Monday 27 April 2015

Hey there !

Monday 27 April 2015
Hello blog,

It has been ages since I last wrote a chatty post or any Post for That matter, so I decided to do it now because... well because I want to.


So Hi, how are you ! I hope you're doing good. Me? I'm great, these past few weeks were ,probably, the busiest weeks of my life. I'm going to try as best as I possibly can to fill you in on them properly.


Okay let's do this !


-So I was one of the winners of the Casa Blanca regional public speaking competition. yaaaaay #Proud
-I had to work on loads of projects and presentation, which were all very successful, thankfully.
- I had a very fun day with my crazy group of friends in a city that we barely know, we laughed until we cried and  walked until our legs were numb but enjoyed every second of it. 
-I made the mistake of drinking nothing but black coffee first thing in the morning without eating anything else for the soul purpose of  giving myself some caffeine so i can survive the rest of the day, but it totally backfired and my body started crashing right away, for a second I thought I was dying. Thankfully I was not. Never drink coffee on an empty stomach, Lesson learned   

-I Got to take part in an overheated debate about feminism in class.
-My friends threw me a surprise birthday party we went to a cool coffee shop and then  to the beach. It was so much fun.

- I made a new friend (WHAAAAAT). One I never thought I could actually be friends with, But she is the coolest and we are totally in the inappropriate sexual humor  friendship stage now.

- I have learned that life is truly a gift and that we shouldn't waste it on nonsense.

- I decided that from now on my happiness comes first. I  finally have the right to be selfish.


That is basically it, now that my schedule is kind of back to normal; I hope I can manage to post regularly, I know I suck at that but please don't give up on me.


As always guys remember to stay positive and do more of what makes you happy. If you ever feel like talking you can reach me on my e-mail, facebook or twitter, I'm always happy to help or have a little chat.





Lots of love
Khaoula. A

xx


 Social media links :   twitter , facebook  , bloglovin

Saturday 4 April 2015

The wonder duo talks : Stereotypes.

Saturday 4 April 2015

Hello there readers, it's Rachid......what ? you don't remember me ? well I guess, it has been some time since the last wonder duo talk ! Ah, ring a bell ? Okay ! now that we established that, I am sure you figured out what this is about. It's Talk number 2, and it's going to b about stereotypes ! Since my partner in crime is a language and literature student, I decided to interview her about the kind of stereotypes she and her classmates have to put up with. But before that, let us start by giving a simple and scientific definition to the word. In social psychology, a stereotype is a thought that can be adopted about a specific type of individuals that may or may not reflect the the reality. A funny example is the established connection that we always make between donuts and cops in American movies !

So let's start interrogating.....oups, I mean interviewing our dear friend khaoula here ! first, K. can you you tell me if you think that you are a subject of stereotypes as a literature student, if yes by who ?

Oh that's for sure rachid. I'm think that you are very aware that here Morocco, all literature students are regarded as lazy and stupid. Literature in general is considered  a choice for people who can't handle science. So to answer your question literature student are stereotyped by the whole entire society.

Okay, so you do feel targeted by stereotypes then. What are the most frequent false ideas peoples got about you literature students ?

The most frequent stereotypes that literature students face; and I'm gonna focus on English literature students,are that some people think that we are just waisting our time, some think that we are nerds, superficial or maybe even lazy. Honesty, there are so many I can barely remember any.

So where do you think those ideas come from ? why do some people think you are wasting your time for example ?

Probably because they have the idea that university, in general, is a waste of time. Because most graduates are jobless or stuck in jobs with dead ends.

It's interesting that you brought that up, we are going off topic here but I think this question is very important ! Do you think that the failure of some university student in their professional careers or the lack of any for others is the main cause to all those stereotypes?

I definitely think so. I mean there is no other reason. Because the majority of students don't exactly succeed career wise, University lost its integrity. And that's why its students are obliged to deal with all the labels forced upon them.

