein, I played an average of 187 and jumped the cut into the step-ladder round. Not bad me thinks for being out of the game for that long. But don't be impressed too soon! I choked in the step-ladder and played a 147, losing to a 191 game. Kudos to the winner. Still, finished 7th out of 40 and I pocketed some cash and went home a happy man ;].

Unfortunately, not the kind of bowling I was talking about.

So now that Ramadan is fast approaching, the traditional Ramadan bowling tournament is already underway, and I've zeroed in on it (I just read Chris Ryan's "The One That Got Away", so I'm into Spec. Ops lingo xP). I'm drooling (no, not literally!) over the prospect of competing in this one ;].

Elsewhere? Yes, elsewhere. I'm doing my internship this summer, a requirement to graduate from my university. And thus far, I've been enjoying it. It's a small office primarily focused on designing villas. After reproducing a set of plans, I was tasked to redesign and propose an altered interior plan of a villa, where the clients requested the installation of a panoramic lift. Yes, you have read right. A panoramic lift. Quite a novelty, but it certainly made life a little hard for us architects (and intern).


This...in your living room...any thoughts?

So anyway, that required us to redraw the plans and redesign the en suites. It was quickly solved and the clients agreed with the new plans. Mission accomplished. So now, I've been asked to come up with a proposal for a cinema complex to be built on a large lot. It's quite a departure from villas but it follows closely behind what we do at uni. I've already got some random ideas popping up in my head and a few abstract sketches down. So it'll be fun ^^.

I know, it looks like scribble to anyone other than me xP.
 Okay, okay, I'm not going to write everything I'm doing all in one post. I'll save it so I can post in tid-bits and keep my blog a little more regular. But I'll finish up with a portrait I did, one of many I intend to do =]. Enjoy.


Likey?

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Remembrance and Rumination

The summer has started, and I've got a lot to organize. But I thought I'd resume the blog with these:


Never be afraid to jump off the edge...No Regrets. Just Love. :)





 An eternal truth...thankfully, most of us learn this sometime or another. That youthful obsession with what's hot and what's not takes a backseat to what's really important. The meaningful acceptance and growth of real love. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder...and that's why, everyone is beautiful. :)




An ode to a beautiful girl, and a beautiful person. I hope you have a great summer too Nutcha. :)

Monday, May 30, 2011

Ignorance is bliss

Ok, I have a legitimate and good reason for not blogging for a while. I've been up to my neck with coursework and exams. I'm done with my design jury and now I'm wrapping up the finals, and consequently, my 3rd year in university.

Today I'll be writing about music choice, specifically while studying. I'll admit that my choice is quite narrow, even when I'm in a fickle mood. I'll rotate around soft rock, punk rock and alternative music. On the rare occasion, I'll switch to a bit of house, techno and some harder rock. I've never been good at picking up on lyrics from songs. Unless I concentrate on what is being said (sung), the words are lost upon me. Music seems to play in the background of my mind, which explains why I'm horrible at singing along to songs. It seems the ramble in my head won't be replaced by anything XP. The benefit to this, is that I can study and read while listening to music. Right now, I'm treating my ears to a Turkish song. Its slow and beautifully paced melody is heavenly. It's akin to listening to any other song to me, but even when I'm concentrating here, it's still lost on me, because I don't know Turkish. When I listen to the song, I imagine a message of a pledge of unending love. I'll admit, I'm helped along by the music video, which involves an old couple. It's so calming, I can only sit and remove myself from worry. Here, ignorance really is bliss. Unless, knowing what he is singing about makes it that much more appealing and meaningful (which it probably does).


So I suggest you give the song a try. Don't worry too much about what he is actually saying, but try letting your imagination fill in for him. It works wonderfully for me. In a word; Tranquility.


Thursday, May 5, 2011

It's a Material World...

The centre of attention; Kengo Kuma.


A lot of people braved the hot, claustrophobic environment provided by the people jam-packed into the EMU Activity Centre Theatre Room this morning. It's not surprising, since people of our guest's caliber don't pop round often. As such, students, instructors and other guests had the pleasure of listening to featured guest, Kengo Kuma (Tekken anyone?). Born in 1954 in Kanagawa, Japan, he acquired his Batchelor's in Architecture from the University of Tokyo in 1979, and has since made a notable name for himself around the world. The stage was set with a white furry rug, a tasteful, glass coffee table endowed with a wonderful wreath of flowers, complimented by a cream armchair; Mr. Kuma's "Seat of Power" if you will (one of great comfort I'm sure, I had to stand the entire time >_<).

