dymag october 2013
DESCRIPTION
Our 06th issue, featuring two very talented young footballers and so much more! Enjoy reading. :)TRANSCRIPT
AGD H I Y O U T H M O V E M E N T M A G A Z I N E
I s s u e # 0 6O c t o b e r 2 0 1 3
Dhi Youth MovementYouth for Youth, to empower and to lead
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Dhi Youth MovementYouth for Youth, to empower and to lead
Dhi Youth Movement began in early 2012 as a small initiative by a few young inspired individuals in Male', with the vision to bring a positive change to society by empowering young people to actively contribute to society.
Our group, with a strong following on Facebook, was used to mobilize volunteers for a flash freeze on 29th March 2012 and since then there has been no turning back.
We officially got registered as an NGO on 12th of December 2012 as Dhivehi Youth Movement under the Associations and Societies Act of the Maldives (Act No. 1/2003).
Any and all Maldivians between the age of 16 and 27 are welcome to join DYM. And everyone's ideas and thoughts are welcome and appreciated.
D Y M c o r e g r o u p a t t h e 0 t h A n n i v e r s a r y p h o t o s h o o t
F o l l o w t h i s l i n k f o r t h e o n l i n e a p p l i c a t i o n f o r m :h t t p : / / b i t . l y / 1 a P b A W Y
DYM IS OFFICIALLY OPEN
FOR MEMBERSHIPS!
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2
a letter from the
designdirectorThis being my second issue as Design Director, I’d like to take this chance to say I’m thankful to the
DYM team for giving me this opportunity and for all feedback, both negative and positive, I got for the
previous issue. I’ve been doing graphic designing here and there for a while but nothing nearly on this
scale. Page by page learning is what I’ve been doing so far and it’s just so much fun.
Our magazine, I’d say is a great platform. It’s providing an opportunity for talented young people to
express their feelings or tell our readers what they want heard. Whether it be some casual information
about an ongoing thread, a review about what to read or watch or even if it’s a deep thought and well
versed poem, there’s something in this magazine for everyone.
In this issue, we’re featuring two young and talented footballers, Waadu and Faraa. Our team members
had a lot of fun with the interviews and I would like to thank them myself for giving us the time and going
through the rain and sun to give us what we got.
From what I can see, I think our magazine has a pretty bright future. I hope you guys stick with us for this
ride because we’re hoping to reach the stars but in due time.
3
Editor’s ChoiceEditor’s ChoiceIntriguing and thought provoking articles from around
the web handpicked for you,
TheEnergy-WaterNexusby Tom Murphy | Do the Math
Isdemocracyoverrated?by Roger Scruton | BBC News Magazine
How Baghdad attack put UN aid missions at riskby Imogen Foulkes | BBC News Magazine
Thetrouble withfreedomby John Gray | BBC News Magazine
Coffee and Qahwaby John McHugo | BBC News Magazine
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THE
DYMagTEAM
Sifr, Editor-in-ChiefSifr is simultaneously rude, charming and arrogant. His only redeeming quality is that he is
proficient. Relentless in his pursuit of knowledge and impartial truth. Self professedly classy
and stylish. He enjoys the company of bright and attractive young ladies. He is a basketball
player, a stargazer, a gym rack, a philosopher but most of all a mind of science.
Shaha, Content DirectorShaha is a free spirit who enjoys classic literature, tea with lots of milk, good books and lots of
sunshine. She dreams of huge closets and making a mark in the world. She believes in
mismatching socks, breaking stereotypes and handwritten letters.
Hassan, Deputy EditorHassan is a 5'9'' male human who has a particular affinity for hyphenating words-and-phrases that don't
need hyphenation, a tendency to overuse commas and various other punctuation (as well as being fond of
abusing parenthesis for irrelevant side thoughts... hey look, something SHINY!), coupled with his continual
misuse of asterisks to *stress* words for emphasis instead of using CAPS, (that in most cases don't even
*NEED* emphasis). Most printer output errors are able to put together more cohesive thoughts than him. Ice
cream is his friend.
@ s i f r s a b r
@ s h a h a a a
Ahusam, Marketing DirectorAhusam mostly goes with the flow, a footballer. art, music, and cooking is a passion, a die hard
fan of new radient sc.enjoys anything with a good sauce and loves cats and all animals.he is a
chef and thinks even the smallest of voices should be heard. He loves photography and
talking, A lot. no seriously he cant stop if he starts.
Imy, Design DirectorImy is just a dreaming, believing, photographing, graphic designing, video gaming, good food
consuming, tv series watching, constantly ranting everyday teenager. Loves his friends and
making new ones. Often dreams of traveling the world someday due to suffering from a
terminal case of wanderlust.f b . c o m / i m y . 1 1 7
5
SAMModel
@ s a m a _ e m
T h e C o n t r i b u t o r s
SHUMAStylist
MOONYWriter
LUNAWriter
@ l u l u m o o s a
TOBYPhotographer
f b . c o m / m o n k e y g r a p h y
MUNZIRWriter
@ m u n z i r _ a l i
GIRL IN TOQUEWriter
5
6
JINWriter
@ j i n e x i l i r
MAHIDWriter
@ m a r t y _ m a h i d
IXMAEL NAAILWriter
@ i x m a e l n a a i l
ABOWriter
@ m r a b o 0 4
THIHNANWriter
ZAINALWriter
@ z a i k o k k o
SHIYAZWriter
@ a b o o s h i y a z
FAZUWriter
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CONTENTSRegulars0203040508
Letter from the Design DirectorEditor’s ChoiceThe DYM TeamThe ContributorsCalendar
Specials2636
Interviews with Waadu & FarahWonder Woman: Bags by Mary
Spots41434547
Eyes of a ChildThe Patriotism in MeElectoral Corruption and ViolenceThe Fame Monster
0911
Movie ReviewMusic Review
Entertainment
535557
Health - Bright in WhiteRecipe - Blueberry Whipped Cream Cake Science - Carl Sagan’s Cosmic Calendar
Living
616365
Poem - You and are insignificant speckPoem - What is lovePoem - Girlfriend
Misc
17 Kurta KrazeFashion
4951
Infirmities in Life - StrokesBloodwritings - Love Curse
Column
52 Past EventsDYM
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8
01st
02nd
04th
05th
06th
10th
11th
14th
15th
16th
20th
24th
International Day of Older Persons
World Vegetarian Day
International Day of Non Violence
World Smile Day
Teacher’s Day
Nawaf’s Birthday
Sifr’s Birthday
International Day of the Girl Child
Hajj Day
Alha Eid
World Food Day
World Statistics Day
UN Day
October 2013
p h o t o b y : i m y
CONTENTS
8
9
Watching and reviewing this movie was the first task “assigned” to me
as the amateur movie critic for DYMag. One fine day, our content
director Shaha called me to set everything up for me to attend the
screening and I went there with the following state of mind:
What I knew: That this was a “movie with a social message”.
What I didn’t know: What genre of a movie this was, what language of a
movie this was, and who the director, producers, or the cast of the
movie was. So basically, I knew nothing about the movie.
What I found out: This is a family-fantasy movie in the Japanese
language (with English subtitles), made by a Japanese organization
by the name of Asian-Pacific Children’s Conventions (APCC) as part
of celebrating their 25th anniversary and spreading the values of their
OMOIYARI spirit to more people. The movie rather smartly
interchanges between 3 timelines; 1996, 2013 and 2030.
It follows the main character Midori (Mio Yuki), a Japanese schoolgirl
in 1996, who lives with her father, taking care of him since her mother
passed away. One day, Midori’s father remarries and brings home a
Chinese woman named Rinrin (Hitomi Sato). Midori, in spite of trying
hard to accept Rinrin as her new mother, finds it hard to connect with
Rinrin due to their many racial and cultural differences. Midori soon
becomes infuriated with having Rinrin at her home, and sees her as an
embarrassment. Through the chaos created due to the two women
not getting along, Midori’s father writes a picture-story book for the two
of them, called “Flying Goldfish and the Secret of the World.”
The book is about accepting people from different races and cultures
of the world and that the secret to a better world lies in not judging, but
embracing people from other cultures. The movie shows how the
message from the book goes on to inspire generations spanning 2013
to 2030.
It sounds kind of childish, I know. But that’s the whole point. You see,
we all know that the underlying message from the movie that I wrote
above is true. That if countries got along better, there would be so
much less of wars and disputes and chaos in the world. The problem
is most of us realize that in the cusp of adulthood and by then we
would be accustomed to ways of life already established in our
childhood. And our lives will be so full of our personal and individual
issues that we couldn’t really care any less about countries fighting.
This movie aims to make young children (and even adults) aware that
most of the “bad things” happening in the world is the result of cultural
non-acceptance, that the world can be a better place if we just love
each other the way we are, and to make parents realize the
importance of raising their children with that belief. The movie in the
process touches on the subject of cultural diversity, respect and
understanding.
And the movie does a pretty good job at getting the message across. I
say so because given how little I knew about the movie, it strummed a
tune from a nerve in my heart. I had never before watched anything
Japanese/Chinese or even Korean-produced, except for the pop
virus that was Gangnam Style. I always said that actors from that race
speak like they are complaining and they are so much surgically
altered that emotional expressions are nearly non-existent in their
acting. So naturally I was bummed when I walked into the screening.
But I walked out feeling… accomplished. Because the movie, despite
all its differences and barriers from what my mind is used to, was able
to get to me. I looked past the language that I wasn’t able to
understand, the actors that I formerly thought couldn’t act, and the
silliness of the childlike plot, and I was able to understand what the
movie was communicating. The actors made me laugh, got me
worried, and even made me emotional. It made me accept the art from
the pop culture of a country that I previously judged to be “not my
thing”. It made me realize that art, like any other parts of a culture, is
best when it’s diversified and inclusive. It also made me develop a
respect for the preservation of cultures by indulging in them.
In short, this movie made me believe.
“Peace by Piece” art contest
This movie will be screened for the public at the end of October (no
specific date set yet, due to political instability.) The event will be
launched by the Bridge Club Maldives (BCM), a branch of Bridge
Club International Organization (BCIO), which is a group working
under the Asian-Pacific Children’s Convention (APCC) for their
BRIDGE project.
More about the BCIO and APCC can be found at:
BCIO: http://www.bcio.org/about/
APCC: http://www.apcc.gr.jp/e/
The screening will be followed by an art contest by the name of “Peace
by Piece” organized by the BCIO, and BCM, as their local branch, is
launching the competition in Maldives, and it is open for all the
members of the public. The art contest invites any form of art
(paintings, drawings, poems etc.) and it should strongly resemble the
message and values from the movie. BCM will be giving non-cash
prizes to the local winners from the participants from Maldives, while
BCIO will be giving the prizes for winners from the participants from all
over the world.
Details about the date of the screening will be uploaded to their web
page when a date is set. I will also hopefully keep updated on the
event, and you can contact me through DYMag (my twitter handle is
@MrAbo04). Meanwhile, further information about the participation,
judges and competition prizes can be found at the official web page
for the “Peace by Piece” art competition, which is as follows:
“Peace by Piece”: http://www.bcio.org/activity/
We kindly request that as many children and parents and any
interested parties from the public attend the movie screening and take
part in the art competition which will be held and carried out for a very
good and worthy cause and will enable many to be recognized,
locally and internationally, for their artistic skills and abilities.
REVIEWMOVIE
by Abo
10
Watching and reviewing this movie was the first task “assigned” to me
as the amateur movie critic for DYMag. One fine day, our content
director Shaha called me to set everything up for me to attend the
screening and I went there with the following state of mind:
What I knew: That this was a “movie with a social message”.
What I didn’t know: What genre of a movie this was, what language of a
movie this was, and who the director, producers, or the cast of the
movie was. So basically, I knew nothing about the movie.
What I found out: This is a family-fantasy movie in the Japanese
language (with English subtitles), made by a Japanese organization
by the name of Asian-Pacific Children’s Conventions (APCC) as part
of celebrating their 25th anniversary and spreading the values of their
OMOIYARI spirit to more people. The movie rather smartly
interchanges between 3 timelines; 1996, 2013 and 2030.
