IDENTITY: Our Video Assignment

Greetings~

Hey all!! For this post, me and Iman would like to share our 'works' (video assignment to be exact). Me (Hasny), Iman, Shiffa and Maisarah combined our brain juices and created a team that me and Shiffa (at first jokingly) called ourselves as . . .

 M.I.S.H Potatoes 

(a combination of our initials and a pun, word play there).

It is actually a video that kinda like a preview / representing our research paper for the class. We chose to do / research about offline and online identity. Basically, what we are trying to find are;

1. Do teenagers assume that their identities online are different from their true selves?
2. What are the factors that affect the construction of their identities online, as opposed to that offline?

A little bit about the video: 

• Iman and Maisarah are the stars in the video (huhuuu)
• me as the director and camerawoman (pphheewww)
• Shiffa was the one doing the editing and storyboarding (voilaaa) ... 

We planned to make it like a short film, a really really short silent film with (of course) no voice or dialogue. Just songs to accompany each scene, emotion and persona. The idea is that to make it more dramatic or mysterious (hopefully la)..

Well, more about the storyline, you have to watch it!! Share with us your thoughts yeaaa~ 

The video is now online and out for public at YouTube (click the link: Identity )  Do check it out, share and comment!!

We all have an identity. Some of us might have even more than one.
Which one is YOUR true identity?

Malay Food Craze

Greetings~

Ok, Iman had shared some of her favourite Indian food and I bet it seems familiar right? Also, yes okay Iman, it is Dosa and not Thosai (I'll try not to argue hehe).
Anyway, it is my turn now to introduce my all time favourite Malay cuisines!
Though, unlike Iman's, I don't have a specific breakfast, lunch or dinner favourite. I will share 2 kind of the foods that I can eat all day long (including tea time).

This 2 foods are the kind of food that my mom will surely cook anytime of the day when she knew that I'm going back to my hometown. She even will use these to bribe me (not that I'm complaining). I love you, mom~

However I must highlight this, me and Iman share a thing in common; We don't favor rice as much as what the stereotype says. So, don't expect any rice meal in my list :p huhuu

1. SAMBAL SOTONG !!!!!

Aaaahhh them sotong~

Sambal is a mixture of chilies and some other condiments sauteed together and sotong is squid. I love spicy food and squid is my favourite seafood. Hence, Sambal Sotong is a dish of spicy goodness that can lure me into buying them at nearest cafe or restaurant any single time. 

Usually, sambal sotong is served as a side dish to many kind of other main food, the most popular one is nasi lemak (fragrant coconut milk rice). But, I usually eat it by itself or with other side dishes.

2. GULAI MASAK LEMAK CILI PADI 

yyuummm, I can slurrpp that spicy soupy gravy

.....I'm not sure how to translate the dish's name (direct translations are too ridiculous). Gulai if I'm not mistaken can be roughly translated as a type of curry where the dish is cooked using coconut milk. Cili padi is a type of chili that is soo small yet soo powerful in term of the chili hotness.

Again, it is a spicy dish that we usually eat with rice and I would say the process of cooking it is a bit technically complex.

Depending on people's preferences, we can use meat or seafood as the main hero in the gulai and then add it in the name. For instance, in the picture above they use ikan keli bakar (grilled catfish) therefore, the whole dish is called as Gulai Ikan Keli Bakar Masak Lemak Cili Padi. Phheewww mouthful.

My personal favourite is ikan pari bakar (grilled stingray) and daging salai (smoked beef). Eat it by itself and slurp up the soupy gravy / sauce... Deliissshhh~

___________________________________________________

A Taste of Somalia.

Assalamu Alaikum, Hello!

The past week has been the most hectic one in the entire semester! Submission, activities and more submissions! Thank goodness for the Labour's Day holiday. made my weekend feel longer :p

 Hope you guys enjoyed your weekend!

Any way, back to business. Yes, food. And this time, Somali food!

Suaad introduced us to her favourite Somali dish- Anjera & oodkac, usually eaten at breakfast.

Anjera is fermented pan bread that looks like a thin pancake, eaten that with "oodkac" which is small dried pieces of beef, goat or camel meat, boiled in ghee.

