RSS Feed
Areeb – Life of I.
  1. Lucas

    January 16, 2016 by Areeb

    Lucas. Think of that name. Lucas, the blacksmith. A man, at the height of his youth, rippling muscles all down his chest, wiping his forehead with the shirt that he has just removed. He raises his hammer once again, preparing to forge this gold bar into proportion. His biceps engage as he brings the hammer down, striking the gold, producing sparks, adding to the heat of the blacksmith he works in. In the corner of the shop sits a lady. Jade, her name is. She stares longingly at him, considering his body. Hotter than Hades, she declares. Her eyes wander, taking in every inch of him, before she is interrupted by the sound of footsteps. In walks Princess Claire, her faithful assistant by her side, Andrew.

    “Blacksmith! Come and kneel at once!” she shouts.

    “At once, my lady.” Lucas responds, setting the hammer down. He proceeds to the entrance, passing by his lovely wife Cayleigh, who hands him a glass of water. The two smile at each other, then Lucas continues to the front, where he kneels down.

    Princess Claire eyes him. “I believe the King had requested a finely crafted gold bar from you?”

    “Ah, of course!” Lucas says as he rushes to the back of his shop to retrieve it.

    Inside, Jade has moved to the anvil. She is slowly stroking the gold bar, thinking of how soft it is. She looks at the furnace, blasting heat from its coals. Then she strokes the anvil, thinking of how hard, solid and unforgiving it is. Her eyes move upwards as the thought hits her: The only thing hotter than the furnace, and harder than the anvil must be… Lucas’s abs. She picks up the gold bar and imagines the wedding ring she wishes he would present to her. “Yes, Lucas. Yes, I’ll marry you!”

    “What?” Lucas asks as he walks into the room.

    Jade freaks out and throws the gold bar at him. It hits him in the stomach and the breath explodes out of his lungs as he drops to the ground. The gold bar clatters to the ground. Cayleigh rushes into the room. Jade looks at her, than back at Lucas, then at the gold bar. There is a perfect imprint of a chiseled 6-pack on the face of the soft metal. Lucas is gasping for breath, Cayleigh holding his head in her lap asking over and over again: “Are you OK?”

    When Lucas doesn’t respond, she calls out “Help! Someone help! Call the doctors!”

    Andrew rushes into the room, holding out his IPhone.

    Cayleigh shrieks “Call 911!”

    Andrew stares at his phone screen. “I don’t know the phone number!”

    The phone buzzes. Andrew continues “Oh no! The gold bar was supposed to be delivered 5 minutes ago! Princess Claire cannot be left waiting!”

    He grabs the gold bar and rushes out of the room. Cayleigh follows him, begging him to call 911.

    Jade, meanwhile, had her phone out, and snapped a picture of the golden 6-pack bar. She stares at it longingly, before Cayleigh returns, snatching the phone from her and calling the first person on the list.

    “Hello?” The voice of Ziyana can be clearly heard.

    “Please call a doctor! my husband is a lot of pain! I think he’s dying!” Cayleigh screeches.

    “Don’t worry, I’m a trained doctor, where are you?” Ziyana says.

    “Anvil’s Blacksmith!”

    “I’ll be right over! Now you, patient! Move your chest to the right! i don’t want another broken window!”

    Cayleigh hangs up and throws the phone at Jade who is rising to her feet.

    “Did… Did you just call Lucas your husband?” Jade demands.

    Cayleigh nods. “We’ve been married for 2 years now!”

    Jade growls. “Back. Off. My. Man.”

    “What? He’s my husband, you creepy little girl,” Cayleigh shouted “Now get out of my shop!”

    “You get out! His abs are hotter than you could possibly appreciate!”

    “His abs aren’t the only reason I married him! He’s an amazing person!”

    “I’m sure you’d know. Back off!”

    Jade lunges at Cayleigh, grabbing her ponytail and yanking it. Cayleigh yells in pain. “What was that for!”

    Jade refuses to respond, slapping Cayleigh instead. Cayleigh pushes Jade over and the two begin fighting on the ground, rolling over, scratching, clawing, biting. Ziyana walks in and is startled by two sights: The girls fighting and Lucas’s abs.

    “Damnnn…” she whispers under her breath, before yelling over the two girls, “Do you mind? I have a patient back at home with a severe case of double D’s! Tell me what the problem is!”

    The girls go on fighting, ignoring her. Ziyana kneels over Lucas and prepares an inspection of his abs. “Hmm… Bruising… Unconscious patient. Probably knocked unconscious by lack of oxygen, severe winding.” She grabs Lucas by the legs and drags him outside, where she can take him by horse to the clinic. Princess Claire is standing there with two police officers. The officers look up as Ziyana exits and rush over to her.

    “Disposing the body, I see…” Gavin mutters.

    Ziyana is startled. “What? No! This patient requires immediate medical attention! Get out of my way!”

    Meanwhile, Officer Arsal has walked into the Blacksmiths and comes out, dragging the two girls along, still fighting.

    Arsal slaps handcuffs on them both. “Tell it to the judge, ladies…” He bundles them into the back of the police horse trolley and prepares to leave.

    “Wait!” Gavin calls, dragging the unconscious body of Lucas with him, Ziyana following. He adds them to the cart, and sits on the other horse. The two depart.

