Welcome to My World!

BaBye Sunshine

2006-06-20T07:40:00.000+03:30

I’m sure you’ve heard of ‘Global Warming’ … Well, you’d think that was a major problem … But there’s a much bigger problem!! … It is too dark …Each year less light reaches the surface of the earth … Sunshine seems to be on its way out of our life … Bad news I’m afraid!
‘Global Dimming’, the name scientists have given, is so important that I’m wondering (and maybe you’re too) why I’ve never heard of it!
It’s kind of difficult to imagine this situation! … By the mid 1980’s, there was undeniable evidence that the earth was getting hotter … So how could it be that there’s not enough light reaching our planet … How could any ordinary person believe the idea of reduced solar radiation – our planet’s only external heat source. … It just isn’t easy to believe!

Learning in the Sexes

2006-06-19T00:42:00.000+03:30

People have spent many years advertising coeducation. Coeducation is said to be based on equality. The need to secure equality for women in industrial, professional and political activities has influenced the spread of coeducation. But is coeducation really better for girls and boys? The plain truth is that boys and girls learn in different ways. Science shows that a girl’s brain functions differently to a boy’s. One technique doesn’t work for everybody.
Many children and teenagers develop better in single-sex schools/ universities. The social tensions are gentler. Each sex can develop at his/her own speed. Gender stereotyping is almost never seen in single-sex schools/universities. The faculty at single-sex schools/universities understands how their students learn and adapts their methods to the students’ skills.

Boys in coeducational settings are less likely to take courses in Arts or advanced academic subjects. In a single-sex environment, boys easily participate in choirs and orchestras and learn Latin. A single sex school allows boys to explore Art, Drama and Music without fear of being a freak in front of his feminine peers. In this way sexual stereotypes fade into the background. I remember at school, some so-called popular boys were almost never interested in Art. Art which involved pencils and paints, they would try not to attend. And if they did, they would waste their time walking around teasing girls. This automatically distracted girls who didn’t want to seem very into Art. So their time was wasted. But given homework in the same subject, these same boys would hand in excellent pieces of work. Our teacher, Mrs. Lewis, was always amazed at their work and always said, “How come you boys don’t work like that in class?”
In a single-sex environment boys don’t see the need to impress girls and they can be themselves. This feeling of comfort can give into individuality. A boy develops his uniqueness and his individuality.
Boys tend to soften their competitive edge and become more cooperative in a single-sex education setting. They can just be ‘boys’ and not worry about what girls might think.

The same is seen in an all girls’ school. Many girls cannot achieve their full potential in a coeducational school/ university. Peer pressure, their desire to be accepted and their perceived need to conform to popular opinion and thinking, are some reasons that make many girls suppress their own personality and individuality in a coeducational academic setting. Mikyong Kim and Rodolfo Alvarez, researchers at the University of California, found that “in women’s colleges, women students not only experience fewer distractions, but they also gain the self-confidence necessary to further develop themselves.”
Girls drop their shyness and begin to take risks in a single-sex setting. They ignore gender stereotypes and develop their competitive side more fully. They embrace sports like field hockey and soccer. Girls relax enough to feel comfortable exploring non-traditional subjects such as mathematics, computers and technology, woodworking and so on. There are no boys to impress. They don’t have to worry about being called a ‘tomboy’. They can be any individual that they like, without fear of not being accepted by their peers.
Also skilled teachers who understand girls and the way they learn can cause girls to be interested in non-traditional subjects. They can encourage a young lady to dream outside of the box and want a career of industry as opposed to just being a teacher or a nurse.

Educating boys and girls in single-sex settings is not an assault on equal rights. It is an opportunity that enhances equality by allowing boys and girls to develop their own unique characters. Single-sex education has a way of encouraging children and young adults to be fearless, to be curious, to be enthusiastic. In short, to just be themselves.

I’ve learned …

2006-05-29T02:05:00.000+03:30

I try to learn anything from anything! It’s not really important for me what the lesson is! The important thing is how I use my new experience! ... There are some things I’ve learnt that I’d like to share with you! I hope you enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed the experience. Although understanding something abstract in concrete form is really difficult.

