Storybook Favorites

After examining the list of storybooks, my final choices are: LSD In A Yellow Submarine, Tales From The Bayou, and Alexander The Great, Reborn!

LSD In A Yellow Submarine

Source: LSD In A Yellow Submarine

While scrolling through the list of storybooks, this one immediately caught my attention. The title itself is so bizarre. I never thought I would see a story that would incorporate an illegal mind-altering substance with the work of The Beatles. I was sold. Upon reading the humorous introduction, I wanted to give the author a round of applause. I was not sure what to expect, but I love the fact that the story revolves around an old timer who is wanting to live life to the fullest. While I have no comment on the usage of hallucinogenic drugs, I would like to note that it was a creative touch to incorporate it. Everything about the storybook, including the website, is groovy.

Tales From The Bayou

Source: Tales From The Bayou

To be honest, the main reason I clicked on Tales From The Bayou was due to a recent visit I had to New Orleans. It was my first time in the Louisiana, and man, the dialect out there is something else. Upon clicking on the storybook,  it was great to see the author use the dialect and grammar of a native of the state. I was introduced to an old lady who had lived in the Bayou her whole life with her family and had a large helping of tales. This is the type of storybook to make someone feel young again, as if they are sitting on their grandma's lap and listening to her speak of old tales. 

The Villains of Black Magic

Source: The Villains of Black Magic

I chose The Villains of Black Magic due to a religious connection. Black Magic is viewed as a real and very dangerous thing in the Islamic Religion. Upon examining the storybook, I was quite impressed to see what the author had produced. She is a detective, trying to rid her town of mischievous, black magic practicing villains. It was cool to see that the detective was mixing folklore with reality. She incorporated the folklore character Rumpelstiltskin and the Russian Rasputin who had close ties to the royal Russian family, The Nikonaevlas. 

The Beatles' Yellow Submarine

Source: LSD In A Yellow Submarine

Week 1 Story: The Wolf and The Crane

Once upon a time there was a generous man named Blog who opened up a food kitchen in his town that provided free meals to everyone. Blog worked tirelessly, day in and day out, to keep his kitchen running, but realized that he could use some help. He proceeded to put a now hiring sign outside of the kitchen. One day, a young man named Ger walked into the store in need of employment. Blog, who had never turned anyone down, offered Ger to be his right-hand man. 

Blog began teaching Ger the ins-and-outs of the food kitchen, and gradually became happy with his work ethic. Yet Blog noticed that Ger did not show much affection for those who visited the kitchen. He often saw Ger muttering to himself while serving food, and had once tried to make someone pay for a second serving. Blog, who always searched for the good in others, chose to overlook these instances. One night, Ger had invited Blog to join Ger and his family for dinner. Blog gladly accepted and the both continued on to Ger's house.

Over dinner, Blog found out that Ger's father, Gergantuan, was a businessman known for buying-out smaller businesses and turning them into adult entertainment centers. After dinner, Gergantuan asked if he could tour the food kitchen. Blog, who never turned anyone down, then took Gergantuan and Ger to the kitchen. While showing them around, Gergantuan started asking Blog questions regarding the finances and upkeep requirements of the kitchen. Blog politely answered his questions. Blog, who always searched for the good in others, took no offense to these comments. 

The following week, Blog was preparing lunch when all of a sudden he grabbed his heart and started shouting in pain. He shouted "GER!, GER!, please help me!" , all while Ger hid behind a barrel, hoping that maybe Blog's condition could some how help his family acquire the food kitchen. As he started to lose consciousness, Blog noticed Ger run outside of the door. Blog later awoke in a hospital to find Ger sitting at his side. He asked Ger, " Why are you here, you left me in my time of need?" , Ger lied and said " I am sorry Blog, I tried to go and find help!" Ger then explained to Blog how his father would help pay for Blogs very expensive medical treatments, and even provide him with a job at his company, if Blog decided to sell the kitchen to his father." All of a sudden Blog began to weep. He had trusted Ger. He had always looked for the good in others, never turned anyone down, yet someone had tried to take advantage of him. He told Ger, " This food kitchen is priceless. It is about more than money to me, it is about helping those in need." He then told Ger to leave and to find a new job. Blog then realized that he should be more cautious of who he fully trusts, and that not everyone means good. 

Author's Note: I chose to do the story of The Wolf and The Crane from The Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacobs. The story speaks of a  wolf choking on a bone, and the crane choosing to help him if there was a reward invovled. Instead of this scenario, I created one that involved a struggling yet happy food kitchen owner who loved to help those in need, that was approached by a greedy family hoping to purchase his business in hopes of opening one of their own. 