Anjera can also be mixed with tea and sesame oil, or with honey and ghee, and washed down with a cup of tea.

What's surprising is Anjera is what Indians call Dosa! Its fermented and prepared in the same manner.

Who knows if Anjera travelled from Somalia to India, or if the vice versa happened!

Indian Food Craze

Hi there!

Hasny and me were discussing on one of our favourite topics (which I bet, is most people's favourite too!)- FOOOD. It wasn't surprising that Hasny was familiar with some South Indian cuisines, though she knew it by names that were funny to me :p
Any way, we got into talking about our most favourite dish, and as usual, I cant pick just one!
You know, I've favourites for breakfast, another one for lunch, and yet another for dinner. Honestly, its hard to choose a favourite!

1. ONE OF THE BEST BREAKFAST MEALS- DOSA AND CHUTNEY

Dosa is a fermented crepe made from rice batter and black lentils. It is a staple dish in South Indian states of Tamil nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana. There are many varieties of dosa, based on the flavour or seasoning added to the batter.
I love it plain and crispy as paper. The chutneys usually are spicy and finger-licking good, trust me.
*(Hasny keep on insisting that this is thosai or tosei or whatever she called this as, well Hasny, it is DOSA XD)

2. LUNCH SET
Being a South Indian, rice is almost always a must on the lunch table. I personally dont prefer rice much, but I dont mind it either.
My favourite lunch would be the complete vegetarian rice set: plain rice, a variety of vegetable dishes, yoghurt, vegetable gravy known as sambhar, n vegetables and more vegetables. A little bit of fruit, usually bananas. Trust me, it's the most filling of meals. Perfectly yummy. Though this meal is traditionally vegetarian, I often pester Mom for a piece of fried fish. It's so tasty, I'm missing home alreadyyy!

3. DINNER
I love anything but rice for dinner.

Should I post about Idli, or Chapati, or maybe Naan..?
You see, I love everything Mom cooks, and if I were to write about it all, it'd be a never ending list! So, I'll settle with Chapati and lady's finger for now. May be some day later, I'll share more Indian cuisines, insha Allah.
Chapati (alternatively Chapatti, Chappati or Chapathi) is an unleavened flatbread (also known as roti) from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It is a common staple in South Asia as well as amongst South Asian expatriates throughout the world. Chapatis are one of the most common forms of wheat bread which is staple food in South Asia.
Chapati with lady's finger fry- yum yum yummyy!

The Girl in the Red Scarf

Hello, Assalamu Alaikum!

You know how its said that, there are some people in our lives that make us laugh a little louder, smile a little bigger and live a little better? Well, I’d like to introduce to you one such person in my life, one of those best  friends you don’t need to talk to everyday but can always count on them, no matter what.

Three years ago, I met ‘the girl with the red scarf’. Her scarf was the first thing that caught my attention, and I named her that in my head (till I knew her name, of course!) A smart and  hyperactive girl who seemed to be pissed off at something, but always laughing!

Meet Suaad. Suaad Dirie from Somalia!

Born and brought up in Kenya, Suaad is a Somali living in Malaysia. She’s currently an undergrad at the Economics faculty, IIUM. Since day one of our friendship till date, it has been not just fun but a an awesome learning experience.

Stay tuned for more, as we discuss our cultures and how looking past cultural differences made us the friends we are today!

A New Friend ???

YOU BETCHAAA!!! Greetings~

Someone will join me & Iman in this informative, intercultural exchange journeyy.. Yeayy~~ InsyaAllah, she will join us after the mid-semester break as she is busy with all kind of things. MAIGOOSSHHH SOOO EXCITEDDD!!!! *can't emphasize more in the caps lock and extreme addition of alphabets*

*hint* Non-Malaysian, Non-Indian, Non-Arabic (as all the criteria are occupied by either me or Iman) ... #Varieties

* s p o i l e r *

  

Sketching Personalities on Paper

Greetings~

Hi there! Here we go again, another interesting activity in class: Draw yourselves, from memory alone and in 5 minutes! With as much details as we could incorporate into our masterpiece. It sounded fun so we just as we were asked to!

