A Moment of Happiness

I have spent four years writing a blog for Hopkins Interactive, attempting to articulate my experience at Hopkins and my own personal growth. In that endeavor, I’ve had moments of introspection, moments of grammar lapses, and occasionally I’ve tried to convey whatever wisdom I’ve picked up from other, more worldly and more coherent individuals.

During all that time, I’ve been more than reliant on the words of others. Lovers of literature often find themselves feeling a kinship with particular quotations, passages and works because they speak to a part of ourselves that could never really articulate those concepts with ease. And so, these are some choice snippets of thoughts that have inspired me at one point or another that I’d like to share. Considering this is my second to last blog entry ever, I have said almost all that I will and all that I can. These are lessons I hope to have conveyed in some form over the past four years and others I have not yet had a chance to share but still find compelling, and I hope they give you a moment of clarity in some form or another.

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When I knocked over a cup of pipping hot coffee onto my MacBook Pro, the world stopped slightly. Clocks lagged as I clumsily and quickly attempted to dab off as much as I could. The sight of my friend holding a drill to my battery in an attempt to loosen the screw that held it into place was only second to the sight of my father attempting to power up my computer after a day of sitting in rice and having it flicker with false hope before falling into the abyss.

This past weekend was comprised entirely of me mourning and freaking out about my laptop who is gone way before his time. What that means is that I now have in my possession a new laptop (because my parents are the greatest human beings to ever inhabit this planet). Not only is this new laptop smarter than me with its sparkly new operating system, it has not left my apartment yet and I barely allow myself any time on it for fear of something unfortunate happening. Actually, as I type this entry out my closed water bottle is sitting on my nightstand across the room. Just in case.

Obviously I was annoyed by the entire ordeal, at myself and at the universe. Annoyed, upset, and more than a bit panicked about the possibility of recovering my thesis (as well as other important things from my hard drive). Through the comfort offered by my parents, I realized that was not the Earth-shattering crisis that I was making it out to be. Not that I am ever over-dramatic. Ever.

My maternal grandmother used to say “kulesh ethouweth.” In english, roughly “Everything is replaceable,” besides your loved ones and your health. The implication being, whatever negative in the universe that was headed towards my direction was felt full force by my laptop rather than by myself or any of my loved ones. This takes into account the way in which I view the world, that there is a fundamental interconnectedness that governs the universe. That is just a product of the magical realism of Garcia Marquez that I take as fact; the fact that Paulo Coelho’s belief system is one that I ascribe to; and that the Berber culture that I come from is inherently aware of a functional connectivity between humans, actions and the universe and that is reflected in the superstitions that pepper our interactions. So taking all this to rationalize my annoying misfortune, it is easy to note that it really is not that big of a deal and that material goods are easily replaceable and that re-writing my medical school application might, in fact, yield a better result that the initial round.

I am forever looking for lessons that the world is teaching me. Actually, I am quite good at interpreting events as lessons – even when life decides to kick me in the face  (metaphorically of course). This time around it was a struggle. Annoyance and self-pity made it hard to try to twist my laptop + hot coffee scenario into something that was beneficial to my growth as a human. But, eventually, I got it. The lesson is who cares? Really, I loved my laptop. We were buddies, we had good times – he kept all my downloaded hockey games in a folder and let me Skype with my sister in China. But what is he compared to my family and friends, the experiences I have and the journey I’ve lived. Nothing much, so thanks Dover the II, it was a good time and my apologies for the coffee; at least I can say you left with a bang. Or a fizzle.

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I would not be a proper football fan if I did not mention that absolutely phenomenal job the USWNT is doing at the Women’s World Cup in Germany. If you missed the USA vs Brasil the other day, you missed one of the craziest matches I’ve ever seen in either mens or womens soccer. Trust me, even if you do not love football, you would enjoy the heart and passion and seminal moments. Tomorrow, the team takes on France in the semi-finals. You should tune in.

Also, if any body compares the USWNT to the USMNT we will no longer be friends. I have always only supported the Algerian NT in mens competition and thus that goal last summer has cemented my less than flattering feelings for the USMNT, but for womens the US is beyond amazing.

Seriously, watch tomorrow.

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Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.