Could you tell us about a time where you have personally dealt with a case of those stereotypes. I mean did you ever have to talk to someone who believed these false ideas about your studies and how did the discussion go ?

Not really. I mean I'm the shy type of person so talking to people isn't exactly my fort. But I have definitely encountered some people who believe in those stereotypes. Like the fact that English students are mostly superficial wanna be american teenagers. But the minute you start talking about something deep the way they look at you changes and I think that says something.

It definitely does ! what do you think is the solution for this issue ?

To stop group judging people and try to treat them as seperate individuals would definitely be a great start.

That is definitely a good start, I think that the media and the press are not doing any good job in correcting this issue either. Sometimes they even participate in it, and that leads to verbals conflicts and even racism sometimes. To finish this, do you have any final words to say Khaoula?

I think that we should all work together in order to erase stereotypes. Because they don't just hurt stereotyped people but also society in general. So please dear reader never have preconceived ideas about someone, go and try to get to know them instead. Believe me it is much more better.

Wise words you got there Khaoula ! thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts with us today !

That is it for this wonder duo talk. As always guys, remeber to stay positive and do more of what makes you happy. And we will see you very soon with another wonder duo talk.



The wonder duo
xx





 Social media links :   twitter , facebook  , bloglovin

Saturday 21 March 2015

Glee to me.

Saturday 21 March 2015
Hello blog,


Warning the following post is mostly about glee and may be very, very emotional so read at your own risk.



Hi there, my name is khaoula. And those of you who know me personally, may know that I am very attached to a musical, comedy, drama called glee.


Why do you love this show so much? You might ask imaginary half of this conversation. Well let me tell you. I started watching glee a couple of years back, it helped me through some rough times that I would rather not talk about now. It was the only thing on TV that I could relate to. Seeing Rachel berry (MY BABY/ The fictional character that changed my life) be unapologetically who she is, while striving for success (she got her tony after all and that is all I ever wanted for her! A happy ending). Seeing Mercedes slay every song she ever sang, with sooo much attitude. Seeing finn Hudson "the quarterback, our quarterback" dress up and sing lady gaga. Seeing Artie sing every song with so much soul , and never letting his disability get the best of him. Seeing Kurt hit those high notes and rock those clothes like no one else on TV. Seeing Tina love herself for who she is. Seeing Santana discover her sexuality and let her true colors shine. Seeing britanny being called stupid, then turning out smarter than everyone.Seeing Quinn go through teen pregnancy but never losing hope, and joining YALE. Seeing Blaine sing and dance like a prince, without letting his sexuality define who he is. Seeing Mr shue stand by them every step of the way. All of these thing inspired me and made me the person I am today.


Glee taught me that LOVE IS LOVE. Glee taught me that everyone's dreams are valid. It thaught me  that I don't have to be anything but who I really am. And that it is okay to put myself first. Glee taught me that life is ups and downs, that success and fame are great. But at the end of the day, FAMILY is what matters the most.


Glee showed me love. Whether it's Klaine, Brittana, Finchel or any other ship on the show. It showed me that love exists and that it is worth fighting for.



Last but not least Glee gave me a new family. A family full of love and understanding, even if it sometimes fights over ships (we all have our fights huh) A family that I might not see or talk to a lot but who I will always love, endlessly. Family like Isaac, Adam, Farah and Mohammad. You guys are awesome. Thank you for going on this journey with me. YOU ROCK ✌✌ *Group hug*


To cut this thing short, though I know it is everything but short. I want to thank the cast and crew, who I grew to love over the past few years. Thank you for being the best idols anyone could ever ask for. Thank you for all the laughs, the cries, the anger and the inspiration. Thank you for portraying such amazing characters, characters I will always hold so near to my heart. Thank you for making me believe. Thank you for the rollercoaster that is glee. This is not goodbye because I will never say goodbye.


it has been one heck of a ride. One I will forever cherish. Okay I'm crying now so I better go.  



