Book Review: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

I have recently read The Kite Runner and its absolutely one of my favorite books. Khaled Hosseini is a very talented writer, he has perfectly written the book and his use of descriptive techniques makes it easier for everything to be visually imagined. I honestly give this book a 10/10 and I highly recommend it.

The story revolves about a Pashtun boy called Amir, who is a Sunni Muslim and another boy called Hassan who is a Hazara Shia Muslim. These two boys live in Afghanistan with Agha Sahib and Ali. In the beginning of the story, the writer shows us that Ali is Hassan's father and Agha Sahib is Amir's father.
Hassan is bullied for being a Hazara. Hassan and Amir grew up together and they were like brothers until Hassan shows his loyalty by catching up with a kite in a competition so Amir would win. Hassan gets raped by a boy, Amir saw everything but he was too scared to step in. His betrayal to Hassan makes him feel terrible, he makes his dad kick Hassan and Ali (who were their servants) outside of their house by accusing Hassan of stealing.
Afghanistan gets invaded by Russians so Amir and his father move to America. Amir gets married to an Afghan girl called Soraya, Amir's father passes away because of cancer. Amir finds out that Hassan and his wife got killed by the Taliban, he also finds out that Hassan is his half brother so he goes back to Afghanistan to find Hassan's son, Sohrab who is also his half nephew.


I loved this story because it shows how your whole life could be a lie; Hassan grew up believing he was Ali's son and he died oblivious; Amir grew up believing that Hassan is his servant's son and after being told by his father's good friend, he found out that Hassan is his half brother.
I also can relate to this story because in the story it shows how the Pashtuns (Sunni Muslims) hated the Hazaras (Shia Muslims) which is a huge problem where I live. I can also relate because it shows how blood is actually thicker than water. It also shows the brotherhood that can occur between Shia and Sunni Muslim.
"Never mind any of those things. Because history isn't easy to overcome. Neither is religion. In the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara, I was Sunni and he was Shi'a, and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing.
But we were kids who had learned to crawl together, and no history, ethnicity, society, or religion was going to change that either."

How NOT to embarrass yourself in public

If you know me then you probably know that I'm a really awkward person and I always tend to embarrass myself somehow. It's quite ironic for ME to be helping people not embarrass themselves but oh well, I'll try. Everything written is based upon my experience.

#1: DON'T ANALYZE EVERYTHING!
I do this one a lot. A few months ago, I was in my grandmother's house and I was basically analyzing how I could stand up from my sitting position without falling into the food that was placed on the floor in front of me. As silly as that may sound, it was a very stressful moment in my life but at least, I didn't fall into the food.


#2: ALWAYS WATCH YOUR STEPS!
Your parents have probably told you this before because its so important! When I was in Georgia a few months ago -check out my traveling blog www.unexploredbeauty.blogspot.com (It's always time for a promo) okay so we used to go out every night for walks and we were like a huge number of people, so I was peacefully walking and thinking about what were gonna have for dinner and then I suddenly FELL ON MY FACE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.


#3: DON'T MAKE FUN OF PEOPLE IN FRONT OF THEM!
Where I live most people speak either Arabic or English (or a mixture of both languages) but there are some groups of people which are Arab by blood but Iranian by roots so they can speak Persian as well. So the other day, I was with my mom in a supermarket and the cashier was really slow -I was in a hurry- I made fun of him in Persian, not expecting him to understand but then he glared at me and I found out that he spoke and understood Persian as well.


#4: DON'T TRY TO GUESS SOMEONE'S NAME!
If you forgot someone's name then don't try to guess it because you might embarrass yourself. "Sorry, I'm terrible with names. What was it again?" I have tried saying this and it works, surprisingly, people appreciate it as well.
"Sorry, I'm terrible with names. What was it again?"
"I'm ___"
"Oh nice to see you ___"
*when leaving*
"Okay bye ___, see you around."

-The point is, you should repeat the person's name as much as you can -without making it awkward- while looking them in the eyes.

#5: WAVED AT SOMEONE BY MISTAKE? NO PROBLEM.
Oldest trick in the book, when you wave at someone by mistake, as soon as you realize it move your hand to your hair quickly and brush your hair -act natural-


___________________________
Twitter: @BloggerFatema

Short Fiction Story!

I rushed into the school hurriedly. Late as usual, nothing new. I wondered how I got my scholarship but then I realized I had to be somewhere; I couldn't waste more time.

The building wasn't like the building I had imagined. The walls weren't decorated like a normal high school, it looked more like a military camp. The school was dull and shallow, everything looked dead. I wondered if I was in the wrong building but then again, it said "Washington State High School".  Maybe that's what a school should like, maybe the plain walls help the students focus more. I don't know, I'm in America; they know best.

