English, Somali and French. Currently studying Amharic, I'm in an "intermediate" class now but I don't feel comfortable or confident speaking it yet. Hoping to spend another summer in Ethiopia so I can be conversational, at least.

So I wasn't entirely honest... I'm not and never was "finishing up a paper" tonight, it's almost 4am and I'm just starting. Dammit. Not only that, I'm not quite finished reading for it either. But I'll check back in later when I've taken a nap and have a 12 page paper complete and sent off to my prof by afternoon. Watch this space

thefuturenow;988831 wrote: My democratic Canadian, allow me to introduce http://preftige.wordpress.com/ This is hilarious :D Especially the post on "extracting prestige" from conversations with people, ha. Now I may be a democratic Canadian, but I've unfortunately become quite acquainted with the culture now that I go to school in the US. I think it's all a bit silly, there are many great schools people are less familiar with than the Ivies (ie. Duke, Northwestern, University of Michigan), and the prestigious schools mentioned aren't necessarily the top schools for certain fields. But often the brand name outweighs field ranking.

thefuturenow;988822 wrote: Much of what you have said applies in the US. Although, math and, less so, science majors still have good prospects if they're willing to go to non-academic fields such as public policy, finance and tech. Unfortunately, my experience is limited to [redacted] and I'm not sure what the prospects are for those who graduate from state public schools. I would guess they continue to fall victim to the emerging plutocracy. If I had a sister, I would have thought I was your brother. What did the redacted part say? But yes, I agree... overall the prospects are slightly better for science students (which is why I disagreed with Blackflash and said social sciences/humanities students are more likely to have an interest in their majors, because they still go into it despite knowing that it may be difficult career-wise), and a lot of other factors play into it. A BA from Columbia will open more doors than a BA from SUNY Buffalo. Canada is slightly better in that as much as we like to tease other schools for being "lesser than," overall it's high quality education across the board and less of a disparity between schools as the US, where there are Harvards and Florida Atlantics

All nighter to finish up this paper, haven't done one of these since college lol

thefuturenow;988810 wrote: Nice. PHD program? I agree with Blackflash. We study social sciences and humanities until bills come due. Those are fields for the financially secure 2nd generation qurbo-joog perhaps. Yes, I'm a "career student" I'm not sure I agree with that, a lot of science/math majors have increasingly limited job prospects too, unless it's something like engineering. Blackflash and I are both from Canada, a country where over 50% of people have post-secondary education, and where a BA/BSc these days is what the high school diploma was 20 years ago... a basic requirement, but not enough on its own to qualify you for a job. So what you do during those four years of your undergraduate degree are more important than what you major in... I had quite a bit of job experience/skills and relevant research experience as an undergrad, as did my brother who studied political science, and both of us had good job prospects with the BA. But I decided to go into academia because the thought of an unchallenging job working 9-5 in a cubicle terrified me, and he chose to go to law school and will soon have paycheques I could only dream of lol Unfortunately a lot of students believe simply going to university is enough to have employers fight over you with job offers, when it's not. The key is to acquire work experience and develop skills relevant for the jobs you want to apply for when you graduate during your undergrad years. Postgraduate degrees are also becoming the norm for many fields too and may be required, at least in Canada.

Blackflash;988801 wrote: It's not so much an issue with the Social Sciences themselves as it is those who take them. In every subject you'll find those who have little to no interest in their field. This is strictly anecdotal evidence on my part, but while these students can be found in great numbers in STEM fields, they seem to make up the overwhelming majority of those in the Social Sciences. Both you and Apophis have degrees in the Political and Social Sciences, and it's clear that you two have an interest in your respective fields, but that is simply not the case for the majority of your colleagues. I see the reverse trend actually, also anecdotal evidence on my part and no doubt tied to the fact I was an undergrad at UTSG -- there were just so many students in the sciences who either did not want to be there but chose their majors due to family/cultural pressures, and others who simply weren't good enough in those fields but decided to stick it out anyway (with the unlikely dream of becoming doctors and other professionals). If anything, I would say students in the social sciences and humanities are more likely to have an interest in their fields than students in the sciences/math, because they are aware that their degrees do not have as many job prospects on their own, but they choose to pursue those majors anyway.