    Andrew!” Princess Claire yells. “Get me my cart now!”

    About a minute later, Andrew returns with the cart, and the two follow the officers.

    —————————–

    The Judge looked over the four people. One doctor, one blacksmith, and two citizens. She adjusts her robe and begins to speak.

    “Who have you brought before me, officers?”

    Officer Arsal speaks up “Well, your honor…”

    He recounts the story as he knows it.

    Judge Sunvy looks down at him. “Very well… Doctor Ziyana, you are released without charge. As for the others, I will need the help of a special asset. Get the Priestess!”

    The crowd, full of high school students alike, watch as a side door opens and a girl in long, flowing white robes surrounding her (Gorgeous!?) body. In one hand she grips a cross, the other, a book of prayers. At the back of the crowd, Princess Claire arrives.

    Judge Sunvy speaks “Priestess Grace. We need your help to to sort out this matter. Will you plead the heavens for help in sorting out these three?”

    “Of course, your honor.” Grace kneels down, muttering prayers and calls for help.

    There is a sudden crack, the sky itself appears to be splitting in half, the clouds, sky and sun all rush away to make way for this new, outerworldly being to enter. The face of none other than God Hunni appears.

    “My lord, my lord, my lord! We have sent out the most humble of requests for you to assist us in our time of need! These three are presented before you, none of them can be sorted out! We beg for your assistance!” Grace preaches.

    As God Hunni opens her mouth, her voice emanates from everywhere at once. “What do you have to say for yourselves, you three!”

    Cayleigh springs to her feet. “God Hunni! I was but defending my gentle husband!”

    Jade springs to her feet. “God Hunni! I was but admiring his gentle abs!”

    Lucas remained unconscious.

    God Hunni nodded, slowly. “You, girls. You may be released, for having valid reasons for this squabble. Have Lucas be executed! He refuses to speak to his own god? How dare he! Kill him at once!”

    God Hunni’s face receded and the sky slammed shut. Cayleigh and Jade were released, and Lucas was prepared for execution.

    Away from prying ears, God Hunni muttered to herself “Can’t wait for those abs to be in heaven with me…”

    Lucas was pushed into a standing position, and tied with ropes so he would remain that way.

    Cayleigh cried out loud, over and over again, “No! Don’t do this! I love Lucas! He’s been the only one to ever understand me, to ever love me, don’t take him away from me!

    Jade cried out loud, over and over again, “Turn him around, dammit! I need another picture of his abs! Don’t take them away from me!”

    Neither were listened to, but Lucas stirred and woke up slowly. “What’s going on?”

    Princess Claire, striding up to him, stared him in the eyes. “You are being executed for ignoring God Hunni for not speaking when being spoken to. Begone, wretch”

    Lucas’s eyes widened. Claire deftly strode forward and plunged a dagger into his heart. Lucas gasped for breath, panting slowly and the life dripped out of him. The moan of a lost love can be heard from Cayleigh, and the moan of lost sexual desires can be heard from Jade. Princess Claire steps back, grinning, laughing, and eventually calling out “Red – hot!”

    Lucas gasped his final breath, unmoving. Princess Claire held out her hand. Andrew rushed over and planted the gold bar in her hands. She placed them on his abs and muttered “A perfect fit.”

    Cayleigh sobbed “My love! My only love! Lucas…”

    Jade sobbed “His abs! The greatest abs! Lucas…”

    God Hunni grinned. Those abs were hers now.


  2. Silence – Descriptive piece

    January 10, 2016 by Areeb

    Silence. Silence in the treetops. The leaves. The dying yellows, oranges, reds, maroons… Living out their last days on Mother Nature’s death row, having given life to the father tree and discarded to make food for it. The sickening crunch of life ending occurs with every step I take, leaves being obliterated beneath me. I come to the rocks, this misshapen bunch of greys and whites, becoming gradually smoother as I head toward the river. This beast is silent, but has the potential to erupt from the depths and sweep everything in it’s path away, The trees may think they’re strong, but they are nothing without the dirt that holds them down, rooting them, giving life permitted by this beast. The beast slithers though a crack it had made long ago, with a simple swooshing sound, a swooshing sound that rose to thundering roars some years back, taking whatever it felt necessary to take, destroying what it wanted to. I run my fingers though the water, feeling the cool rush between them, as the water acknowledges my presence and makes way for me. I know that the farther I go in, the more I will have to make room for it, because, after all, Mother Nature always wins, and I am on the 100-year death row.


  3. Terminal Velocity – Short story

    January 10, 2016 by Areeb

    I looked down. There was an endless line of cars below me, spanning from one end of the Golden Gate to the other. All mindless commuters. A bumper-to-bumper stream of nameless individuals whom are on their way to their endless jobs, to get their minimal paychecks, try to keep up their meaningless lives, all so the next generation could do the exact same thing.

    I knelt down, checking my backpack, making sure everything was packed properly. The adrenalin was beginning to pump through me. My breathing sped up; short, shallow breaths as fast as my heart was going. Anticipation surged though me, as I tried to prepare myself for the jump.