By the way, if you are reading this and somehow made it this far without having watched glee before, please do yourself a favour and go watch it. It's life changing.


The only thing I have left to say is, for the battles that we lost or might have won. I never stopped believing in the words we sung, and I promise I never will. Not for a second.


Thank you from the bottom of my heart, It has been a pleasure.


GOD BLESS !


   Khaoula out

xx



Social media links :   twitter , facebook  , bloglovin

Sunday 8 March 2015

Sunday 8 March 2015
Happy international women's day to all the ladies out there. You rock !
Remember to love, respect and help the other women around you. Because we are all in this together. Do not let anyone push you  down and most importantly be you're own hero, and aim for the stars.
Love and respect, Always.
Khaoula.A 
 xx


Thursday 5 March 2015

Thursday 5 March 2015


This caught me off-guard in the most amazing way possible.
Love is love.

Khaoula.A
xx

 Social media links :   twitter , facebook  , bloglovin

Saturday 28 February 2015

A weekend getaway.

Saturday 28 February 2015







Let's just say that I got to visit some amazing places this weekend.

Khaoula.A
xx

 Social media links :   twitter , facebook  , bloglovin

    Thursday 19 February 2015

    Tuesday 10 February 2015

    Friendly reminder

    Tuesday 10 February 2015

    Men’s Issues
    • Societal expectations of masculinity.
    • Societal expectations to provide for women.
    • Men who are raped are more likely to remain silent and be dismissed or outright laughed at .
    • Unfair treatment in child custody battles.
    • No support for male victims of domestic abuse.
    Not men’s issues
    • The friend zone.
    • Women not dating you.
    • “Freaking femnazis”.


     Social media links :   twitter , facebook  , bloglovin

      Monday 9 February 2015

      A letter to the 15 years old me.

      Monday 9 February 2015
      Dear Khaoula,

                        Hey there! It has been a while since we last talked. I just wanted to write this little letter to ask how are you doing, even though I know. I know you're feeling shitty , lost and confused. But believe me when I say that in a couple of years, most  of the things you're worrying about now will be of no importance. Obviously you will still be kind of confused, probably forever, but everything will be much more better. YOU will feel much more better.

      I know that the last thing you want to hear is some wise pretentious person saying "it gets better". You are right but you are also wrong. It doesn't get better unless you work for it. It doesn't get better if you lay numb in bed and cry. It doesn't get better if you lock yourself in your room and hide your feelings from the rest of world. It doesn't get better if you don't do anything about it. You are allowed to grieve, you are allowed to be sad. Do that, but only for a while.
      You need you alone time I get it. But please honey don't push people away. Every once in a while try and let them in, share you feelings and maybe just maybe they can take some of the pain away.

      Don't worry about your future too much. Again I know your going through a rough patch, but you will do just fine, believe me. You'll discover a whole new world. A world you'll fall in love with. A world you always wanted to exist in. But no spoilers. I'll let you see for your self.

      Now there are a few things I need you to always remember.

      - LOVE YOURSELF, APPRECIATE YOURSELF AND GET TO KNOW YOURSELF.

      - Friends come and go.

      - If someone leaves your life, It's not because of you. Some people are just not meant to stay.

      - It's good to have a comfort zone, but trying new things is even better. Try to do that every now and then.

      - Yes you'll fall in love, yes you'll get your heart broken ,and yes you will grow out of it and go on with your life.

      - Some people will hurt you, that's a given fact.I'm sorry but you have to get back up and move on.

      - Love. Love wholeheartedly and with passion. Love your family, your friends, or your "significant other" it doesn't matter. Just give love to people who deserve it.

      - Wear sunscreen, ALWAYS.



      My darling life is beautiful, so live it to the fullest and go after what you want. Life might kick you, trick you and play you. But NEVER EVER give up.

      I love you.