-Russel Baker

When I told my friend Abir that I disliked summer, he was in complete disbelief. Of course, being from LA, how could he even begin to comprehend somebody who appreciates the knife-in-your-face cold of January and the sweaters of November and February more than the glistening heat of July. Well, meet me. It is too warm and sticky and humid and I am not a fan. I am a fan of the fresh fruit and vegetables, the fact that I can eat half a watermelon in my backyard while swatting fireflies and I am a fan of grilling and BBQs – but besides that, summer holds very little interest for me. If I was in Algeria and on the coast of the Mediterranean, I’d have a very different opinion but from my very humid patio in Northern Virginia I can say with confidence, no thanks.

The butterflies at the enclave in the National Museum of Natural History agree with my fresh fruits point.

Some of my favorite things to do during Summer despite my not being entirely in love with it include:

Shenandoah National Park. The views alone are worth it.

The view from a stop on Skyline Drive.

Harper’s Ferry. I know it is historical significant but to add to that, it is gorgeous to boot.

Such a good day trip location.

Screen on the Green. Watching classic films with the Capital as the backdrop is not a bad way to spend a night.

Not a bad spot.

Yearly trips up to the Northeast, I’d like to personally thank the states of Maine and Massachusetts for their amazing seafood and coastline and whale watching.

When I'm old and retired, I want to spend my summers in Maine.

I should write songs and poetry about how much I love lobster.

Ice cream and walks in Old Town Alexandria – this is one of my favorites because my dad always tells us stories about his adventures with his older brother, his time in the army, his grandfather’s farm, etc. I don’t have pictures cause I’m usually engrossed in the story or eating my ice cream or the parrots that they bring to entertain the tourists or the guy who plays classical music on a glass harmonica.

My mom has always called me a complainer, so maybe I don’t hate summer as much as I claim to – I have all these amazing memories and things to do during this three month period. So I guess I’ll enjoy it while I miss snow and scarves.

All the best!

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I’m currently sitting in Gilman attempting to write a paper on Soyinka’s The Man Died, which is a prison narrative – and if you’ve ever read a prison narrative of a political prisoner, you know that is some intense stuff. This is just one thing on my To-do list that is reaching an alarmingly long status at this point. So what do I do to deal with having all these things to get done?

Things that get me through the day

1. Football [WHAT A HUGE SHOCKER, I KNOW - CLOSE YOUR OPEN JAW]

2. Novels – because if I don’t read a book a week for myself, I feel a little unbalanced.

3. Friends – because where would I be without watching Jersey Shore with Moorice, getting dinner with Saznin, talking about our tutorial kids with Emma or complaining about physics with Lena.

Sunday brunch at Donna's is worth your time, trust me.

4. Tutorial – because there is no better way to de-stress than hanging out with kids and eating PB&J for snack

Scales n Tails came for Spring Fair and our kids loved it. Notice how this picture is blurry because I was backing away from the huge snack.

5. My family – who I’ve always mentioned as the greatest four people ever, which I hold true to. Plus I talk to my mom a million times a day, she still tells me good luck before every exam that I take, my dad and I text all day – usually about what we are eating.

6. Going home to DC – because disconnecting and recharging in the best city in the world is my favorite.

Every body deals with stress and having a lot of do differently, there are healthy and positive ways to make sure that you stay balanced and keep things in perspective. That is one of the most important lessons that I’ve learned being a college student, and so remember when you’re overwhelmed with your to-do list, make a list about things that you enjoy, love, etc to help you deal with that List.

All the best!

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At twenty years of age, the will reigns; at thirty, the wit; at forty, the judgement

-Benjamin Franklin

This past friday I had the distinction of being able to say that I have officially lived longer than two decades, which was oh-so-exciting. I went home for the occasion and was spoiled with my favorite dinner, cupcakes, cake, new books, balloons, more presents and, because my parents and sisters really love me, tickets to see the Washington Capitals very soon.

In addition to slowly becoming older, I’ve also been a part of Hopkins beginning it’s midweek season – it really isn’t a week, it extends for quite a period of time which is a blessing and curse all in one. And I actually studied in the library for the first time in over eight months or more, I was with JHU_Cate, JHU_Peter and JHU_Greco but we didn’t take a picture to prove my attendance which will basically be my mission the next time I decide to trek down to MSE to do some learning.

