Here is my list for September 2012!

September 2012

• September 2nd: Ate at The Varsity for the first time! (…after living in Atlanta for six years)
• September 3rd: Learned Bhangra dance moves.
• September 4th: Sat in the very front seat in a class of 120 students. (still not sure how I feel about that)
• September 8th: Rode in the front row of the Goliath (200 ft above ground) and two other roller coasters at Six Flags. Also ate funnel cake sundaes for the first time ever!
• September 11th: Attended my first candlelight vigil in remembrance of 9/11 victims.
• September 12th: Wrote on Asbury Circle (the central circle at Emory) and saw former President Jimmy Carter in person!
• September 13th: Started volunteering at Refugee Family Services where I tutor refugee children in English and math.
• September 15th: Went to JapanFest, one of the largest Japanese festivals in the nation. Ate authentic Japanese food using chopsticks (tl;dr embarrassed myself), and watched Aikido demonstrations and other Japanese arts performances.
• September 18th: Made the Model United Nations travelling team at Emory!
• September 21st: Flew to Washington, D.C. and met 500 incredible Gates Millennium Scholars. Also, met a bunch of Questies (QuestBridge Finalists) that I talked to for almost a year before.
• September 22nd: Met the sexiest men alive, (according to People’s Magazine), Yul Kwon.
• September 25th: My article was published in the Emory newspaper.
• September 27th: Took my first test in college (unfortunately, it was chemistry). And, to relieve that pain, saw comedian Amy Schumer from Comedy Central live!

These were the highlights of September. Just the first month of college, and already so many memories to cherish! *insert Asher Roth’s I Love College video here*

Our shuttle is tagging along behind the first shuttle. The green sign on the right-hand side of the interstate reads “Augusta – 105 Miles”. My backpack steadily sitting there between my shoes, and in it only my sleeping bag–I should’ve brought a pillow, but there was no room in either my carry-on or my backpack. We just passed Exit 105 (I believe we’re on I-20, but not really sure yet). Our destination is Eatonton, a city in Central Georgia.

The paragraph above was written on August 23rd, and the following is being written on October 8th. It’s amusing to reflect upon and write on something that happened over a month ago. I shall still write on it because it was just that amazing and it deserves a post on its own.

So, what is “it”? “It” is Crossroads–a retreat for Emory students through OMPS (Office of Multicultural Programs & Services). I decided to attend the Crossroads pre-orientation retreat, which took place in late-August, before orientation (as the name clearly suggests). It was my first experience with a group of Emory students and future friends, so I was naturally nervous.

The two nights turned out to be electrifying! We started with lots of icebreakers and fun introductions. After getting there, we continued with numerous activities intended to get us strangers to “bond”. I was there with forty other freshmen, and surprisingly enough, I “bonded” very well with them in the course of only two nights.

The weekend continued with team-building activities, both physical and mental. As I look back at my Crossroads experience, I am astonished by the balance it offered–the balance of fun and seriousness.

Crossroads was perhaps one of the most fun things I’ve done! I’ve done so many new things and played so many new games (Mafia, Captain’s Ball, Chubby Bunny, etc.). I’m hugely unfamiliar with most popular American party games, and I got a chance to experience most of those.

Also, Crossroads was very enriching in terms of the “serious” aspect of it. I learned what it truly means to be a minority on a college campus, what it means to have disadvantages in various places in society, and the challenges we might face in our college years and beyond.

Frankly, I loved Crossroads both because of its simplicity and complexity. The simplicity in that it was just awesome, and the people were the coolest, the nicest, and the greatest people I’ve met. The complexity in that the issues Crossroads addressed were crucial and prevalent in today’s society.

To all Emory students, I strongly recommend you participate in Crossroads. It is the best decision I made at Emory so far.

We weren’t so sure about travelling this past summer though as I was interning almost the entire summer, getting ready for college, and we were observing Ramadan. With a last-minute decision, however, we decided to travel for only a few days. Our destinations boiled down to New Orleans, Miami, or Washington, D.C. Considering it was Ramadan, going to the beaches in Miami wasn’t the most appropriate vacation spot (funny story – we ended up going to the beaches).

We decided to go to the capital, Washington, D.C., and stop by Virginia on the way.

Our entire vacation lasted for four long days — two in Virginia and two in D.C.