      You, me, us.


       Social media links :   twitter , facebook  , bloglovin

        Saturday 7 February 2015

        Little update.

        Saturday 7 February 2015
        Hello blog,


        I haven't posted in ages, I know and for that I apologize. I have been on a school break for the past two weeks, I visited relatives and got to have a lot of quality family time. Which was much needed, to be honest.

        I have been at the movies twice to watch both "Taken 3" and "Night at the museum secret of the tomb" which I'm going to post  reviews of in the upcoming days. 



        But  break is over and I'm going back to school next Monday (which only a day away  :') ). I'm very excited for this semester. And I'm ready to get back to study mode and kick some literature ass.
        Concerning the blog ,I have a lot of articles lined up and can't wait to  get this year started for good. Even If it's a month late.

        That's it for today's little update. As always, guys, remember to stay positive and do more of what makes you happy.
                             


         Lots of love
         Khaoula.

         xx

         Social media links :   twitter , facebook  , bloglovin

          Saturday 31 January 2015

          An award? Where? When? I accept !

          Saturday 31 January 2015

          Hello blog !

          I have been away for the past 5 days and I came back to find a very pleasant surprise waiting for me .

          As if having my little blog isn't already awesome, I have been nominated by a lovely fellow blogger to take part in the Liebster award.








          I'd like to start off by thanking the amazing "This Freaks Thoughts"  who has deemed me worthy of the award, for that I am most grateful. I definetly think you guys should check the blog out.

          For those of you who don't know what a Liebster Award is. It is a chain letter whose main purpose is to bring blogger together. It spreads your blof name around and hopfully gets your blog more traffic.


          Below are the rules of the Liebster award :

          -Thank the person who nominated you and link their blog.
          -Answer the questions given by the nominator.
          -Nominate 11 other bloggers who have less than 200 followers, and link them.
          -Notify all the bloggers you nominate.
          -Create 11 new questions for your nominees to answer.

           Here are "This Freaks Thoughts" 's questions and my answers :


          1- Why did you pick your blog name ?

          I first started this blog because I'm extremly introverted and highly sensitive, so sharing my thoughts with people in real life isn't exacly easy. That is why I chose to name it "shared thoughts". Because all the posts are me sharing my thoughts (kinda cheesy I know)


          2- What is your favourite animal and why ?

          Now that is a hard question. My favourite pet animals are cats because I simply just adore cats. But my favourite  wild animals are definitely Leopard or lion cubs. Why ?  just take a  look at these babies.





          3- If you were allowed to go to one place in the world but not be able to visit it ever again, where would you go ?


          Iceland , definitely Iceland. I'm in love with that place.


          4- What is your favourite thing about yourself.

          Everything, I think I'm pretty awesome. Just kidding, but not really.


          5- Would you rather only ever eat junk food or only ever eat vegetables?

          I think I'd rather only eat vegetables ,because being able to eat nothing but junk food is not a life I want to live.


          6- If you were only allowed to wear one makeup product what would it be?

          Sunscreen. Does sunscreen count as a makeup product ? I'm not sure. But I don't really use makeup that much so that wouldn't a problem.


          7-  Who is your idol / role model ? and why ?

          I have a large number of idols. My parents of course are my first role models and then there is Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, Darren Criss, J.K Rowling , Paolo Coelho,  Stephen Hawking, Elizabeth Gilbert and a lot more.


          8- You are only allowed to use household appliances in a zombie apocalypse, what would you pick as your wepon ?

          Probably a knife.


          9- What is your favourite smell/scent.

          The smell of a forest in the rain. It's like heaven to my nose.


          10-What is your best advice on worrying?

          I ,myself, am a person who worries so much about basically everything. I think that the best thing to do when you worry too much is to try and distract your brain from thinking about the specific thing you're worrying about. Try to do something you love or something that makes you happy, and hopefully everything will turn up exactly the way you wanted. I wish I could  say just stop worrying but I know that it's not that easy.