It follows the main character Midori (Mio Yuki), a Japanese schoolgirl
in 1996, who lives with her father, taking care of him since her mother
passed away. One day, Midori’s father remarries and brings home a
Chinese woman named Rinrin (Hitomi Sato). Midori, in spite of trying
hard to accept Rinrin as her new mother, finds it hard to connect with
Rinrin due to their many racial and cultural differences. Midori soon
becomes infuriated with having Rinrin at her home, and sees her as an
embarrassment. Through the chaos created due to the two women
not getting along, Midori’s father writes a picture-story book for the two
of them, called “Flying Goldfish and the Secret of the World.”
The book is about accepting people from different races and cultures
of the world and that the secret to a better world lies in not judging, but
embracing people from other cultures. The movie shows how the
message from the book goes on to inspire generations spanning 2013
to 2030.
It sounds kind of childish, I know. But that’s the whole point. You see,
we all know that the underlying message from the movie that I wrote
above is true. That if countries got along better, there would be so
much less of wars and disputes and chaos in the world. The problem
is most of us realize that in the cusp of adulthood and by then we
would be accustomed to ways of life already established in our
childhood. And our lives will be so full of our personal and individual
issues that we couldn’t really care any less about countries fighting.
This movie aims to make young children (and even adults) aware that
most of the “bad things” happening in the world is the result of cultural
non-acceptance, that the world can be a better place if we just love
each other the way we are, and to make parents realize the
importance of raising their children with that belief. The movie in the
process touches on the subject of cultural diversity, respect and
understanding.
And the movie does a pretty good job at getting the message across. I
say so because given how little I knew about the movie, it strummed a
tune from a nerve in my heart. I had never before watched anything
Japanese/Chinese or even Korean-produced, except for the pop
virus that was Gangnam Style. I always said that actors from that race
speak like they are complaining and they are so much surgically
altered that emotional expressions are nearly non-existent in their
acting. So naturally I was bummed when I walked into the screening.
But I walked out feeling… accomplished. Because the movie, despite
all its differences and barriers from what my mind is used to, was able
to get to me. I looked past the language that I wasn’t able to
understand, the actors that I formerly thought couldn’t act, and the
silliness of the childlike plot, and I was able to understand what the
movie was communicating. The actors made me laugh, got me
worried, and even made me emotional. It made me accept the art from
the pop culture of a country that I previously judged to be “not my
thing”. It made me realize that art, like any other parts of a culture, is
best when it’s diversified and inclusive. It also made me develop a
respect for the preservation of cultures by indulging in them.
In short, this movie made me believe.
“Peace by Piece” art contest
This movie will be screened for the public at the end of October (no
specific date set yet, due to political instability.) The event will be
launched by the Bridge Club Maldives (BCM), a branch of Bridge
Club International Organization (BCIO), which is a group working
under the Asian-Pacific Children’s Convention (APCC) for their
BRIDGE project.
More about the BCIO and APCC can be found at:
BCIO: http://www.bcio.org/about/
APCC: http://www.apcc.gr.jp/e/
The screening will be followed by an art contest by the name of “Peace
by Piece” organized by the BCIO, and BCM, as their local branch, is
launching the competition in Maldives, and it is open for all the
members of the public. The art contest invites any form of art
(paintings, drawings, poems etc.) and it should strongly resemble the
message and values from the movie. BCM will be giving non-cash
prizes to the local winners from the participants from Maldives, while
BCIO will be giving the prizes for winners from the participants from all
over the world.
Details about the date of the screening will be uploaded to their web
page when a date is set. I will also hopefully keep updated on the
event, and you can contact me through DYMag (my twitter handle is
@MrAbo04). Meanwhile, further information about the participation,
judges and competition prizes can be found at the official web page
for the “Peace by Piece” art competition, which is as follows:
“Peace by Piece”: http://www.bcio.org/activity/
We kindly request that as many children and parents and any
interested parties from the public attend the movie screening and take
part in the art competition which will be held and carried out for a very
good and worthy cause and will enable many to be recognized,
locally and internationally, for their artistic skills and abilities.
Directed by: Hiroki Hayashi Munehiro Kuriyama Writer:
Mio Yuki, Hitomi Sato, Dankan, Aimi SatsukawaStarring: 2013Year:
Midori’s Flying Goldfish空飛ぶ金魚と世界のひみつ
11
M U S I CS P EC I A L
On October 22nd, 2013 Taylor Swift’s fourth studio
album Red will be one year old. In the one year that
it has been out in the world, it has sold over 6
million copies worldwide (3.7 million in the US alone), earned positive, if not rave reviews from respectable music critics, spawned 4 top-10 and 2 top-20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. In the chart
week following its October release last year, it
debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at number 1,
having sold over 1.208 million copies in its first week alone, making her the only female artist to have 2 albums sell more than 1 million copies in a single week. It remained at number 1 on the chart
for 6 non-consecutive weeks (her 3rd album to do
so, tying her with the Beatles as the only artists to
achieve that feat) and is still among the top 100.
The lead single We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together was unveiled in August 2012 and
instantly broke records as the fastest selling digital
song of all time (it’s listed in the new issue of
Guinness Book of World Records for that achievement) and also became the song with the
biggest single-week-sales by any female artist with
623000 copies being sold in the first week. It
reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100,
becoming Swift’s first song to do so. The 3rd single I Knew You Were Trouble is among the best-selling digital singles of all time, which sold over 582000 copies in its biggest sales week.
I could go on about this for very long (I haven’t even
begun about the case full of awards it has won) but do you really need more proof to know that it’s legit awesome? Probably not. Or with the recent media craze over how she dates famous men to write
about them and make money, you just don’t care
about how her albums are. So I’m not going to do a
basic what’s-good-what’s-bad review here. The album has its weak points but even those are pretty good. Instead, I’m going to do a track-by-track, somewhat extra detailed evaluation of the album,
with a look at who the songs are about, and
individual song ratings based on my personal
tastes (and I pretty much believe all the songs are great!).
12
albumreviewby abo
1. State of Grace (written by: Swift) | Rating: 4.5/5 | Speculated subject: Jake Gyllenhaal
First verse through, and you’d know that this is not the Taylor Swift you heard on her 3 previous albums. The big drum beats and rock guitars
are not the only thing different; she sounds like another woman. This song, cleverly written about the delicate feeling of how love comes to
you when you least expect it and changes you forever, was instantly acclaimed by critics, with the arena-rock production drawing heavy
comparisons to U2’s best works. Upon being released as promotional single, the song debuted and peaked at number 13 on the Hot 100
chart.
2. Red (written by: Swift) | Rating: 3.5/5 | Speculated subject: Jake Gyllenhaal
If listening to State of Grace made you doubtful that Swift has abandoned her country music side, here you have the beautiful sound of the
banjos introducing the song. In this title track, Swift has painted colors on a love-gone-bad affair where loving the person all together is
“Red”. The song was generally favorably received by critics, who praised the lyrics but criticized the repetitions of the word “Red” on the
chorus. Released later as the second country single from the album, it previously charted at number 6 on the Hot 100 and at number 2 on the
Hot Country Songs chart.
3. Treacherous (written by: Swift, Dan Wilson) | Rating: 4/5 | Speculated subject: Jake Gyllenhaal or John Mayer (hard to say, really)
“I’ll do anything you say, if you say it with your hands” from this song’s first verse has been widely regarded as the most explicit line Swift has
ever written (Swift has joked that Wilson came up with that line). This song, written about the heady feeling of being on the edge of danger in a
relationship, starts very gently and builds up until it soars. Co-written and produced by Adele’s Someone Like You producer Dan Wilson, this
song also drew positive acclaim from critics who praised her hushed vocals and compared it to one of U2’s biggest hits With or Without You.
4. I Knew You Were Trouble (written by: Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback) | Rating: 4/5 | Speculated subject(s): John Mayer or Harry Styles
(mostly about Styles)
First taste of pop maestros Max Martin and Shellback on the album and it’s literally the most unique song Swift has ever recorded. With no
hint of country in sight, she has ventured into dubstep and yet she sounds nothing like the rest of the electro pop on the charts. A chorus
written over a few piano keys later became a chaotic pop masterpiece about ignoring the warning signs of a bad relationship and later
regretting everything. Critics commended it for its mainstream appeal, yet noted the dubstep drop as being relatively limited. But it peaked
at number 2 on the Hot 100, selling millions and becoming one of Swift’s biggest hits.
overall rating: 4/5
13
5. All Too Well (written by: Swift, Liz Rose) | Rating: 5/5 (maybe I’m overrating it but…) | Speculated subject: Jake Gyllenhaal (Definitely)
If you had felt that so far in the album, Swift has not fully done her hard-jabbing, confessional songwriting that she’s oh-so famous for, this is
going to shut your doubts up. Lyrically this is the best song on the album, probably the best Swift has written so far. This song is not about a
particular feeling or situation; it’s an experience. Memories of a love affair (now buried away) laid bare, written in such a picturesquely poetic
way that listening to it is like being there when it all happened. If Treacherous built up till it soared, this one builds up until it explodes. Critics
lauded this song, most labeling it as the best track on the album and calling it “Classic Swift”. Due to heavy downloads upon the album’s
release, it charted at number 80 on the Hot 100.
6. 22 (written by: Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback) | Rating: 4/5 | Speculated subject(s): Selena (Gomez), Dianna (Agron), Ashley and Claire (her GFs)
Right after the emotional rollercoaster of All Too Well, this Martin and Shellback helmed song abruptly changes the mood of the album. This
bubblegum-party-pop song is probably the most clear cut pop song of Swift’s career. Lyrically it’s about the joys of being 22, and how no
matter what age you are, things will be alright “if you just keep dancing like you’re 22”. It’s deadly catchy and received positive reception from
the critics who praised the new pop sound Martin and Shellback has created for Swift. Released as the album’s fourth single, it peaked at
number 20 of the Hot 100, becoming the album’s 2nd top 20 hit.
7. I Almost Do (written by: Taylor Swift) | Rating: 4/5 | Speculated subject: Jake Gyllenhaal (this album is mostly about him, let’s face it)
With the opening guitar chords, this song nicely breaks the pop sound of 22 and takes us back to country. This highly personal song is about
the post-breakup agony of wondering about your ex and wanting to reach back out, but refraining every time in fear of being hurt again. This
song was also received warmly by critics; most of them complimenting that Swift sounds the most like her when channeling country. Upon the
album’s release, heavy downloads made this one of the many songs on the album to top the iTunes chart and peaked at number 65 on the Hot
100 chart.
8. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (written by: Swift, Max Martin and Shellback) | Rating: 4/5 | Speculated subject: Jake Gyllenhaal
The song that officially kicked off the Red-era, this gem of a pop song was an instant hit. Though initially it received a mixed reception from the
critics for Swift’s focus on a pop sound rather than country storytelling, most have later gone on to call this one of the smartest pop songs of the
past decade. It received a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year. Commercially, as I noted above, it broke digital song records, and went
on to rule the Hot 100 chart at number 1 for 3 weeks, becoming Swift’s 1st number 1.
9. Stay, Stay, Stay (written by: Taylor Swift) | Rating: 4/5 | Speculated subject: (I really hope) Jake Gyllenhaaal (or maybe just a fantasy lover)
This is Swift’s ultimate answer to the people that says she only writes “breakup songs.” This song hints on breakup, but is actually a very jovial
love song. Having a clear country-pop arrangement doesn’t stop it from being as catchy as the purely pop songs on the album. Here, Swift
sings asking her lover to stay together because of the many ways that they complement each other. Critics reviewed this song positively; with
some comparing it to Swift’s country hit Ours. Commercially, it has so far peaked at number 91 on the Hot 100.
10. The Last Time (feat. Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol) (written by: Swift, Lightbody and Jacknife Lee) | Rating: 3.5/5 | Speculated subject:
Jake Gyllenhaal (Duh!)
Probably the most mature and darkest sounding song on the album, this alternative rock ballad is about two estranged lovers where the man is
asking for a last chance to be together and the girl reluctantly letting her walls down for one last time. Some critics commented that this song
didn’t go well with the overall sound of the album but others have labeled it the most underrated song on the album, with particular praise going
to the chemistry between Swift and Lightbody’s vocals.
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11. Holy Ground (written by: Taylor Swift) | Rating: 3.5/5 | Speculated subject: Jake Gyllenhaal
Swift recruited a number of different producers for this album after producing her 3rd album entirely with Nathan Chapman. The man behind
many hits by Fun., Bruno Mars, and Pink, Jeff Bhasker produced this stomping, upbeat song that reminisces happy memories of a relationship.
