Last Thursday I handed in an assignment that I have been working on for the last 2 weeks or so. But it sure did end in a crazy manner.....
When we were first given the literature assignment, where we've to read a book n make a unit of language lessons based on it, I was clueless as to which book I should use. I wanted to do Jane Eyre, because other than being one of the my favourite classics, I thought that students would find Jane Eyre much more intresting and easier than that of many other classics. But we've already done the book in class...so I didn't feel that enthusiastic towards the idea. Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Great expectations, Oliver twist, huckleberry fin......these volumes were already being used by several of my classmates. Wanting to do something unique.....I decided to go for Victor Hugo's Hunch Back of Notre Dame. Unfortunately the book wasn't available in any of the libraries I checked... (And I did check around 4 libraries) and it wasn’t available in the Used Books shop either. Then I tried to print the book as I do have a soft copy...but that proved to be too much. So feeling less and less enthusiastic towards my assignment.....I gave up on Hugo....and was searching for something else in the library that might get me in the mood when I saw Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carol. Feeling a bit cheered up, I borrowed the book and started my work. After reading it (it was a good book.......very entertaining and imaginative) I started making the lessons last week. After I did up to two, I came up with the conclusion that though it was good to read when it came to making lessons......I couldn’t do much with it. Of course the two that I did make was good and helpful.....but I had to make lessons for 16 periods....and so I decided to change ... yet again! And this time when I was searching I came across the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes! Well I just don’t know why I didn’t remember about Holmes before! His adventures are interesting n bound to keep the students interested in the lessons. It was all pros where the book was concerned. But of course by then it was already Wednesday and I had to hurry (I have already read the book long back) and develop the lessons. By the time I finished, my project was 41 pages long! This is a new record for me.....I am usually in trouble with my word limits...they are like 500 to 1000 words less than the actual amount. Well let’s see what happens with the results.....I just hope that my comprehensions weren’t too long!
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Lonesome no more
I just finished reading Lonesome no more by Kurt Vonnegut. This is the first book of Vonnegut that I've come across. And it was a good read!
The story is about twins (Wilbur and Eliza) who turned out to look, unlike their parents, as Vonnegut put it "immensely hideous, helpless and vile". This embarrassed the parents so they banned the kids in to a family manor that was isolated and visited by none. Of course the manor was equipped with servants and a doctor to help the twins. They turned out to be a very intelligent pair...in fact when they are together they become geniuses...but that’s as long as they are together. They feigned stupidity in front of everyone so no one was aware of their true nature. But on their 15th b'day to make their mother happy, they came out of their idiotic cocoon and told everyone that they were intelligent but behaved as they did cuz they thought that it was expected of them. This ended their time in the manor. Psychologists and other specialists were brought. Now....they work better together. Wilbur can read and write....Eliza was the one who thought up all the theories. So tested separately....the specialists decided that Eliza was a vegetable and Wilbur was the man. So Eliza was put in a mental institution and Wilbur was sent to medical school. Eliza comes out of the mental institution all bitter and Wilbur becomes the president of US! Go figure. It’s more fun when u actually read it! Kurt Vonnegut has a rather sarcastic sense of humour. Its one book u cannot put down unless u r done!
The story is about twins (Wilbur and Eliza) who turned out to look, unlike their parents, as Vonnegut put it "immensely hideous, helpless and vile". This embarrassed the parents so they banned the kids in to a family manor that was isolated and visited by none. Of course the manor was equipped with servants and a doctor to help the twins. They turned out to be a very intelligent pair...in fact when they are together they become geniuses...but that’s as long as they are together. They feigned stupidity in front of everyone so no one was aware of their true nature. But on their 15th b'day to make their mother happy, they came out of their idiotic cocoon and told everyone that they were intelligent but behaved as they did cuz they thought that it was expected of them. This ended their time in the manor. Psychologists and other specialists were brought. Now....they work better together. Wilbur can read and write....Eliza was the one who thought up all the theories. So tested separately....the specialists decided that Eliza was a vegetable and Wilbur was the man. So Eliza was put in a mental institution and Wilbur was sent to medical school. Eliza comes out of the mental institution all bitter and Wilbur becomes the president of US! Go figure. It’s more fun when u actually read it! Kurt Vonnegut has a rather sarcastic sense of humour. Its one book u cannot put down unless u r done!
After all...its my blog
Well that was some fine start to a blog! The article i wrote about Pyramids had nothing what so ever to do about religion. It was something about ancient egypt that always intrested me. Sadly, someone had decided to use my blog to attack muslims. Me being a muslim, I cant really allow that now can I? Since i dunt want to make this blog another opening to a war between religions I am not going to tolerate such comments...I mean hey its my blog! Its for a reason I can accept and reject comments. Whoever you r, please feel free to go and find somewhere else to pent out your anger. I am not an expert qualified to give religious advice or even fight against someone who is full of hatred and recent. It takes someone with great knowledge to argue such a case. And since I aint that and also since i belive that its up to people themselves to choose a religion without others being spiteful about it, I am not going to open up my blog for yet another addition to this age old war! I hope my point is taken. Know that you can leave as many hateful comments as u feel like and waste your time. I am not going to publish them......after all..It IS my blog!
