Games with Names

In my LSE100 class, we were learning about the discipline of ethnography, which is basically studying different people's cultures in their particular contexts.

For example, your name could mean a lot in your specific culture. Take my teacher's name, Carmen Amelia Gayoso *something*. Having a Spanish father (Gayoso) and an Italian mother (*something*), both of her ancestries are reflected in her two surnames. In addition, the name Carmen is common in Peru, and has been in the family for 4 generations. Basically, her great-grandmother is Carmen, her grandmother is Carmen, her mom is Carmen and she is Carmen, and its common practice to name your child after a distinguished person.

So each of us had to do the same, write our full names and 3 meanings of our names in our culture.

So there's this guy, Joe. In his family, Joe has a lot of significance. Why? Because his ancestors were alternately Joseph or Jonathan. E.g if his grandad is Joseph, his dad is Jonathan, and he is Joseph, and the pattern continues. Kinda like a binary code, 101010101010

And then I wrote my full name on paper, 'Mohamad Ikmal bin Ahmad Nordin'. Since the question asked about meaning, i gave a literal one. 'The Praised Perfect son of The Praised Light of Religion'. This was the first time i saw my full name translated into English, and i was like WOAAAAA. And then when Carmen asked me to explain my name, she was like WOAAAAAAAA. And then she asked the class, "has anybody found interesting facts about their name? No? Then let's hear Ikmal's" Then i told the whole class the meaning of my name, and they were like WOAAAAAAAAAA.

Seriously, those of you with Arabic names, try translating it into English and then saying it out loud. It'll sound really exotic, like some kind of mystical rock or ancient artifact. 'Praised Light of Religion', doesn't that sound like the Tablet of the 10 Commandments?

Then i told them that a name in Malay culture gives some sort of semblance to your character. Ikmal=perfect. "So in your culture, does your name bring a burden on the way you're supposed to behave?" "Well, not exactly. It's not really something that actively determines your real life. So if my name is Ikmal, which means perfect, im...not perfect, but i'd like to think i am". Erkk.

Dummy

Went to Madame Tussauds yesterday and did this to Bush:



Always wanted to do that.

Decency much

Right, i was in LSE100 class and it was already 5 minutes past the hour. Ms Gayoso, probably the hottest teacher i ever had (which maybe explains why i came early to class) looked like she was about to cry because only 5 people were there.

And then she waited a few more minutes, when someone came in through the door. A girl.

And she was wearing a large male shirt, un-ironed, and only knickers underneath, but it was soooo short you'd think she was wearing the shirt only. And the hair was all messed up, like she just got out of bed. Whose bed, i'd rather not speculate.

Excerpts from my mind:

''How the hell did she walk outside in this 5 C weather?''

''Is it summer yet?''

''Is it 'dress minimally to school' day?''

Throughout the class we played a game. But after that we were told to sit in pairs and discuss the game, and, you guessed it, i was with THAT woman.

How could you concentrate on the task when you're distracted by exposure?

I couldn't even take what she said seriously, because of hearing 'stupid bimbo' jokes, and she was dressed like one.

Have the decency to cover up. Some people want to learn, not watch stripshows.

Drag

Today is one of those days where you don't have the energy to do anything, just because you've had too much sleep.



I woke up at 8 (arghhh..noooo) and then, finding no reason to wake up, slept.

Woke up at 9.15. Snoozed

Woke up at 10. Snoozed.

Woke up at 11. Snoozed.

Woke up close to 12 and decided to enjoy the 4 1/2 hours of sunshine left during this long winter.

Seriously, snooze must be the most destructive invention ever after nuclear bombs and baked beans.

But ironically, even after getting all that sleep i just didn't have the energy to do something productive. No reading



Not even lifting weights



And then i skyped a bit (there's always energy to chat) :)

And then Yazid came to visit Butlers Wharf (rarely anyone comes here, sob3). He couldn't stand my room's *ehem2* 'lack of tidyness' because i think he has OCD, so we decided to go outside and grab a bite.

On the way from my hall to London Bridge, you can see these things:

1) Statues of indecent Londoners (i think its the Western version of 7 Puteri mandi2)



2) City Hall @ Mayor's office @ The Glass Gonad



3) HMS Belfast, a battleship turned museum



Finally, fresh air. Then we ate greasy fried wings and chips, which constitutes 1/3 of my diet nowadays.

Now I feel refreshed!!!! (dance) After this blog post, i'll start studying. Probably. Or after facebook. Or after this song on Youtube. Too many distractions lah. No wonder im exhausted.

p/s: Goodluck to people getting their AS results tomorrow!! :))

Realizations :)

Yesterday a band of brothers from around London and Portsmouth gathered together at Finsbury Park mosque to hold a qiyamullail (literally 'waking/standing up at night', correct me if im wrong)



Because in our busy worldly schedule, we must remember that this world, and everything in it, was created by the Almighty. What better way to show gratefulness than to sacrifice our sleep (which is very very nice) and pray, but of course not many of us are capable of doing that.

And then in the morning we all had a breakfast of Nasi Lemak =) and teh tarik:



Which was quite spicy my tongue turned a brighter red (i was thinking of putting a photo here, but for the sake of humanity decided against it).


Makan sampai licin

Then after Zuhr i went back home but before that, stopped at the best place for eating grilled chicken, Griller's @ Finsbury Park.



This stuff is seriously good. You know places in KL where we can get really nice briyani like Insaf at Jalan TAR? That's like nasi goreng here. Exaggerations intended, but that's what Mr Ravi told me once, and i thought he was talking crap.

After Nasi Lemak and Grilled Chicken and probably thousands of calories (most of us went for basketball in the morning, but i stayed and slept, for i hadn't slept i'd have written nonsense in here), i finally went home sweet home.

Oh yeah, thank you to Hafidz for transferring ownership of these Clarks shoes for only 8 pounds (FACTORY OUTLET PRICE 20 pounds):



Now that i think of it, its kinda funny. We were in a factory outlet store the other day helping Akmal find shoes for his parents. I saw these shoes and i thought i wanted to buy them, but since Hafidz wanted them i said ok, go ahead and i didn't buy them cause that would make either of us un-unique.

But suddenly on Tuesday he asked me whether i wanted to buy the shoes (he only wore it what, 5 times?) for 10 pounds and i said '8 pounds, ko dsperate nk jual kn..hahaha' and that's how i got my new second-hand shoes ;) It still looks new to me, and i got it for less. Life has sometimes weird and unexpected ways of turning out. Praise the Almighty :))