The song is not a personal favorite for me on the album, but critics applauded it, and called the line “Tonight I’m gonna dance for all that we’ve
been through, but I don’t wanna dance if I’m not dancing with you” one of the most notable lyrics from the album.
12. Sad, Beautiful, Tragic (written by: Taylor Swift) | Rating: 3.5/5 | Speculated subject: (Need I say it?) Jake Gyllenhaal
Have you heard the song Last Kiss from Swift’s 3rd album Speak Now? One might say this is Swift’s attempt to recapture that delicate yet
powerful sound, but with more country appeal. This is the album’s ultimate breakup ballad for country fans. With its irresistibly melancholic
ukulele notes, this song delicately sung about the pain and loneliness in the aftermath of a relationship’s ending, received some criticism over
the predictability of its chorus, but was otherwise embraced for its pretty production and lyrics, mostly by fans.
13. The Lucky One (written by: Taylor Swift) | Rating: 4/5 | Speculated subject: The legendary singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell (and herself!)
It comes as no surprise that Swift would place a song titled “The Lucky One” as the 13th track on the album, as 13 is her lucky number. In my
view, this is the most well written song on the album after All Too Well. The clever narrative tells the story of a young girl in Hollywood, achieving
fame and how it slowly begins to undo her, and in the end Swift envying how the star left Hollywood before it destroyed her. This celebrity truth
song is about as far as Swift has gone to complain about fame, and critics generally praised it, noting several lines from it as some of the best
lyrics on the album.
14. Everything Has Changed (feat. Ed Sheeran) (written by: Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran) | Rating: 4/5 | Speculated subject: Conor Kennedy
(finally!)
One of the most buzzed about songs on the album before its release, this sweet love song written with and featuring British ginger (and Swift’s
now best friend) Ed Sheeran is purely about the initial feeling of falling in love. Though it received general acclaim from critics, some were
disappointed about the lack of Sheeran’s solo feature. But a remixed version released later has Sheeran singing the 2nd verse entirely by
himself. The song is the overall 6th single from the album, and has so far peaked at 41 on the Hot 100.
15. Starlight (written by: Taylor Swift) | Rating: 3/5 | Speculated subject: Ethel and Robert F. Kennedy
This is a clear fist-in-the-air kind of pop song, not as instantly catchy as 22 and WANEGBT, but after a few listens, becomes pretty fun. It’s a love
song about a carefree night spent dancing and daydreaming as teenagers. Rumored at first to be about Swift’s then romance with Connor
Kennedy, Swift’s secret messages in the lyric sheets revealed that the song is actually about Conor’s grandparents, Ethel and Robert F.
Kennedy. Critical reception was generally positive, but some noted it as being rather “silly”.
16. Begin Again (written by: Taylor Swift) | Rating: 4.5/5 | Speculated subject: “He” is Jake Gyllenhaal, “You” is Conor Kennedy (Sweet!)
After going through different states of relationships (mostly breakups) throughout the album, Swift ends the album with this feel-good country
treasure about finding love again after a bad relationship. The song received heavy acclaim when it was first released as a promotional single,
with particular compliments going for her storybook songwriting of comparing past and present, and some also admired Swift for placing a
purely country song as the album closure. The song was released as the 2nd single from the album, but had previously charted on the Hot 100
at number 7.
So, yeah. That was it. Most of the songs are about Jake Gyllenhaal. What did you expect, that she would have written about the bucket load of men that people accuse her of whoring around with? Well, Taylor Swift is a bad bitch but she is no fool. She is bad as in that no man who has crossed her path has escaped being a subject of her talents. And that talent has gone on far beyond her and her exes and got critics singing praises and inspired and healed millions of people around the world. What more could an artist want?
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Model: Sam
Styling: Shuma
Photography:Toby
Assistance: Moony &
Ahusam
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This issue of DYMag, we bring to you two young
footballers that we love, Faraa and Waadu. Both
of them are fresh, interesting players and we had
a great time interviewing them and holding the
photo-shoot through the blazing sun and pouring
rain. We hope they inspire you to live your
dreams!
&WAADU FARAA
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&WAADU FARAA
Interview by: Ahusam and Sifr Photography by: Toby
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FARAH27
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Farah how did it all start?
I used to play since I was pretty small, I remember I was in grade 4. Used to play football with
the neighbourhood kids back then. I joined FAM when I was in grade 7, which was 2005. I
joined FAM as part of an invitation to all the schools from FAM to select young enthusiastic
players for the national team
How is the support from your family?
At first my parents weren’t very excited that I wanted to play football, maybe that is because I
am a girl, even though they weren’t happy I wanted to go because of the love I had for football
and when I started to go regularly, they gradually accepted the fact and I am happy to say it’s
all okay.
What is the biggest achievement you’ve had in the eld of football?
When we first played an international game in Kuwait, and as a matter of fact it was the first
international win by the women’s national team of the Maldives, and I was pretty happy about
that.
What kind of challenges do you face being a female athlete in this sport here?
The negativity of the public, you can see that in the home game we played against Qatari
women’s national team, the stadium was near empty only a handful of people, that was the
family members of our team. Also the FAM doesn’t promote the women’s national team
compared to the men’s team and I feel that that’s also a reason why there is the negativity.
What is a day that you simply cannot forget in football?
The match we played against the Qatari women’s national team here in our home soil, as that
was a game that we won and it is the first win of the women’s national team on home soil and
that was an amazing feeling.
Being a footballer is there a particular diet that you follow?
No, I am the kind of person to eat anything and everything at all, although I know healthy
foods is important for being fit and energetic footballer, I try my best to eat good food as much
as I can nowadays since I'm trying to improve my diet (laughs)
What is the most important thing of being a footballer is?
Attitude, you cannot play the game if you have a bad temper, and it is impossible to play if you
have a high temper, it’s a must to have a positive thinking in the game, Its not the end even if
we do lose, it just means we have to keep moving forward.
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Who would you say has helped you get this far?
Team mates, they help a lot, there are times where I wanted to quit so bad, but
they kept supporting me and encouraged me to keep coming to practice,
without them I wouldn’t have got this far and I wouldn’t have hung on this long.
Who would be your inspiration?
Fadwa, She’s a great footballer.
What are your visions for the future?
To bring a continental trophy to our home soil, hopefully that will happen soon.
Football Legend or High paid executive?
I would play football and become a legend, I would try and become one here in
Maldives, because I have an interest and I wanted to do since I was a kid. I
wouldn’t go for a job which clashes with football.
Do you think Maldivian football industry is at a good place?
its improving, we’ve seen a vast improvement from before. If there was a
women’s league we could see something better in the future.
Whats your dream team?
USA national team
If you could change something about yourself what would you change?
eating habits, a better diet, honestly I don’t eat regularly, and that affects my
game both mentally and physically, I think it’s mostly because I can't eat
anything and everything, but I'm trying really hard to fix it.
Being an athlete what is the worst injury you have come across?
I twisted my ankle in the match against Qatar national team here in male’ and I
still haven’t recovered from that injury.
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Favourite Team - National Team USA
Favourtie Club – Manchester United Football Club
One food you cannot live without – Masbathaa rihaakuraa
Favourite player – Womens: Tobin Heath, Mens: Cristiano Ronaldo
Do you secretly like to dance? – Yes *chuckles*
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WAADU31
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How did it all start?
Honestly to say, when I was little I used to kick a ball around, and I used to watch the national
team play a lot, and I wanted to be one of those players, on the pitch playing and making my
nation proud.
What is your earliest football memory?
I remember playing in an interclass football tournament when I was in grade three, we started
off pretty good, went to the final played pretty well and it had to go to a penalty shootout and I
remember kicking the ball way out there.
How is your support from your family?
Everyone from my family supports me very well, especially mom, she used to go to a lot of
games when I was little, although she is busy these days, she does try and go to as many
games as she can.
What is the biggest achievement in this eld you’ve achieved?
Scoring an international goal, when we played in an AFC under 13 festivals against
Cambodia. We lost the game in the end but I was pretty happy that I scored a goal.
Do you have any challenges in this eld?
Being consistent, going to practices regularly, you need to have a commitment when playing
professionally, it will show on the field if you don’t have these qualities, and it will be hard
when you are a newcomer to this profession.
What is a day you can’t simply forget in football?
Taking the Youth Championship trophy for club Valencia was a huge achievement, and also
being selected in the under 23 national team is a highlight of my career so far.
Being a professional footballer do you have a particular diet that you follow?
Here? There is not a particular diet that I follow, how ever its important to make sure you’ve
had a good days breakfast and had all the nutrients in your body to be match fit that day. I try
to have all the meals that day and I would consider pasta above anything else for lunch on a
match day.
What is the most important thing being a professional footballer is?
Discipline, not only on the pitch, you won’t survive this field if you don’t maintain your discipline
both on and off the field.
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Favourite Team - Arsenal & Real Madrid
Favorite player- Ronaldo
One food you cannot live without - Pasta!
What kind of music do you listen to - I listen to all kinds of music ,
mostly rock. Three Days Grace.
What is your most embarrassing moment? - Missing the penalty in
grade 3, because I was small I didn’t know how to handle the
pressure. And obviously my friends teased me mercilessly when I
got to class saying I missed a penalty. That would be the most
embarrassing moment for me.
Do you secretly like to dance? - No.
Not at all. Never.
Are you into pets? -No. I’m scared
of pets *chuckles*
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Who would you say helped you get this far?
Mom, outside of that all my coaches but definitely mom
What are your visions of football?
To play for the national team and play so well that my nation is proud of me.
Who do you take as an inspiration?
Ali Ahsfaq (Dhagandey) that’s because of public support he has and the love that Maldivians
give him, even more respect and love than the politicians in the Maldives.
What is your message for the young generation?
Guys this field has a future, not only as a footballer, as a coach or an official, all you need is a
commitment, you can build your life around football.
If you had a choice to become a legend in football or have a high position job somewhere,
what would you choose?
I would choose to be a legend, because to have the love and support is much more influential
than being in a high position job.
Do you think Maldivian football is in a good place?
Yes, but talking about the talent and players we have here we can go much much further.
If you could change anything about yourself what would you change?
Honestly? I’m already 20 and I’m pretty comfortable about myself, although I would like to
become a little bit physically fitter.
Being an athlete what’s the biggest injury you’ve had?
Insha Allah thankfully I haven’t had a horrific injury as yet.
Why football?
Because I love it, it’s because me and football are inseparable.
All-Star Eleven:
GK- Cassias
CB- Sergio Ramos, Thiago Silva
RB- Lahm , LB Marcelo
DMF - Sergio Busquets
AMF - Iniesta , Ozil
RWF- Ronaldo
LWF - Messi
CF - Ali Ashfaq
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WONDER WHOMAN:
BAGS BYMARY
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WONDER WHOMAN:
BAGS BYMARY
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ary of Bags By Mary
Malways loved creating
small things such as
handmade cards, decorating her room
and making baby clothes ever since
she was a child. She likes creating
things from her own hands which gives
her a sense of accomplishment. She
loves sewing, photography, art and
music. Her motivation comes from her
family and friends. She is lucky to be
surrounded by inspiring friends and the
amazing creativity of her family. She
feels that it’s her turn to give back and
share her own ideas but she often
feels there’s too little time to do it all.
Mary began sewing bags during
August 2012 and since then she has
created a Facebook page and started
selling bags under the name of Bags
by Mary. Her page has gained more
than 3500 likes in under a year. By
day, she’s a mother of six year old
Zeek, her biggest encouragement. She
works both as a mother and an
entrepreneur trying to let out her
creative side through her business.
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Mary began sewing bags during August 2012 and
since then she has created a Facebook page and
started selling bags under the name of Bags by
Mary. Her page has gained more than 3500 likes
in under a year. By day, she’s a mother of six
year old Zeek, her biggest encouragement. She
works both as a mother and an entrepreneur
trying to let out her creative side through her
business.
Her Facebook page is her only mean to reach
customers as she does not have a physical shop
but it has never stopped her. During April this
year, she participated on Maldives Consumer Fair
held at Dharubaaruge which was her first
exposure to the mass markets and through that
event she met a lot of encouraging people who
supported her work and believed in her to go
further in the business.