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Pyramids of Egypt
Ancient Egyptians were famous for almost everything they did worth being noticed for and they also happened to be experts in doing such things. They had a bunch of Gods, infamous kings and queens and they were pretty good at extracting, consuming and using knowledge…..of any kind. But none of these can beat their dedicated fascination with life. So it isn’t much of a wonder that they came up with ways to prolong life……..after death. It was believed by Egyptians that death was just another beginning, after death another lifetime begins, an eternal life. But for this to happen, the dead is supposed to be well preserved and provided with what they would need for their next life. And this is how the pyramids we see today came in to the picture.
Pyramids are like monuments for the dead. They hold the body of the dead along with things like gold, jewellery, food and whatever that was important in life. The pyramids of Egypt are looked upon as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and in fact they happen to be the only one that has survived….so far. For centuries architects, journalists, scientists plus a great number of explorers and seekers of different kinds of knowledge were all dwelling on what was inside the pyramids and why they were built but it wasn’t until recently that the wonder was really accepted for the wonder it is and people began to understand its true nature.
The bodies in the pyramids are preserved by mummification. For mummification, the dead body is taken to embalmers and it under goes a purification process which lasts for seventy days. After wards, the embalming process begins. All the vital organ in the body were removed and placed in a jar (in the late centuries it was placed between the mummy’s legs) and the body was dried in salt. When dry the salt was washed off and the body was stuffed to its normal size, rubbed with perfume oil and painted. And then, it was wrapped up from head to toe until completely covered. After mummification, the mummy was covered with a death mask that is made of either gold, papyrus or linen depending on the status of the dead person. Now the mummy is ready and so it is put in to its tomb along with its possessions. They also include statues which are supposed to be guards or servants of the dead who will help them with anything when the need arises. Of course the ritual of mummification varies according to the class of person. Scrolls are placed in the pyramids with inscriptions that are supposed to wake the dead; also known as the book of the dead.
It’s known that many Egyptians, specially the royals and the nobles, do make their tombs while they are still alive, so that it would be as they want it with what they want in it.
They also do fear that their pyramids might be raided by thieves, which do happen. So they made sure that they find a well hidden point for their pyramids. And they also seemed to have used micro organisms in the names of curses to keep the tomb raiders away. These seem to have worked pretty well for some cases if not for all because the pyramids that are unearthed now are either untouched or raided.
And coming back to wonders, the last wonder of the world, The Pyramids of Giza were once occupied by the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu, Pharaoh Khafre and Pharaoh Menkaure. There are also valleys for pyramids; Valley of The Kings, Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Nobles.
Pyramids are like monuments for the dead. They hold the body of the dead along with things like gold, jewellery, food and whatever that was important in life. The pyramids of Egypt are looked upon as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and in fact they happen to be the only one that has survived….so far. For centuries architects, journalists, scientists plus a great number of explorers and seekers of different kinds of knowledge were all dwelling on what was inside the pyramids and why they were built but it wasn’t until recently that the wonder was really accepted for the wonder it is and people began to understand its true nature.
The bodies in the pyramids are preserved by mummification. For mummification, the dead body is taken to embalmers and it under goes a purification process which lasts for seventy days. After wards, the embalming process begins. All the vital organ in the body were removed and placed in a jar (in the late centuries it was placed between the mummy’s legs) and the body was dried in salt. When dry the salt was washed off and the body was stuffed to its normal size, rubbed with perfume oil and painted. And then, it was wrapped up from head to toe until completely covered. After mummification, the mummy was covered with a death mask that is made of either gold, papyrus or linen depending on the status of the dead person. Now the mummy is ready and so it is put in to its tomb along with its possessions. They also include statues which are supposed to be guards or servants of the dead who will help them with anything when the need arises. Of course the ritual of mummification varies according to the class of person. Scrolls are placed in the pyramids with inscriptions that are supposed to wake the dead; also known as the book of the dead.
It’s known that many Egyptians, specially the royals and the nobles, do make their tombs while they are still alive, so that it would be as they want it with what they want in it.
They also do fear that their pyramids might be raided by thieves, which do happen. So they made sure that they find a well hidden point for their pyramids. And they also seemed to have used micro organisms in the names of curses to keep the tomb raiders away. These seem to have worked pretty well for some cases if not for all because the pyramids that are unearthed now are either untouched or raided.
And coming back to wonders, the last wonder of the world, The Pyramids of Giza were once occupied by the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu, Pharaoh Khafre and Pharaoh Menkaure. There are also valleys for pyramids; Valley of The Kings, Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Nobles.
And so it begins...
Oh well....here goes nothing...I am starting a blog...yet again...but this time around inspired by my good friend Naseeh. This blog will contain mostly stuff that lurks around my mind now and then...most of the time, of course that is if I can update it...which I will try to do as often as time permits. You see I am a very busy person...though I dunno what I am busy doing.
Anyways...those of you who are familiar with me will know about my fascination with Ancient Egypt, mummies and pyramids. That’s why my first entry is based on this. And I dedicate this to you Nass, for getting me to start this blog of Bits "n" Pieces.
Anyways...those of you who are familiar with me will know about my fascination with Ancient Egypt, mummies and pyramids. That’s why my first entry is based on this. And I dedicate this to you Nass, for getting me to start this blog of Bits "n" Pieces.
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