The session was funny, with everyone figuring out what they looked like, "which part of the face that I have moles on", "how crooked my smile is.. towards the left or right?", "whether my eyes are squinting or not..", "how big my nose is??", etc.
 We recommend you to try it too! Trust us, you'll realise that there are plenty of things you didn't know about your own face!

At the end of the drawing session, we were questioned on what aspect of our face did we first draw.
Honestly, that question seemed irrelevant. Why bother about what we drew first, the final image is what counts, isn't it!

But apparently, psychology says that it somehow reflects our inner desire! AHAHHH...can u believe it!

Wanna know what we got?

THIS IS ME, HASNY!!! ...Did I drew myself correctly??? Yea, I know I need to draw my nose bigger though. Sobss.

I drew my spectacles first. My justification is that, it is easier to measure & determine the size of my face if I drew the spectacles first (ration of the distance of both eyes and such). Plus, I adore my own eyes if I were to compare with other parts of my face #narcissism

HOWEVER! Dr. Fiza said that.. Those who drew accessories first (such as spectacles & jewelries) -> deep inside, they are craving for LIMELIGHTS!!! *GASPS*

*self-reflection* Reallyyyy?? *judging myself*

And, this is me, Iman! Not that I ran out of time to draw the organs on my face, I'm just a really pathetic artist, and a lazy one at that too!

I drew the outline of my face first, as that's what determines the positioning of the rest of my facial features.

Dr. Fiza told us that those who prefer to draw outline first are usually guarded, always goes by the book and confident!
Won't deny, it's pretty much accurate!

(P.S. Forgive the unwanted doodling- my pencil can't stand still!)

SO YEAH...

I got 'attention-seeker' kind of personality and Iman got confident. *a little bit of jealousy there* huhuhuuu

Whatever it is, I still love you, buddy!!!!!!

Who Am I?

Greetings~

First of all, me & Iman would like to apologize for being M.I.A. most of the time!!!!!

Too occupied with activities inside and outside UIA, visa issues etc etc. Too many posts saved as drafts!

hhaaiiisshhhh we need to double check all the posts... *jotting down in virtual diary*

ANYWAY,

Just like in every other class with Dr. Fiza (that's our cool lecturer!), we were assigned interesting task- write a poem. Poem on 'Who Am I?'  Sounds simple, isn't it? Curious, aye? Hahaa.. But you see, we are both creative people in our own ways, but creativity doesn't flow out freely from a tap in our brains. It's frozen and dormant, stubbornly hiding behind a writer's block. Soo...we are sharing with you something we had written eons ago. (Okay, not that long, but pretty long back!)

And since this piece of "art" of ours is ancient, written at a time when we were young and naive, pretty and nimble, we promise to post something more recent, later. Something that reveals the girls (or ladies :p) we've grown into now. Until then, #WeRemainMysterious  #BeingMysterious (#EnoughWithTheHashtags)

 #mysterious .

So, bear with our random 'creativity' (spoiler alert, mine could be depressing & Iman's could be... a little abstract)

Iman's : A Little Child

There hums a little child,
a song lost in her dreams.
There hums the little child,
a tune drowned in her wake
There she sleeps, deep down
Lost in my past.
But, I listen closely, and
there hums a little girl in me,
I let her sleep.
While I grew up.

Hasny's 

I am a human. I am alive. And I am a daughter.
I am a teen. A complicated one. And I am a lover.
Yes. A lover. 'Love'.
Inside, it feels like a flock of flying pure, white dove.
Of course it is the work of the Dopamine & Oxytocin
And enjoying the lovely, sweet feeling is not a sin.
I have a wonderful partner, a charming good-looking sweetheart, and makes my insides fly.
Though sometimes we face conflicts and dramas, well mainly because I'm a lady and he is a guy.
I am grateful. I am pleased. And I am sure about it till we die.
Though now..
I am a human. I am alive. And I am a daughter.
I am a teen. A complicated one. And I am a heartbreaker.
Yes. A heartbreaker. 'Heartbreak'.
Inside, it feels like a losing team that go on gambling with its life at stake.
Of course it is the work of depression-talking.
And it is never wrong wanting to save the relationship, still loving.
He is still a wonderful partner, still a charming good-looking sweetheart, and still makes my insides fly.
Now we are facing conflicts and dramas, but is it mainly because I'm a lady and he is a guy?
I am confused. I am discontented. And..am I sure about it till we die? 

