YES WE DID!

It is a new day in America. I am proud to say that I voted for the first African-American president of the United States, Barack Obama! This is a historic night. Tonight, my generation united to make change and end the darkness our country has been in the past eight years. We stood up to an administration that controlled our lives through fear and lies. We finally have a president who will serve with dignity as a symbol of who an American really is. Barack was born a child of an immigrant, raised in a household where he looked different from everyone else in his family, studied hard and received the best education, chose to serve his community instead of looking for a big salary, and finally chose to stand up and serve his country when we needed him the most. President Obama is an inspiration - we can become anything that we want to be. He has changed the face America presents to the world and replaces our redneck cowboy image with cosmopolitan intelligence. From now on, everything will change. We're saved and out of the darkness, and I can't wait to see where President Obama will take us.

Britney's back!!!

It's no secret that I'm a huge Britney fan, and even less of a secret that she been crazy the past few years. Well, Britney countered back last Friday and, in her words, she's "got your crazy." Her new video for "Womanizer" premiered on 20/20, and it is awesome! She's looking hot, and the first thing you see is her showing off her svelte new bod. This is definitely a must-see. I'm hoping that the return of Britney is a sign of returning to 1999-2000; back when life was good, the economy was in surplus, and America was safe and on top. New Britney + new president = a bright and happy future for America!

Michael Phelps: 8 in 08

Some of you may remember my Michael Phelps post from 2004. Reading it now, I realize that not much has changed at all. Michael is still "humble, cute, fit, kind, determined, and a team player," except now he's the GREATEST OLYMPIAN EVER! That's right, Michael has done what no one has ever done before: win 8 gold medals in a single Olympics. And he has more gold medals than any Olympian in the history of the modern games. And he's not even done! He's going to compete in London in 2012 and no doubt get even more medals.

Not only am I so proud of him, but since 2004 I have felt this connection with him. These past four years were like Olympic training for medical school. And now that I am here, I am actually achieving the goals that I had made for myself in childhood. In 2012, I will graduate from medical school and become a doctor, which to me is the ultimate gold medal. Michael and I were both nerds who got tormented and bullied in school, who are now achieving our dreams and making a difference. Of course, I am not operating on the scale of Mr. Phelps, but he has inspired me for so long to keep going through the tough times and let the negativity of others fuel me to keep going.

Congratulations, Michael. I know that your hard work and dedication will continue to inspire me and others around the world to live up to their full potential and, perhaps, exceed it.

New Chapter

Dear readers, I am happy to say that I have started a new chapter in my life. I started this blog when I was 19 years old with the dream of becoming a doctor, and since that time, you have all seen my ups and down on that journey. You were there when I took my pre-reqs, my MCAT, faced down my premed advisor, applied, interviewed, was waitlisted, applied to grad school, graduated from college, retook the MCAT, moved to DC, reapplied, interviewed, was ACCEPTED!, and received my masters degree. Well, dear readers, I have just completed my first two weeks of medical school here in Texas, and I am studying for my first medical school test. Having a masters degree has really helped me here - I feel like I have an advantage over the other students since I have seen this material before.

But beyond the academic, I feel that I am actually living the dream I have had since I was two-years-old of becoming a physician. All I have ever wanted to do is devote my life to the service of others, to be their advocate when they are in need, and to share my great capacity to love and care for others. It's been a long time coming, and I feel so blessed to actually be living the life I have always known I was meant to live. I want to share this new chapter of my life with all of you. Some of you are old friends, some are premeds, and some are just passing through. Regardless, I hope that the lessons I have learned in the past and will learn in the future will help you in your lives, and help me continue the journey of introspection I began nearly five years ago.

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The other day I read this article on Yahoo! about a new show in Afghanistan: Afghanistan's Next Top Model. At first, I thought that this was a great chance for oppressed women to step out into the public eye and express themselves. For so long, Afghan women were kept hidden behind their burqas and now they would have a chance to be seen. This was a great way for them to be empowered and feel good about themselves and their femininity.

Then I got to this sentence:

But asked if he looked more at the clothes or the girls, he replied with a smile: "The girls of course."

Oh, hell no! This woke me up to another side to this. America's Next Top Model is not about empowering women; it's about objectifying them! So why should Afghanistan's Next Top Model be any different? These women grew up in a society that told them they don't matter, and now they're being told that they can matter only if they are beautiful on the outside. What about the inside? Why not have a show like ABC's The Scholar where the smartest girls win scholarships? Or a Hannah Montana or Lizzie McGuire type sitcom with a strong young female lead? Now I understand that Afghanistan is new at this whole TV thing and this is a big step on it's own, but I think they should consider preventing the creation of a superficial, beauty-obsessed culture that makes girls feel bad about themselves on a daily basis like we unfortunately have in the US.

