lifephenomenon-blog

[lifephenomenon-blog]

[lifephenomenon-blog]

[lifephenomenon-blog]

the worst part about being lied to is knowing you are being lied to and the person lying to you still doesn’t think you are worth the truth

[lifephenomenon-blog]

Immigrant Poem

I cross the Atlantic ocean bearing nothing but hope

No money, no family just a bag of hand me downs

I leave behind my war-torn country, my people, my home

A once restless city now diminished to a ghost town

 I steal one last glance of what my children will never see

Then begin my perilous journey to the promised land

Call me gullible but happiness is a guarantee

A haven for liberty and bliss which no one withstands

 The boat is unstable with the weight of many like me

Unsure, if it will carry the children, women and men

Unsure if it will carry their hopeful souls to safety

Unsure of the future that awaits them time and again

 Arrival is not what I thought

Not always warm not always welcoming

Airport security throwing out my already few belongings

Applying for residence in a language I cannot read

 For the first few months I explore my new home

Like a lion cub separated from its pride

The weather, the food, the blank, expressionless faces

everything seems foreign to the foreigner

 But just like seasons change, I will too

Once summer comes around , the park is everyone's wonderland

The sun's rays warm the ground for everyone to share

Sharing is belonging and now I belong  

[lifephenomenon-blog]

Hijab (Headscarf)

I don't understand why people see the hijab as a symbol of oppression. At least I know that whoever I end up with, loves me for who I am rather than what type of body I posses. My body is sacred and no one deserves to see it unless they know the true me. But at the end of the day, it is a choice I made gladly. Everybody defines the term liberal or freedom differently and wearing the hijab is my form of freedom.

[lifephenomenon-blog]

Horse meat scandal

Me: I am so hungry I could probably eat a horse *Thinks I am eating beef*

Brother: You ARE eating a horse *smiles deviously*

[lifephenomenon-blog]

Donald Trump, a complete DISASTER?

Donald Trump maybe blinded by his fortune and xenophobia but as always he has a splendid agenda to make America a better functioning society. It is not his ideas that are bad, it is the way he plans to execute them. For example: lowering the unemployment rate by hiring American citizens (good idea) by deporting Mexicans to create more room in the workforce (bad idea). What do you guys think?

[lifephenomenon-blog]

Waking up in the morning screaming “WHERE IS THE COFFEE MAKER???” 

Me: *looks harder and feels around the counters*

Sister: *rolls eyes*”We don't have one.”

Me: *sobs*

[lifephenomenon-blog]