Muahahaha, I own the creamy throne!!!


As he took the stage he radiated a quiet sophistication, one that naturally originates from someone of experience. Before he started, to my delight, everyone stood up in silence for a minute to respect the afflicted Japanese victims of the recent colossal earthquake. Clad in black and cream attire, his voice rang throughout the auditorium and exuded a humble wisdom. He seemed an amiable sort of person, and very gently began to express his ideas and perspectives concerning his works. As he took us on a tour of his efforts in architecture....my feet got sore and my legs got tired...I was standing for quite a while you see.

Trust me, they were all sleeping not long after this picture....zzzzZZZ


He mentioned a number of his projects, which I'll refrain from naming, you'll have to Google search them :P. His ideology behind his architecture seemed to exhibit a desire to revive a respect towards tradition and to express them in a 21st century interpretation. If his works weren't evident enough, his discourse reverberated with his tried-and-true and preferred process of Material ----> Form ----> Planning, as opposed to the conventional Planning ----> Form ----> Material. He displays a fond adoration of materials as expression. " Materials is necessary for unique buildings, don't forget the diversity and variety of them.", he purported.

Glass/Water 
Great Wall (Bamboo) House

 A very short Q&A session followed his oration:

Instructor: "I would like to hear your opinions and views about working within an urban context."

Mr. Kuma: "Working within urban contexts always provides a lot of restraints, depending upon the country you're working in, which is why I prefer working outside of the city major. But I'd have to say that compromise has to be made, and two things need to be achieved; safety and human space."

 Student: "Please tell us how you develop your ideas and progress them. What lines of thinking do you employ?"

Mr. Kuma: "I prefer not to use drawings, though they are a necessary part of the process, but I like to work with models rather than images. The real feeling you get from working with them, even small ones are always better than images. And at a certain point, a reality check through these models is made rather than getting caught up with images and drawings."

Student: "Sir, please tell us how the knowledge and experience gained as a student affected or influenced you once you made the transition to a professional atmosphere. How much growth did you experience once you became a professional, was there a marked difference?"

Mr. Kuma: "Err...I was not a good student [Laughs]! I didn't study practically in class so much, and I didn't study details too much. I liked to travel, to see real buildings. I was always with friends looking at real buildings. And we would have...err...fights about them [Laughs]. These fights are important, and an important experience."

That marked the end, and he was gifted a few tokens of appreciation and applause before he quietly made his way off the stage and out of the auditorium. I quickly escaped my cramped spot against the side wall, and managed to reward my deprived lungs with fresh air. All in all I enjoyed the showing, and learned a few things. I do hope that we manage to bring more guests like that of Kengo Kuma to tell us of their views and experiences regarding a career I'm stuck with, I mean that I most assuredly enjoy (hehe, mum and dad). Besides, more guests can only be healthy for my blog ;P.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Inspiration and Perspiration.

I'm not sure what your reasons are for reading my blog, (unless you're one of the many who I've systematically coerced into becoming my followers) but chances are that you're bored. We've all been there. Small amounts are harmless but large doses are fatal (well...not really). I remember a long time ago (in a galaxy far away) where I became extremely bored. Time seems to slow down to a snail's pace and you go quite insane! Consequently, I quickly learned how to circumvent those episodes. And I discovered that there are many ways to do so. The best way outside of hanging out with your buddies, or subjecting yourself to the various kinds of entertainment media out there, is by adopting a hobby. What's mine you may ask? Mine is art.

Art? That's not saying much now is it? Well, that's the beauty of it. Art is so liberal. It can exist in many forms and expressions. Expression is an integral part of art. Boredom is a state of mind that can be expressed. I keep myself busy now exploring any kind of art I discover. Soon you'll find that, once it becomes a habitual hobby (art being new each time it's approached), it no longer exists to stem boredom. It becomes a part of who you are. It can quite literally become the key to a door you never knew existed, opening up so many opportunities. We're the lucky ones as well, reading this you're already using the best medium to find one.

Now I always look for new ways to express myself. A part of that is looking for the inspiration to motivate my creative juices, and produce my next masterpiece (I live in a small world....my world...I'm the master in it...). To express how much I love my girlfriend, I decided to make a tribute for her; a drawing of her face, but not with my usual pencil and pad. How did I find the medium this time? I simply looked down at my desk, and found these:

Anything can be used for art ^^

There's freedom in expression.