    Here I was, up atop one of the Golden Gate towers, ready for my greatest BASE jump yet. Two hundred twenty-seven meters to the water. I would need to pull the chute after a 6 second freefall. Any more and I’d double my chances of hitting the water at terminal velocity. That’d be a shock for the people on the bridge. They probably don’t get any excitement in their lives, probably the most thing to happen to them was getting a raise at work.

    I’m glad I’m not one of them. I’m glad that I have a life to call my own. I’m glad that I have the money I need at my fingertips. Hell, I’m glad that I never had to raise a finger to get it, my parents’ money provides everything I’ll ever need. So I get to live my life full of excitement and adventure, and everyone below me just wasn’t lucky enough. Sucks to be them, right? They should have worked harder, been smarter, and shine brighter. Their fault for being a commuter, really. Their fault for not having a name for themselves.

    I slipped the backpack on, testing my harness one more time. I turned my back on the drones of today and tomorrow, and get ready to jump. Here’s to being better then everyone else! I took a quick step back to gain momentum, two, three. My leg muscles were tingling; I was waiting for the explosive moment when I would hurl myself over the edge. Another wave of anxiety washed over me, making me feel more alive. I took my final step back, and commanded my legs to hurl me over the edge.

    My leg obeyed, pushing forward with all of their strength. One leg did. The other one had no grip on the heel, causing me to slip and fall flat on my face. I had stepped back too far. The towers were a lot thinner than they were wide. I did an awkward half-roll and fell off the side.

    My speed picked up, and by the time I had gotten any sense of direction, I was falling and rapidly picking up speed. I was also falling on the wrong side of the bridge, hard concrete beneath me instead of flowing waves. I had cut my fall distance by sixty-seven meters by making one stupid error.

    I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled the chute cord. I felt the workings tumble and the parachute release. I was jerked up instantly, but I was still going to fast. I plummeted toward the ground, watching the cars below me. I would give anything to be in one of those cars. My eyes became a blur with tears. I was too young for this! I hadn’t even lived yet! I was barely twenty years old and already about to die. I closed my eyes and held my breath.

    There was a sudden jerk. My breath exploded out of my mouth and the straps on my harness cut into me, painfully. I felt myself falling backwards for a second before I slammed my back on something, winding me. I had gotten stuck on the suspension cord that held the bridge up. I couldn’t breathe. I was being held by my cords, one around my neck, more around my arms. I was in a deadly spider web of ripcord and rope, having the life choked out of me by my own weight. I could see below me. I was no more than ten meters from the ground. Cars below me slowed, stopped. People got out, a sea of faces that I would never have the pleasure of knowing by name. My eyes began to go black around the outsides, my vision focusing and un-focusing. I was so desperate to call for help. The release catch from on the harness was so close to my right hand. If I could just pull it my backpack would come undone, and I would fall the final ten meters back to earth.

    Directly below me, a young woman got out of her car. She walked over to the suspension wire and began to climb it. I couldn’t get a good view of her face as she slowly made her way up to me. My senses were overloaded, every sight tinged black, every sound having its own echo in my ears, my rapid breathing slowing down, becoming dry heaves. I had no feeling left in my limbs. I could barely feel my own heartbeat. Then I felt a slight pressure on my chest. That girl had made her way up to me, wrapping one arm around me while she tugged on the release cord on my harness. The backpack instantly disengaged and fell to the ground, and I instantly passed out of oxygen deprivation.

    When I came to, I was lying on the ground, that girl kneeling over me. She was slim, tall, Asian, athletic, and looked like she was a part-time ninja. I felt the blackness return to my eyes, began to pass out again. I My ears were ringing, but I could still hear what she said to me.

    “Hey, my name is Johanna.”

    I didn’t even get to introduce myself before I passed out.


  4. Dear Girls: Spoken Word

    January 10, 2016 by Areeb

    http://www.firstcovers.com/userquotes/68447/a+simple+smile+is+the+best+make+up+any+girl+can+wear.....html

    http://www.firstcovers.com/userquotes/68447/a+simple+smile+is+the+best+make+up+any+girl+can+wear…..html

     

    Dear Girls:

     

    Girls are a whole half of life,
    a whole half of life… I… don’t know so well, honestly.

    I mean, sure, girls. I can talk to you.
    I mean, sure, girls I can laugh with you
    I mean, sure, girls I can get mad at you.

    Sure, girls, I can fall in love with you,
    It doesn’t mean, though… It doesn’t mean I know you.

    Girls, why do you go through the pain,
    all this makeup, to attempt in vain,
    to make yourself beautiful, yet a clone,

    Not understanding your beauty is only ever your own.

    I understand, what I see outside is great,

    But heck boys, can we do else than to hate?

    Us, as boys, we abuse you

    Force you into cast iron molds,

    Hold you there with

    The handcuffs of media,

    The bindings of gossip,

    And the shackles of judgement

     

    If you want make up, then be my guest,

    But please, listen, and I’ll do my best,

    To speak a point having long been ignored

    my idea of true beauty, having yet been unexplored.

    Look into a mirror,

    tell me you’re not pretty.

    If you tell me so, I dare you to look harder

    Look past the words of others,

    shove the words which broke your image long ago,

    made your reflection shatter

    broke the mirror in your mind because you can’t bear to look at yourself,

    because all you’d see was the B____, S___, and W____.