Hawdian;988800 wrote: @illahiow na astur - amiin- maarba meel bey shekado ku socota mantana waa taan, lkn waxa layaab ah dumar dhalinyaro ax oo loo shegayo diintiina , daqankiina iyo jinsiyadiina maa ku laheed haqooq ee gaalo (Western)baa kusineysa haqagii-- Allo ummada fcnfcn ilale . Allah Mayck. . Oh please... go to miyi and listen to how open people are in talking about sexuality, there were many times I was shocked by how comfortable people were talking about these things because it was so different from my prudish reer magaal relatives in Hargeisa. It's hardly Western culture and influence, and it's not un-Islamic to talk about sex either (something I think the article discusses quite well).

tutu, these sites should not be asking you for your credit card, maybe those are ads/popups on the sites. Be careful! I think it's a little early for Captain Philips and 12 Years a Slave, since they're both still in theatres. Jacaylbaro;988635 wrote: In that case ,, Maybe i should ask you where i can get free ebooks ... I don't have a go-to website for these since what I'm looking for is never there, I usually google "[book name] pdf" and find something that way. But Project Gutenberg and Library Genesis are decent sources.

I always forget the women's subforum exists, but to be honest I'm against having one on principle, so it wouldn't have made much of a difference anyway. nuune;988789 wrote: Alpha aawey, waryee dee kaaley inantaada naga qabo lol lool nuune, it's an interesting article dee. You don't think she has a point that these topics are unnecessarily taboo? Sex ed is important.

Nin-Yaaban;988792 wrote: Saff, why all boys? Is that what you eventually have? Having grown up in 4 boys, 1 girl household, I know Hooyo wished she had all girls. They are less more more trouble down the road. If I ever get married/settled down, I'd want 1 boy, and the rest girls. Just so I can continue my Aabo bloodline. I'm not sure, that's just what I had in my dream, overactive troublemakers! But honestly I have no preference... I don't think I'll have more than two kids, so hopefully one of each I will also have an awesome husband and still look hot after kids, so obviously it was just a dream and not a prophecy