I’ve learned …
that just one person saying to me, “You’ve made my day” makes my day!

that being kind is more important than being right!

that life is tough, but I’m tougher! … This is a motto I live by! … It’s what keeps me going through the hard days.

that a smile is an inexpensive way to improve my looks! … read my other posts to find out my opinion on smiles and hugs.

that to ignore the facts does not change the facts. … I was always looking for a way to not see the problem, but after a rare experience I understood that the only way the problem was gonna go away, was for me to look it in the eye and say, “You still haven’t got the best of me. I’m much stronger than you’ll ever imagine!”

that appearance is nothing compared to attitude! … even the ugliest and at the same time kindest person can look great in the eyes of the world … the same goes for the opposite! We’ve got this girl in university, she’s definitely pretty and has a good body … but in my eyes and others who really see, she’s really ugly. Her attitude towards others is awful. She’s always imagining others as much less than her. … What’s the beauty in that?!

that no matter how serious my life requires me to be, I need a friend to act silly with … I’d like to thank Sahar, Bita, Fatemeh Gh., Fatemeh H., Ash and Farshid and some others guys for being there : )

that money will never buy class.

that I should be glad God doesn’t give me everything I ask for! … It’s really difficult sometimes to think positive. But once I learnt, there was no going back! Thank God

Recycle It!

2006-05-27T03:38:00.000+03:30

Environment protection is an important issue nowadays. Wherever you go, people are talking about recycling glass and cans, about recycling paper to save world’s jungles. They are trying to find ways of reusing products so that more natural resources are left for future generations.
Time is also an important element of environment, isn’t it? But it is often neglected. We have to understand that if we recycle our time wisely, all those around us will benefit from the positive energy it gives out! It not only helpful for the future generation but its effects are seen straight away!
Listening to music, playing a musical instrument, collecting stamps and reading are some popular pastimes. But there are also lots of inexpensive ways of recycling time! We can start by using our 5 senses more, by seeing things our eyes haven’t noticed before.

Listening
Find a quiet place and relax. The longer we sit and listen, the more we can hear the rhythms and harmonies of the world. The wind moving through the trees is one of the most calming sounds I have ever experienced. I’ve always seen it soothe the nerves of old and young! Listening gives our mid time to rest. It leaves us refreshed and energetic.

Spending Time
Visit relatives and friends you haven’t seen in a long time, or take your loved ones out for a picnic. Help a strange with directions. Give smiles to those around you and help someone to open a door or change a flat tire. The old lady who asks to be helped to go across the street, help her! We can make a big difference in their life. Words like ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ cost nothing.

Laughing
If we look hard enough, we can usually find something to laugh about in any situation. As long as we remember to laugh, we are on the right track. Laughter is a great investment. It burns calories, it feels great, it improves blood circulation, and it makes time fly or sometimes keeps it still.

Real Waste of Time
Lying to Others and Ourselves. It creates a lot of negative feelings. It’s hard to keep the truth hidden for a long time. Besides if we lie, others will have a low opinion of us.
Don’t Keep Grudges. Forgiving is hard, I agree! But it’s only hard at the beginning. The peace of mind it brings after is so powerful that it becomes a habit.
Beware of Regrets. There’s no use in being sorry if it’s too late! Think first, and then do/say something. Then there won’t be any spaces for regrets. We always have to keep the future in mind. We must remember that opportunities aren’t lost: only someone else uses the ones we’ve thrown away.

Don't forget to hug all those u know and all those u don't know!

Worries, Worrying, Worried!

2006-05-23T23:31:00.000+03:30

I worry you worry, People worry too much! But why? Why do we worry about everything? Can you think of a situation in which people don't worry? No. Me too!
We lie there on our bed for hours, hoping that a writing would appear on the ceiling. The writing, we hope, will say this "Everything's OK and was from the start and always will be!" But do these words appear? They've never appeared on my ceiling. The twisted thing is that we even worry about the writing that's going to appear.
And still we worry! It doesn't matter if it's about love, money, health, friendship. We are creatures that were created to worry.
One reason is fear of the future! I have a thought 'We are afraid because it gives us life!' What's your opinion?
Imagine a simple day at the theme park, with nothing special, suspicious or risky happening. While you're standing in the queue, as you move forward and closer to the roller coaster your heart beats faster, your body starts shaking and you start sweating in the most unusual places. But you still don't go back! The thrill of being afraid and worried for a second of our life gives us such a pleasure; we’d do it again if we had the chance.
It makes us appreciate life more, but at the same time it’s the most destructive habit!
Fear is the greatest problem to overcome, but yet we have to deal with it, to enjoy life!