    They cut you inside, made you bleed self image,

    Made you never want to show your face again.

    But you had to.

    You had to fight another needless round,

    Over and over again,

    Always coming back with a new scar

    Each time you took a turn in this never-ending circle

    You found a new way to twist your self image,

    To break yourself inside,

    Made you want to punch,

    Kick,

    Scream out loud

    STOP!

     

    …And let me tell you,

    A simple layer of foundation isn’t going to fix you

     

    Mirror, mirror, the only one of who’s image you control,

    the one part of you which makes you feel whole,

    Shove them, you’ll feel quite warm and cuddly,

    Without their words which make you feel ugly.

    If you broke the mirror in your mind because you weren’t attractive enough,

    Then shove it aside, break through the bluff,

    leave the labels behind, get a new mirror

    Because you’re only beautiful if you say you are.

     

    Don’t let our nasty words get to you,

    Guys are horrible, of which you should have a clue.

    Take my advice with a grain of salt,

    Not every boy displays these faults.

     

    We have our moments we wish we could take back,

    peer pressure broke us, they made us crack.

    If we fight against it, we’re kicked out, disowned.

    Forced to live our double-edged misery, all alone

    Do, speak, act as you please, it’s your choice,

    I speak here today to but give you a voice.

    I wish I could reap the rewards of the thoughts I hoard,

    But I can only speak frankly to boys, who sit here bored.

    BOYS! We’re not understanding, not getting on board,

    girls are a whole half of life we’ve never explored.


  5. Short stories

    January 9, 2016 by Areeb

    The following stories were inspired by two sentences (of which I used as the beginning and the end of the stories).

    Starting sentence: I wasn’t a Tlingit Indian.

    Ending sentence: “When my dad uses a belt on me, I know he’s trying to hurt me”

    I wasn’t a Tlingit Indian, I was an American. Born to a family of weak-minded natives, sent to a worthy school to study English and everything useful in the world. I was proud to stick out my chest and call myself an American. I might have only been sixteen, but I sure knew where I came from. The greatest county in the world, and damn proud of it.. At school, there were several Tlingit children who took their families philosophies seriously. I tried to tell them how stupid they were being, wasting their lives on impossible thoughts of God and nature’s beauty. They would always tap their nose and shake their head at me. During a particularly heated argument, one boy shoved me backwards and demanded to know why I boasted being American so much. I slapped him, pushed him down, and spat on his Ameyeta, or his ‘holy’ scarf that has been passed though each generation. The rest of the boys stared at me in shock. I began to turn around when the boy I had knocked down rose and ran at me, drawing his Stlickin (‘holy’ knife). I ducked under it and powered forward, taking his legs from under him. He collapsed face-first, his Stlickin falling from his hand. My hand shot out and grabbed it. I rolled him over and held the knife to his throat, growling. The boys surrounding us scattered. He looked at me with a steely expression.

    “I can see it in your soul. You don’t have the courage to cut me.”

    I pressed the knife into his throat a bit harder, leaning over him. “Says who?

    His eyes dropped. He spoke sincerely. “You’re different. You don’t want to hurt me.

    Deep down, I knew he was right. I relaxed the knife.

    He continued, “You’re different. You’re trying to scare me, not hurt me. See, when my dad uses a belt on me, I know he’s trying to hurt me.”

    ———————————————————————–

    Starting sentence: He stared back into the crackling, red-hot flames.

    Ending sentence: “Suit yourself, You’re the one working.”

    He stared back into the crackling, red-hot flames, the glee rushing through him. He’d done it! That’s idiot, that moron, that imbecile of a tattletale doesn’t have a home anymore! He could hear the squeals of some animal as it burned alive inside. Or maybe that was one of his parents! He could imagine that guy’s mom filing out a divorce application, the dad dead drunk in he basement, both of them looking up to the greatest surprise ever. How dare that kid tell on him! How dare he talk about the break in! How dare that guy tell the story of the looting, the destroying, and the getting away clean! That kid just happened to overhear me telling my friends about it, and told the entire world. Well, he does not have a home any more, so that’s that! He couldn’t imagine the cost of rebuilding the home, every dollar another spike of glee for him. He threw his head back and let out a cannon of a laugh, drowned out by the sounds of approaching sirens. He gave a single-finger salute to the house and began to walk down the alleyway. He saw some firemen arriving, in full suits and gear. They didn’t need it, didn’t need to break down the door and go inside the house. The house was done for. he grinned to himself and muttered “Suit yourself, You’re the one working.”


  6. Short emulation

    January 9, 2016 by Areeb

    The following is an emulation from Michael Grant. The challenge was to make a humorous piece in ten lines or less, as Grant often does.

    Original text:

    The kids looks at Sam

    “Mom’s not home? What do we do?” The older one asked

    Sam shrugged. “Stay inside for some time. Have a bit of ice cream. Maybe a cookie.

    He began to walk off, Astrid behind him.

    “That’s your solution? Have a cookie? In a new world, that’s the best you can do?’ Astrid asked.
    ‘No, my solution is to run down to the beach and hide out until this is all over,’ Sam said. ‘But a cookie never hurts.”
    Emulation:
    “I… I don’t know how to say this, but… I… I love you.
    I love you more than anything I’ve ever loved before.
    I want- I need to be with you, I need to hold you when you need someone.
    Please, baby, let me be the one.”
    I gazed deep into her unblinking eyes and drew here to me, our lips connecting.
    Then I set the doll down and left the room.