Sex is taboo subject for most Muslims. However, a growing number of young Muslim women are talking about what they really want when in the bedroom. Shelina Janmohamed, author of Love in a Headscarf, explains how women are leading the way in her faith when it comes to understanding sexuality. Abdelaziz Aouragh runs an online sex shop for Muslims. “We don’t sell products that simply enhance the love life between man and woman,” he explains. “All of our products provide a deeper meaning to sexuality, sensuality and even spirituality.” His company El Asira, based in the Netherlands, offers products like “sensual silicone” and “glamour lotion.” All of his products are Halal. “The majority of our customers are women,” he tells me. “With men there is too much bravado.” I see this pattern often repeated of Muslim women leading their male counterparts in the discussion about sexuality and intimacy. According to Islamic law, sex is limited to between those who are married. But when it comes to exactly what you can do, and how sex is generally discussed, Islam itself is quite open. Sex is of course for procreation, but it’s also for pleasure. There are stories about how Prophet Muhammad would be approached in the mosque by women and men asking open questions about sexuality. In one famous tale, a woman came to see him on her wedding night, to complain her husband was too busy praying and hadn't come near her. The Prophet went to see the husband, admonished him for being too engrossed in religious prayer and instructed him to, erm, pay more attention to his bride. This openness has been lost over time, and discussions about sex have become taboo. However, things are slowly changing. Wedad Lootah is a UAE marriage counsellor who published an Arabic sex guide, Top Secret: Sexual Guidance for Married Couples, on how to achieve sexual intimacy with your partner, stating couples needed the advice. Her book was blessed by the mufti of the UAE. But she received intense criticism. Whilst engaged, my now husband and I attended a ‘pre-marriage’ seminar, one of the first of its kind in the UK. The one day training included an hour about sex. It wasn’t very good, but nonetheless, I was pleased that the subject was raised and the taboo broken. Jenny is an Irish Muslim organising a similar two part seminar for young women only, the first on marriage, the second on intimacy. “The girls don’t know what should be happening in their intimate lives,” she explains. “The men tell them to do X or Y, and they don’t know any better.” Jenny understands that her seminar is unusual, but her primary concern is that the young women receive this education, and criticism is kept at bay. For this reason, she asks I don’t quote her real name: “I’m sticking my neck out here.” It’s not a sex instruction class that she’ll be hosting. “We’re not telling them what goes where!” laughs Jenny. “But these girls need to know their rights in the bedroom.” In the USA, controversial Muslim activist Asra Nomani has written an “Islamic Bill of Rights for Women in the Bedroom.” to ‘uphold women’s right to pleasure”. Nomani says she received negative feedback about the bill. But when I read about it I remember thinking, this is not in the least controversial or new for Islam. If anything it shows how little Muslims - even vocal ones - have knowledge about Islam's un-guilty approach to sex, or understand that Islam has always been extremely open about sexual pleasure, and in particular women’s pleasure. Yet, it’s undeniable that to talk about sexuality, especially as a woman, is difficult, and as a consequence I’m genuinely apprehensive about publishing this piece. But push on I will. It’s a subject that needs to be openly addressed, precisely so that these contradictions can be unravelled. There is a lack of research about the existing levels of sexual knowledge among Muslims. How much do they know? Where do they gain their knowledge? And perhaps the most difficult to ask: what is the reality of how they conduct their sexual lives? A new chick-lit novel about to be published in the UK is called No Sex and The City and features a Muslim heroine. And last year in the US, an anthology of true courtship stories written by Muslim women was published delightfully entitled Love, Inshallah (God willing). Amongst the narratives there were those that were sexually explicit and spoke about sex both inside and outside marriage. Whilst the book itself was extremely popular, its comparatively graphic nature drew positive feedback as well as criticism. But the more important point of both books is that Muslim women themselves are trying to open a discussion about sexuality, its role in their identity, and their fears and aspirations. For those Muslims who want to live a chaste life, the pressures are immense. Our surroundings are notoriously sexualised. Virginity is seen as freakish. And rejection of ‘sexual liberation’ is seen as backward. For teen Muslims, these challenges must be particularly difficult. If contextually appropriate teachings are not available – whether at home, in the mosque or in other social settings – then the taboos about sexuality become entrenched, lead to diminished knowledge, and pleasure or even negativity about sex. So where should a young (or even old!) Muslim turn to for sexual teachings that they feel are in line with an Islamic perspective. Courses like the one being run by Jenny are few and far between. And those willing to discuss matters openly are equally rare. And to even begin such discussions, what is needed is a healthy dose of facing up to the fact that how Muslims live their lives is not necessarily the same as the Islamic ideals they aspire to. A famous Islamic traditional teaching about sexual pleasure says that when God created desire, He made it into ten parts. He gave nine parts to women, and just one to men. So it’s no wonder women are leaving men behind when it comes to trying to better understand their sexuality, as well as the relationship between their sexuality and their faith. Shelina Janmohamed is the author of Love in a Headscarf - Muslim Woman Seeks the One. She can be found tweeting here. She is the Vice President of Ogilvy Noor, the world's first branding agency for Muslim consumers, and one of 'Britain's Future female leaders of the advertising industry' according to the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising.

Alpha Blondy;988741 wrote: Miss-i-spent-only-$10,000-on-marble-floors, what are you saying? that American middle class folks are any different? bal adna? caajib. You must have missed the part of your quote I highlighted, that's what I meant by different But the truth is yes, they are different -- Brits seem far more into social status and class distinctions than we are in North America.

Alpha Blondy;988739 wrote: anyways, why do you want to have mortgage for 25 years, educate your kids for them to only put you in an old people's home, have french showers and have yellow teeth ? SP is part of the American middle class Alpha, not British.

Alpha Blondy;988717 wrote: wait, baal. what is this positivity you speak off? miyaad isku xishootid. my list wasn't even 4.5 compatible. far too many caagdheerians, dee. :cool: :p;) lool who cares about qabiil when you're just showing love to your homies dee

Cadale;988710 wrote: LOOOOOL sxb intad niyada ii dhistay baad iga sii jabisat at the same time Just ignore that part Cadale, it's a struggle for Alpha to express his genuine emotions and be kind to us so even an honest, heartfelt post like the one above needs some insults for him to stay true to character and feel his masculinity hasn't been compromised in any way.