Bags by Mary is a one of a kind, because it
provides customers with customized bags. Mary
lets her customers pick the fabric, the design and
so in accordance with the taste of the customer,
she tried to create a one of a kind bag that is
perfectly tailored just for the customer’s needs.
She also loves to create from recyclable
materials, old jeans and such to give them a new
life as a pretty bag! She also created her own
patterns to offer as materials for new bags.
Mary mentions that her favourite bags so far
include a bad made from a pair of men’s shorts
(pictured below) which was given by an artist
volunteering to remake into a bag. She’s also very
fond of the bags she created in her beach
inspired collection which are currently available in
Hulhumale Souvenir Shop. She would like to
thank them for the opportunity they have given
her showcase her work. It was a new experience
for her and she really enjoyed making them and
thinks they are some of her best work yet.
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Her biggest supporters and her mother, sister
and brother who tries to help her in any way they
can. She had to use a regular old sewing
machine and it was a lot of work to create bags
but her brother gifted her a brand new
professional sewing machine which had made
her life easier. She has a mini working station at
her house where she works most of the day. Her
sister has been one of the constant sources of
inspiration in her life.
In future, she would like to open a shop to sell not
only bags but her other creations as well
including pillow covers, bed sheets, cushions and
more. She would also like to keep on creating
and designing more bags and experimenting to
create more unique styles. She is even thinking
of trying materials such as leather.
Mary thanks all her fans for the inspiration and
support in helping reach her goal. She mentions
that one of the best feelings is when a customer
tells her than they understand her vision and
loves her work.
facebook.com/bags.by.mary.maldives
FINDBAGS BY MARYON FACEBOOK
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Don’t we all remember those happy
moments when we were in elementary
school, when there was this imaginary race
to see who finishes the work first and all
that show-offs and pride when we get those
small but shiny stickers on our books? I for
one do and couldn’t help but missing the
feeling in one noisy calculus class.
As we become more mature, learn big and
complicated words and start solving
equations about how many years it will take
for a car to be worthless to sell, we start to
think differently. Comprehend the world in a
different way. Look at the people around us
in a different way. But we never forgot
about our childhood, things we did and stuff
we thought and the dreams we had. So
here is some from my life; some stupid and
cool things I did while I was a kid.
1. I was Flash, Gandalf and Martian
Manhunter, but never Batman.
I know, I know, batman is the coolest
among all. But as a kid, I never found that
Bruce Wayne or his batcave any
fascinating than the fastest person on
earth. Maybe I liked his batmobile and his
oversized computer, but I am pretty positive
I did not like him. As for Flash, his sense of
humor is just awesome, Gandalf being
Gandalf (I have a thing for wizards, guilty!)
and the Martian Manhunter being able to fly
and the telepathic abilities with the part
where he walks through walls are just….
Well…. Awesome!
2. I had more money than Bill Gates.
Oh yes, about that. When I was a kid, I
used to make wallets out of A3 papers and
cut some A4 papers like bank notes and
color them like real ones and keep them in
my pocket. If life was easy and the paper
money I created had any value at all, I bet
my face will be in the Forbes magazine
every month. But then again, life is not that
easy and my colored banknotes were just
piece of papers on which I could’ve drawn
a house and a sun in the corner. (With a
dragon breathing fire beside it). It did have
a value for me though, it was embedded in
my mind for all these years and it brings
back memories where I use them to “buy”
bananas from my mom.
3. My very own kingdom of Lurkistone
The name isn’t as cool as Mordor or
Terabithia, but it sure was an awesome
NAME
name for a 10 year old to come up with. I
would wait desperately for every annual
holiday to come so that I could go and join
my grandparents in the island, who owns a
property 4 times bigger than the house we
live in the capital. And this property I am
talking about has a backyard that looks
more like a forest with all types of trees
grown in a careless manner. And that was
my kingdom. I would roam around here and
there in that backyard like Jesse and Leslie
(in bridge to Terabithia). It was my kingdom
of Lurkistone, where the wizards and the
witches are always in battle, where the city
never dies and the dragons always flies. It
is a magical city where you can bomb a
whole district and magically, everything
comes together and fixes itself. It just takes
a matter of minutes. Or so I imagined.
4. Mushrooms are the home for ghosts
It was my mom who told me that ghosts
live under mushrooms and till I was almost
16, I kept on believing that. It was one day
in biology class that our teacher told us that
mushrooms feed on decaying organic
material and I happen to tell a friend of
mine sitting next to me that, they feed on
decaying matter because the ghost living
under it (or in it) likes dead stuff. He
happened to laugh his guts out and teased
me about it the whole day. I went home
and asked my mother about it and she
laughed, telling me that it was a white lie
she told me to stop making me from going
to the backyard of my grandparents’ house.
(Which actually never worked, because I
spend most of my vacation there). Parents
should seriously consider about not lying to
their kids.
That was some of the highlights of the weird me I
used to be when I was a kid. I bet you were one
too, so grab a pencil or a pen and jot them down
and share it with your friends. See what is common
in you and your friends when they were cute and
innocent. And cool.
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name for a 10 year old to come up with. I
would wait desperately for every annual
holiday to come so that I could go and join
my grandparents in the island, who owns a
property 4 times bigger than the house we
live in the capital. And this property I am
talking about has a backyard that looks
more like a forest with all types of trees
grown in a careless manner. And that was
my kingdom. I would roam around here and
there in that backyard like Jesse and Leslie
(in bridge to Terabithia). It was my kingdom
of Lurkistone, where the wizards and the
witches are always in battle, where the city
never dies and the dragons always flies. It
is a magical city where you can bomb a
whole district and magically, everything
comes together and fixes itself. It just takes
a matter of minutes. Or so I imagined.
4. Mushrooms are the home for ghosts
It was my mom who told me that ghosts
live under mushrooms and till I was almost
16, I kept on believing that. It was one day
in biology class that our teacher told us that
mushrooms feed on decaying organic
material and I happen to tell a friend of
mine sitting next to me that, they feed on
decaying matter because the ghost living
under it (or in it) likes dead stuff. He
happened to laugh his guts out and teased
me about it the whole day. I went home
and asked my mother about it and she
laughed, telling me that it was a white lie
she told me to stop making me from going
to the backyard of my grandparents’ house.
(Which actually never worked, because I
spend most of my vacation there). Parents
should seriously consider about not lying to
their kids.
That was some of the highlights of the
weird me I used to be when I was a kid. I
bet you were one too, so grab a pencil or a
pen and jot them down and share it with
your friends. See what is common in you
and your friends when they were cute and
innocent. And cool.
Share with us something crazy fun or
amazing that you did as a child
@Dhiyouth
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p h o t o b y : h t t p : / / w w w . i c k r . c o m / p h o t o s / a b l l o /
ThePatriotismin me...
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It is as if I could almost feel it. See it. Love it. Yes, it is that strong within me. Then why do I feel as if it is slipping by me. As if I
am losing that ray of sunshine I used to see so clearly even in the cloudiest skies. A smile that was once so hopeful is now
invisible. A buoyant dream that is now vague in my memories. Do I not love this country anymore? Do I want to live my life in
another? Have I subconsciously already given up my ambitious goal to serve my homeland?
Yes, this is what keeps me up at nights, the fear of losing the patriotism in me…
Well, two years ago I set out on a dream to be a leader that this country needs for the future. I wanted to make a difference
just like the many well-known leaders of the world who left behind a legacy. I wanted to believe in the change that I wished to
see in the world, I wanted to be that change.
What I did not believe in, was a separated and hateful nation. Where people were stereotyped, discriminated and identified
by the color of the dress they wore. I did not wish to see hypocrites, racists, or people being judged for their views and
opinions.
I dream of a tolerant society where peace exists. Where people respect each other’s differences in opinion, a country where
we all live peacefully. A nation with leaders who take accountability of what they say or do. To live in a society in which young
people are given high priority to pave way for a better future. A Maldives with more citizens making their future plans to live
among their families and not migrate to other parts of the world just to get away from the poor services, facilities and dispute
happening around them every day.
When I think about these dreams today, all I can think about is a dying nation. Where hope for unity is more or less buried in
the past. So many people today, are lost in the darkness of the divided system. Why don’t people try to understand the true
meaning of a democratic country? Can’t we all hope to build a place where everyone’s opinion is respected and tolerated?
Where everyone’s voice matters?
It was once said, the mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it - as
long as you really believe in it. So the optimism has not died yet. My mind is not willing to give in yet. The moment you lose is
the moment you stop trying.
So, for all those people out there thinking and sharing the same concerns, let’s envision a brighter future for us. Let us young
people not give up. Let us learn from today’s lessons and not repeat them in the future. Let us look forward to a united realm.
With one voice and one goal let’s say I will not let the patriotism in me, fade away…
by: Aishath Loona Moosa (@LuluLoona)An inspired and patriotic young citizen of Maldives ever since 2011
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&ELECTORAL CORRUPTION VIOLENCE: A MALDIVIANPERSPECTIVE
“Acts or threats of coercion, intimidation, or physical harm perpetrated to affect an electoral process or that arise in the context of electoral competition”
– UNDP on Electoral Violence
Article by Zainal, Photo by Imy
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November 23rd, 2009. 57 people are massacred in Maguindanao, Philippines. The victims’ were on their way to file certificate of candidacy for Esmael Mangudadatu, a local politician. Mangudadatu did go on to win the election eventually, but it is important to note the extreme lengths people are willing to go to, to achieve their political requisite, especially in electoral democracies today.
Although the Maldives is yet to see extreme heights of such malice directly attributable to politics and elections, the rising tensions which we are seeing today suggests that we may be headed on a similar path.
The features of electoral violence have made it distinct from other type of political violence. It might occur in the pre-election period, on the Election Day and during the post-election period of the electoral process. And, involves different actors like government forces, political parties and third parties with financial and/or other incentives.
Why electoral violence culminates, in most cases ultimately comes down to two main causes. They are corruption and the negligence of the rule of law. Similarly in the Maldives, whatever types of election related violence which we have experienced so far, the bulk of it is attributable to corruption.
From a perspective specific to Maldivian politics, corruption occurs in two main ways; clientelism and patronage.
In ‘clientelism’, relations are personal ‘patron-client’ relations, and the client is expected to give political support for a particular politician in order to secure personal benefits such as land, office and status. In the Maldives, clientelism occurs on almost all levels, from the simplest level of a financial incentive for a vote to facilitating state projects to ‘client’ businesses in return for financial and political support for the ‘patron’.
Patronage, though similar to clientelism, represents a higher level of politics and the relations are more than personal. Electorates are required to provide political backing for a specific politician or party in return for public utilities such as sewerage systems, harbors and roads. One ‘famous’ example of this in the Maldives is the ever-strong promise of a bridge which connects Male’ and Hulhumale’.
Further, such politics also resort to ‘ethno-religious’ appeal for securing political support. Although the ‘ethno’ component is not relevant to the Maldives, we have largely seen the ‘religious’ component being utilized for political gain. Terms such as ‘Laadheenee’ (Secularism) and ‘Mullar’ (Religious
Fundamentalist) are heavily used as propaganda in the anti-campaigning process.
Such acts breeds hatred among a society and creates distrust among the people towards a par t icu lar par ty, ru l ing government and subsequently, the electoral process itself. The overall atmosphere created by this leads to violence in all forms such as vandalism, destruction of public and private property, and at a larger scale, civil disobedience and strikes. We are already seeing these events right after the first round of the presidential elections in the Maldives.
The nature of electoral management bodies such as the elections commission, police force and the judiciary can also be instrumental in facilitating the conditions for electoral violence. These bodies may be perceived as lacking the required impartiality, independence, and competence, resulting in high level mistrust and creating divisions among the electorate, ultimately leading to heightened risk of electoral violence.
The current situation in the Maldives highlights the aforementioned mistrust in electoral management bodies. September 7th, 2013 saw the first round of the presidential elections and as soon as the results were announced, one of the losing parties challenged the integrity of the election at the Supreme Court. It is important to note that all international and local observers involved found the election to be free and fair and further praised the Elections Commission for a seamless process. Ultimately however, the Supreme Court accepted the case, continued proceedings without a verdict and ordered a halt of the second round of elections beyond constitutional deadlines.