          11- What do you like to do on your spare time ? 

          Sleep, listen to music , have solo dance parties in my bedroom, obsess over Tv shows, scrool down my tumblr dashboard and run ,not from my problem, even though that is something I use to do a lot, but the actual physical activity. Improvement I know.


          Here are the lovelies I nominate :



           

          Here are my questions :


          1.        What is the number one reason you started your blog?
          2.        When not blogging, what do you do for fun?
          3.        Who or what inspires?
          4.        What are you most passionate about?
          5.        What is your favourite movie ?
          6.        If you could change one thing about this world, what would it be?
          7.        What's your greates fear?
          8.        Best book you've read recently?
          9.        What is your favourite season of the year?
          10.     If you had to live in a decade other than the current one, which one would you choose?
          11.     What is your favourite animal?
          Again , many thanks to "This Freaks Thoughts" for nominating me. 

          As always guys, remember to stay positive and do more of what makes you happy.


          Lots of love
          Khaoula.A
                        xx                 

           Social media links :   twitter , facebook  , bloglovin

            Friday 23 January 2015

            The Wonder duo talks : Does school take the joy out of the learning process?

            Friday 23 January 2015

            Hello blog !

            Since Rachid and I are both students , we decided that the first wonder duo talk should be about the following question  "Does school take the joy out of the learning process ?".

            Here is the talk :



            Rachid : A Chinese proverb says that learning is a treasure that will follow it's owner everywhere. Such wise words! But to continue down the path of learning, there is one road companion that every one of us has to bring along if he wants to go far in this particular trip: it's Mr Happiness ( Joy for the most intimate ). Why ? because if you ever want to continue doing something for a long time, you must be enjoying it otherwise you'll just quit ! So that bought us to think we the wonder duo about the joy we feel in the learning process. And since most learning process is done in schools. we are wondering:Is joy really a parameter of the learning of our schools nowadays ? I think it's not ! what about you Khaoula ?


            Khaoula : You are right Rachid. Happiness is something very precious .Hard to find but worth the trouble. I firmly believe that living life ,in general, without being happy is a nightmare. Let alone studying or working. I think that schools nowadays focus so much on giving information to students in order to make the knowledgeable , that they suck the joy out of the educational process. Hapiness and even mental health issues are not even taken into considiration by schools. That is terrefying if you concider how much stress school causes to students and the fact that student today have more anxiety than child phsychiatric patients in the 1950's.




            “Don’t push students farther than their limit. All my teachers say, "I’m treating you like this because that’s how you’ll be treated in college." Guess what? I’m not in college; I’m 15 and in high school for a reason.”

            —  Anonymous student-“Schools Need to Reduce Academic Pressure on Students”




            Rachid : So you are with me in the fact that the process of learning in our schools doesn't take into account the happiness of the students. Since I am from scientific background, a mathematics student to be more precise I know that very well ! mathematics, are probably the best example of the lack of the joy criteria in our education. almost everyone hated math classes, aside from the naturally gifted in it ! and that brings up the first issue of how things are handled in our schools: Less joy means less interest in the lessons and that eventually leads to a lesser study of lessons which means that more students are going to fail to learn what is needed. That is not good !! especially for young students, and it impacts on their learning process for their whole life !



            Khaoula : Yes definitely. In high school the only people who loved math are the ones who were good at it . the same goes for all the subjects. If you love something and you are gifted in it, you love it. No credit given to the educational system. I think that what contributes the most in students not liking to attend certain classes is the fact that they are forced on them . I read about a school in the UK that gives its students the choice to either attend class or sit around and play all day. Eventually all the students attended class.
            Humans have a natural sense of curiosity , they want to learn. Forcing classes on them isn't going to make them excellent. If anything it is going to kill their love of education. I'm not saying that school should be canceled( not at all ), but fact of the matter is that school is making students physically and mentally ill. It’s actually limiting their creative capacity, and it’s making them resent studying rather than fall in love with it. I’ve seen people brought to their worst and darkest places at the hands of the education system and I think it’s about time people started talking about that. and try to change it.