Don't believe me? Just watch this video:

Umbrella

Umbrella was the official song this summer, especially in rain-soaked Texas. Check out this cover from one of my favorite singers, Mandy Moore.

There I Said It: Ugly Betty

Feelin Groovy

I'm really pumped cuz I kicked ass on my Physiology exam. I'm so excited and happy about this. Plus my sister is visiting me here in DC tomorrow. She'll be staying with me for a week and then we'll head back home to Texas together. Things are looking awesome.

I finished watching Sleeper Cell season 2. This show is great cuz it shows Muslims of all races, ethnicities, sexes, and even (gasp!) sexual orientation. I find it funny that the 2 Iraqi Sunni characters are played by Shi'a Iranians...talk about your opposites. And what makes it funnier was that one of them was mistaken for an Iranian on the show itself. The show points out a lot of different issues and personal struggles that American Muslims have to deal with. One of my favorite lines is when Darwin, the undercover FBI agent pictured here, has a terrorist at gunpoint --

Terrorist: What kind of a true Muslim works for America?
Darwin: I don't work for America. I am an American.

I was like, hell yeah! Darwin is a great metaphor for American Muslims who have to live in the shadow of terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism. He illustrates the constant struggle between the confidence that they are wrong, the scary feeling that you can identify with them on some level, and the guilt of that identification. He knows that the only way to stop the fanatics who have hijacked his religion is to become one of them and play their game - even if it ultimately means going on his own suicide mission.

Oscars 2007

Hooray for Hollywood! Last night's Oscars was wonderful and upbeat and full of highlights:

• West Bank Story won for best live action short. Now, I hadn't heard of this movie before, but the acceptance speech was so great that I looked it up. I love that it is based on my favorite movie, West Side Story, but also incorporates peace in the Middle East.

• Will Ferrell, Jack Black, and John C. Reilly put on a hilarious musical number that pointed out the sad truth that the Academy ignores comedians when choosing Oscar nominees. I didn't really like the conclusion that the actors should take on serious roles, but I guess you can't be a guest in someone's house and then spit on them.

• I was very surprised by a couple winners. First, I thought Eddie Murphy would win Best Supporting Actor because this was really his one chance. As mentioned above, the Academy snubs comedians so this was a great time to give it to Eddie. Of course, Alan Arkin is a comedian and played a comedic role in Little Miss Sunshine, so...yeah.
• Another winner that surprised me was Marie Antoinette for Best Costume Design. See, in the preshow, they interviewed the Devil Wears Prada costume designer with Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway. Then they had Emily and Anne present the award and make all these jokes about how they know fashion the best b/c of the movie, and then they had to give the award to Marie Antoinette! Talk about a letdown. Although, I thought the acceptance speech was very nice.

• Another huge upset was when Melissa Etheridge won for Best Original Song for An Inconvenient Truth. Right before the award was announced the cast of Dreamgirls performed 3 songs they were nominated for and it was huge and Broadway-tastic. Ellen even said, "I would hate to have to follow that." And then Melissa won. Yes, this Oscars had a lot of the rug being pulled out from under people.
• The one category where I wanted this to happen was in Best Picture. I was rooting for Little Miss Sunshine, but instead it went to The Departed. It's interesting because a couple years ago I wanted The Aviator to sweep the Oscars - Leo as best actor, Scorsese as best director, and The Aviator as best picture. But instead, that honor went to The Departed to give Scorsese his long-deserved Oscar.
• Ellen was an amazing host, and kept the banter light and apolitical, which was very different form Jon Stewart last year. She would randomly run into the audience with gags, like this one:

So it was a night of upsets and highlights, and as always, a memorable night where dreams came true for many people.

I'm Back and Matching!

Hey y'all, I apologize that it's been a long time since my last post - a semester in fact. I've been living in DC and growing up a lot. Maybe I'll tell you more about it, but I'm not ready now. I am ready to give you good news. Yesterday was the Texas Match and I matched to University of North Texas! Yes, I have been accepted to medical school, and I can now live up to my name! All the pain from last year seems like a dream compared to how I feel now. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and darkness does not have to consume us forever. With faith, persistence, and my family's love and support I was able to keep going and achieve my goal. I wish all of you the best of luck in making your dreams come true!

My First Apartment

I just signed the lease on my very first apartment! I feel like such an adult now. It's gonna be so cool having my own place for the first time. It's near my school too, so bye-bye excessively long commute! It's so thrilling. I'm already planning what my days are gonna be like: going to school and coming back to my apartment to study. It's gonna be a challenging academic year, but I think the excitement of living in a new city is gonna make up for it.

Chad Vader - Day Shift Manager (episode 1)

This video is so funny! Check it out.

World Cup Final

As requested, here are my thoughts on the World Cup Final 2006:

• ABC did not play Shakira's performance before the game. Instead they were too busy playing their commercials. Do they not realize that the WC final is a celebration? Luckily, I flipped to the Spanish channel just in time to catch it and tape it. I still have the song in my head...and you know my hips don't lie.
  