In Virginia, we visited some historic sites, monuments, and the beaches. Visiting Chesapeake Bay, USS Wisconsin, Jamestown, etc. was a really exciting experience. Virginia was frankly nothing compared to the attractions of Washington, D.C. though.

D.C. was just breathtaking. The museums and the monuments are ineffable. I was amazed by the Smithsonians (even though I saw probably around 1/10th of it). It’s quite unrealistic to try to tour D.C. in two days.

What did I love most? I loved the National Museum of Natural History the most. Sure, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Hill, U.S. Supreme Court, and the White House are all amazing. But, the Smithsonians are just incomparable.

Anyways, I need to apologize myself for neglecting the blog so much. I’ll try to catch up with the events. Meanwhile, here are some pictures from my vacation:

I LOVE TRAVELING!

Throughout my high school, I have always done something productive (mostly academic) over the summer. I actually thought it’d be different after senior year because there aren’t a lot of opportunities after graduation (other than jobs) for students. So, I wasn’t actively seeking anything to do; I wanted to relax over the summer and maybe travel.

A few days before graduation, I was offered an internship through the Atlanta Public Schools. Around the same time, I was also offered an internship from Southern Company, an enormous utilities company. It’s actually the 4th largest utilities company in the U.S. and the 16th largest in the world. So, I was really excited after I received the offer to intern with them.

After much consideration, however, I actually decided to intern with Atlanta Public Schools. I saw it as a wonderful way to give back to the school district which has offered me amazing resources for four years of high school. Less importantly, it paid better than the other internship. Yeah, both were paid internships.

My internship experience was pretty great! I was in the IT Department for the headquarter of APS (Atlanta Public Schools) in Downtown Atlanta. One reason I really found it appealing was because information technology is something I’ve always been interested in, but never had the chance to explore. So, this internship offered me an opportunity to be in a professional workplace with IT professionals and get a glimpse of their work lives.

Over the course of the summer, I’ve worked in many aspects of IT such as service desk, telecommunications, networking, data & storage, wireless, business applications, IT governance, etc.

It was a very interesting eight weeks. What will I take away from this experience? Lots and lots of things, but I think the most important is this: I cannot see myself working in the IT field again. I learned that IT is not my passion, and that I would hate my job if I worked in the IT department. I am fortunate I had this experience though because now I know myself better.

Network switches – a huge chunk of my internship

I only have two weeks left before I embark upon the biggest, and perhaps most important, journey of my life. I can scarcely fathom the idea that college will start in merely two weeks. Enthusiastically preparing for college life, I have been really busy and neglected posting according to my original goal (at least twice every week).

Today, I logged on to WordPress to find a shockingly pleasant surprise. One of my readers, someone whose blog I am in love with, nominated me for the “Very Inspiring Blogger Award”. Thank you, Rinth, for the wonder nomination.

First of all, congratulations to Rinth’s blog My Elegantly Cluttered Chamber for getting this award. She most certainly deserves it, and I’m not really sure if I deserve it. I’ve only been blogging for less than a month. I must say, though, this is a great honor to include in my tenth post! (I reached double digits, yay!)

So, as part of the rules, I have to share seven facts about myself, so here goes…

1. My birthday is on Cinco de Mayo!
2. I have a bucket list of more than one hundred things and it is continuously expanding.
3. My favorite numbers are five, seven, fifteen, and seventeen (all for different reasons).
4. I have a passion for languages. I aim to fluently speak five languages by 2015 (Bengali, Hindi, English, Spanish, and French).
5. I started working today to diminish and hopefully eventually eradicate world hunger (sounds really ambitious) through a program called Free Rice, which is sponsored by World Food Programme of the United Nations. Users answer trivial questions on the site, and for every right answer, 10 grains of rice is donated to the WFP. I just created a group called Hopeful Helpers, and I urge all of you to join me in this noble cause: http://freerice.com/content-group/hopeful-helpers
6. My favorite color is orange.
7. I absolutely love music! Every day, I listen to a variety of music for about five hours or so. Right now, I am listening to Feel So Close by Calvin Harris; it’s a great song, what can I say? Hindi, English, and Bengali music are my favorites. I have tons of favorite artists, but my most favorite artists are A.R. Rahman, Sonu Nigaam, Lata Mangeshkar, K.K (Hindi), Kishore Kumar, Habib, Arfin Rumey, Nancy (Bengali), and Maroon 5, Green Day, The Beatles, Coldplay, Eminem (English).