            Rachid : And this is exactly what we are hoping to trigger with this article ! I do agree about the fact that students once they reach a certain age, should be given choice in what they want to study ! it is done partially in schools around Europe, but I find that even their experience is not enough ! Giving student more freedom is going to have a good impact on their overall studies. Especially for teenager who are hitting their rebellious years.......sorry teenagers, no offense meant, we all have been there ! Anyways, the fact is that giving more freedom to students also teach them a valuable lesson of taking decisions, assuming responsibility and taking the initiative ! another thing to take into account is that the actual generation of students who grew up with computers, mass media ...etc are still learning the same way as the students 60 years ago with a backboard and chalk ! So it's normal that they find classes boring and don't feel any happiness in attending classes when they are taught with a system that don't give them the same experience as in their usual lives : especially interacting and experiencing by themselves instead of being passive in a class listening to a lecture .




            Khaoula : Exactly ! based on my own experience as a literature and arts' student this is completely true. Some teachers , with respect to them and what they teach, haven't updated their teaching strategies since they began teaching ,probably. and are still following the "the teacher is the only one with the information" method. So how are student that live in the "everything is one click away" world supposed to react. 
            Education has become increasing boring unless you have a great teacher who makes the curriculum interesting and relevant to you and that's rare. 
            On another note school should be a place where youth get to explore, learn and grow as humans . they should have the right to choose what to study . so they won't feel like they're in a jail and that they'll never be good enough .Education, nowadays, is used to shape sudents' brains and oblige them to conform to certain social and intellectual standards. Classes become less about learning and more about retention . No creativity no imagination ,nothing. And that is not what we want to teach our youth. the people who are going to run the world tomorrow. 




            Rachid : Exactly, but one would argue by saying : " Okay, you do make a point, but what are the alternatives ?". There are plenty of alternative that can be proposed, I will list two ones that I find are the most important. 
            First, schools were built for children and teenagers and what do they find enjoyable ? Games are the first that comes to your minds right ? gaming can be put to use in different ways into a learning process. mathematic teachers might teach their students the basics of calculus using a game of dices or Monopoly for example, they might put solving hard mathematical riddles that will make students do research and learn notions that are supposed to know by themselves instead of teaching it the traditional way. Maybe including a prize, will also help encourage them to solve it ! I personally learned a lot while playing games, especially video games ! things like playing an RPG in English for example will help you a lot with learning the language. Mind games teach you logic and calculus .... 
            The second thing that can make learning more enjoyable is giving the students more space to take initiatives. For example, in literature classes, Instead of imposing a novel to be read by all ! we could let students form groups and choose a novel to read ans study that has to be approved by the teacher of course. and every now and then every group can expose what they learned for the whole class to see !



            Khaoula : True ! other ways we can improve education is to value teachers more. They are the ones in charge in the classroom , they do a lot of work and they should be payed more . We can also -as you already said- try and make the learning experience fun but including things like movies ,games... 
            I think that the proverb that describes education the most currently  is “curiosity killed the cat ,education killed curiosity" we should work on making education fuel students' curiosity by having more debates and discussion on things that actually matter . we should let student be in charge sometimes and guide them on other times. we should work on making the student - teacher realtionship better and make the school environment more joyful and energetic. Fixing educational systems is not easy at all. but everything has a starting point. Students , teacher and authorities should work hand in hand to make a powerful system that can raise a good generation.

            Conclusion : Yes school takes the joy out of the learning process and sometimes of students' lives and YES that should change.


            The Wonder Duo




            Khaoula & Rachid

            xx


             Social media links :   twitter , facebook  , bloglovin

              The life of an introvert. © 2014