Depiction of “Orientalism” in Modern Day Television Series Homeland

In the span of time between 1798 and 1801, Napoleon Bonaparte set sail for the “Orient” initiate the French Campaign of Egypt and Syria for improving French trade and scientific progression. In the conquest of Egypt, Bonaparte demanded his scholars to formulate a survey analysis of every conceivable aspect for enhancement of European knowledge regarding the “Orient” (Said, as quoted in Jhally 1998). Thus Bonaparte’s array of studies constituted the concept of “Orientalism” under which the diverse societies of the East would forever bound to be a homogenous, stagnant and static society. The term “Orientalism” is often defined in two manners: “The study of ‘oriental’ societies by Europeans (Vandergeest,2014, Lecture 19).” And “The way that Asia and people from Asia are systematically stereotyped (Vandergeest, 2014, Lecture 19) .” Contemporary media spectra display “Orientalism” on a daily basis for a mostly “Western” audience “whereby ‘... a dynamic First World contrasts itself with a static, timeless and unchanging Third World (Morgan and Pritchard:169, 242).’ (Echtner and Prasad, 2003, p.661)” Generally, media outlets for english speaking individuals are under American influence in which American “Orientalism”, a politically driven, indirect and abstract basis of the East, is presented. Showtime’s season 4 Homeland promotional poster is a phenomenal sample of modern-day usage of orientalist ideologies. The poster consists of a group of burqa clad women and a sole an anglo-saxon woman draped in a bright red head scarf amidst them. The title of the show, Homeland, is presented in bold, bright, capitalized, red font at the top centre of the poster in which the ‘e’ is facing backwards. The role of American “Orientalism” in contemporary media outlets such as Homeland predefines and reiterates the role of Eastern civilization as heinous, ignorant, segregated and oppressed society. The variety of television series in the United States extend from comedy to crime nevertheless, the persistence of racial, ethnic and religious undertone is frequent. Homeland is no exception to the profusion of intolerance that plagues the media spectra with its unique instillation of current political perspectives. Its poster exhibits women covered with dark grey burqas, a cloth that covers a person from head to toe, whereas the female, anglo-saxon, protagonist named Carrie wears a bright red head scarf halfway across her head in which modest quantity of hair is visible. Firstly, this presents a matter of identity to which Carrie is given but her fellow dwellers are deprived of forcing the retraction of the sensual mysteriousness of “Orient” women.  It also juxtapositions the factors of freedom and oppression through the burqas symbolic emphasis of religious restriction and uniformity which completely contradicts the modernity of Western livelihood. Another interpretation is the poster’s reenactment of Little Red Riding Hood surrounded by the darkness and unpredictability of the forest and wolves due to Carrie’s facial expression. This stresses the ideology of oriental people as immoral as well as savage characters. “…Arabs almost always play the role of a terrorist, violent people and irrationals and so forth (Said, as quoted in Jhally 1998).” Irrationality is expressed through the zombie-like dawdling of the burqa clad women and on the other hand, Carrie who appears to be considerably resistant. An additional oriental aspect is the backward letter “E” in the title which is symbolically engenders the revisiting of the literal backwardness of the East as presented in oriental theory. Overall, the poster emphasizes the superiority of the Western World through the adjacent placement of ‘Orient’ women and a Western woman (Echtner and Prasad, 2003, p.667). The “East” is often categorized as weak, helpless, and homogenous yet currently considered a demonic and despotic society. Complications that are common and featured on the Homeland promotional poster comprise of cultural misrepresentation, and the division of the public sphere. Though the bulk of season 4 was set in Pakistan, the poster only innovates the Afghan burqa rather than the Pakistani khamez and shalwar. Even so, the Afghani burqa is traditionally blue rather than black which is a Saudi tradition. An additional issues arose from the depiction of orientals their homogenous character; the women were all in burqas of similar colour and size. “…quoting Lane on the Egyptians and on the theory that orientals are all the same no matter where you find them whether it is in India, or Syria, or Egypt, it is basically the same essence (Said, as quoted in Jhally 1998).”This quote suggests that the concept of “Orientalism” remains completely oblivious to the existence of diversity which the poster further reiterates. Based on the image of the poster, there is no male presence in the mass of women, thus indicating a gender division in the public sphere. This approaches the less prejudiced factors of orientalist: “tradition and religious restriction (Vandergeest, 2014, Lecture 20).” The indicated factors do place restraints on the activities of both on matters such as fornication, and the consumption of alcohol and pork but are distorted to justify American imperialism in the East (Said, as quoted in Jhally 1998). By hyperbolizing the aforementioned restrictions, the Western audience is more bound to suppress interest in oriental livelihood. The universal belief that oriental images of the East appeal to a broader spectrum of consumers as well as correctly represent the cultures of the East is a common misconception. It not only provokes xenophobia but incorporates it into regularly absorbed forms of popular culture.With the illustration of the Homeland poster, it is possible to revise it yet serve its original purpose while avoiding the act of generating stereotypes. The first aspect of change would be applied to the diversification of the crowd surrounding Carrie by means clothing them in their traditional attire, incorporating men into the image and giving the other characters an identity. The heterogeneity of the crowd would absolutely eliminate the factors of homogeneity and oppression alongside the implementation of a realistic representation of the East. In conclusion, the role of American “Orientalism” in contemporary media outlets such as Homeland predefines and reiterates the role of Eastern civilization as heinous, ignorant, segregated and oppressed society. Most of the audience who view Homeland, failed to notice the indisputable distortion of Eastern cultures and traditional on the promotional poster signify prevalent lack of awareness. With a growing number of xenophobic media outlet towards Arabs and Southeast Asians, American imperialism is fast approaching its peak.To successfully eradicate oriental misconception, hasty generalization of  a nation, race or ethnic group should minimized in mass media. Thus the latter along with the correct depiction of Eastern cultures, the concept of “Orientalism” will be resolved.