Alpha Blondy;988709 wrote: wa iga talo. Alpha your greatest enemy is you. your playing small does not serve the world. Haatu - the world is your oyster. don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Cadale - clearly destined for greatness. just put your head down and reach for the stars. Saffz - you're the greatest thing since sliced bread. halka howsha ka sii waad. Apo - you're a smart guy ee don't let cynicism get the better of you. you have a enormous potential ee make sure you fulfill it. Somaliphilosper - you need to stop pretending to be middle class and let your true character shine. the rest, as they say, is history. Tallabo - despite your sexual orientation, you seem smart and talented. your cilaad may prove your greatest obstacle. Wadani - being a sand-dweller has dealt you an early blow in life but you've overcome this and but now sky's the limit. my friends we can all do it. just carry on and don't let anyone stop you from achieving your best. we are all meant to shine. it is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. as we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. wherever you are, and whatever the circumstance, tomorrow is another day. a new day. have no regrets. be conscious. be patient. give charity. less is more. cala kuli xaal, you're all pathetic ee naga daaya ciyaarta. Love the positivity Alpha, I appreciate it This one's for you love:

Haatu;988703 wrote: I once had a prophetic dream as well. I saw myself aged 90 (I somehow knew that was my age). I was lanky and skinny and was bald at the top with hair only on the sides. My hair and eyebrows were all white and I was clean shaven. My long face was wrinkled and slightly drooping. My ears seemed somehow larger. My skintone was still maariin (thank God ). I was wearing a pink shirt and that typical blue/grey macawiis. I was sleeping in the living room of the house I currently live in on a mattress on the floor (why the hell am I still living at home?!?). It was early in the morning and the summer sun was shining through windows. I heard sounds coming from outside as if someone was trying to break in. I fearfully went to the kitchen and looked out the closed window. I checked the gas was turned off and then heard noises from outside the front door. I was now frightened. I went to the lobby and screamed up the stairs "Hooyo, kaalay cadawgeyga iga celi!". It was at this point I realised my Mother was long dead I hate dreams where I'm significantly older or elderly for that reason, I don't like thinking about my parents not being around. But my dream was not prophetic Haatu, that's the reality I'm trying to fight :mad:

Cadale;988692 wrote: its your life in 10 years. Embrace it!!! NO! :mad: SomaliPhilosopher;988693 wrote: Quite the insightful dream. I take it that you were more interested in sharing these *insights* than the nightmare itself huh saffy :rolleyes:? What insights? lol I suppose it's my subconscious telling me the life I *don't* want, and the banality of it all was upsetting. I think I had dropped out of grad school, too. I actually had a few other strange dreams last night but I can only remember fragments of them, this one is the only one I remember clearly.

Had a nightmare last night, I was a married stay at home mom with three boys, one of my hellspawn had a cold and while I tended to him, one of the other brats started eating paint (which also got all over the carpet). So took him to the hospital - which meant taking the other two because no one finds a sitter on such short notice - the third had a tantrum in the waiting room, and when my husband picked us up after work, he did NOTHING to help and watched TV all evening while I made dinner and put the kids to bed. I was so fat too you guys, it was horrible