The losing party accuses the Elections Commission for committing systemic fraud and of being biased. The opposition party which won 45% of the votes in the first round accuses the judiciary of being corrupt, partiality, and also points out that the bench lacks integrity for failure to take actions on clear indiscretions by some of the bench members.
The Maldives, at this point is facing a constitutional impasse’. Many would agree that the root of this problem links to corruption. The people’s faith in the system is at an all-time low. Given the current events, it is no surprise that the scope for violence among the electorates are quite high. Again, it may not get as intense as the Philippines in 2009, but we as a nation have to brace ourselves for what may lie ahead. We are way beyond the point for prevention measures against corruption for the current electoral cycle. We are now forced to damage control and mitigate the violence as best we can.
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THE FAME MONSTERI n w h i c h w e t u r n k i d s i n t o m o n s t e r s f o r u s t o h u n t f o r f u nWhen I say Miley Cyrus, what’s the first thing that comes to
mind? How about Justin Bieber? Or Lindsay Lohan or
Amanda Bynes?
These are all young people who became famous for
various reasons, were equally revered and reviled by
society [that is to say, people like you and I] and have had
various highly publicized mishaps.
Miley started out as Hannah Montana in a saccharine
Disney series, making her one of the so-called ‘Disney
Kids’ like Vanessa Hudgens and Demi Lovato, etc. She
was loved by many but also equally disliked by many,
which [we are told] is the price of fame. But all eyes
focused on her after her VMA performance where she dry
humped a guy old enough to be her dad on a public stage.
And then released a video song where she was perched
stark naked on a wrecking ball. ‘What the heck is wrong
with her?!’ the world cried out. ‘How dare she do that!’
And then we have Justin Bieber. To say he is a polarizing
artist is an understatement akin to saying that 9/11
‘bothered a few Americans’ or that the Red Wedding ‘made
a few Game of Thrones fans a bit sad’. He has been
accused of single handedly destroying pop music, of being
the devil, of being Hitler or equal to Hitler, of being the pop
music equivalent of Twilight, etc until eventually, the name
became associated with the ultimate shaming of a person;
‘you like Justin Bieber, don’t you?!’ = worst insult ever. And
this was BEFORE he made some controversial comments
about rape, was caught relieving himself into a bucket in a
restroom, reportedly spat on some of his fans from his hotel
balcony and is known for being late for his own concerts,
thereby making his fans wait standing for ages.
Lindsay Lohan. Oh god. What can we say about this child
actor who gained fame for a double role in the 90’s movie,
the Parent Trap? Let’s see… Movie, movie, bad movie,
alcoholism, worse movie, drugs, rehab, drugs again, jail,
rehab, indie movie that tanked, alcoholism part 2, drugs,
drugs, rehab, jail, drugs, about to make a movie but director
gets rid of her for being ‘unmarketable’, drugs, rehab, jail,
alcoholism part 3, drugs, jail… and it goes on. When she
gets publicly snubbed on the TV series, Glee, you know
she’s become the laughing stock of the town. Isn’t it just
hilarious when a young person loses their way and since
there’s no one to help her or care about her, turns to drink
and drugs to escape her woes? That’s just good comedy
right there.
Honorable mentions go to Amanda Bynes for alcoholism,
drugs, shoplifting and reported mental instability. In fact,
her parents manage her affairs now because she has been
legally deemed unfit to do so. And Harry Styles from One
Direction; a maddeningly popular boy band from the UK.
He can’t even date a woman without her getting death
threats. And that’s from the people who actually LIKE him
and/or his music. He has been accused of ruining a couple
of marriages and he can’t even seem to get a tattoo without
causing a damn riot. Also note how Taylor Swift can’t date
people without being labeled a harlot or some kind of
break-up junkie. Yes, she handles it rather poorly
sometimes by [allegedly] writing songs about it but how is
that so different from us? Are WE at our best when our
ventures into love backfire on us?
The public is quick to crucify these young people for their
actions. And while it is true that most of them [all of them?]
are old enough to take responsibility for their actions, one
must ask if they are the only ones to blame.
These young people have been in the public eye from a
very early age and basically grew up there. They were
constantly scrutinized for what they say, what they do, what
they eat, what they wear, where they go, who they
associate with, what they buy, what they don’t do and so on
and so forth. They were under a harsh judgmental
microscope that engineered a situation where they were
damned if they do and damned if they don’t. It’s bound to
drive anyone nuts… So can you really blame them only if
they do something crazy?
Our society has long since had a practice of building up
celebrities by adoring them [or hating on them] and when/if
they ever screw up, privately or publicly, we tear them
down. We abuse them, mock them, judge them, insult them
and push them into corners. Before the years of the
internet, this was just water cooler gossip. But with the
advent of social media, the hate just amplified and was
given an infinite medium to manifest upon.
Even back in the days of Britney Spears [former pop icon
turned train-wreck with reported mental issues and a failed
marriage] and Backstreet Boys [apparently, gay, gay, gay,
homosexuals, gay, totally gay, their heterosexual
relationships are fake, gay, gay] and Michael Jackson
[alleged child molester apparently with Peter Pan
syndrome], the public loved getting their sharp claws into
someone famous to tear them down.
Maybe it’s got to do with the fact that hating on others gives
us less chance to reflect upon our own shortcomings.
Maybe we just hate people who we think are somehow
‘better’ [that is to say, more accomplished] than us in
various ways. Or maybe we just think it’s funny when these
‘larger-than-life’ celebrities screw up like the rest of us.
Because they’re not real people, right? They don’t have
real families, right? They don’t have real issues, right? They
don’t have real feelings, right? Right? RIGHT?!
Right. Because if they WERE real people and had real
families and had real issues and had real feelings, we’d be
downright cruel for abusing another human being that way,
especially abusing the anonymity the internet gifts us with…
Lady Gaga was right to call her second album, the Fame
Monster. She was alluding to the dark side of fame that the
famous have to deal with. But I’m going to take the term
and apply it to people like Miley and Justin and Lindsay and
Amanda and Harry; they are the fame monsters.
We created them. We gave them fame, we simultaneously
loved and hated them, we scrutinized everything they said
and did, we took away their freedom of choice, we pushed
them into corner and when they attempted to break out and
assert their individuality [in various, admittedly self-
destructive ways], we started hunting them. Because
hunting monsters is always fun in the movies.
In her song, Wrecking Ball, Miley cries and sings, “All you
ever did was wreck me.” Some say it is about her ex-fiance,
Liam Hemmsworth, aka Thor’s brother.
But I disagree. I think it’s about you. Yes, you. The reader,
sitting at your computer. You. And also me, sitting at mine.
It is about us. All of us. From the days of Hannah Montana
to her ‘Can’t Be Tamed’ days to her VMA performance, all
we ever did was wreck her.
And now, she is now a wreck.
Good job.
48
THE FAME MONSTERI n w h i c h w e t u r n k i d s i n t o m o n s t e r s f o r u s t o h u n t f o r f u n
by Moony
When I say Miley Cyrus, what’s the first thing that comes to
mind? How about Justin Bieber? Or Lindsay Lohan or
Amanda Bynes?
These are all young people who became famous for
various reasons, were equally revered and reviled by
society [that is to say, people like you and I] and have had
various highly publicized mishaps.
Miley started out as Hannah Montana in a saccharine
Disney series, making her one of the so-called ‘Disney
Kids’ like Vanessa Hudgens and Demi Lovato, etc. She
was loved by many but also equally disliked by many,
which [we are told] is the price of fame. But all eyes
focused on her after her VMA performance where she dry
humped a guy old enough to be her dad on a public stage.
And then released a video song where she was perched
stark naked on a wrecking ball. ‘What the heck is wrong
with her?!’ the world cried out. ‘How dare she do that!’
And then we have Justin Bieber. To say he is a polarizing
artist is an understatement akin to saying that 9/11
‘bothered a few Americans’ or that the Red Wedding ‘made
a few Game of Thrones fans a bit sad’. He has been
accused of single handedly destroying pop music, of being
the devil, of being Hitler or equal to Hitler, of being the pop
music equivalent of Twilight, etc until eventually, the name
became associated with the ultimate shaming of a person;
‘you like Justin Bieber, don’t you?!’ = worst insult ever. And
this was BEFORE he made some controversial comments
about rape, was caught relieving himself into a bucket in a
restroom, reportedly spat on some of his fans from his hotel
balcony and is known for being late for his own concerts,
thereby making his fans wait standing for ages.
Lindsay Lohan. Oh god. What can we say about this child
actor who gained fame for a double role in the 90’s movie,
the Parent Trap? Let’s see… Movie, movie, bad movie,
alcoholism, worse movie, drugs, rehab, drugs again, jail,
rehab, indie movie that tanked, alcoholism part 2, drugs,
drugs, rehab, jail, drugs, about to make a movie but director
gets rid of her for being ‘unmarketable’, drugs, rehab, jail,
alcoholism part 3, drugs, jail… and it goes on. When she
gets publicly snubbed on the TV series, Glee, you know
she’s become the laughing stock of the town. Isn’t it just
hilarious when a young person loses their way and since
there’s no one to help her or care about her, turns to drink
and drugs to escape her woes? That’s just good comedy
right there.
Honorable mentions go to Amanda Bynes for alcoholism,
drugs, shoplifting and reported mental instability. In fact,
her parents manage her affairs now because she has been
legally deemed unfit to do so. And Harry Styles from One
Direction; a maddeningly popular boy band from the UK.
He can’t even date a woman without her getting death
threats. And that’s from the people who actually LIKE him
and/or his music. He has been accused of ruining a couple
of marriages and he can’t even seem to get a tattoo without
causing a damn riot. Also note how Taylor Swift can’t date
people without being labeled a harlot or some kind of
break-up junkie. Yes, she handles it rather poorly
sometimes by [allegedly] writing songs about it but how is
that so different from us? Are WE at our best when our
ventures into love backfire on us?
The public is quick to crucify these young people for their
actions. And while it is true that most of them [all of them?]
are old enough to take responsibility for their actions, one
must ask if they are the only ones to blame.
These young people have been in the public eye from a
very early age and basically grew up there. They were
constantly scrutinized for what they say, what they do, what
they eat, what they wear, where they go, who they
associate with, what they buy, what they don’t do and so on
and so forth. They were under a harsh judgmental
microscope that engineered a situation where they were
damned if they do and damned if they don’t. It’s bound to
drive anyone nuts… So can you really blame them only if
they do something crazy?
Our society has long since had a practice of building up
celebrities by adoring them [or hating on them] and when/if
they ever screw up, privately or publicly, we tear them
down. We abuse them, mock them, judge them, insult them
and push them into corners. Before the years of the
internet, this was just water cooler gossip. But with the
advent of social media, the hate just amplified and was
given an infinite medium to manifest upon.
Even back in the days of Britney Spears [former pop icon
turned train-wreck with reported mental issues and a failed
marriage] and Backstreet Boys [apparently, gay, gay, gay,
homosexuals, gay, totally gay, their heterosexual
relationships are fake, gay, gay] and Michael Jackson
[alleged child molester apparently with Peter Pan
syndrome], the public loved getting their sharp claws into
someone famous to tear them down.
Maybe it’s got to do with the fact that hating on others gives
us less chance to reflect upon our own shortcomings.
Maybe we just hate people who we think are somehow
‘better’ [that is to say, more accomplished] than us in
various ways. Or maybe we just think it’s funny when these
‘larger-than-life’ celebrities screw up like the rest of us.
Because they’re not real people, right? They don’t have
real families, right? They don’t have real issues, right? They
don’t have real feelings, right? Right? RIGHT?!
Right. Because if they WERE real people and had real
families and had real issues and had real feelings, we’d be
downright cruel for abusing another human being that way,
especially abusing the anonymity the internet gifts us with…
Lady Gaga was right to call her second album, the Fame
Monster. She was alluding to the dark side of fame that the
famous have to deal with. But I’m going to take the term
and apply it to people like Miley and Justin and Lindsay and
Amanda and Harry; they are the fame monsters.
We created them. We gave them fame, we simultaneously
loved and hated them, we scrutinized everything they said
and did, we took away their freedom of choice, we pushed
them into corner and when they attempted to break out and
assert their individuality [in various, admittedly self-
destructive ways], we started hunting them. Because
hunting monsters is always fun in the movies.