• The game was action-packed from the beginning, with a PK in the 6th minute. A sign of things to come...
• The Italian goal was awesome, and made me think that they were a better team...at first.
• The game was going fine until Italy made a second penalty in France's box, but the ref didn't call it! The announcers said that it was even more of a penalty than the first one, but it was still not called. Interesting, considering that Italy has clubs on trial for putting refs in their pocket. If the penalty was called, Zidane would have scored another PK goal and France would have won the final 2-1.
• In double overtime, Zidane's shirt is pulled by Materazzi, the 2 exchange words, and Zidane turns around to head-butt Materazzi in the chest! This wasn't seen by the ref, and while one of his 3 linemen did see it, he did not say so until after it was broadcast on the big screen. It is against FIFA rules to give a red card based on a broadcast. Whether or not any of the linemen actually saw the head-butt (he he), Zidane was given the red card and ended his 18 yr long career. Why did he do it? What could he have gained? Was it worth it? Should he have been given the red card, assuming the linemen did not actually see it? If he had not been given the red card, Zidane would have stayed for the PK shoot out. He would have made the goal that Trezeguet missed, and France would have won the final.
  
• If France had been granted the PK I talked about in the 2 bullets ago, Zidane would have been remembered forever as the hero who scored 2 goals in the WC final to give France its 2nd victory. But instead, his legacy is tarnished, and he did not even leave the locker room to get his silver medal. I believe France should have won the WC, but a series of bizarre events in the final game prevented that.

Cristiano Ronaldo

I just want to take a moment to honor the greatness that is Cristiano Ronaldo. I know he helped Portugal beat Iran in the World Cup, but ever since then I've grown to love the spirit of Portugal's team...and Ronaldo. So please, indulge in the beauty that is Cristiano Ronaldo.



Oh, and he can play soccer, too:



Good luck against Germany, Portugal. You can do it!

Kabob vs. Oranges

VS









If you're confused by the title, Portugal is also the Persian word for oranges. Iran lost to Portugal today 2-0. The score was 0-0 at halftime, and once again the Iranians slacked off in the second half. There were two times the Iranians could have made a goal but fumbled (yes, I know that belongs to another kind of football): 1) An Iranian kicked the ball to make a goal but it hit the side of the net and didn't go in, and 2) An Iranian had a clean shot to kick a goal, but dribbled an extra couple of steps and kicked at a weird angle, missing it. What really got me was when this one Iranian stuck his foot in front of Figo in the penalty box, causing a penalty kick. Poor Mirzapour didn't have a chance against Ronaldo. The penalty kick is basically a free goal to the other team, esp. when Ronaldo faked right and kicked left, throwing off Mirzapour. But the greatest moment in the whole game was when Figo got kicked in the face by an Iranian player! It left the mark on the left. It was hilarious! The guy didn't even get a yellow card! So, Iran is eliminated from the World Cup, but still have one more game against Angola to give poor little Angola a chance for second. How sad!


Here are some quotes from today's game:

Ferydoon ZANDI (IRN) We weren't smart enough at the decisive moments. Some of our most important and influential players were never 100 per cent fit. And to be frank, the opening defeat put a damper on the dressing room, so there was no wave of euphoria for us to ride. (OK, I'm almost 90% certain the guy never said this sentence.) We weren't affected by the stories about the coach (Branko Ivankovic) over recent days, because that's what you get in Iran after every defeat. Obviously it's a matter of honour and pride for us now. We'll give it our best shot in our last game and bid the tournament a worthy farewell. We'd like to finish third in the group, but we're well aware Angola will provide tough opposition.

Mehdi MAHDAVIKIA (IRN) We're devastated at being knocked out, because we'd set our sights on making the last 16. We played well in the first half against Mexico, and we did the same again today. We have a good crop of youngsters and there's a very good team for the future coming together here.

Vahid HASHEMIAN (IRN) We looked very good indeed for the first ten minutes, but it was never going to be enough to win. Portugal were definitely the better team and they were physically strong too. It's over for us and we have to live with the defeat. We only matched them for 45 minutes. We kept it tight in the first half, but we looked very tired after half-time. Some of our best players are injured and couldn't make their normal contribution. Obviously we missed them. We have plenty of talented players in Iran, some of whom could play in Europe. Our coaches are always criticised at home when we lose.

What High School Clique Do You Belong To?

You scored as Geek/Nerd. Haha! ok. go computer geeks! Geek/Nerd 53% Emo Kid 47% Hot 40% Loner 40% Prep 33% "Ghetto" 13% Punk 13% Jock 7% Stoner 7% Goth 0% What Highschool Clique Do You Belong To? created with QuizFarm.com