What is Marriage, anyway?

2006-05-20T23:09:00.000+03:30

1. Marriage is not a word. It's a sentence (a life sentence).

2. Marriage is love. Love is blind. Therefore marriage is an institution for the blind.

3. Marriage is an institution in which a man loses his Bachelor's Degree and the woman gets her masters.

4. Marriage is a three-ring circus: engagement ring, wedding ring and suffering.

5. Married life is full of excitement and frustration: In the first year of marriage, the man speaks and the woman listens. In the second year, the woman speaks and the man listens. In the third year, they both speak and the Nieghbour listens.

6. Getting married is very much like going to a restaurant with friends. You order what you want, and when you see what the other person has, you wish you had ordered that instead.

7. Love is one long sweet dream, and marriage is the alarm clock.

8. They say that when a man holds a woman's hand before marriage, it is love; after marriage it is self-defense.

9. After marriage, husband and wife become two sides of a coin. They just can't face each other, but they still stay together.

10. Marriage is man and a woman become one. The trouble starts when they try to decide which one.

11. It's not true that married men live longer than single men, it only seems longer.

Source Unknown

Excitement on the Roller Coasters

2006-05-15T16:50:00.000+03:30

Roller coasters

Everyone has gone to a theme park once in their childhood. As a child when you go there the noise, the colors and especially the rides take you to another world. It seems that even a whole day isn’t enough for kids to be at the theme park (that’s why most famous theme parks have built hotels in the area).

The first ever theme park I went to was Pleasure Beach in Blackpool. It was enormous and colorful. At that time I was 6! My sister was much braver than me, when it came to riding the rides. She was anxious to get on every ride she could but not me! I preferred the water rides and the safe ones. My parents (feeling young) got on a ride called Pepsi Max: The Big One. It is the highest and longest roller coaster of Europe (235 feet high and over one mile of twisting and turning at speeds of up to 87mph). At the meantime we went and got on 'The Ghost Train'. It was very scary in the eyes of a 6 year old. I think I cried after getting off that ride.

When I was 11, we went to Alton Towers. It was and still is the best theme park I’ve ever been to. When we entered the theme park we could see lots of shops and cafes and not a lot of rides. My sister and me looked at eachother in fright. Everyone in the park seemed so happy. “Why were they happy?” I thought to myself. “Haven’t they come to a theme park? Where are the rides then?” We soon found a map and understood that we had to go on broad the ‘Sky Ride’, which would take us to the Forbidden Valley.
The Forbidden Valley was the ideal place to get a thrill of a lifetime. It had some amazing rides. One ride I remember very well was Nemesis. The queue of this ride was about 2 hours long, but it was worth it. After 2 hours of waiting it was finally our turn to get on. My sister insisted that we sit on the front seats. I said, “No”, but she pulled me to the front and sat me down on the seat. At that moment something came to my mind, “All through the ride our legs would be swinging in the air. Wouldn’t that be dangerous?” I didn’t have time to find an answer for it. The ride started. It was slow at the beginning, but it soon speeded up. I held on tightly, shut my eyes for most of the ride and screamed. When we got off. I felt great. The ride was amazing. I wanted to try it again. But there were so many rides in Alton Towers that another 2 hour wait wouldn’t be to our advantage.
Another ride I remember getting on was Ripsaw. Before deciding to get on my sister and me watched the people on the ride. They seemed frightened and yet excited. This was one ride I didn’t want to get on. But as usual my sister made me. In the queue, all I did was moan and groan and look in fear at the ride. At one time I even decide to go back, but I didn’t. It was time for us to get on with another 38 people. Some were scared like me, some worried and some screaming with excitement. As I sat on the seat, I understood that the seat was too big for me and I could move around very easily. Then the guards were closed over our chests. And again I saw that I could move back and forth. I wanted to get off. But their was no time. The technician had already pressed the button and the ride was going to start. I remember thinking ‘I wouldn’t stay alive’ ‘I’d fall down in to the water and die’. I held as tightly as I could while the ride took us 50feet off the ground. Then it started spinning and twisting and turning and stopped. I knew the ride hadn’t finished because we hadn’t got wet yet. Again it started turning an spinning and at the same time coming down. My sister was screaming with excitement, while I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t find the breath to scream. I just held tightly and didn’t close my eyes. I wanted to see the moment I’d die. So the ride continued to spin us around and around and then it stopped. It was time to get wet. At 50feet off the ground our seats were turned facing the ground so we could only see the water. Then the 40 fountain of sprouting water awaited us. It came down fast. I just remember getting soaking wet and smiling at the fact that it had finished.