In her song, Wrecking Ball, Miley cries and sings, “All you
ever did was wreck me.” Some say it is about her ex-fiance,
Liam Hemmsworth, aka Thor’s brother.
But I disagree. I think it’s about you. Yes, you. The reader,
sitting at your computer. You. And also me, sitting at mine.
It is about us. All of us. From the days of Hannah Montana
to her ‘Can’t Be Tamed’ days to her VMA performance, all
we ever did was wreck her.
And now, she is now a wreck.
Good job.
49
strokesIn celebration of World’s Stroke Day on 29th October
by Thihnan
There has been an alarming increase in the incidents of stroke amongst Maldivians.
The most common reason why this leads to death is the failure to understand the
symptoms. Once a stroke occurs, it is difficult to save the person so to minimize the
risk of death, the best thing to do is to be prepared for a stroke.
The first thing you need to understand about a stroke is that it is completely different
from a heart attack. Strokes occur in the brain. A person can suffer from a stroke if
the blood flow to the brain is stopped. Blood vessels can be blocked by cholesterol or
a blood clot or can even burst open due to loss in strength of its walls leading to
internal bleeding. The walls of blood vessels become weaker with age which is usually
why old people have a higher risk of strokes.
If a patient has a stroke, they are given immediate medical attention. An IV fluid is
injected which will dissolve any obstructions preventing the flow of blood to the brain.
This is most effective only within 3 hours from the occurrence of a stroke. Otherwise,
the person is most likely to be too damaged to heal leading to death. This is why you
need to give your family members, your friends or any other immediate medical
attention if they have a stroke.
The best way to immediately treat a stroke is to know when you are going to
get one. Just look out for these important symptoms.
If you have at least 2 of these symptoms, it is recommended that you get an
immediate check up.
50
Symptoms:Numbness or weakness. If you suddenly feel a part of your body
being weak especially one side of your body, try to smile or lift both
arms and legs. If you have difficulty doing so or if one arm droops, this
might be a sign of an incoming stroke.
Speech difficulty. If you suddenly can not understand parts of simple
sentences or cannot repeat short ones, this could mean that blood
supply to the brain controlling language is limited.
Blurry vision. Sometimes right before a stroke, you might start to see a
less clearly.
Difficulty in movement. If you find it difficult to move around or co-
ordinate your muscles, this could mean that a stroke is occurring to a
part of the brain that controls balance and muscle coordination.
Severe headaches. It is quite easy to misread this symptom. Severe
headaches can also mean migraine, lack of water, stress or lack of
sleep.
5151
52
Past Events!
DYM Eid Scavenger HuntWhen: 16th OctoberWhere: Helipad Area
Five teams of six people joined us at
helipad area at 4:00 and the scavenger
hunt began. Teams Batman, Oreo, The
Bunch, Bubbles and Nameless
competed against each other in
competing 16 tasks including taking
selfies with four presidential candidates,
reenacting a scene of Titanic on a
parked vehicle and asking people what
the fox says.
After two hours of fun, the teams came
back and when the scores were tallied,
Batman won with 215 points and got a
snacks hamper as a gift! Some of the snacks in the snack hamper“Batman”
won. Picture courtesy of “Batman”, of course.
52
53
For those of you struggling with yellow teeth, let me tell you
something. Your teeth are actually yellow! Teeth have four
different layers. Teeth contain a layer of dentin which
carries the nerves in your teeth. Dentin is yellow; the ugly
yellow which makes you cringe. So if this is the case, why
do some people have ‘pearly whites’? Because a tooth needs protection like any other organ, it
has a protective shell around it known as the enamel. The
enamel is white which is why teeth are sparkly white.
Medically it means that your teeth are strong and healthy. Due to certain foods, drinks and smoking etc, a film forms
on your teeth that corrodes the enamel. As the enamel gets
thinner, the yellow dentin is revealed. Before you know it,
your teeth start to get yellower and yellower. Some people try to keep the teeth white only because it
looks good. Here’s a motivator; since the enamel is the
protective shell, with thinner enamel our teeth are more
sensitive. This is why you might feel pain when taking in
cold food or drinks. The nerves are directly exposed
meaning everything becomes painful. It becomes difficult
to chew on hard food as well. You are most likely to end up
having to ground everything you eat. So if you don’t want to
carry a blender on your next date to the restaurant, think
ahead! We already know of the basic routine. Brush, floss, and see
a dentist. Brushing and flossing plays an important role in
keeping your teeth healthy as it directly removes the
agents that might cause harm. Dentists can give you a
thorough check- up and clean your teeth up which adds to
the proper maintenance your teeth deserves. Sadly, a visit
to a dentist is often costly which could be why most of us
avoid it. Moreover, brushing and flossing is never enough
to completely remove the film which is why you might still
see a light yellow taint. So now what? Many foods such as apples, pears and carrots often
promote the production of saliva in your mouth. Saliva
works as the same principle as toothpaste. Saliva is
alkaline which neutralize the film on your teeth as it is
acidic. Bottom line; the more the saliva, the whiter your
teeth.
It is also important that you prevent foods like coffee, tea
and oranges from coming into contact with your teeth
because they form a direct stain. However it doesn’t mean
you should completely avoid it. Try using a straw to drink
these as it can minimize the contact. Another way of
minimizing the after effect is to wash your mouth after
eating. If you have more time, try brushing. Drinking water
can also help. This might make you think that ‘pearly whites’ take a lot of
effort. It’s not really the case because it’s all about habits.
Adopt good ones and get rid of the bad ones and before
you know it, you’ll have perfect teeth all thanks to your
subconscious!
B r i g h t
In celebration of October being National Dental Hygiene Month
W h i t ei n
53
54
For those of you struggling with yellow teeth, let me tell you
something. Your teeth are actually yellow! Teeth have four
different layers. Teeth contain a layer of dentin which
carries the nerves in your teeth. Dentin is yellow; the ugly
yellow which makes you cringe. So if this is the case, why
do some people have ‘pearly whites’? Because a tooth needs protection like any other organ, it
has a protective shell around it known as the enamel. The
enamel is white which is why teeth are sparkly white.
Medically it means that your teeth are strong and healthy. Due to certain foods, drinks and smoking etc, a film forms
on your teeth that corrodes the enamel. As the enamel gets
thinner, the yellow dentin is revealed. Before you know it,
your teeth start to get yellower and yellower. Some people try to keep the teeth white only because it
looks good. Here’s a motivator; since the enamel is the
protective shell, with thinner enamel our teeth are more
sensitive. This is why you might feel pain when taking in
cold food or drinks. The nerves are directly exposed
meaning everything becomes painful. It becomes difficult
to chew on hard food as well. You are most likely to end up
having to ground everything you eat. So if you don’t want to
carry a blender on your next date to the restaurant, think
ahead! We already know of the basic routine. Brush, floss, and see
a dentist. Brushing and flossing plays an important role in
keeping your teeth healthy as it directly removes the
agents that might cause harm. Dentists can give you a
thorough check- up and clean your teeth up which adds to
the proper maintenance your teeth deserves. Sadly, a visit
to a dentist is often costly which could be why most of us
avoid it. Moreover, brushing and flossing is never enough
to completely remove the film which is why you might still
see a light yellow taint. So now what? Many foods such as apples, pears and carrots often
promote the production of saliva in your mouth. Saliva
works as the same principle as toothpaste. Saliva is
alkaline which neutralize the film on your teeth as it is
acidic. Bottom line; the more the saliva, the whiter your
teeth.
It is also important that you prevent foods like coffee, tea
and oranges from coming into contact with your teeth
because they form a direct stain. However it doesn’t mean
you should completely avoid it. Try using a straw to drink
these as it can minimize the contact. Another way of
minimizing the after effect is to wash your mouth after
eating. If you have more time, try brushing. Drinking water
can also help. This might make you think that ‘pearly whites’ take a lot of
effort. It’s not really the case because it’s all about habits.
Adopt good ones and get rid of the bad ones and before
you know it, you’ll have perfect teeth all thanks to your
subconscious!
b y T h i h n a n54
55
Blueberry Whipped Cream Cake
Ingredients
Butter Cake:
250g butter250g sugar250g eggs250g our 1 tsp baking powderA dash of vanilla
Blueberry Whipping Frosted:
300g Whipped Cream150g Blueberries
Instructions
For the cake, you simply need to make a normal butter cake. And here I’ll show you
how. If you already have your own favorite recipe of cake, you are always welcome to
bring a twist to your Blueberry Whipped Cream Cake.
To start off, whip up the sugar n butter together with a whisk or an electric beater
until you get a smooth creamy puffed up mixture. This as I have mentioned earlier is
what we call
the Creaming Method.
Now add the eggs bit by bit while whisking continuously. Since we don’t want the egg
and the creamy mixture to separate, this would happen if you add all the eggs
directly.
Sieve the flour and baking powder and add it in. Whisk continuously to end up with
fabulous smooth cake dough. Finally mix in the vanilla. And bake for 30 minutes at
180 degree Celsius.
by: Girl in Toque
56
Blueberry Whipped Cream Frosting
This is bit is quite simple. Whip up the cream to form stiff peaks of whipped cream
and fold in the blueberries by slowly scraping the bottom of the bowl and bringing the
whipping cream on top in a circular motion as u don’t want the stiff peaks to go away
completely.
Cut the cake horizontally in half or into three layers and spread the frosting all over in
between each layer by stacking one above the other. Trim off the excess frosting
from the sides and spread a clean layer of frosting on the top and the sides of the
cake. Add in any extra decorations you like =)
Now let’s get arranging!
56
57
CALENDAR
CARL SAGAN’S
COSMIC B Y : M A H I D
57
58
Carl Sagan was an American astronomer,
astrophysicist and cosmologist who
dedicated most of his academic life to the
popularisation of science. He was also a
Pulitzer Prize winning author, credited with
20 books, all of which were aimed at
enhancing the public understanding of
science. Sagan is perhaps best known for
the television series Cosmos: A personal
Journey, which explored the development of
key scientific ideas till date along with their
social implications. A book, based on the
series followed, also named Cosmos, which
remained in the New York Times Bestseller
list for more than 70 weeks. Even for the
accomplished scientist that Sagan was, he
was an absolute genius as a writer. His
books took readers on an epic journey from
the primordial universe to countless galaxies,
to life and death of stars to the story of life on
Earth. The captivating power of his books
lies not only in the vastness and depth of his
scientific knowledge but the magic with which
he strung the words, doing almost poetic
justice to the grandeur of the universe.
Discovering Cosmos was a big step in my
science education. It triggered an insatiable
thirst for scientific knowledge in me. The
seemingly incoherent theories, equations of
text books and my own astute observations
fell into place and I could, for the first time,
see a glimpse of the bigger picture. The
simple elegance of the universe we live in
made my perception of life more meaningful.
One of the most interesting and provocative
of Sagan’s creations is the cosmic calendar.
It comes from his book Dragons of Eden.
When Sagan wrote the book, it was
estimated that the age of the universe was
15 billion years. He created a calendar by
compressing the 15 billion year history of the
universe into the span of a single non-leap
year. He added marks on the calendar to
represent significant points of both geological
and anthropological history. My aim is to give
a narrative of the Sagan Calendar with some
different historical marks which might be
more relevant to our society. Recent
cosmological data suggests that the age of
the universe is 13.7 billion years old.
However due to the sheer age of the
universe and the relative time span of a year,
the cosmic calendar will remain largely
unchanged. The task which I took on my
shoulders is colossal no doubt, and I can
only hope that I do it some justice.
At exactly midnight, a silent explosion with
power and energy beyond all imagination
happened, creating space itself as it
propagated through the vast nothingness.
The origin of this mighty event was a single
point; infinitely small and extremely hot. The
explosion ejected vast amounts of hydrogen
and helium with relatively small amounts
lithium. Every tiny bit of matter there ever
was and there ever will be was created at
that instant, including the “stuff” of which we
all are made. This was the big bang and the
universe has just been born.
The first few months in the life of the
universe were uneventful. Occasionally,
clouds of gas would be attracted by gravity
and form a hot ball of gas. Nuclear reactions
start at the centre of this ball and it would
officially become a star. Some of these stars
will soon die out because their resources
would be exhausted and would collapse
under its own weight. Blackholes are
examples of such “fallen” stars. Smaller stars
will live longer as they run through the
available resources at a slower rate. They
can be viewed as a small office with “low
running cost”, hence they exhaust the
revenue slowly. (For the sake of this
metaphor, the office does not make a profit.