Also, I am supposed to nominate fifteen other bloggers for the Very Inspiring Blogger award. These are the bloggers who inspire me every time I go on their blogs. Rinth is actually one of the top ones, but I don’t think I can list her blog again. So, here you go! Give these a shot. You won’t regret it.

1. Mostly Bright Ideas 
2. Stuff Kids Write
3. Ernesto Villasenor, Jr. 
4. The Political Literate
5. Becoming Me
6. Crazy Mind’s Eye
7. Melissa Kania
8. one day. one year. 
9. Go Beyond
10. AIS Journal
11. Funny Phuppo
12. The Flame Lily Diaries
13. Lies Our Parents Told Us
14. Manisha Dhalani
15. TED: Ideas Worth Spreading

Fellow Inspiring Bloggers, do not forget the rules for the award. The first rule is to link back to the blog that nominated you. Then, post seven facts about yourself. Also, nominate fifteen bloggers that inspire you. And finally, post a picture of the award–which is below. See ya!

The above-mentioned quote appears in a book called Into the Wild. It is a national bestseller written in 1996 by John Krakauer, and it was later adapted into a movie by Sean Penn. The book is based on an article Krakauer wrote on the life of Christopher McCandless, an American adventurer. I haven’t read the book yet, but I am definitely going to.

As I was reading about Christopher, I was ecstatic to discover that he is an alumnus of Emory University! (Yay!) After graduating with high grades from Emory, he donated his $25,000 college fund to find solutions for poverty and injustice around the world. This was just to give you some background on the book and the quote. 

To me, life is simply a collection of experiences. One of the primal purposes of living is to have a multitude of experiences – good and bad, funny and serious, breathtaking and boring, incredible and ordinary, etc. Notice I used “and” instead of “or” because it’s important to have a variety of experiences. We can only develop through experiences, never diminish.

I love trying new things, and I have a bucket list of hundreds of things I want to try or do. (I’m still working on making the list comprehensive, and I’ll probably write about my list once it’s near its completion.) I mean I guess it could be said that trying new things and gaining experiences is just YOLOing, but it’s more profound than that. You don’t just go out and do stupid stuff; you do things that are meaningful, like completely shaving your head or getting your voice heard.

Pierre de Ronsard once said, “Live now, believe me, wait not till tomorrow; Gather the roses of life today.” For me, those roses are a metaphor for experiences. There is nothing that mandates the roses to be aromatic or even beautiful. Similarly, the experiences don’t always have to be joyful and splendid. Trust me, regardless of how hard we try, we are guaranteed to encounter those sad, boring, and regretful experiences. Accept them and move on!

This week, I completely shaved my head; maybe, it wasn’t the best idea. But, I wanted the experience, and I certainly don’t regret it. I’ve always wanted to shave my head just to see what it’s like, and this was just the ideal time to do it. Am I going to continue shaving my head? No, of course not. Hopefully, my hair will grow back to its normal length in three weeks, before my college orientation and Eid.

Here’s a before and after picture from this week. So far, I’ve been compared to Zinedine Zidane and badasses from Indian movies…

It’s still really hard to believe that I am already eighteen years old and that I get to vote in the U.S. Presidential Election in coming November. On July 31st, Georgia had its general primary where I voted in two very important issues. One of the issues was a transportation referendum for  the city of Atlanta. It was a ten-year long, billion dollars initiative to improve the traffic and economy of Atlanta. The other issue was on whether alcohol sales were to be allowed on Sundays. I voted Yes for both issues. It was just the experience — voting for the first time, doing something that has an impact, etc.– that was certainly extraordinary. 

It was a surprising experience as I made a last-minute decision to vote in the primary. Frankly, it’s not like I was never expecting to be eighteen or a citizen of U.S.A. I realized these things were bound to happen. And yeah, I was really excited after voting!

What I failed to realize is that they would happen in the blink of an eye.

Life is short. Gather the experiences in life and give your life a meaning.

The 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony was worth spending four and a half hours watching! I loved every minute of it (including the hours when the athletes walked in). Last summer, I visited London for a few days, and I hope to visit it again soon. One thing for sure, it’ll be a revived city.

From the snapshots of English industrialization to the cheerful dances of doctors, nurses, and children; from the amazing collaboration of James Bond and Her Majesty to the great, recalling acts of Rowan Atkinson; from teenage athletes lighting the Olympic cauldron to Paul McCartney singing one of my favorite songs, Hey Jude, the ceremony was nothing short of spectacular.