  7. Aneeq Qayyum – The interview

    November 6, 2015 by Areeb

    Main question – How do you define your quality of life?

    My brother is someone who is so close to me, he’s been with me practically every day of my life. I don’t think I’ve ever spent more than a week without having talked to him, ever since I could talk. Still, there are aspects about him that I do not know myself. My goal, though this interview, was to see more into my brother’s outlook on life, as it is something that I could never put my foot down and say to myself “This is what it is to him.”

    After reading this, I honestly did not come much closer to the answer, though I learned so much about him.

    Italics = Areeb

    Regular = Aneeq

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

    Hey bro! Thanks for coming over here, and agreeing to all this stuff. Now, I know I don’t have a legal document, but are you OK with me using your face here? I’m only asking this again for legal stuff.

    Sure? In lieu of me having a lawyer for myself, It’s OK.

    Haha, ok then. Let’s get this started! I’m going to be my narcissistic self and ask about me first.

    …OK.

    How well do you think you know me? Let’s do a scale of 10, with 10 being as much as ‘npoooo’ does.

    Specific, or in general?

    In general.

    Interesting question… I know a lot about you when you were younger, but not so much your school life. It’s tough to sum up a person in a number… If I had to choose an average… I’d say 8.

    8?

    Sure.

    Haha, all right. I’m not going to act all insulted or anything, I don’t know how to react *Laughs*

    Well, it’s the best answer I can give you on the spot.

    If you could pull a reverse Skulduggery and sum me up in 5 words, that’d be great.

    Sum you up in five words…? Ok… Witty, that still works. A combination of intelligent and quick-minded. Funny, that’s definitely one. Um… Hmm… This is interesting, you usually think people as what you know about them, not in specific, sort of, individual words. This is a lot harder that I thought it would be… *Long pause* I don’t actually know. I’m not sure. It’s hard to think of more words.

    Hmm, I’m that boring?

    No, not boring… It’s so easy to sum you up in such general terms. I tried to do that. If I broke them down more, I could probably come up with more words.

    I’m flattered… Sort of. Describe your childhood, like, any special or important memories you have from it.

    *Acts insulted* Am I not still within my childhood? Am I not young and innocent?

    *Laughing* It’s hard for me to claim otherwise, staring you in the face.

    Ok, well, what was the question again?

    Describe your childhood, like, any special or important memories you have from it.

    Well, what are we talking about? Good memories, bad memories, just memories in general?

    ALL the memories. But, for the purposes of this video, let’s say in general.

    Well, in general, I’d say that I had a lot of opportunities that lots of other people may have not had, and those were given to me for a variety of reasons. Um… One was that I had a good school and a good education thus far in my life. A big factor in that is the fact that our parents actually came over from their home country, Pakistan, and came over, having moved specifically to Alberta, which has a relatively high standard of education, if anything. If I was to say anything, that, I guess, it’s that I had a good education, and that’s opened a lot of doors for me.

    What was the most important thing you learned in school?

    The most important thing I ever learned in school…?

    Yes, 1+1=2 does not count.

    Well, that is important… I’d say the most important things you learn in school are more than just the facts. You can learn the facts on your own, but I think that school, especially High school, teaches you real-world strategies, such as time management, communicating effectively, and things like that. The most important one for me, was, for one, how to structure my day. Time management in general, I’m still not so good at that, I have a ton of classes and work to do, and this helps set you up for schooling in the future. For example, now, I’m in university, and If I hadn’t developed those skills in High school, it would have been a disaster *Chuckles* to say the least.

    What did you want to be when you grew up when you were younger? Don’t mention the gravestone…

    ***I skipped this question, whoops!***

    Were there any problems that you had to overcome when you were a child or teenager?

    Do you count?

    *Offended pause*

    Like, what kind of problems are we talking about?

    Social, educational…

    These questions are extremely difficult to answer, because they’re so general! Any problem? Any time? Whatever?

    Anything that you think is important, something that you want to pass on to the younger generation?

    The younger generation? I thought I WAS the younger generation…

    Haha, if you say so.

    No, actually, Um… A problem that I faced…I don’t know actually. I never had so many horrible issues or problems that I think are noteworthy. Well, except for you.

    *Pause*

    I’m kidding. I guess, if you forced me to pick something… I would probably say that I never really learned how to… Well, for lack of a better term, fit in with the other people at school, and in general. Well, it wasn’t a big deal at the time, and it still isn’t really today, but I’m guessing some people would call that important. Something they want to do, but cant.

    Ok. Did you do anything to work at it, fix it?

    Well, I didn’t really…

    *Laughing* Well, that’s deep. Ok. If you could pick three people, who would you consider to be your heroes?

    Ohh, that’s a good question. Hero’s as in…?

    Well, however you define heroes. It would make sense to ask now, how do you define a hero?

    I think, I feel, that a hero is someone that you look up to, who sets the standard of who you want to be, something to work to become, aspire to be after.

    All right. Now, using that definition…

    Three people? Does family count?