The available money at the start is fixed and
constant). The first nine months of the
cosmic calendar passes in such a manner,
chaotic and monotonous.
On September 9th such a star is born in the
distant corners of what would be known as
the Milky Way galaxy. For the first 4 days,
this star does not show the promise of
amounting to anything other than a burning
ball of gas. However on the 14th day of
September, large and stray fragments of
debris going around the young star stick
together and form a planet: Earth. The
central star is the Sun and eight other
planets will revolve around it, though one of
wh ich wi l l be th rown out ra ther
unceremoniously much to the dismay of
some Humans who will later inhabit Earth.
It will be many millions of years (or days on
Cosmic Calendar) before life can thrive on
Earth. For now, the atmosphere of the planet
is toxic and its surface unwelcoming. It is
estimated that the first life forms of appeared
on Earth around September 25th. These
were nothing more than self-replicating
molecules in the primeval soup. The oldest
rocks found on earth are dated to have
formed on second day of October. A week
later the first sexually reproducing micro-
organisms appeared on the surface. Even by
this time, the temperature of earth was far
from hospitable to any form of higher animals
we see today. It was extremely hot. Even in
its literal sense, one could say that the
microorganisms had sex before it was cool!
November would be an uneventful month
too, but for the coming of photosynthetic
plants and eukaryotic (cells with nuclei) into
the scene. We are fast approaching the end
of our cosmic year but the humans are
nowhere to be seen. By the start of the very
last month of the year, earth starts to develop
an atmosphere with oxygen, paving way for
higher life forms. First 24 days of December
flies by with appearance of meagre life such
as worms, plankton and vertebrates. But our
day of interest is the 24th: The dawn of the
dinosaurs. They will roam the earth as top
predator of the planet for the next 165 million
years, fighting, killing and out-competing
anything that got into their way. They were
fast with killer instincts; lethal predators on
top of their game. For any hypothetical
zoologist observing the Earth during that
time, it would seem that dinosaurs will be
around for many more millions of years to
come, their genetic descendants inheriting
the land. But on December 29th, just two
days before New Year’s Eve, catastrophe hit
the Earth in the form a blazing meteor.
Though the point of impact was the Yucatan
Peninsula in South America, the consequent
events ultimately drove the giant predators
extinct.
Now we arrive at the close: the very last day
of our cosmic calendar. Even for the first 22
and half hours of December 31st, the signs
of the imminent and inevitable humans are
elusive. At around 10:30 PM, just one and a
half hours before the end, the Homo sapiens
emerge. We are by far the most
sophisticated life forms ever to live on earth
with brain volume per body mass far greater
than any other organism. We are possibly
the first self-conscious beings capable of
rational thought (at least some of us are!). In
just half an hour of our arrival, we would
learn the history of the universe spanning
364 days and 22.5 hours. A Great feat
indeed. Initially, we lead an inefficient
lifestyle with most of our time spent on
collecting food as a hunter gatherer. As a
result we are unable to utilise our superior
brains for intellect. We realise the error of
our ways at the last minute. Literally. At
11:59 PM and 20 seconds past, we invent
agriculture. At 11:59:56, just four seconds
ago Jesus (PBUH) was born in Bethlehem
and the Roman Empire rises.
It is an interesting observation that all of
recorded human history occupies the last 20
seconds of our cosmic calendar, and the
written history of Maldives just two. In the last
two seconds, the whole of our country
converts from Buddhism to Islam, we fight
countless wars against invaders from the
region. It is in these two seconds that we
become enslaved by the Portuguese and
remain so for fifteen years. Just a blink of an
eye ago, we established a modern
democracy.
In the last two seconds, humans invent
modern science, medicine and technology.
We acquire means to destroy ourselves and
make first steps into space and start the
search for extraterrestrial life. Global culture
emerges as a result of globalisation. And
now, we’re in the first second of the of the
New Year‘s day. A moment of thought to the
Cosmic Calendar can help us to perceive
how insignificant our time here is on cosmic
scale. It shows us that we are not special or
privileged. As Sagan very succinctly put it
“we are like butterflies who flutter for a day
and think it’s forever”. It is clear that our
complacency is deeply misplaced. How we
live on earth will decide our future on this
planet just like any other species. If we are
unable to adapt and change for the better,
we will perish. This is not merely a superficial
rhetoric. This is evidenced by the countless
species that have lived and died on this
planet. Like any other species we face
threats. Overpopulation threatens the globe
and man-made climate change is manifesting
itself rapidly. Hunger threatens one-third of
the whole population. Civil wars have been
ripping countries and communities apart.
While it is true that we have little cosmic
significance, we are also intelligent. We are
truly capable of changing the path on which
we are. Our fate most definitely will be
decided by our scientific wisdom, sensitivity
and the will of human spirit.
58
59
Carl Sagan was an American astronomer,
astrophysicist and cosmologist who
dedicated most of his academic life to the
popularisation of science. He was also a
Pulitzer Prize winning author, credited with
20 books, all of which were aimed at
enhancing the public understanding of
science. Sagan is perhaps best known for
the television series Cosmos: A personal
Journey, which explored the development of
key scientific ideas till date along with their
social implications. A book, based on the
series followed, also named Cosmos, which
remained in the New York Times Bestseller
list for more than 70 weeks. Even for the
accomplished scientist that Sagan was, he
was an absolute genius as a writer. His
books took readers on an epic journey from
the primordial universe to countless galaxies,
to life and death of stars to the story of life on
Earth. The captivating power of his books
lies not only in the vastness and depth of his
scientific knowledge but the magic with which
he strung the words, doing almost poetic
justice to the grandeur of the universe.
Discovering Cosmos was a big step in my
science education. It triggered an insatiable
thirst for scientific knowledge in me. The
seemingly incoherent theories, equations of
text books and my own astute observations
fell into place and I could, for the first time,
see a glimpse of the bigger picture. The
simple elegance of the universe we live in
made my perception of life more meaningful.
One of the most interesting and provocative
of Sagan’s creations is the cosmic calendar.
It comes from his book Dragons of Eden.
When Sagan wrote the book, it was
estimated that the age of the universe was
15 billion years. He created a calendar by
compressing the 15 billion year history of the
universe into the span of a single non-leap
year. He added marks on the calendar to
represent significant points of both geological
and anthropological history. My aim is to give
a narrative of the Sagan Calendar with some
different historical marks which might be
more relevant to our society. Recent
cosmological data suggests that the age of
the universe is 13.7 billion years old.
However due to the sheer age of the
universe and the relative time span of a year,
the cosmic calendar will remain largely
unchanged. The task which I took on my
shoulders is colossal no doubt, and I can
only hope that I do it some justice.
At exactly midnight, a silent explosion with
power and energy beyond all imagination
happened, creating space itself as it
propagated through the vast nothingness.
The origin of this mighty event was a single
point; infinitely small and extremely hot. The
explosion ejected vast amounts of hydrogen
and helium with relatively small amounts
lithium. Every tiny bit of matter there ever
was and there ever will be was created at
that instant, including the “stuff” of which we
all are made. This was the big bang and the
universe has just been born.
The first few months in the life of the
universe were uneventful. Occasionally,
clouds of gas would be attracted by gravity
and form a hot ball of gas. Nuclear reactions
start at the centre of this ball and it would
officially become a star. Some of these stars
will soon die out because their resources
would be exhausted and would collapse
under its own weight. Blackholes are
examples of such “fallen” stars. Smaller stars
will live longer as they run through the
available resources at a slower rate. They
can be viewed as a small office with “low
running cost”, hence they exhaust the
revenue slowly. (For the sake of this
metaphor, the office does not make a profit.
The available money at the start is fixed and
constant). The first nine months of the
cosmic calendar passes in such a manner,
chaotic and monotonous.
On September 9th such a star is born in the
distant corners of what would be known as
the Milky Way galaxy. For the first 4 days,
this star does not show the promise of
amounting to anything other than a burning
ball of gas. However on the 14th day of
September, large and stray fragments of
debris going around the young star stick
together and form a planet: Earth. The
central star is the Sun and eight other
planets will revolve around it, though one of
wh ich wi l l be th rown out ra ther
unceremoniously much to the dismay of
some Humans who will later inhabit Earth.
It will be many millions of years (or days on
Cosmic Calendar) before life can thrive on
Earth. For now, the atmosphere of the planet
is toxic and its surface unwelcoming. It is
estimated that the first life forms of appeared
on Earth around September 25th. These
were nothing more than self-replicating
molecules in the primeval soup. The oldest
rocks found on earth are dated to have
formed on second day of October. A week
later the first sexually reproducing micro-
organisms appeared on the surface. Even by
this time, the temperature of earth was far
from hospitable to any form of higher animals
we see today. It was extremely hot. Even in
its literal sense, one could say that the
microorganisms had sex before it was cool!
November would be an uneventful month
too, but for the coming of photosynthetic
plants and eukaryotic (cells with nuclei) into
the scene. We are fast approaching the end
of our cosmic year but the humans are
nowhere to be seen. By the start of the very
last month of the year, earth starts to develop
an atmosphere with oxygen, paving way for
higher life forms. First 24 days of December
flies by with appearance of meagre life such
as worms, plankton and vertebrates. But our
day of interest is the 24th: The dawn of the
dinosaurs. They will roam the earth as top
predator of the planet for the next 165 million
years, fighting, killing and out-competing
anything that got into their way. They were
fast with killer instincts; lethal predators on
top of their game. For any hypothetical
zoologist observing the Earth during that
time, it would seem that dinosaurs will be
around for many more millions of years to
come, their genetic descendants inheriting
the land. But on December 29th, just two
days before New Year’s Eve, catastrophe hit
the Earth in the form a blazing meteor.
Though the point of impact was the Yucatan
Peninsula in South America, the consequent
events ultimately drove the giant predators
extinct.
Now we arrive at the close: the very last day
of our cosmic calendar. Even for the first 22
and half hours of December 31st, the signs
of the imminent and inevitable humans are
elusive. At around 10:30 PM, just one and a
half hours before the end, the Homo sapiens
emerge. We are by far the most
sophisticated life forms ever to live on earth
with brain volume per body mass far greater
than any other organism. We are possibly
the first self-conscious beings capable of
rational thought (at least some of us are!). In
just half an hour of our arrival, we would
learn the history of the universe spanning
364 days and 22.5 hours. A Great feat
indeed. Initially, we lead an inefficient
lifestyle with most of our time spent on
collecting food as a hunter gatherer. As a
result we are unable to utilise our superior
brains for intellect. We realise the error of
our ways at the last minute. Literally. At
11:59 PM and 20 seconds past, we invent
agriculture. At 11:59:56, just four seconds
ago Jesus (PBUH) was born in Bethlehem
and the Roman Empire rises.
It is an interesting observation that all of
recorded human history occupies the last 20
seconds of our cosmic calendar, and the
written history of Maldives just two. In the last
two seconds, the whole of our country
converts from Buddhism to Islam, we fight
countless wars against invaders from the
region. It is in these two seconds that we
become enslaved by the Portuguese and
remain so for fifteen years. Just a blink of an
eye ago, we established a modern
democracy.
In the last two seconds, humans invent
modern science, medicine and technology.
We acquire means to destroy ourselves and
make first steps into space and start the
search for extraterrestrial life. Global culture
emerges as a result of globalisation. And
now, we’re in the first second of the of the
New Year‘s day. A moment of thought to the
Cosmic Calendar can help us to perceive
how insignificant our time here is on cosmic
scale. It shows us that we are not special or
privileged. As Sagan very succinctly put it
“we are like butterflies who flutter for a day
and think it’s forever”. It is clear that our
complacency is deeply misplaced. How we
live on earth will decide our future on this
planet just like any other species. If we are
unable to adapt and change for the better,
we will perish. This is not merely a superficial
rhetoric. This is evidenced by the countless
species that have lived and died on this
planet. Like any other species we face
threats. Overpopulation threatens the globe
and man-made climate change is manifesting
itself rapidly. Hunger threatens one-third of
the whole population. Civil wars have been
ripping countries and communities apart.