I really appreciated how they got real doctors and nurses to perform in the dancing acts. Oh, I almost forgot the ever-so-handsome David Beckham’s appearance. I thought the opening ceremony sent an inspiring  message from the Great Britain to the world. Under the direction of Danny Boyle, the ceremony was beyond dynamic. Now, I really have the urge to watch the opening ceremony of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, and see how my city fared in wooing the world.

This was actually my second time watching an Olympics opening ceremony, with the first one being the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. I missed out on both the Athens and Beijing ceremonies, but I lucidly remember the one in Sydney even though I had barely turned six when I watched it.

Contrary to how excellent the ceremony was, there were several distasteful things that struck me; though those things should be blamed on the obnoxious American commentators on NBC and not the ceremony itself. There were several occasions where the American commentators pronounced the countries’ names as they wanted without any regards to how the names are actually pronounced.

Either they weren’t professionals or they were too overwhelmed being at the Olympics to act like professionals. One of the guys actually said the athletes were coming too fast (suggesting he was having a hard time keeping up). No shit Sherlock — these are Olympians.

Also, two specific incidents really bothered me. One of the athletes (not sure from which team..there were 200 teams) had dyed his hair bright pink, and the NBC guys just had to comment on his hair. One of the commentators abrasively disparaged his hair by saying, “Memorable? Yes. Beautiful? No.” Beauty is nothing but our own perceptions, so he had no justification to sit there and make fun of a well-deserved Olympic athlete’s appearance. Honestly, we don’t give a crap about what you think is beautiful. Sorry but that comment really irked me.

The second incident was just personally embarrassing for me, and it’s perhaps not anything worth ranting about. When the Bangladeshi athletes walked in, the commentators announced Bangladesh as being the nation with the largest population that had not won a single Olympic medal yet. Bangladesh was basically referenced to as the “largest” loser. Speaking from an objective view, however, I guess it wasn’t that bad. If it were any other country, I wouldn’t think twice about it, plus it was a true statement. It’s rather pitiful to see a nation of over 16 million people (8th largest in the world) only sending 6 athletes. If there were to be a ratio of a nation’s population to the number of athletes it sent to the Olympics, I believe Bangladesh’s ratio would be the very lowest.

Yes, the commentators did take away from the evening, but overall, I think it was an iconic event! I loved Danny Boyle’s creativity and direction. I also loved how the ceremony highlighted Britain’s diversity (in terms of the performers being of different ethnicities). The ceremony expressed the unique identity of the British.

I look forward to watching the events! On a relevant note, so much respect for the Muslim athletes who will continue to fast as they compete in their respective events.

One more thing added to my bucket list: to attend an Olympics opening ceremony!

Also, have a good laugh…

Anyways, I’m enjoying the Olympics Opening Ceremony right now (hosted by one of my favorite directors, Danny Boyle). I’m actually not going to write a lot as I should run back to the living room…yeah, I don’t have a TV in my room. The commercials on NBC are probably over by now.

I actually have a surprise! I made an improvisational video! Check it out! Please excuse my pathetic attempt to entertain you.. I promise it’ll get better with practice. Thanks, and enjoy life!

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar, and everyday of this month, Muslims around the world refrain from eating, drinking, and other physical needs from dawn until sunset.

This holy month is venerated by Muslims because of several reasons. Fasting during Ramadan is the fourth pillar of Islam. The Holy Quran was revealed in this month. Rewards are given and sins are forgiven for those who spend the days fasting and the nights praying. The gates of paradise are opened, the gates of hell are closed, and Satan is fettered. All rewards and sins in this month are believed to be multiplied.

The practices in Ramadan include: fasting, increased prayers and recitations of Quran, and charity. We offer iftaar (the evening meal with which we break our fasts) to those who are fasting.

What is the purpose of Ramadan?

Ramadan is much more profound than simply abstaining from eating and drinking. It is a time of spiritual reflection and worship, a time to purify the soul, refocus attention to God and our faith, and practice self-sacrifice.

In this month, we re-evaluate our lives under the light of Islamic guidance. The underlying purpose of Ramadan is to strengthen our powers of self-control, so that we may resist all evils.

Every part of the body must be restrained during Ramadan. The tongue must be restrained from backbiting and gossip. The eyes must be restrained from looking at unlawful things. The hand must not touch or take anything that does not belong to it. The ears must refrain from listening to idle talk or obscene words. The feet must refrain from going to sinful places.

