Update

Hi guys! I wanted to thank every last reader because writing here was a truly liberating, inspiring, eye-opening experience to me and I couldn't have done without your views. I am currently writing a weekly column for HASH, an online magazine. The column is called Adam's Ecstasy... Moreover, I have landed an internship in Egypt's no. 1 bestselling English Magazine, Teenstuff. Since all my writing shall now, be published in said magazines, this blog will be used for publishing excerpts with links to the originals and original material that shall not be published in the magazine.

Regards,

Adam Ashraf

Update

Hey, you guys! Lately, I’ve been out of touch and too busy and tired to post. Anyway, I’m BACK! I’m starting off with a couple of changes. I shall rename my blog from Osamalicious to Ministry Of Eccentricity and that is, mostly because Osamalicious seemed to shock most people. Stay Tuned!

The Art Of Writing

I was never diagnosed with ADHD but with the way my brain runs, and the way I am always all over the place, I’m not surprised that all my friends would go to their graves swearing I have it.

The brain is an intense place where there’s always something occurring, be it a debate, revelation or a captivating obsession that haunts you. As a person who is always defined as, ‘over the top’, struggling to get everything done on time for my magazine, while studying to ace an exam, right after going for a night out in the time, this is especially true for me. The stress and confusion that capture me, trying to keep up with my present as I dream and contemplate about my future leads to the fact that my brain is probably busier than Grand Central Station.

When it all becomes too much, this is when writing comes in. To a majority, writing is merely they tool they use to get their homework done or to fill up the groceries’ list. I see that as a degradation of the word. Writing is an intriguing art where you communicate with someone. To Tina Brown, it’s an audience of millions but to me, it is probably the handful who read my blog, you guys, or probably just me in the case of my diary.

The touch of the sharpened pencil magnetizes your fingers as it makes a frictional sound across paper that your soul hears as a soft, sensational lullaby merely begging your fingers to go on and on. It’s a sensation that hits your body out of nowhere, swoops over you bringing shivers down your spine and knocks on your brain asking to be let out to the world, be it a fashion article, a poem or a script.

Moreover, writing brings about change in the way we function in our everyday life as we are suddenly engulfed by positivity as you instantaneously feel a burden lifted off your back. Your aura brightens and you become a more radiant individual. So if you’re feeling exhausted, tired, depressed, or even betrayed, remember, a swooping, embracing hug awaits you an article away. Sharpen your pencils, ladies and gentlemen, it works better than antidepressants!

Bob

The reason behind this is naïve and possibly stupid. I was told by an amazing friend of mine that talented people are widespread and common but the ones who are eventually said to be 'successful' are the ones who truly choose the pathway of nurturing their talent! I'm gonna tell you a story of a little boy called Bob! I chose the commonest of names as this is no particular person who has rose to a high position or become famous! He is simply a teen who has unearthed his talent!

Where Bob came from, Friday was the day families socialized, and his family and their acquaintances always met up in the Park! Unlike the stereotypical boy, Bob hated football and similar sports. To him friday was 'peace day'. Every Friday morning his family would head to the park. Mothers would gossip while fathers would discuss significant issues like the weather, politics and the economy! The kids were naturally playful, Girls would skip the rope while boys would be playing ball!

Bob, conversely, lied down under the shadows of a willow tree admiring the astonishing greenery or the limited bird species roaming the setting! There, and only there, Bob would find his inner peace. Some mocked him while others attempted attracting to the game but he was what Mr. Ashton, Bob's Father, called a hopeless case when it comes to fitting in. The other boys' failures in attracting him to the game resulted to him being, 'Lazy Bob'.

Again, breaking the trend, the mocking names didn't disturb Bob at all. He didn't complain or attempt to get sympathy looks and acts from elders. Later, he said he was glad he didn't force himself into sports. The little boy says, It may have distracted him from later meeting the love of his life.

A couple of days after his ninth birthday Bob met his true love. When he told people they assumed he was talking about a girl! They were wrong... It was a passion. This passion was his exclusive companion through solitude, joy and occasional misery! His love was the Notepad! Grounded for a reason he doesn't remember, laid Bob in his bedroom wondering what to do. He soon enough laid eyes on the notepad and this was his first encounter with what would have later become the source of his ultimate delight.

Fast forward, six years, Bob is a changed person. The mischievous edge his teachers complained about has vanished and was replaced by a calm attitude. He says, it was because of the lack of activity.

Writing gives Bob an indescribable rush which he never experienced in the past, The flow of words mastered between his hands were like the flow of a maestro's fingers as he directed an orchestra. The Fifteen year old, Bob, when spoken to says, 'I know one day Ill reach my ultimate destiny. I did what I loved and I worked at it so I shall not fail'. Others might dream of being business tycoons or Hollywood stars but Bob will always be the happiest of them all!