Oblivion is another of my favorite rides. Oblivion is the world’s first ever vertical roller coaster! I went on this ride the second time we came to Alton Towers. I was 13. Again the queue was very long and again we waited. I was ready for a great thrill. This time I wasn’t afraid. Maybe it was because I was 2 years older and much bigger in size. At first there was a lift hill. I could only see the sky. Blue and yellow as summer sky is. None of the riders could see when it was going to happen but everybody was ready. When it got to the top, it made a small turn and made a quick pause. Then a voice said: Don’t… Look… Down! And the coaster plunged into the hole of oblivion. Everywhere was dark and I couldn’t hear anything except the screams and their echo. The ride was intense.
Whether you’re 3 or 103, this theme park has a ride suitable for you!

Hugs and Smiles to You!

2006-04-25T11:03:00.000+03:30

The Truth About

HUGS

There's no such thing as a bad hug, only good ones and great ones.

HUGS ARE

non-fattening and they don't cause cancer or cavities.

HUGS ARE

all natural with no preservatives, artificial ingredients or pesticide residue...

HUGS ARE

cholesterol-free, naturally sweet, 100% wholesome and they are a completely renewable resource...

HUGS ARE

Easy to c are for, they don't require batteries, tune-ups, or x-rays...

HUGS ARE

non-taxable, fully returnable and energy efficient...

HUGS ARE

safe in all kinds of weather...

In fact,

HUGS ARE

especially good for cold and rainy days and

HUGS ARE

exceptionally effective in treating problems like bad dreams or Monday blues...

Never wait until tomorrow to hug someone you could hug today, because when you give one, you get one right back your way!

So I suggest to you to give a hug to anyone you see today, tomorrow and ...

It's not very important you know them or not. It'll make you feel better and give a lot of hope to them.

Sometimes SMILES can do the same thing as hugs. They both can even save people's lives.

2006-04-20T16:01:00.000+03:30

Today, as I was checking my folders. I came to a piece of writing I had wrote 5-6 years ago. Seen as my friend Maryam wants to know more about my experiences of studying in another country, I thought I'd Publish the text here. I hope you enjoy it, cos I enjoyed reading it. I had forgotten about my trips and my friend Nadine.

School in Y4
This part of my biography is about what I did in Year 4. I moved schools two times in year four because we kept moving homes. I enjoyed Y4 and I have lots of memories of that year. The subjects I liked the most were Maths, Physical Education and free choice.
I like free choice, because we could do anything we wanted. I usually played with clay or painted. Every morning after registration we would choose a book and read it for about fifteen minutes. And every morning two people got chosen to read. The first time I got chosen I read Little Red Riding Hood. The short version.

Sports Day
When it was Sports Day, we would have 5 main races (games). They were; Racing,Egg And Spoon,The Sack Race,Throwing,Big Jump. From these you had to do racing and you could choose two other ones.

Games

When I was in Y4, we use to play lots of games. Games which seem so embarrassing, now. Like, Kiss Catch and Tag. Also we use to get the boys caps and run off with them. The boys had to come and get their caps. We would through the caps to other girls, so they couldn’t get it.
I liked tag the most. One kind of tag is called, Tiggy Bob Down. It is just like tag, but when the person who has been tagged is chasing you, you can bob down. Then they can’t tag you. Also we played Hide and Seek. That was really fun. Me and some of my friends used to go to the toilets, which were mixed, and lock the door. Stand on the seat, thinking they wouldn’t know! The boys, usually, would stand next to the toilet, where they couldn’t be seen, then when we came out. They would get us.