I walked past the monotonous hallways, all the hallways looked the same; colorless and dead. The repetitious hallways were soul destroying. The students also looked mind-numbed by the insipid walls; they stared at me with hostile eyes, I smiled and walked. I didn't want to get in trouble in the first day so I kept a distance between the zombie-like students. 

I headed to an expansive room that had a projector in the middle and a man that looked like a teacher was lecturing all the students. I bustled to the other side of the spacious room and stood behind some chairs.
"As you all know, guns are allowed in the campus just in case of any emergencies. We all know about the shooting that happened last year; I hope the students are sane enough not to pull the trigger this year."

I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. Why on earth would a school allow guns? It was a high school for gods sake! A headache developed in my head because of thinking too much. Guns weren't even allowed for citizens in my country, how could a HIGH SCHOOL allow guns? 

While walking -and stumbling here and there- to the room I was assigned to, I tried to avoid eye contact as much as I could. As dead eyed people looked at me, all I could think about was that every single person here -except me- has a gun. I broke out in a cold sweat thinking about where I was stuck in for the next year.

 I opened the door of my dorm. A slightly muscular, fair skinned boy was standing in the middle of the room, as he looked up I noticed his green-grey eyes. There was one thing he had in common with all the other students here; they all had hostile eyes. 

He looked at me intensely, I felt as though his gaze bore holes in me. 
"Hey, I'm Ziyad. I guess I'm your roommate," I said as I felt a lump lodge itself in my throat.
"I'm Isaac and I wont shoot you unless you annoy me."
Such an auspicious way to introduce himself.
 "I've got a rule; stay out of my side of the room. I really don't mind shooting another person so play by the rules, understood?" he said, his voice serious.
And then it hit me. He wasn't humorous, he meant everything he said. 

I felt my stomach crumble as my heart started racing. The thought of sleeping with someone who had just threatened to kill me was petrifying. I couldn't sleep that night, I kept on replaying a scene in my mind; the scene where he might decide to kill me in the middle of my sleep. 
 ______________________

-Twitter: @BloggerFatema

Zoella!

Despite the fact that her channel is about beauty, Zoe Sugg has been an influential youtuber who has effected many teenagers' life but of course, fame has its ups and downs.

Zoe Sugg who is also known as Zoella on YouTube has been receiving hate lately; it is said that she is overrated and doesn't deserve to be a role model. In fact, Zoella has been mentioned by The Telegraph as one of "Britain's most influential Tweeters" in 2013. 

The fact that she has anxiety and is now a famous Youtuber can have a really positive impact on people who deal with social anxiety; it can give hope to everyone dealing with social anxiety. 

Zoella has effected so many people and she is a very influential role model and whoever hates her is just not focusing on everything good she has ever done; through out all the time that i have watched her videos, I have never heard her say anything that is critical and judgmental.

These are just a few ways of how she has effected people and a few reasons of why people consider her as a role model:

"Shes helped me with my anxiety. Shes showed me that I'm not alone and that i can actually go out and do things. (:" -@Alfietbfh

"Some of the advice she gives is inspirational. She is also the reason i am who i am without her and the rest of the YouTube crew i won't have much confidence, if I'm down they help me smile again." -@Hannah_Sugglet

"Well , basically , she is my role model because she is a really nice person in general who has helped people deal with suicidal thoughts" -@Aleeshaaxo

"She has helped me stay positive in negative situations & how to be strong. She's my role model because she's so kind and strong and successful, and I hope to be like that when I grow up."- @zozeecutie


"Because her happiness and the way she is how lovely and helpful and honest she is makes her a lovely person. She's not perfect like everyone but she still puts a smile on our faces. She has an amazing personality and talented at creating more videos about beauty and how she does and it helps a lot of people for new hair do's and beginners in makeup, and u couldn't thank her enough." -@simplyzoellaa

Scarred For Life.

In our lives, we have all heard stuff that effected us in various ways. Now, serious things may scar us but as a child, the most ridiculous things could have caused us fear.

#1: I live in a hot and dry country so when its finally a bit cold, all insects leave their houses. When I was 5 years old, my mom had told me that lizards are really dangerous; she said that if a lizard touches your body then it will stick to your body and will not move unless you get an operation. Being a 5 year old, having a lizard sticking to my body for the rest of my life or having an operation were the two most fearful things I could think of. To this day, I am terrified of lizards.

#2: I used to never wear seat belts in the car because I found them very annoying and uncomfortable. In an attempt to make me finally wear a seat belt, my dad told me that the sound the car makes when someone isn't wearing the seat belt is actually the car counting down; when the sound stops, a punching glove will come out and punch me in the face. To this day, I NEVER sit in a car without wearing my seat belt.