Balance is the word

We, the young teenage rebels of the twenty first century, have become part of a world where finding leisure, fun and entertainment is a click away. Long gone are the days when teenagers had to spend a handful of cash to entertain themselves in a bowling arcade or buy a novel, we have it all for free! While many of the supporters of that will debate that it has narrowed the cultural variation gap, and that lack of funds wouldn’t lead to lack of fun, this has also made our generation shortsighted, unintelligent and above it, all, uninterested in anything but who is going to comment on their ‘Facebook’ status. The already flaming debate about whether we should ‘live the moment’ or ‘aspire for the future’ has sizzled with the stakes so high… What’s right and what’s wrong?

Many of the youth of today live their life to the fullest, embracing every second and making a milestone out of every day, appreciating the lily’s aroma in the spring, the flaming sun in the summer, the rust feel of the autumn and the breezy chill of winter. Their high school life goes by as they engage in partying, dating, clubbing, shopping and any other, moral, and sometimes immoral, activity you can possibly imagine. After they’ve ‘done it all’ and they’re broke, they are confronted by the fact that they wasted the years in which they should’ve been maturely developing on worthless ‘fun’. Some will go on living off part time jobs, but a part of them will know that it’s over. They will have hit rock bottom. Others may proceed to the ‘right track’ or whatever you choose to call it, but the inevitable fact will not miraculously disappear: They have wasted the most relevant decade of their life.

The second group, that seems to be diminishing in the world today, are the absolute opposite of the ones who have “Live while we’re young” as their cell phone ringtone. These are the youth who build their present around their future. Their every act is with the motive of reaching for the stars, moving one step closer to the future they worked for and pondered over for a majority of their existence. They have their university and career of choice planned and they spend every waking moment where they aren’t cramming to ace an exam, daydreaming about the day when that dream will turn into reality. The question is, though, are these young scientists, poets, lawyers and doctors of the future doing themselves justice? Will they wake up two decades from now, realizing that they wasted their life prepping for an interview or conference in their dorm room? They probably will but it shall then be too late.

If I had to pick a lifestyle of the two, I would be more in sympathy with the latter but the good news is, I don’t, and neither do you. Why don’t we break the trend for once and rather than condemn ourselves to the life of a nerd or a partier, obliviously following a stereotype, make our own trend and lifestyle? Why don’t we strike a balance between the two? It isn’t as hard as many might believe it would be. We can always sign up for extracurricular activities which are both enjoyable and educational. It’s basically the best of both worlds. Read a book, go to a party, prep for the exam then head to the GYM! There are twenty four whole hours a day and conforming to a mere activity all along is tedious and repetitive. You intertwine both lifestyles and you got yourself an winning infusion!

Stereotyping Genders

When was the color blue attached to boys while pink for girls? Who ingeniously decided that football was for men while fashion was for no one but women and gay guys? Why was Twilight declared for females and Lord of the Rings for males? Most significantly, why is anyone breaking those ‘rules’ immediately labeled as a weirdo, nerd or worse?

It seems to me, ladies and gentlemen of the twenty first century, that we have evolved minimally, from the times of our ancestors. Adults in TV shows and high school are always whining about how teenagers are conforming to stereotypes. The real question is, who gave us these stereotypes? These tiny unbreakable boxes? Weren’t your parents the ones to get your little sister a Barbie doll and your brother a video game? Didn’t they shop for you right after the sonogram came out telling them your anticipated gender?

Until today, in a majority of the world’s cultures, it’s okay for a guy to fool around before marriage but it doesn’t work with the opposite sex. A stay-at-home dad is considered someone with lack of chivalry and honor, but housewives are okay.

My point is not about showing that society is biased against a particular gender. The double standards we live in are unjust to each and every one of us, male or female. The tragic part is that we are the one to blame. We cling to stereotypes to avoid our insecurities. If each one of us was really confident and had a sense of their identity we would make our hobbies and interests, rather than sexuality, define who we are. It’s a matter of choice.

Project Runway - S11E04:

The Ultimate Hard and Soft

Over the seasons, I always found the unconventional challenges extremely enjoyable and interesting simply because they sometimes manage to reveal the designers’ open-mindedness and creativity. Unfortunately though, in some cases, it manages to highlight their eccentricities and flaws.