While it is true that we have little cosmic
significance, we are also intelligent. We are
truly capable of changing the path on which
we are. Our fate most definitely will be
decided by our scientific wisdom, sensitivity
and the will of human spirit.
59
60
Carl Sagan was an American astronomer,
astrophysicist and cosmologist who
dedicated most of his academic life to the
popularisation of science. He was also a
Pulitzer Prize winning author, credited with
20 books, all of which were aimed at
enhancing the public understanding of
science. Sagan is perhaps best known for
the television series Cosmos: A personal
Journey, which explored the development of
key scientific ideas till date along with their
social implications. A book, based on the
series followed, also named Cosmos, which
remained in the New York Times Bestseller
list for more than 70 weeks. Even for the
accomplished scientist that Sagan was, he
was an absolute genius as a writer. His
books took readers on an epic journey from
the primordial universe to countless galaxies,
to life and death of stars to the story of life on
Earth. The captivating power of his books
lies not only in the vastness and depth of his
scientific knowledge but the magic with which
he strung the words, doing almost poetic
justice to the grandeur of the universe.
Discovering Cosmos was a big step in my
science education. It triggered an insatiable
thirst for scientific knowledge in me. The
seemingly incoherent theories, equations of
text books and my own astute observations
fell into place and I could, for the first time,
see a glimpse of the bigger picture. The
simple elegance of the universe we live in
made my perception of life more meaningful.
One of the most interesting and provocative
of Sagan’s creations is the cosmic calendar.
It comes from his book Dragons of Eden.
When Sagan wrote the book, it was
estimated that the age of the universe was
15 billion years. He created a calendar by
compressing the 15 billion year history of the
universe into the span of a single non-leap
year. He added marks on the calendar to
represent significant points of both geological
and anthropological history. My aim is to give
a narrative of the Sagan Calendar with some
different historical marks which might be
more relevant to our society. Recent
cosmological data suggests that the age of
the universe is 13.7 billion years old.
However due to the sheer age of the
universe and the relative time span of a year,
the cosmic calendar will remain largely
unchanged. The task which I took on my
shoulders is colossal no doubt, and I can
only hope that I do it some justice.
At exactly midnight, a silent explosion with
power and energy beyond all imagination
happened, creating space itself as it
propagated through the vast nothingness.
The origin of this mighty event was a single
point; infinitely small and extremely hot. The
explosion ejected vast amounts of hydrogen
and helium with relatively small amounts
lithium. Every tiny bit of matter there ever
was and there ever will be was created at
that instant, including the “stuff” of which we
all are made. This was the big bang and the
universe has just been born.
The first few months in the life of the
universe were uneventful. Occasionally,
clouds of gas would be attracted by gravity
and form a hot ball of gas. Nuclear reactions
start at the centre of this ball and it would
officially become a star. Some of these stars
will soon die out because their resources
would be exhausted and would collapse
under its own weight. Blackholes are
examples of such “fallen” stars. Smaller stars
will live longer as they run through the
available resources at a slower rate. They
can be viewed as a small office with “low
running cost”, hence they exhaust the
revenue slowly. (For the sake of this
metaphor, the office does not make a profit.
The available money at the start is fixed and
constant). The first nine months of the
cosmic calendar passes in such a manner,
chaotic and monotonous.
On September 9th such a star is born in the
distant corners of what would be known as
the Milky Way galaxy. For the first 4 days,
this star does not show the promise of
amounting to anything other than a burning
ball of gas. However on the 14th day of
September, large and stray fragments of
debris going around the young star stick
together and form a planet: Earth. The
central star is the Sun and eight other
planets will revolve around it, though one of
wh ich wi l l be th rown out ra ther
unceremoniously much to the dismay of
some Humans who will later inhabit Earth.
It will be many millions of years (or days on
Cosmic Calendar) before life can thrive on
Earth. For now, the atmosphere of the planet
is toxic and its surface unwelcoming. It is
estimated that the first life forms of appeared
on Earth around September 25th. These
were nothing more than self-replicating
molecules in the primeval soup. The oldest
rocks found on earth are dated to have
formed on second day of October. A week
later the first sexually reproducing micro-
organisms appeared on the surface. Even by
this time, the temperature of earth was far
from hospitable to any form of higher animals
we see today. It was extremely hot. Even in
its literal sense, one could say that the
microorganisms had sex before it was cool!
November would be an uneventful month
too, but for the coming of photosynthetic
plants and eukaryotic (cells with nuclei) into
the scene. We are fast approaching the end
of our cosmic year but the humans are
nowhere to be seen. By the start of the very
last month of the year, earth starts to develop
an atmosphere with oxygen, paving way for
higher life forms. First 24 days of December
flies by with appearance of meagre life such
as worms, plankton and vertebrates. But our
day of interest is the 24th: The dawn of the
dinosaurs. They will roam the earth as top
predator of the planet for the next 165 million
years, fighting, killing and out-competing
anything that got into their way. They were
fast with killer instincts; lethal predators on
top of their game. For any hypothetical
zoologist observing the Earth during that
time, it would seem that dinosaurs will be
around for many more millions of years to
come, their genetic descendants inheriting
the land. But on December 29th, just two
days before New Year’s Eve, catastrophe hit
the Earth in the form a blazing meteor.
Though the point of impact was the Yucatan
Peninsula in South America, the consequent
events ultimately drove the giant predators
extinct.
Now we arrive at the close: the very last day
of our cosmic calendar. Even for the first 22
and half hours of December 31st, the signs
of the imminent and inevitable humans are
elusive. At around 10:30 PM, just one and a
half hours before the end, the Homo sapiens
emerge. We are by far the most
sophisticated life forms ever to live on earth
with brain volume per body mass far greater
than any other organism. We are possibly
the first self-conscious beings capable of
rational thought (at least some of us are!). In
just half an hour of our arrival, we would
learn the history of the universe spanning
364 days and 22.5 hours. A Great feat
indeed. Initially, we lead an inefficient
lifestyle with most of our time spent on
collecting food as a hunter gatherer. As a
result we are unable to utilise our superior
brains for intellect. We realise the error of
our ways at the last minute. Literally. At
11:59 PM and 20 seconds past, we invent
agriculture. At 11:59:56, just four seconds
ago Jesus (PBUH) was born in Bethlehem
and the Roman Empire rises.
It is an interesting observation that all of
recorded human history occupies the last 20
seconds of our cosmic calendar, and the
written history of Maldives just two. In the last
two seconds, the whole of our country
converts from Buddhism to Islam, we fight
countless wars against invaders from the
region. It is in these two seconds that we
become enslaved by the Portuguese and
remain so for fifteen years. Just a blink of an
eye ago, we established a modern
democracy.
In the last two seconds, humans invent
modern science, medicine and technology.
We acquire means to destroy ourselves and
make first steps into space and start the
search for extraterrestrial life. Global culture
emerges as a result of globalisation. And
now, we’re in the first second of the of the
New Year‘s day. A moment of thought to the
Cosmic Calendar can help us to perceive
how insignificant our time here is on cosmic
scale. It shows us that we are not special or
privileged. As Sagan very succinctly put it
“we are like butterflies who flutter for a day
and think it’s forever”. It is clear that our
complacency is deeply misplaced. How we
live on earth will decide our future on this
planet just like any other species. If we are
unable to adapt and change for the better,
we will perish. This is not merely a superficial
rhetoric. This is evidenced by the countless
species that have lived and died on this
planet. Like any other species we face
threats. Overpopulation threatens the globe
and man-made climate change is manifesting
itself rapidly. Hunger threatens one-third of
the whole population. Civil wars have been
ripping countries and communities apart.
While it is true that we have little cosmic
significance, we are also intelligent. We are
truly capable of changing the path on which
we are. Our fate most definitely will be
decided by our scientific wisdom, sensitivity
and the will of human spirit.
60
61
b y : M u n z i r
You are anInsignnicant
Speck?
photo by imy61
62
You are an insignificant speck
A grain of sand
In the vast cosmic expanse
Where physical laws keep it on track
It cares not, whether you live or die
You have been misled, open your eyes
Yet, it was once nothingness
An observation where imagination does not extend
From this singularity
Sprang up the cosmos
In it's vastness
Imagination does not extend
Man, lacking science, reason and mathematical constants
Marveling at it's magnificence
Gave birth to myths formed by his own ignorance
We fight to preserve these beliefs
Bronze age fables
Because they provide relief
When all hope is lost
This is the wrong approach
On other people's rights, we encroach
Why must we let suffering relapse?
When we could make these faulty systems collapse
To end injustice, violence and persecution
To end bloody wars genocide and execution
we must first embrace truth with all our heart
Then our bonds will never break apart
You are insignificant
Yet, why must you end your life?
When all your ancestors had mated
When every living creature is related
Obeying the physical laws in perfect harmony
In this cosmic accident
Sprang up the cosmos
In it's vastness
Imagination does not extend
Man, lacking science, reason and mathematical constants
Marveling at it's magnificence
Gave birth to myths formed by his own ignorance
We fight to preserve these beliefs
Bronze age fables
Because they provide relief
When all hope is lost
This is the wrong approach
On other people's rights, we encroach
Why must we let suffering relapse?
When we could make these faulty systems collapse
To end injustice, violence and persecution
To end bloody wars genocide and execution
we must first embrace truth with all our heart
Then our bonds will never break apart
You are insignificant
Yet, why must you end your life?
When all your ancestors had mated
When every living creature is related
Obeying the physical laws in perfect harmony
In this cosmic accident
62
63
What is Loveb y : S h i y a z
photo by imy63
64
Is love a battle field with strong weapons?
Is love a garden filled with flourishing flowers?
Is love a rough sea, where you have to fight for your life?
Is love an incredible scenery, where you cherish your past?
Is love a never ending journey, where you find tears in your life?
Is love a journey, where you find faith and trust in your life?
Is love a never-ending path, where you try to find the destiny?
Is love a full moon night where you marvel the wonders of the world?
Is love a hypnotic poison in which you never know what is happening?
Is love a cleanse in which you see every happiness in your new eyes?
Is love a strong poison which destroys your life without giving a cure?
Is love a strong emotion you need to live, like the soul you need to survive?
Is love an unfortunate dilemma, where you stuck in a middle of a road?
Is love a fortunate reality, where every single step you take is toward bliss?
64
65
Girlfriend
b y : F a z u S i n g a
“Dedicated to all awesome sisters and girl pals."
66
You the Shorty, your voice louder than mine;Your ego and audacity, how you butt into the life that’s mine;
You nag about my choice of clothes;Whine about how I accessorize, I’m tacky I know;
You’re happy to share your gum; whichYou already have chewed up in your mouth;
You offer me relationship advice gladly,Join the nunnery; you’ve been single all your life;
You jam killer stilettos on my feet,Crazy woman, you better be there to catch me when I fall;
You drag me through chick flicks, chow on thePopcorn and wail loudly at the end;
You think sleepovers are great; manicures, pedicures,Facials, munching, music and yet devoid of sleep;
You snitch my tub of ice cream, neverAllowing me to wallow in my sorrows; you take
Your fair share and you’re not bothered to reason whyBut you take my side and bitch about
Why he is not mine;You convinced me that he is not worth chasing, if he
He does not realize that I’m worth the fight;You enjoy shoving me into the water,
Cannon-balling in right after;You laugh when I fall, giggle at my
Frown and fall down before you can help me up;You invade my privacy and drag me
Out of bed when all I want to do is sleep;You pinch and poke me, trip and trod on meDo everything in your power to annoy me;You bend the rules, pick and turn, happy
To stick your toe out of line;Your nose must be a mile long, there’s
Nowhere in my business I don’t find it poking in;You eat my fries, cut in front of me in
Lines, what’s your problem, can’t anything be mine?You bounce off the walls, still the
Hormonal teen after all these years;Your goals in life are ridiculous, but yes
We are getting there in good times;You teach me to laugh, love and live,
As though life has no more tomorrows;Yes girl friend, life wouldn’t be the same
If not for those wild insane moments with you.
66
67
In the meantime, find us at:
Thank you for reading.
See you in November!
f b .com/dh i you thmovemen t
@ dh i you th
dh i you thmovemen t .b logspo t . com
dh iyou thmovemen t
dh i you thmovemen t@gma i l . com
photo by Imy