It’s 1:00 PM right now, the last time I had food/drink was at 5:00 AM, and the next time I will have food/drink will be at 8:45 PM tonight. So, here in America, it ends up being over fifteen hours. Ramadan, however, is not merely a physical sacrifice. Ramadan is the total commitment of our body and soul to purify ourselves.

My personal take on Ramadan is that it’s all about sacrifices and self-growth. It’s about being able to resist the pressures in life. It teaches us to appreciate what we have. It shows us what hunger feels like, and to be thankful for the food and luxury we take for granted. I plan on doing some interesting things this month that will require stepping out of my comfort zone. Reports on that will be coming soon.

Until then, Ramadan Mubarak everyone, and have a blessed month!

P.S. Read this great article on The Huffington Post about making Ramadan more than an exercise in empathy.

Philanthropist Melinda Gates, wife of Bill Gates and co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, recently found herself to be under diatribes for supporting a contraceptive plan. Melinda Gates–someone I have immense reverence for–supports a plan that will make birth control available to 120 million women worldwide, with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Why is this a problem? Because Melinda is a practicing Catholic, and the Catholic church denounces birth control. The church is completely against any forms of birth control whatsoever. Interesting fact: according to a May article in The Denver Post, up to 98% of Catholic women have ignored the church’s stance on contraception.

Melinda continues to be criticized by the Catholic world for doing such a “horrendous” thing. After visiting areas where contraception is not readily available and doing decades-long study in Bangladesh which started in the 1970s, Melinda decided to focus on family planning as a part of her work. She says, “(In) the community that had access to contraceptives, the women chose to use them, the families grew up wealthier, fewer women died in childbirth.”

I truly respect religious freedom, and everyone has the right to believe in the religion of their choice, or not to believe in a religion at all. I am perfectly fine with that. What I fail to understand is why some Catholics are “hating on” ^*** Melinda for helping impoverished women plan their families. Also, the focus of this initiative will be in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, places where maternal and infant mortality rates are high and contraception use is low. The overwhelming majority of these people are not Catholic, so it technically shouldn’t even concern the church.

Religious views on birth control were quite interesting to read about. Let’s start with Christianity. Prior to 20th Century, contraception was condemned by all of the major branches of Christianity. The Catholic church is completely opposed to any form of contraception. In general, liberal Protestants and Anglicans accept use of contraception, while debate is ongoing among conservative Evangelicals.

There is no ban on birth control in Hinduism. Because India has such a large and dense population, the discussion of birth control is focused on the issue of overpopulation rather than ethics or religion.

In Islam, the Qur’an does not make any explicit statements prohibiting contraception. It should be noted that coitus interruptus, or the withdrawal method, a primitive form of birth control was a prominent practice at the time of Muhammad, and his companions practiced it. It was never prohibited, and the Rashidun caliphs actually defended the practice. Muslim scholars explained that birth control should be used with the consent of both the husband and the wife as offsprings are the right of both. Just a personal note, but I find it exceedingly ironic that Islam is the religion rebuked by the western world to be infringing upon women’s rights. And yet, it gives women more right to decide what to do with their bodies than the Catholic church.

In Judaism, the view on birth control varies between the branches of Judaism. Among Orthodox Judaism, use of birth control has been considered acceptable in “some” instances. Conservative Judaism has been rather lenient and more willing to allow exceptions to fit better within modern society. Reform Judaism allows followers to use birth control according to their own judgment.

According to the Gates Foundation, increasing access to contraception for more women could reduce newborn deaths by nearly 50 percent. There is no controversy in saving newborn lives. If all women had access to contraceptives, 100,000 maternal deaths would be avoided each year. There is no controversy in protecting mothers. Will you take the pledge?

Every woman and girl deserves the freedom to determine her own future. Let’s remove the controversy from contraception.

This video explains a lot of things!

This post is in no way a criticism of Catholicism (that rhymes!). Rather, I wanted to see how religion could have the possibility to hinder us from helping someone who we could certainly help. I consider myself to be religious, although I wouldn’t say devoutly.

What if our religion or faith prohibited us from helping others or doing something “good” for others? What’s more important: religion or humanity?

I wonder…

*** Hating on is defined on Urban Dictionary as falsely accusing someone of doing something wrong when in fact that person did nothing wrong.