    Family counts, yeah.

    Ok, well there’s my parents, they’re two huge ones, and if I had to pick one person…

    Can we consider our parents as one person for this question?

    Yeah, sure. Ok, so if they count as one entity… I think, the other two people… Well, one of them would be Nikola Tesla, he was a genius and everything I aspire to be as an electrical Engineer. That man was amazing. The other man… He would be… Hmm… I’d say one of the more famous theoretical physicists of the time, say, Stephen Hawking, or Albert Einstein. People like that… I think one of those two. Those scientific thinkers that have allowed for us to understand our universe. In a different way. On a more personal note, the teachings that they have made us look so differently at this crazy, multiverse we’re in. In that case,

    Who do you imagine your wife to be like?

    I’ve never really thought of that before. If you’re going to be with one person for the rest of your life, you need to get along with them, they need to be supportive, and you equally so. Your wife has to be someone that supports you, but can challenge you whenever you need it.

    What was the most difficult period in your life, and how did you deal with it?

    I’ve never had a harsh life, but if I were to choose one thing, it was to choose between going to the University of Calgary, Alberta, or Victoria.

    How would you describe your children?

    Why, just like me!

    What is your most embarrassing moment?

    We both know, and I’d rather have it not said.

    What’s the most difficult decision you’ve made in the past 2 years?

    For those of you who do not know, I am taking Electrical Engineering at the University of Victoria, and I had to choose that between the Computer science course at the University of Alberta (With honors), or the regular computer science at the University of Calgary.

    What do you feel are your greatest strengths?

    Level-headedness, and perseverance.

    Weaknesses?

    Time management, and lack of empathy, to a small extent. I’m sure there are more, but those are the two big ones that I can come up with.

    I’m going way back now. If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

    Well, it’s impossible to explain without going into huge detail, but essentially it wold be the ability to manipulate… Quanta. Essentially, it’s the ability to curve time, space, and virtually everything else to your will.

    So… you want everything, but you spin it cleverly into one thing? Thanks…

    What would you do if you won $10 million the lottery?

    There aren’t that many material things that I want at the moment, I believe that I would hang on to most of it, for later on.

    What is your idea of perfect happiness?

    Perfect happiness, in essence, is impossible to achieve. There is no description of it. Happiness is your perception of the world, and you cannot have a ‘perfect’ perception of the world.

    You kind of made this question moot, but I’ll ask it anyways. What is the lowest depth of misery to you?

    Same as happiness, it’s impossible

    If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

    Considering the field that I’m going into, I would give myself the ability to physically… think faster.

    What is your personal outlook on life?

    That is impossible to answer in a single sentence. My general outlook on life is *Pause* I think… I think I would say that life is whatever you make of it. Same concept as the ideal happiness or lowest misery, it all boils down to your perception of it. While there are external factors, everything is a consequence of what you do. Nothing comes predetermined to you, there is no such thing as fate, your life is what you make of it, and how you choose to live it.

    What is your greatest ambition in life? Passing university is a guarantee, don’t use it!

    Overall… I think I can say this on the behalf of most people, whom their lives revolve around their job… My ambition is to make a living doing something I love doing, and would be willing to do for the majority of my life, and to get a stable income with it. That’s what I want to get out of life.

    How did you think the interview go?

    It was fun, certainly. I was asked a multitude of questions that I may not be asked on a day-t-day basis, questions that most people don’t often think about. One thing I did not like, however, was how general everything was. It was very difficult to come up with answers to some questions, as there were just a sheer amount of factors to consider. Also, it’s hard to come up with accurate answers in such a short amount of time.

    Yeah, I put you on the spot a lot for that… sorry.

    Certainly, yes. But, that’s not your fault, really, it’s just the way interviews work. That’s really my only criticism. I would love to keep doing this, given the time.

    Anything else you want me to ask about/ you want to talk about.

    I think you cover a lot of topics, and because it is all so general, it really does encompass just about everything. Some questions can be broken down into a hundred sub-questions, but no, you really did cover everything.

    Ok! I believe that this brings the formal conclusion to our interview, thank you so much once again, and good luck with your very busy life!

    No problem! Thank you for all the life-melting questions!

    *Laughter*

    *Laughter*

     


  8. Six word memoirs

    November 1, 2015 by Areeb

    Summing up your life in six words is hard. I’ve tried to divide it between 4 sections, but it still isn’t enough. I wish I could do one for every day, but I’ll never remember how far back that goes. For as much as I can do, I’ll have between one and two for each year of my life. Enjoy!

    Age 1:

    Why is everything so very large?

    Age 2:

    I learned how to play chess.

    My first word was really boring.

    Age 3:

    Why is this school thing important?

    Age 4:

    Called some old lady really fat.

    Apparently she already knew that… Whoops.

    Age 5:

    Brotherhood is the feeling of love.

    Age 6:

    School is more than just learning.

    Age 7:

    Food isn’t the meaning of life

    Age 8:

    Love for books, love to learn.

    Age 9:

    What the heck is a Haiku!?

    Oh… It’s not a bad word.

    Age 10:

    Every day, the world grows brighter.

    Age 11:

    Everyone is scared of my size.

    Age 12:

    I thought I was really old.