What Say Us: Cross cultural communication by Pellegrino Riccardi in TEDx

Greetings!

Pellegrino Riccardi

This is the Video from Youtube

Culture, in our opinion, can’t be defined by a strict definition. It rather encompasses many features of our day to day existence and practice in our respective societies as ourselves, as permitted by our respective identities in any given situation. It’s an umbrella under which our individual preferences are collectively organised into a proper system or a code of conduct.

Today, we’re growing, (I’d say, we’ve grown already!) into what is now known as a global village. Our cultures are no longer divided by boundaries or by any strict dividing lines for that matter. 

"Where do our individual cultures stand in this melting cauldron of globalization?"

For that question to be answered, we have to understand how exactly is our culture perceived, not by others, but ourselves. According to Pellegrino Riccardi, it’s wiser to question on how we ourselves perceive our own culture initially , rather than attempting to understand a foreign culture. It’s indeed a fact that we tend to see in ourselves what we expect to, not what we may or actually seem to others. Our perception of ourselves is the door that opens up the vista to the wide world. In our shrinking world today, we often find ourselves in situations where lack of proper understanding of any new or unfamiliar practice often leads to petty misunderstandings.

          Although we’re on our way to globalizing culture, it’s almost impossible to completely shun our indigenous customs, beliefs, faith, habits etc. While sticking to our own culture, it’s important that we familiarize ourselves with whatever is new. And of course, its practically impossible to learn every single culture of every existing nation or tribe. It’s therefore easier to understand each culture’s underlying values.Values that shaped the culture into what it is today.

           A deeper insight into any culture will eventually reveal the intricate designs that shaped any society’s culture. This is true for any given culture, be it the Nordic culture of the West, or the Aboriginal culture of the Australian continent. A simple ingredient in this potion of understanding our fellow human beings around the world is, curiosity.

 Curiosity,

we believe, may be one the reasons our species has reached this far, than any other. We’re blessed with this ability to question our surroundings, question our own selves, question what is right and what is wrong. In our era where cultures are colliding across borders, curiosity saves the day by preventing assumed notions and hence misperception of one another.

The Road That Shall Be Taken, India to Malaysia

Assalamualaikum dunya~

It was just another hectic Tuesday at IIUM.  The weather was surprisingly pleasant, considering the dry spell we’re in! One of the classes we look forward to this semester is our Intercultural Communications class, (doesn’t imply we don’t look forward to any other class :p) on Tuesdays & Thursdays. It’s one of those classes where it isn’t always only about theories and theorists, or language and linguists or worse, numbers and more numbers (oh, and by the way, we’re language+communication students- a perfect mix, isn’t it!)Thanks to our lecturer, we rarely fall asleep in class. We play games, discuss on various cultural issues, debate and argue on many others, share our ideas and experiences. In other words, we learn from each other, from each one of us. So yeah, on one such day, we were assigned to a task- get to know a friend whose culture is different from yours, and record the experience! 

So here we are, Iman and Hasny, presenting to you our little journey of getting to know each other better. Wonder what awaits us, wonder whose paths we’re going to cross. Wonder!

And...we  admit, we’re tad bit awkward at self introduction. So please bear with us!

Iman  is an Indian, brought up in Saudi Arabia, while Hasny’s a Malaysian from Johor. Fun fact: We're full-time students at Hogwarts. We'll spare you the explanation of how we attend IIUM and Hogwarts- Muggles dont usually understand the physics of Magic, you see. Hasny's a Slytherin, while Iman's a Gryffindor. No gasps, we're really good friends. Really. Good. Friends.

Hasny

Iman

"The world's too beautiful to just let only the eyes capture its beauty. Finding the perfect words to fit into the massive jigsaw puzzle of our world to fully express its beauty,  is what I love doing the most. A simple heart, with a curious mind, I entertain all mischief my words may manage on paper!"

So, there you go! More about us and the blog will be updated soon. See ya~
Also, do check out our classmates' blog as well. Just click on their name!

Under Construction

~ We will be reporting soon ~