Physical Education
We never really played proper P.E. in Y4. It was mostly what the majority wanted to play. But in the summer, we played Rounders and Netball. Inside we would play Handball and Gymnastics. We had this special skirt to wear.

Trips
In Y4 we went on two trips that I can think of. One was to the ambulance and fire station. I enjoyed that trip so much, because we got a colouring book at the end with 4 wax crayons. And a badge saying ‘I have been to the fire station’. Also we got to ride on an ambulance. I lay on the patients bed.
We did some work on C.P.R., where we had to pretend that we were at home. And suddenly our mum/dad had a heart attack and there was nobody at home to give them C.P.R. Another exercise that we did was that a bus was on fire and we where trapped in it. We were learnt on how to open the fire door at the back of the bus and get out without getting hurt.
The other trip we went to was to Chester Zoo. It was so good to see the animals. We went and saw the seal show. The instructor of the seals was called Wendy. She let the spectators feed the seals and touch them. There were to seals one was called ‘Cecil’ and the other ‘Lucy’.

Friends
When I came here, I lost all my Persian friends. Because we were too little to write, so we just had to say, Goodbye!! But I soon made friends of different cultures, Persian, Canadian, English. One of my friends, Nadine, was three-quarters English and one-quarter Canadian. We have been friends for 5 years. We always did everything together. When it was Harvest Time, me and Nadine would put jam in our cornflakes. It actually tasted nice.

Killing the Dead

2006-04-20T11:49:00.000+03:30

Should we let other’s death come sooner than expected? Should we kill others/ourselves when they/we might not yet be ready to die? ‘Euthanasia’ or ‘Mercy-Killing’ means gentle and painless killing of those who suffer from painful incurable diseases or very old age etc. There are many people who argue on the subject of practicing euthanasia. In my opinion, to illegalize the practice of euthanasia is a very good idea. This act is already illegal in America and Britain.

If God keeps someone alive, you can be sure it is for a reason. God is the one that sees everyone’s future. So God knows what is best for his people, even if that human is in a lot of pain. God will not keep them alive and suffering, unless it’s for a perfectly good reason. God is also the kindest and most generous. God would never put one of his people in extremely hard circumstances, unless at the end of this difficult journey he wasn’t going to give that special someone a reward. If we open our eyes, we can see these facts and we will be able to trust in God’s work.
Another reason why I think euthanasia is wrong is because science is taking steps forward everyday and it’s doing this very fast. Technology and science are making our lives easier. If a person is living in pain, the chances that technology and science will put an end to the suffering are a lot. People with incurable diseases shouldn’t be victims of mercy-killing just because there isn’t a solution to their problem. With the growth speed of science nowadays a disease, like Alzheimer’s, which has no cure today, may have a cure tomorrow.
I also believe that in extreme circumstances people are not able to make logical decisions for themselves or others. And we can certainly call having incurable diseases, very old age etc as extremely bad situations. People aren’t able to see all the aspects of this kind of death and are very vulnerable. These people decide quickly and emotionally, preferring death to life, not having the faith to continue living and not hoping for a better future.

After weighing the scale of disadvantages and keeping the advantages in mind, I conclude that euthanasia is not a moral act and it should be banned all over the world. It is not our choice to say who must stay alive today and who must die, even if we want the best for others/ourselves. With the help of science and technology we can give hope and faith to ourselves and the people around us. Life is too short for us to shorten it even more!

Writing for Fun!!!

2006-04-15T14:48:00.000+03:30

One of the things I enjoy doing in my free time is writing short stories. I’m not thinking of this as a future profession but I like to write!

Monday 3rd April
She woke up at 7.45am to get ready for this big day. The day they would see eachother after 14 days. She was excited but also had an unusual feeling of uneasiness.
They went to a park near her house and looked at some old photos. At last, she remembered him from the past. Then they went for lunch. She asked some questions about the future from him and they talked. She gave him 3 kisses on the cheek (he started it). Although the kisses were from the heart she felt that it was too soon.
Very soon it was time for her to go back home. She didn’t want to go. She joked around with him about when they’ll meet again. He said “tomorrow”, she said “I won’t see you until next week.”
At 6:15pm, she looked out of the living room window. There he was. She quickly came out of the house. She watched him with wonder and brightened eyes. At 7 when she went home, she was worried. ‘What if all this wasn’t real? What if she was picking up the wrong signs? What about if she was being played around?’ She slept with these worrying thoughts and hoped, with all her heart, that he was real.