The fact that the shows’ creators gave the designers the opportunity to mix between the soft and hard was also a rather intriguing choice that got me excited for this episode to start! The challenge was a two-day one with an extremely high budget of $2500 per team to design six cohesive looks. In the beginning, I felt that the teaming was rather unjust since Dream Team only had five contestants left while team Keepin’ it real was intact. This was ultimately solved by Tim Gunn when he gave Dream Team the opportunity to take two designers from Team Keepin’ it real. They ingeniously chose Layana and Stanley. On the other hand Team Keepin’ it real was given the opportunity to take one from Dream Team. To my surprise, they all seemed to agree on Michelle even though I see Benjamin as a more worthy contestant with higher potential. Another thing I completely disliked is that most designers seem to regard Patricia as a weak link while I find her eccentric ideas genius.

During Caucus time, Dream Team seemed to give Stanley the leadership role while Team Keepin’ it real, functioned collaboratively with no evident leader. The sketch work produced gave me an impression that we were not in for a fabulous runway. As always, Amanda was bitching about the challenge. Since ALL the challenges don’t seem to satisfy her, WHY IS SHE HERE? Another question, why has Benjamin been wearing the same shirt for three challenges now?

In the Workroom

Amanda’s moss (which is the material she chose for her dress) kept falling off. I find it inefficient that she didn’t check about that during shopping. Team Keepin’ it real seemed to struggle a lot, unlike in the former challenges. The looks weren’t cohesive. On the other hand, Dream Team’s Benjamin Mach seemed to be doing the same mistake he always does which is sketching something completely unachievable in the tiny time frame.

Once Tim’s critique came, Team Keepin’ it real seemed a bit more on time. The connecting factor in this case was that they all had an Avant Garde edge to them. I was blown away by Michelle and Richard’s piece though. I wasn’t impressed that he has been using leather looking material for two weeks now. C’mon, where’s the versatility? Like in the past, I saw Patricia’s dress as something with potential, yet eccentric. Joe’s was just UGLY which was proven to me even further during model fitting! Amanda’s looked like something that a sexy Santa would wear and I loved the silvery thingies (excuse my mime vocabulary when it comes to hardware utilities) on top which looked like a necklace. Kate’s looked a little crafty and beauty pageant looking. Cohesion was still an issue.

Dream Team seemed to have been much more organized this time. The general theme of their collection was Dior. Layana had a beautiful edge to her Victorian dress and Tu’s vest was AMAZING! I want that vest! Surprisingly, while micromanaging everyone else, witch success, Stanley’s was the only one to lack the sophistication that Dream Team brought to the table. Benjamin’s weaving was interesting and intricate. BRAVO! Samantha’s was weird and confusing.

On the Runway!

The show started with Team Keepin’ It Real. For the first time ever, Daniel’s dress wasn’t good. It was plain hideous. Joseph’s look was equally detestable. I suddenly lost faith in my favourite team. The look that Michelle and Rachel gave was beautiful but I didn’t like the rustic feel. Patricia’s was interesting as well. Amanda’s was over the top but it really was the only way to hide the inadequacy of the moss material. I don’t blame her. Kate’s was by far my favourite. I feel like Kate is suddenly growing on me. She took a risk and, to me, it paid off. That dress represented sophistication, beauty and hard work. Overall, it’d give the team a 3.

                                                                             

Moving on to Dream Team, Matthew finally produced something that was worth my attention. That piece was fierce, fabulous and I could swear I would’ve never guessed belonged to the unconventional challenge. Stanley’s look was intricate and looked fitting for a princess in the prehistoric times. Tu’s vest was amazing but I despised the skirt. Don’t mean to sound racist but his English is starting to get on my nerves as well! Benjamin’s intricate piece finally satisfied my belief that he is one of the best in the competition. I feel like once he stopped micromanaging everyone, he was able to focus on the greatness that is his aesthetic. It is my belief that he should have won this challenge. I loved Samantha’s use of contrasting material. Nevertheless, her piece wasn’t a frontrunner. It did manage to show a silhouette that is, while similar to Daniel’s, had a unique touch of sophistication. Layana’s piece reminded me of Gone with the wind for some reason. I love it nevertheless. This young woman manages to impress me week after week.

I believe Dream Team aced the challenge this time and were way better than Team Keepin’ it real. I’m surprised Heidi said it was such a close run.

I was repulsed by the fact that all members of Team Keepin’ it real threw Amanda right under the bus even though her piece was one of my personal favourites. Layana and Benjamin being in the top three was adequate. What shocked me was Samantha being placed in the same category. The finishing was a hot mess, for Christ’s sake! I disagree with Zac Posen who claimed that Amanda’s proportions were off. They seemed fine on screen. Joseph’s was terrible but I actually found Daniel’s way worse.

I feel like the elimination choice was unjust this time. Daniel’s dress wasn’t even considered for the bottom three. It was plain weird! The fact that Samantha won was equally weird. C’mon, I would’ve understood Layana taking the win from Benjamin’s trendy floral piece but Samantha! WHY?!

After a very dismal episode, the ending suspended us all in midair wondering what was yet to come!