I got one of her photos, used some software to help break the image down and then I got to work. I toiled for 6 hours to make what is now a piece of art on my wall, right above my desk. Now, I can look her image anytime I want, especially when studying and work has got me all stressed out. She calms me down, puts a smile on my face, and I get right back to work. Mind you though, I'm still searching for more ways to do my hobby :)


My baby ~ Nutcharee
So, I hope I've motivated you to kick boredom in the nuts. What you do doesn't have to be art, if you feel you aren't creative (which will be a topic featured in my blog in the future), there are plenty of things to do out there to keep you preoccupied. Good luck!!!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

This is FOOTBALL!!!

Which one of us could have known? To a certain extent, I did expect this, but I can say that I wasn't prepared for the thrashing we received last night. Unfortunately for us, we had to play a knock-out round to qualify for the round robin style group stage. We were soundly trounced. This is not to say that the lads didn't perform, in fact I laud the efforts of each member of Blue Shell.

Our match was scheduled for 10 PM, and in true football fashion, we played in wet conditions. Running out onto the pitch, I could feel the cold air challenge my muscles. Blue Shell had quite a following there last night, and as much as we competed for the ball and for goals on the pitch, our supporters vied for aural supremacy with those of our opponents' supporters off of it. But we were, without a doubt, outclassed. They were harder, better, faster and stronger. We lost 6 - 0, with barely a look-in towards their goal. All in all though, we had good fun, and it was nice to find out just where we stood within the bigger picture of football within the university.

The wet weather has continued into today as the sky is splashed with slate-grey clouds and the ground outside is damp but in the distance, sunlight perforates through. The scene looks heavenly. It's funny though, since I never used to like the rain. I used to hate how I could never go out. At how I could not see my friends. I didn't like to get my socks and shoes wet. The cuffs of my jeans dirty. I hated all of it. But now, the gloom brings along with it such a sense of romanticism. Images of cups of hot chocolate come to mind, staying in with my better half, who incidentally is half-way across the world. But being on my own right now is also okay, the mood inspires introspection and reflection, and more than that, appreciation. One need only stare out his window into the beauty beyond. Yeah, I know, it sounds so corny, but it's true...and, it works.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Blue Shell Lives!!!

The Spring has set in fully now, and the weather has gotten warmer. Each day is a beautiful one, but unfortunately, along with the Season of Love, comes the hordes of mosquitoes hellbent on eating me raw!!! My roomie Hasan and I invested in a little bottle of water called OFF!. So far, it has worked wonders. I can now have uninterrupted sleep.

So far, this week has brought good news. Where do I start...well, I'll save the best for last. During May, my department will have what it's calling 'Design Week', where myself, and the other students will participate in workshops, some of which might result in actual productions of design within the campus, such as street furniture. I'll be signing up for one in which we'll design a 2d shape and manipulate it into 3d to design a pavilion. It certainly has piqued my interest. Apparently though, no student has a choice. If we don't participate, we'll receive an NG for our studio course!!! It's looking like it'll be a fun although tiring week, since our design studios don't stop!

Elsewhere, EMU (That's Eastern Mediterranean University) had applied for accreditation from a distinguished international body (I forget the name). It's been 3 years in the process, and we were informed in class today that EMU has passed each stage until the final. This involves an evaluation board to come and, well, evaluate our facilities. As such, a student representative for each year has to be elected, and having been nominated, I have won. I now hold the distinction of being my year's representative. What does that mean or entail? I haven't got a bloody clue!!! I'm sure I'll have to be on my best behaviour during the board's visit (so no whoopee cushions I'm afraid). To be honest, all of this is quite a revelation for me. A very positive one I might say.