My husband Paul Walker just died in a car accident, I am INCONSOLABLE :(

When she sings 'I am I am, I am I am a goddamn believer' on I Predict A Graceful Expulsion number 'Blank Maps' you could easily be forgiven for thinking Cold Specks' soulful, perfectly flawed voice was nurtured in the gospel air of the deep south: its velvety texture and rough edges wrapped in a world weary weight. It was, however, the increasingly hipster climbs of Ontario capital Toronto and the Etobicoke neighbourhood therein which played host to Al Spx's vocal education. Even though she was thousands of miles north of Mississippi River Delta, her output is riddled with gospel's religious overtones, only raised on a diet of Tom Waits, Bill Callahan and more recently Richard Hawley. Openly enthused about her musical inspirations, Al is uncomfortable talking about the religious elements of her upbringing – the ones that most likely led to her creating not only a stage name in Cold Specks but a pseudonym in Al Spx. the album's very title belies what young Al may have feared upon taking those first steps down what we have no doubt will be a long musical career path although she assures us that her parents disapproval has wained. “It's all fine now,” she explains. “I think any parents would be terribly freaked out if their kid called them from a different country to inform them that: 1, they’ve dropped out of university; 2, they're not even close to graduating and 3, they’ve decided to pursue a career in music. Naturally they were just f*cking freaked out and couldn’t understand. I think at that point they’d never really heard me sing or play anything. They were just confused more than anything and disappointed and I can’t fault them for that. It’s all very good now though, they’re very supportive.” Who wouldn't be upon hearing a debut offering as bewitching as her Mute released debut? I Predict A Graceful Expulsion was definitely a cath.artic process for the young singer, having written brutally honest songs in her parents' house without expecting anyone to hear them. “There are a lot of people with a lot of opinions and interpretations,” she says speaking of her early days reading what critics had to say. “Sometimes they’re a bit close to being on the mark and sometimes they’re way off but I guess that comes with the territory of writing an album. I try to be very vague but every now and then a review will come up where someone is attempting to interpret things that are just not there. I find it incredibly amusing.” Although not immediately apparent underneath the breath taking beauty and slow burning intensity of her recorded output, Al's sense of humour is something that shines through in person and permeates the sombre stoicism of her live performances. “I went on tour with Josh T Pearson in February and he told a lot of insanely funny jokes, so I decided on that tour to start singing the Fresh Prince of Bel Air and it just stuck. It’s just a good way to lighten the mood. I was a big fan of the show, I grew up in North America so it was on TV all the time, all my family used to watch it.” Having seen its official release way back in May, a relatively short time in reality but a life time in musical and personal terms, it is understandable that things are different now. “My attitude towards writing and playing has definitely changed, but I'm not sure how. I've been writing new stuff on and off for a while, since maybe last September” she admits before explaining that she has found inspiration for the her new material in travelling. “I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I do. Touring is exhausting at times but it’s very, very exciting and entertaining. Seeing a different city everyday is naturally going to affect the way you write.” As did her move to the UK about 2 and half years ago I imagine. “When I started Cold Specks I was working a shit job. I had some songs, an annoying human being who lived in the UK who wouldn't stop phoning me and telling me to come out. I had nothing better to do and had enough money for a plane ticket so I came here. I don't know if there was a particular scene in Toronto I was attached to. I definitely have a lot of respect for a bunch of musicians out there but I feel more a part of a community now that I'm here.” With a greater sense of freedom and an acute awareness that people will be listening to whatever she writes from now on, Al explains: “I didn't do a good enough job of being vague last time around so I'm trying to approach things from a slightly less personal perspective. I've started going to junk shops in every place I play and writing songs about what I find there. Things like old photos and old postcards. It's insane how many people throw away their old photos. Some of them are absolutely stunning and I just wonder what made these people throw them out - What is their story? Why is this woman doing that? Why is there a creepy man standing in the background?” Talking about her new material it feels as though Al intends to remove herself from it as much as possible, perhaps allowing for even more amusingly incorrect interpretations, but like the religious upbringing she quietly rallied against we can rest assured that the memory will remain, embedded in the strums of an acoustic guitar, the distant bellows of a horn section and the quivering, tender and yet completely self assured vocals of this 23-year-old Canadian chanteuse. Photo Credit: Autumn de Wilde Words by Lauren Down

Any fans? I first heard of the band in 2011, but only started listening to the album in 2012 when it was nominated for the Polaris Prize, a prestigious Canadian award that goes to best Canadian album. Good stuff. The lead singer is a Somali Canadian singer-songwriter based in the UK... soulful, folk music.

Alpha Blondy;988555 wrote: + 1 ........sort of agree here. i post good content. all my vids are meaningful, dee. decipher these lyrics from the vid i posted baal..... Coldplay blows, they're boring and pretentious, with lyrics not worth taking seriously. A bad attempt at Radiohead