    Age 13:

    President of Student Council. I failed.

    I lost him so long ago.

    Age 14:

    High school can be really ugly.

    Nobody took me seriously until now.

    Age 15:

    Six word memoirs are really tough.

    Yes Grace, you always look drunk.

     

    Trying to recall my life is really hard, especially at younger ages. I can’t grasp every thought that ran through my overactive imagination. I’m still sitting in the land of (Copyright Kaden…) rainbows and unicorns, but I like to think I have a pretty strong foot in reality.

    At least… I think so.

    ~Areeb


  9. Big, tough, man – A personal narrative

    October 31, 2015 by Areeb

    “Hurry up!”

    “Faster!”

    “Slow down!”

    My friends and I were all biking around the community. The community isn’t horribly big, so back and around we went, all over the place, discovering new back alleys to shave time off of future trips. Eventually we stopped at a playground, like all big, tough teenagers do (at the time, I was 13). Then, to show off my inherit toughness, I chose to climb to the top of the playground. I mean one of those roof-like structures. Nobody is supposed to be up there, but being a big, tough guy, I went up there anyways. After all, nobody can tell a tough guy what to do! So, spurred on by my toughness and invincibility, I climbed to the top. I saw my brother doing it, and to prove my equal toughness, I had to do the same. Once I was up there, I let the sight overwhelm me. I’ve never seen so far from the ground before! Only a tough guy deserves such a sight. He has to prove his worth, and I did it. Now that I was up there, I was powerful.

    I was stronger.

    I was better.

    I was cooler.

    I was tougher.

    I… didn’t know how to get down.

    In my rush to get to the top, I’d completely forgotten how to get back to the ground. I tried to swing my leg off the side, reaching for any grip below me. Due to the way that it was engineered, I couldn’t look down. It was me, hanging off the side of a roof, trying to find a hold. It left me with little choice. How do I get down? I looked at the ground, about ten feet away from me, ten long feet. Too far to climb down. Maybe not long enough to…

    I could just jump. I could… but it’s far. Fear began to tingle through me, and the vertigo hit. I braced myself, desperate for an alternative. My dad has asked us to be home by 7:00. It was 6:53. So I looked down, and realized the position that I had put myself into. I had to get down. I braced myself, squeezed my eyes shut, and jumped.

    After all, what else would a tough guy do?

    ——————————————————-

    Looking back, I only have three things to say:

    1) Dear Areeb, never, never be so dumb again.

    2) No, I did not get injured (that much) falling off. The blow to my 13-year-old ego was bad enough.

    3) Hope you enjoyed! 🙂

     

    ~Areeb

     

     


  10. My Symbolic Journey.

    October 4, 2015 by Areeb

    I never cease to confuse myself. This Symbolic Journey is one of the many things in my life that I get a great deal of insight into, but I can never fully wrap my brain around it. What you’re about to read is my symbolic journey, and my thoughts on each paragraph.

    Enjoy!

    ~Areeb

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

    Part I – The Forest:

    Step. Step. Step.

    Slowly I was moving. The grand forest around me leading my way. Trees lined my path as I proceeded. Birds flew high above me, free of this natural enclosure, their beautiful chirps reaching my ears as I took in the beauty all around me. There was this light, almost undercurrent smell of life. It’s impossible to describe the feeling of purity. Each step was a happy goodbye to whatever was behind me, locked in my memory, but never to be relived. Alone and content, I was walking. Water bottle in one hand, book in another, on I went. The breeze was a welcoming one,  I felt content as I went forward, forward to whatever may lie ahead, beauty all around me.

    <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

    My life in the present:

    This paragraph told me so much about myself. To put it simply, I love my life. I move though it slowly, knowing my set path, even though I do feel the desire to break free occasionally. I’m unsure as to what the birds are, but I see them as my goals, something to strive for. I move though life, making memories as I go, knowing that the exact same thing will never happen again. I feel happy when I just am.

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

    Part II – The Bear:

    Later in my travels, I stumble across more wildlife. A bear, trudging across the path. It stops and I feel my primal instincts rise, and I freeze. The bear turns toward me, almost uninterested. It looks at me, almost too lazy to do anything. I take it as a reality check; always lookout for bears! All tension is gone, I feel as though we’ve reached an agreement. You don’t bother me, and I don’t bother you. It turns back to the side of the path, and continues away, out of my sight. I feel almost wounded at the loss of a friend.

    <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

    Problems, and how I deal with them:

    This one confused me to no end. This bear symbolizes a problem… yet we reach an understanding, and I go so far as begin to miss it? Good god, me.

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

    Part III – The key:

    As I continued on, my experience with the bear still fresh in my mine, I take a step unlike the rest. A metallic clank echoes though the forest. I look down and gaze upon a key, now half embedded in the ground. After looking around, not seeing any house in the distance, or anything that a key could possibly be used for, I pick it up. After brushing off the dirt, I admire how much the gold key shines, three leaf-clover handle, and smooth, rounded edges. It is the definition of shining itself. I slip it into my pocket, and continue on.

    <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

    My self image:

    This fits in perfectly with my first paragraph. My self image is as beautiful as my life itself.  Shining and radiant, having come from the dirt, but now there to stay. I’m not certain where I fit in, but I’ll get there, someday.