As a side note that I wanted to mention on here, one of the classes that I am taking this semester is the Art of Collecting in America’s Gilded Age, which is taught by this amazing professor who spends half of his year in Madrid. But that isn’t the point, one of the other students in the class actually has a position as a student curator at Evergreen House which is a house-museum near Loyola College and she has been working on an exhibit for some time now and she invited the class to come by and check it out. It’ll be open for about two months so I am definitely planning on checking it out, I just thought it was another example of the amazing things that Hopkins students do and how after nearly six semesters here you can still meet someone with a completely unique interest and experience.

And because I know you all have been missing this while I’ve been speaking about the very serious political situation in North Africa and the Middle East, Liverpool FC gave me the courtesy of giving me a win for my birthday as well. I do love them a lot when they do this, gif creation credit to my friend Hillary who is better at computers than I could ever dream of being.

Dirk Kuyt is my favorite Dutchman

The skipper was out with an injury but his reaction and mine were pretty much identical.

All the best!

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Today happens to be the date for one of the most highly anticipated football matches of any season. El Clásico, the match between eternal rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona, usually pauses the football watching world for a bit. The press gets into a frenzy, the other leagues stop and admire and fans talk a lot.

Are you ready? I like how dramatic this is

So what does this have to do with me? Or with Hopkins in general?

I always feel like the last week of classes is accurately represented by El Clásico, the entire season up to now the teams have been anticipating and working for this moment. The managers have exchanged blows through the media, and the training sessions have been intense. The semester follows this pattern, and this is the moment where you have to step up and deliver.

Also, I just love watching this match because it provides good football especially because I hold no loyalty to either side [while I have two sisters, each of which falls on the two sides of the divide so my house is never quiet during this time] and so it won’t feel like my heart is being stomped on [coughLiverpoolRomacough].

This also just aides me in my quest to be a football fan pioneer to everyone who reads these blogs and isn’t already one. I’m just saying, it is going to be epic.

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I love Thanksgiving, probably because I come from a family that appreciates good food. It has got to be one of the many traits that epitomizes anyone that finds their routes in the Mediterranean. Helping my sister cook yesterday, and by “help” I mean I made mashed potatoes and stole bites of things, made me think about the fact that I always send my parents pictures of the meals I make. I am not much of a fan of food made outside of a kitchen I don’t trust, hence why I went to the FFC approximately 10 times my entire freshmen year. And so, because I would rather sit here content and think about what we’re having for lunch and watch Criminal Minds with my sister than write more about school work – here are some of the pictures that I have on Blackberry of some of my favorite meals.

I hope everyone’s Thanksgiving was wonderful!

Oh I nearly forgot:

David Villa for my mama :)

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Sometimes you need a break.

From classes, activities, responsibilities, thinking about the future, whatever. Sometimes your brain just needs to take a few minutes and zone out. We all take those moments, watch a show, hang out with friends, etc. And sometimes your body forces you to take a break. Sometimes you push yourself too far, and your body takes over and says “sorry, i’m tired, let’s sit here for a bit.” And despite you trying to convince your body that this is not a good time to sit in the middle of the road and take a break, it doesn’t care.

That is basically what is happening to me right now. I had one of those weeks that I have only ever heard nightmarish stories about: three exams in four days, Tutorial Project responsibilities, lab reports, papers, life. And I think I overwhelmed myself, didn’t give myself anytime to breath or relax for even a few minutes, and I am currently sitting in my bed with a fever and horrible pain in my throat paying the price.

I don’t know if this is fatigue-induced illness or it is a deja-vu of my swine flu adventures last year, either way I am taking no chances and plan on sleeping for at least twelve hours today to try to beat this thing before it makes me really miserable.

In news beside my failing immune system, tomorrow is the annual Halloween Party for the kids at the Tutorial Project and I am pleased that I managed to convince my staff that dressing up a soccer players is the way to go. I am excited to see the pairs enjoy the Haunted House, the pumpkins that everyone got to decorate earlier in the week, watch Scooby Doo and do trick-or-treating in the AMRs. I know it will probably be extremely busy but I will try to take pictures because it is always one of my favorite days at Tutorial.

Liverpool FINALLY gives us a win!

So this is just my PSA that no matter what you are doing [especially if you currently being incredibly stressed and applying to colleges like my little sister] remember to not overwhelm yourself! Taking at least a few moments a day to relax and breath in and out without being at a high state of tension and stress, where many of us spend the majority of our day, will leave you happier and healthier and not addicted to ginger tea like I am at the moment!

All the best!

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