 And I now reveal the best news this week: BLUE SHELL LIVES!!! Huh? What? Yes, yes, your questions will be answered. Firstly, what is Blue Shell? Well, Blue Shell is the name of our football team entered into a tournament organized by EMU. I think I saw around 11 other teams registered, so this will be interesting. It was a last minute decision made by the lads and myself, and so this morning I went and registered us. The roster consists of the following, in no particular order:
Mohammed Homsi (Hamoude AKA Link)
Talha Ali (Bubble Boy)
Sufiyan Ali (Legoman)
Hamza Mohsin
Amir Siddiqui
Mustafa Atique
Mohammed Bilal Asif
Rasem Khulusi
Farhan Khan
Peter Chime
Fuad Abu Khalaf
Eyad Sawalmeh
Mahdi Daoud
Myself (Height)

We're in the tournament just for kicks (No pun intended), and we're certainly not expecting anything, though that won't stop us from giving it our best!! I'm posted (again, no pun intended) as goalie. So, I'll be able to bark orders to my defenders, always a plus. The team is named after the podcast started and currently produced by Hamoude, Sufiyan, Faisal and Mahdi, which itself was named after a weapon usable in the Mario Kart video games. Video games are the topic of discussion in the podcast, and it can be reached here:


http://www.facebook.com/#!/home.php?sk=group_187133794655429&ap=1

BLUE SHELL LIVES!!!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

The Hullabaloo of so much to do...

Wow, who knew writing a blog was so tough?!

It's only been a few days, and while I've only begun to write, I've already started to encounter writer's block. I'm not really sure what to write about, though when I started I thought I had it all sorted out. So, to circumvent this potential blog-threatening obstacle, I went around cyberspace and read a lot about blogs and blogging. The underlying piece of advice that stuck out was to just exercise the blogging muscle.

I'm known to my friends as a restless, energetic person. Apparently, even to acquaintances, I'm always walking about. My mind is akin to that of a ticking clock that you just can't shut up. So I keep busy. Productivity is something I'm keen on. So each day, I list out (sometimes mentally, and other times written down) the things I have to and want to do that day, and well, I do them.

Today is Thursday, and that means Design class. It went rather well I thought. I'm not sure if I am working hard or I give the illusion that I am, even when I'm not. Either way, my instructor is happy with the progress I'm making, and today I fleshed the plans out a little more. Circulation and structure are apparent, evolving constantly, and are conducive to my goal next week; to mass my design in Revit. What's my design you may ask? I've got to design a mixed-use mid-rise building somewhere in the capital city of Nicosia (Lefkosa).

Have faith in the fact that I'll be writing more mental check-lists in the weeks to follow. What's on the agenda? Well, for next week, it'll be to get my passport renewed in Spain. So I'll be visiting the only capital city currently split in to two in the world; Nicosia. This time round, I'll go early and make a day of it. It should be fun...

Monday, April 11, 2011

Aches, Pains and Classes.

So my blissful week of hiatus right after mid-terms is over and done with. What did I do? Well, I can tell you what I didn't do; work! I've been plagued by the flu for the last week as well. Headaches racked my head while I spoke almost entirely in coughs for a while, but now I am starting to feel better.

I'll be headed to class in a little while. While I'm not entirely irked for having to return to classes, I do wish I had another couple of days. Truth be told, I don't mind work at all. The trouble with it, as I'm sure we all know, is that we never really get to do it on our own time.

I did labour on the wall art project. All night, two days ago in fact. 12 hours of uninterrupted work and it's done and I must say I'm mighty proud of it. It's a welcome addition to the once bland, emotionless wall. I admit, I did like the "institutional" feel of the white walls but it's as if they were screaming out for some character, or perhaps I was screaming to put some on them. Below are the before and after pictures. Enjoy.


Saturday, April 9, 2011

Windy days and cherry blossoms.

There's a lot that I might write about here in my new blog, ranging from my poetry, opinions on certain affairs to rants about my faculty; architecture. But for now, I'll just tell you about today.

I'm about to head out into what looks like a sunny albeit blustery day. The palms visible outside my window are dancing quite awkwardly to the wind today. But where am I going? I'm off to the nearby stationary shop. Well, when I say nearby, I mean 15 minutes of walk time. My roomie, Hasan, and I have decided to personalize the room a little more. 

So rather than have blank, emotionless walls, we're going to decorate each of our own sides with a design of our choice. I've decided on Japanese inspired Cherry Blossoms. Took me a little while to find it out, but now it seems like the perfect fit. The addition of paper will utilize the wall and combine the two with a good balance of figure-ground harmony. At least, that's the idea. Before and after photos will follow shortly. Stay tuned.

Getting started...

Phew!

So I've finally laid the foundation down to start blogging. It's been in my mind for quite some time now, the trouble with getting started was what to blog about. So rather than be bogged down with too much thinking and not enough doing, I clicked the mouse a few times Et Voila!!

So, without further ado, I'll leave you to my blogging wonders...whatever they may be.