     

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

    Part IV – Water:

    I come across a small creek. The water rushing through it is crystal clear. I take the time to wash the key and my hands. The silky liquid breezes past my fingertips, leaving behind a lovely chill that reaffirms my existence. I decide to take a break and sit by the creek, examining the key. The gold is gleaming ever brighter, and I catch a singly word engraved into the hilt: ‘Love’

    <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

    Source of inspiration:

    My source of inspiration is what makes my self-image pure. When I’m inspired, I gleam like no other time. My inspiration often comes from very little, but it is very strong, and very reassuring. I use it to ‘wash’ myself, to get rid of all the bad things that have come with me. I’m not sure why it says ‘Love’ on the key, though.

     

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

    Part V – Cup:

    After a long, gradual turn in the forest, I come across as small glass cup. It is a deep ruby color, almost seeming to have been crafted out of the gem itself. It has this deep shine, a shine that immediately attracts me to it. Thin and cylindrical, tall and shiny. It smells faintly of old chocolate. It almost seems to have served its purpose, and now lies discarded, abandoned, waiting for someone to pick it up. I feel obligated to remove it and to restore the natural beauty of this forest. That, and I seriously like that cup, it’s mine now.

    <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

    Attitude towards love:

    I’ll admit, I laughed when Mrs. Hunnisett told us what this meant. Inside, for some reason, I felt like the cup was the most beautiful creation of this story. Deep ruby, shining and radiant, almost seems as the physical embodiment of what I love. (Not the deep ruby bit, but still.) Something, or someone, with just that shine of life is what I love. Thin and cylindrical; I’m not sure. Do I prefer thin, tall things/people? Subconsciously, I might, but literally thinking, it’s kind of sad to think that way. The smell. Really Areeb? Old chocolate? REALLY? I’m seriously not sure what that meant, apart from things and people that are sweet will have an effect on me. The fact that it was abandoned makes me think that I’m going to be someone who lifts someone else out of their not-so great past. All in all, this one almost made sense. But really… old chocolate… why.

    On a more positive note, I can’t believe that I got all this insight from an imaginary cup.

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

    Part VI – Flatland:

    The forest is thinning out, opening up to a massive green field. This new flatland of long. radiant green grass, high as my knees, extends for as far as I can see. I am unsure as to how much longer I can travel for. The feeling of freedom is intensified, and for once, I turn around, looking back at the forest that has taken me so far. I lie down in the soft-as-pillows grass, and close my eyes, my tall, green guardians surrounding me.

    <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

    Perception of old age:

    This part was beautiful. What i can glean from this as a whole is that I will feel fulfilled when I am old. I will rest (ha-ha!) assured that my life’s goals will be completed, and that my future will be taken more slowly. On top of all this outstanding insight, it means I get to sleep a lot. I’m for!

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

    Part VII – Building:

    As I rise some time later, I can see something in the distance. A building. made almost entirely of dark, brown wood, about the size of a school portable. It was on thin stilts, rising above the forest, high up into the sky. A rope ladder descends down from the platform above, almost asking me to come closer. One think, stone pillar protrudes from the bottom of the building, deep underground.

    <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

    Perception of death:

    To me, even at old age, death is so far away. It’s almost as though death is telling me “Come die if you want, but it’s going to be a struggle to get there!” I feel like this means that I do not have a desire to die. I’m hoping that nobody does, but still…

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

    Part VIII – Entrance:

    After climbing the long rope ladder, I make it to the top. I open the door slowly. It is silent in here, but peaceful. A peaceful feeling envelops me as I step inside. I close the door behind me, the resonating click echoing through the room. I look around the room, the same word inscribed, over and over again, all over the walls. ‘Love’.

    <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

    Passage to death:

    This didn’t tell me much. All I can tell is when I die, I will be content and peaceful. Note to self: STOP WRITING ‘LOVE’ EVERYWHERE, IT’S CREEPY!

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

    Part IX – Inside:

    Smooth, wooden furniture lines the walls, and the familiar, comforting smell of sawdust enters my nose. My attention is immediately drawn to a stone circle on the floor. Engraved in thick font, ‘Love’, followed by a small depression, enough to fit a finger. They key is flashed in my mind, and I pull it out. It slides easily into the depression and clicks. The trapdoor swings open, and the smell of warm bread from below fills my mind. I begin to climb down the stone-encircled ladder.

    <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

     Death:

    Death will be peaceful to me. I still will never understand the reoccurring ‘Love’ thing, but it’s there. I will be surrounded with things familiar when I die, and whatever is left of me will continue on.

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

    Part X – A window:

    I see a window as I am moving down, and pause to look out of it. I see the beautiful forest, the beautiful grassland, even the bear, bow having become a tiny speck from where I look. The amazing smell is overpowering, and down I go, wondering if someday I will return.

    <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

     The Afterlife:

    I will look back at everything, proud of what I have done, knowing that I have made my positive mark on the world. But really, from ‘Love’ to bread? I’m slightly confused. Okay, more than slightly.

     

    A lot more.

    <->=<->=<->=<->=<->=<->=<->=<->=<->=<->=<->=<->=<->=<->=<->

    ~Areeb

     


Skip to toolbar