Tuesday 4th
She went to the Botanical Gardens with him. He picked her up at 11:30am. She was very happy. There, they talked about their future together, about their families and themselves.
Then, they went to Pizza Hut. They ate lunch. He asked her a difficult question. ‘From all the people you’ve been with / loved, where do I stand?’ She didn’t answer the question. She just said, “I’ve only had serious relationships with 2 people.”
Later on that day, he told her, “I’ve loved you from the first day I saw you (14 years ago).” She was shocked. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. She left his side at 5:45pm to go to work.
Today was real. She was sure of it. It was unbelievable. Her love for him was unbreakable.

Wednesday 5th
Today wasn’t such a good day. Her dad woke her up at 7:15. She went to university but no classes were held. She came back home at 9:25. Her 4 friends watched ‘The Notebook” at her house.
At 12:15pm she got a message. He wrote that he wanted to see her. She got dressed quickly and left the house. But she couldn’t stay for long. He was sad. She could read it in his eyes. He denied it. They didn’t talk much. At 12:45 she called him. He said, “It would have been better for you not to come, rather than come for 15mins. You broke my heart.” What heart breaking? The truth was she wanted to see him. But 15mins wasn’t good enough for him. They argued for most of the day.
But at last, they forgave eachother and said sorry!

Thursday 6th
They didn’t see eachother, today. She didn’t have much news from him. He was in class till around 2. He called at 4:40pm, but she was asleep. She tried to call him. But everytime she came close to talking, a problem occurred.She went, with her family, to some people’s homes. It was boring!!! Some thoughts came to her mind. Money thoughts, Love thoughts, …

About Me

2006-03-10T14:00:00.000+03:30

Hey there! I'm Mahsa Jazayeri. At the moment I'm living in a country in the Middle East. It's an Islamic country and it had a massive revolution 27 years ago. Yes you've guessed it. It's Iran. I've been living here for the past 5 years. Before that I lived in Sheffield, England for about 10 years. I practically grew up there. I started school and almost finished it, there. I was in Year 9 at King Edward VII Secondary School when we left England to come back to Iran. I was excited and sad. The thought of moving back to the country, which I hadn't seen in such a long time (and couldn't remember anything about it), excited and at the same time scared me. I didn't know exactly what I was in for.

Let me tell you about my life in Sheffield, first. My dad got a scholarship from Elm va Sana'at University, Tehran in 1991. He was invited to study at Sheffield University for his Master's Degree in Metallurgy. So Mum and Dad packed their bags, held our (mine and my older sister's) hands and left Iran for a new life. Dad went 2 months early. I remember the day we arrived at Heathrow Airport in London clearly. I remember mum crying and I couldn't understand why! Was it because she was happy she'd seen Dad and was gonna start a new life or was she homesick already?!! I was 6 at the time.
The first two years of primary school were difficult. I couldn’t speak English, so I was put in another class with an Iranian girl, Maryam Akbari. I wasn’t a good student. The next year was even more difficult because I had to stay in the same class (Year 2) while other kids and Maryam went to Year 3. When I finished Year 3 I changed schools. In Netherfield Primary School I was bullied because of wearing a scarf. But some years later school got better. By Y6, I had become friends with everyone in my class. And I was good at all my subjects. In the middle of Y6 (1996), I organized a Bring and Buy Charity Sale for orphans in Africa at school. We raised around £135. This was one of the highlights of my life.

Then elementary school started. I was very afraid, very!! I was worried of not being liked and being bullied. But it went well. I soon found one of my best friends, Narges Izadi, and a good classmate, Kira Fretwell. I was very good at all the school subjects, even English.
Then one day my grandfather died. My dad decided that we should move back to Iran. I didn’t want to leave, forever. On the 16th of March 2001 we came back. When we arrived at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, all our family was there. But the only people I recognized were my grand parents …