#3: I always wore tan tops when I was younger but I was really overweight, so once my aunt started making fun of me; she said I had very fat arms. I knew she was just joking but I was effected but what she said. To this day, I NEVER wear tank tops, not even at home; I don't even wear them to look at myself in the mirror.

#4: When I was 5, my parents traveled for about a year so my brother and I were left with our aunt. My brother ate a lot but I had a low appetite so my aunt thought that her making me eat was a good thing to do. She stuffed my face with food and threatened me that she'll make me eat pepper if I don't eat my lunch/dinner. Back then, the thought of eating pepper was very scary. To this day, -although I'm not afraid of peppers anymore- if I go to her house for a family gathering, I will always leave the dining room with an empty plate.

Becoming who I am today.

I have changed a lot through out my life and i guess that's just shaping my personality. I was a completely different person a few years back; my life has turned upside down and so have I.

5 things that shaped me to who i am today:

#1: Negative thinking to positive thinking.
The most important thing to change in your life is the way you think and your aspect of life. I used to think negatively all the time which slowly killed me and developed to a really big problem. After years of negative thinking, I have decided that I have to change. Changing the way I think was a major turning point in my life; I changed from a pessimist to an optimist.

 

#2: Losing weight.
3 years ago, I was obese and borderline diabetic. To this day, I am not supported for living healthily. Although having a child who is healthy is every parents dream, its not my parents' dream; they wish for a 'normal' child who eats everything. The day I found out I was borderline diabetic was the day I had decided that I have to lose wight; my life changed; I changed my life; the food i ate; the way i used to think; and the way i used to feel. After losing almost 20 kilograms, I started believing in
myself and I found out that whatever i set my mind to, I can accomplish.

 

 #3: Learning from my mistakes.

I used to get upset when I failed in anything, whether it was school work or a competition. Today, when I fail in tests, competitions or exams; I note down where I went wrong and i figure out how I can fix my mistakes. I now believe that mastery comes through practice and practice happens through failure. 

#4: Losing friends.

Last year, i have lost a dozen of friends but although, I was depressed after they all left me; I realized that it was for the best. After months of isolation and sadness, I told myself that they are out of my life for a reason and God have taken them out of my life, in order for me, to be happy. Everything happens for a reason and them leaving my life is for the best.

#5: Accepting myself the way I am.
Self acceptance and self love are words that sound like an easy thing but is really hard to achieve. Years of insecurity and self hate have finally led to years of self love and self acceptance. I have worked very hard on this point and I finally can truly say that I love and accept myself the way I am. I may not be the kindest, most intelligent or most beautiful person in the world, but i try hard to change myself into best version of myself and i think that's why I should love myself.

 

Bullying: Wake Up Call.

Bullying has been such a common thing nowadays that its completely normal for someone to witness bullying at least 5 times a day. People are unjustly treated and humiliated in public for the sake of someone's laughter. People have completely forgotten how to joke and laugh unless it has something to do with making fun of someone else.
The bullying epidemic is developing so quickly that 1/3 of children are being bullied or have been bullied before. 

If you think bullying is not a serious issue, take a look at the statistics:
1- Bully victims are 2-9 times more likely to consider suicide.
2- 56% of students have witnessed bullying.
3- 71% students report incidents of bullying as a problem.
4- 282,000 students are physically attacked in school every month.
5- 90% of fourth to eighth grade students report being bullied.
6- Thousands of students miss school everyday because they are scared of being bullied.
7- Every 1 out of 10 people who drop out of high school, do it because of bullying.
8- 87% of students say that school shootings are because people want to get back at people who had bullied them.

In terms of how bullying effects people; bullying destroys everything about a person; it destroys everything that they are. Bullying may cause a person to be insecure, depressed, and also it can develop social anxiety.

Although this epidemic is causing so many problems, people are not trying hard enough to stop it. In fact, no one should stop anyone from bullying; parents should teach their children to accept everyone the way they are. Every few minutes, someone attempts suicide; now as your are reading this, someone might be attempting suicide. Someone might be getting bullied right now. Someone might be crying their eyes off and harming themselves because of what someone might have told them.

Every person that cares about what other people have to say about her/him should start to loving themselves. I know you might think that its not easy but its actually simple: tell yourself you love and accept yourself and you soon enough will.

If you're a bully you should know that everyone has feelings, everyone has feelings and a heart. People will think about what you say, even if you say it as a joke. People WILL get upset. Think about your actions, consider the consequences. If you are bullying someone and telling them that they are things that they are not, STOP and BE KIND.

If you are being bullied, you have to reach out for help. You also need to question what people say about you because its probably not true.
When someone brings you down, remember how strong you are; how many times you have been put down; how many times you have experienced those close minded people. No matter what anyone says, you must not fall! When you are pushed down, you should stand on your feet again.