Bibliography. " The Wolf and The Crane" from The Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacobs. Web source.

The Wolf of Wall Street

Source: Flickr

Introduction to a Future Medical Doctor

A common stereotype of the south asian culture is that parents want their children to become either a doctor or an engineer. Contrary to popular belief, my parents did not force me to travel the route to becoming a doctor. Instead, this was a career choice that I had chosen as a comfort zone, but ended up falling in love with.

This assignment really has me digging deep into my memories and I must say, the nostalgia is a bit too much to handle. I remember when I was very young, I dreamed of being a singer. Any household item was my microphone. Then as the elementary days rolled on, I dreamed to be a soccer player. I prayed to God (Allah) to please allow me to be the best soccer player in the world. Then I fell in love with space and dreamed of being an astronaut. Unfortunately, I learned the different of dreams vs reality. My singing voice most definitely wouldn't get me a golden ticket on American Idol, I got burned out of soccer, and my vision prevented me from becoming an astronaut.

As life rolled on and I entered high school, I started thinking about what I wanted to be when I grow up. Most of the people in my family are businessmen, besides the occasional doctor or engineer, and I thought I was destined to run my family's business. But the 2008 recession happened and I learned the realities of being self employed: there is no job security. Around this same time, my big brother had decided to attend medical school and he would share with me what he did. I started to think, hey if this dude can become a doctor (my brother wasn't the brightest person growing up), then so can I. When applying for college, my dad sat down with me and asked what major I wanted/what careers I was thinking of. I immediately blurted out "I want to do pre med" as it was a comfort zone for me. So I came to OU, not really sure how college worked and a little scared. I started looking at all the requirements to getting into medical school and it looked extremely daunting. I asked myself "can I really do this? Do I have what it takes?" I was so unaware of all of the other choices out there that I just kept going with the flow.

So life continued. I had many many downs during my first few years at OU, and a few ups. Things started to change once I rushed a fraternity my second year. I found a great group of guys, had my head on straight, and was exposed to new careers. It wasn't until I went though a situation with a family member that I realized the true importance of medicine. I had a family member go though a psychological problem that caused some chemical imbalance in their brain. The uninformed Bilal thought that this person was making this stuff up, that they had control over their situation, and that this situation could have been the work of some supernatural force. Feeling lost and with little hope, I went to speak with a doctor and a psychiatrist. I went in feeling like the world was coming to and end, yet walked out with that "light at the end of the tunnel" feeling. I realized that there were certain problems in everyday life that people are misinformed on. They may believe that these problems have no solution, are bizarre, or are up to chance. Yet, there are people who are knowledgeable and informed on these certain problems actually have solutions to them. I wanted to be one of those people. I wanted to be the person that lost individuals come to seeking help, and that I in return offer them my commitment to finding them a solution. I wanted to give someone the same feeling that those doctors I spoke with had given me.

So a new Bilal emerged, who was 100% committed to his career. I began taking harder Pre-Med classes and found ways to gain more medical exposure. I planned the rest of my tenure at OU and thought about what classes I needed to take and how to study for my MCAT. Yet I still wasnt sure if I had what it took to get into medical school. It wasn't until the end of this summer that I had full confidence that I can actually do this. I had always thought that the MCAT was going to be some awful test that I had no way of preparing for. Yet, when I actually looked at a breakdown of the MCAT, I realized " man I have taken literally all of these classes!" I let out the biggest sigh of relief in the world. The boulder had been taken off of my back. I realized that the MCAT was just one big test over everything I had learned so far. That it was totally doable if I just went back and reviewed for it over a period of time.

Now I am a Senior and life couldn't be better. I've realized that I have almost gotten through something which I had once thought to be impossible. Next semester is my MCAT time and Im not scared. I know that as long as I put in effort, I will get the grade I deserve. Life gave me many hurdles these past few years, but I came out on top. Until now, when I had spoken with people about Pre-Med, I told them it was very hard and for them to look into other things. Now, I tell them that it something that is definitely achievable as long as you put your heart into it.

Doctor Consults With Family

Source: Wikimedia Commons

My favorite place: Pakistan

My favorite place to visit is the motherland, Pakistan. I was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and moved to Edmond, Oklahoma when I was about a year old. Since then, I have tried to visit Pakistan every few years. I still have a ton of family back there and I love going back and enjoying time there. There are a lot of misconceptions and propaganda about Pakistan, but until you actually visit, your thoughts are void! It is a second home for me, a place where I can fit in, to an extent.

Neelam Valley, Pakistan. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neelam_Valley

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First Day of Class

I am really excited to see what this semester holds.