[lifephenomenon-blog]

Weird Thoughts

That awkward moment when a friend posts a nature photo with a “#nofilters” hashtag and you think “nature doesn’t need filters because it has self-esteem”

[lifephenomenon-blog]

[lifephenomenon-blog]

Wollaston Lake, Ontario. Simplicity of life at it’s best :)

[lifephenomenon-blog]

This would make a perfect gift bag designing ability. This is for those of you who struggle to find the right patterns.

[lifephenomenon-blog]

6 Types of Unforgettable Commuters!

At one point of your life or another, you have or will take a form public transportation from point A to point B. In the process you will notice several categories of commuters from all walks of life. And so, the list begins:

The masters of conflict: This man or woman (mostly men) has an issue the second they step onto the bus. They always wear a sour expression, tap their foot and critically observe their surroundings. Anything from a question to an accidental bump can send them spiralling into perpetual anger.

The “I am only here because my car broke down” people: This bright bunch are often too pre-occupied to notice their own stop. The formal attire, luxury brand footwear and handbag distinguish them from all other commuters. Their laughable and obvious attempts to look distinctive make them a zoo-attraction.

The high school bunch: Warning, they NEVER stop talking! A catholic school uniform or extremely casual clothing and fruity scents give them away (or at least the girls). This extremely talkative bunch will only be seen from 8:00-9:00 A.M and 3:30-4:30 P.M, making them a rare spectacle.

The college flock: With their neat hair, make-up and overall gleaming appearance, they sip away their coffee. An unreal yet raw experience of cramming for exams but never a book during the rest of the year. Their calm and collected lifestyle makes them the most approachable people in such hostile environment.

The university crowd: They complete the subway’s dull grey seating and frosted windows with their sweatpants and intense looks. They never look up from their books and phones to hide their lifeless faces (no sleep the night before). Showers are often optional for most creating a stench that will scar you.

The weed fanatics: This loner often looks sketchy in their over sized clothing and reeks of weed. Staring into distant spaces or even worse, at you in a hollow, demented manner is their specialty. They board the bus around 8:00-9:00 P.M, are often harmless and sit on their own to avoid humanity as a whole.

[lifephenomenon-blog]

6 Types of Unforgettable Commuters!

At one point of your life or another, you have or will take a form public transportation from point A to point B. In the process you will notice several categories of commuters from all walks of life. And so, the list begins:

The masters of conflict: This man or woman (mostly men) has an issue the second they step onto the bus. They always wear a sour expression, tap their foot and critically observe their surroundings. Anything from a question to an accidental bump can send them spiralling into perpetual anger.

The “I am only here because my car broke down” people: This bright bunch are often too pre-occupied to notice their own stop. The formal attire, luxury brand footwear and handbag distinguish them from all other commuters. Their laughable and obvious attempts to look distinctive make them a zoo-attraction.

The high school bunch: Warning, they NEVER stop talking! A catholic school uniform or extremely casual clothing and fruity scents give them away (or at least the girls). This extremely talkative bunch will only be seen from 8:00-9:00 A.M and 3:30-4:30 P.M, making them a rare spectacle.

The college flock: With their neat hair, make-up and overall gleaming appearance, they sip away their coffee. An unreal yet raw experience of cramming for exams but never a book during the rest of the year. Their calm and collected lifestyle makes them the most approachable people in such hostile environment.

The university crowd: They complete the subway’s dull grey seating and frosted windows with their sweatpants and intense looks. They never look up from their books and phones to hide their lifeless faces (no sleep the night before). Showers are often optional for most creating a stench that will scar you.

The weed fanatics: This loner often looks sketchy in their over sized clothing and reeks of weed. Staring into distant spaces or even worse, at you in a hollow, demented manner is their specialty. They board the bus around 8:00-9:00 P.M, are often harmless and sit on their own to avoid humanity as a whole.