You must believe in yourself and wake up everyday energized and tell yourself that whatever you couldn't do yesterday, you can do today. Be yourself, work for yourself, believe in yourself and love yourself.

To everyone else: stand up to bullying. Say something, whoever you are, do not tolerate bullying. Reach out to the people who are being bullied, listen to them, help them; you might be the only savior they get.

We are all human beings and we all deserve to be treated with some kind of respect. I really believe if we work together, if we are informed and if we stand up to this; we can help make bullying less of a problem in our generation.

Passions & Ambition Pursuing

"When you know within yourself that there's something you need to do and i believe that all of us were born with a purpose; that all of us have something that we are supposed to do; that all of us have some goodness within us and that goodness gives us a responsibility to manifest our greatness." Les Brown.

Earlier last year, i have realized that i don't just want to be alive; i want to be living. I want to have fun and work on my ambitions. I have decided to study computer science or literature in university and i want to attend The University Of Manchester. I have always been passionate about both subjects and i think it would be perfect for me to study a subject i am passionate about in a country that i love and have heard many stories about from my mom.

My decision isn't just a dream, its something that I'm working on for the past two years. I have accomplished one of my goals which is to get an A in Maths (which i was almost failing) and i am working hard to get The Cambridge Certificate, IGCSE and then finally get my IB diploma. I know what I'm trying to achieve isn't easy to accomplish but i believe i can do whatever i set my mind to.

"Not only is it possible for you to have your dream, its necessary that you have it; that you work on it; that you develop yourself; That you go for what is yours in the universe."

Money Doesn't Buy Happiness.

"Money doesn't buy happiness" How often do we hear this quote? Some people think that when someone is wealthy that means they can't be sad, depressed or lonely. In fact money and feelings have nothing to do with each other.

Yes, indeed. Money can buy TEMPORARY happiness. When you buy something you can be very happy and excited about it but that "happiness" wont last forever.
For example:
When you buy a Ferrari or even a new house, you will feel delightful but your feelings will only last for a few days and then your feelings will change to however you felt before you bought the car and you won't be excited and thrilled anymore.

Many people (not necessary wealthy but are doing well financially) have numerous problems. When you have everything you need, some people will think that you have no right to be sad. Your family won't help make you feel better, instead they will say, "You have everything you need and you're sad? look at the poor people and think again."
You might think that well financed parents will probably send their children to therapy but the problem is that the parents will never know how depressed, sad or unstable their children might be; they're too busy in their work to pay attention.
I know someone who has been depressed for 3 years and her parents never knew until she reached to a point where she didn't talk to them anymore and she's from a well financed family.

Every family has its own problems whether its financially, educationally or mentally. My point is that not everyone wealthy is happy and not everyone poor is sad. Depression has no mercy, it will attack anyone; rich or poor. When someone is mentally unstable or shows signs of depression, make sure to talk to them because you might be their last piece of hope.

Be kind to everyone, you never know what someone might be going through.

The Maze Runner!

First, i want to thank my friend who knows herself for encouraging to start a blog. Second, this blog doesn't have a specific type of posts, i plant to write about anything that comes to mind (movie/book reviews, thoughts, ambitions, journeys) and i hope everyone likes my posts.

It is an honor to start my blog writing about such an amazing movie/novel. I have bought the novel yesterday and saw the movie the day before yesterday therefore this post is going to be a movie review with a book review that will follow soon!

The movie consisted of the most incredible actors of all time. Dylan O'Brien from Teen Wolf as Thomas, Kaya Scodelario from Skins(UK) as Teresa, Will Poulter as Gally, Thomas Sangster as Newt, Aml Ameen as Alby and Ki-Hong Lee as Minho.


It was about a boy called Thomas who wakes up in an elevator to a different place and then he meets about 60 boys who had all been through the same experience. Thomas loses his memory but remembers his name only. He meets Chuck, Newt and Minho whom he later became friends with. Thomas is a brave and courageous boy who decides that he doesn't want to live the rest of his life where he doesn't belong; he wants to go home. He then becomes a runner with Minho and they run into the maze -that is the only way out- and they try to figure the way out. Minho has been running the maze for 3 years but have never gotten through it. Thomas is the first person who had survived a night in that maze. Later on, a girl called Teresa wakes up there as well but she feels somehow connected to Thomas. Teresa and Thomas find out that they've been working with the people who kept the boys in that empty place. Thomas teams up with Minho, Newt, Chuck and a couple of other guys and with Thomas' determination they find a way out of the maze.

In conclusion, the movie was flawlessly acted and produced, the actors performances were breathtaking and the plot was perfect. I think that what the movie shows is that with perseverance everything is possible; although Thomas wasn't allowed to be in the maze because 'it's dangerous', he says, "We get out now or we die trying." and he gets out in the end.