AGD H I Y O U T H M O V E M E N T M A G A Z I N E

I s s u e # 0 5S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3

Dhi Youth MovementYouth for Youth, to empower and to lead

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Dhi Youth MovementYouth for Youth, to empower and to lead

Dhi Youth Movement began in early 2012 as a small initiative by a few young inspired individuals

in Male', with the vision to bring a positive change to society by empowering young people to

actively contribute to society.

Our group, with a strong following on Facebook, was used to mobilize volunteers for a flash freeze

on 29th March 2012 and since then there has been no turning back.

We officially got registered as an NGO on 12th of December 2012 as Dhivehi Youth Movement

under the Associations and Societies Act of the Maldives (Act No. 1/2003).

Any and all Maldivians between the age of 16 and 27 are welcome to join DYM. And everyone's

ideas and thoughts are welcome and appreciated.

D Y M c o r e g r o u p a t t h e 0 t h A n n i v e r s a r y p h o t o s h o o t

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Dear Reader,

I am overwhelmed by the positive response we have received so far for this magazine and that inspires me to carry on . Every issue requires so much work organizing everything, carrying out photo-shoots and such, but once we start to see it all come together, the feeling is amazing. It’s that warm fuzzy feeling that just makes me very happy.

I am sad to see our design director Nawaf leave (but don’t worry, he will always be a part of our team! We don’t let people go that easy, ha) but I am also extremely excited to introduce our new design director Imy who is one of the nicest people I know and he is extremely talented and I hope that this magazine will become a lot more fun and happening with him on the team.

This issue, we feature one of our favourite bunch of people, the ladies and gents from Space Parade! We have been huge fans of them since forever and meeting and interviewing them was definitely a great experience. I hope that you have as much fun reading about them and their adventures as we did talking to them. I can honestly say it has been the most fun cover photo-shoot yet.

Apart from it, we also have a lot of fun new segments, especially Sharky’s new column Literalyrics which will make you laugh and our Wonder Woman segment where we highlight one woman who is just wonderful in what she does. A lot more articles about life, health, movies, poetry and music follows making this issue rich in content and a fun read. Don’t forget to click share and download as a PDF so you can read it anytime you want!

September is one of my favourite months. Hogwarts starting its school year, so many people we know having birthdays and this year, elections and the SAFF championship bringing a lot of excitement our way. We have tried to include a lot of fun things for you to read this month, in the hopes that it will inspire you, and make you think inside the box (because it’s bigger on the inside!).

So get a cup of tea, curl up with your phone/laptop and have a great time reading!

Cheers,

4

THE

DYMagTEAM

Sifr is simultaneously rude, charming and

arrogant. His only redeeming quality is that he is

proficient. Relentless in his pursuit of knowledge

and impartial truth. Self professedly classy and

stylish. He enjoys the company of bright and

attractive young ladies. He is a basketball player, a

stargazer, a gym rack, a philosopher but most of

all a mind of science.

Shaha is a free spirit who enjoys classic literature,

tea with lots of milk, good books and lots of

sunshine. She dreams of huge closets and making

a mark in the world. She believes in mismatching

socks, breaking stereotypes and handwritten

letters.

Imy is just a dreaming, believing, photographing,

graphic designing, video gaming, good food

consuming, tv series watching, constantly ranting

everyday teenager. Loves his friends and making

new ones. Often dreams of traveling the world

someday due to suffering from a terminal case of

wanderlust.

SifrEditor-in-Chief

ShahaContent Director

ImyDesign Director

fb.c

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/imy

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sifrs

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5

THE

CONTRIBUTORS

ShifrazPoet

Ixmael Blood Nael Ish MoonyPoet Writer Writer

Fazu

Jin

Poet

Writer

Thihnan

Shaam

Sharky

Toby

AboWriter

Writer

Comic Artist

Photographer

Writer

f b . c o m / m o n k e y g r a p h y@ s c u b e s h a a m@ j i n e x i l i r

@ s h a a a a r k i e

@ i s h t a s y@ I x m a e l N a a i l@ a s h i f r a a z

@ m r a b o 0 4

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Editor’s ChoiceEditor’s ChoiceIntriguing and thought provoking articles from

around the web handpicked for you,

Ever wonder what’s inside a spacesuit? Now you can see for yourself.

MaldivesYour Human Rights

One Lesson To Teach The Young

Where mind-mindednesscomes from

A.I:Articial Intelligence 6

7

Editor’s ChoiceEditor’s ChoiceThe people never give up their liberties but

under some delusion.-Edmund Burke

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.

-Confucius

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

-Magaret Mead

I am not concerned that you have fallen - I am concerned that you arise.

-Abraham Lincoln

Difficult things take a long time, impossible things a little longer.

-Harriet Stowe

Amat Victoria Curam - 'Victory loves preparation'

-Unknown

Courage doesn’t always roar, sometimes it’s the quiet voice at the end of the day whispering ‘I will try again tomorrow.

-Maeve Greyson

If you torture data sufficiently, it will confess to almost anything.

-Fred Menger

Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality.

-Abraham Lincoln

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.-Babe Ruth

Cogito, ergo sum -‘I think, therefore I exist’

-Rene Descartes

Ipsa scientia potestas est -‘Knowledge itself is power’

-Sir Francis BaconHappy Read ing !

1913: When Hitler, Trotsky, Tito, Freud and Stalin all lived in the same place

Electoral Violence

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CONTENTSRegulars0304050609

Letter from the Content DirectorThe DYMag TeamThe ContributorsEditor’s ChoiceCalendar

Specials3034

Wonder Woman: Shamma MuhammadInterview with Space Parade

Spots20222428

This one is for youNoblesse Oblige300000 People, 11 Men, 1 Ball‘Faahaga’ Campaign

111226

Music ReviewDYM RecommendsLiterallyric - Demons

Entertainment

424648

Random Acts of KindnessArthritisCholestrol

Living

445052

Bloodwritings - The TerroristAs they pass by...Till the end, and then no more.

Misc

8

9

September04th

08th

15th

16th

19th

21st

24th

27th

28th

Eat an Extra Dessert Day

International Literacy Day

International Day of Democracy

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

Talk Like a Pirate Day

International Day of Peace

World Gratitude Day

National Punctuation Day

World Tourism Day

Hug a Vegetarian Day

World Heart Day

CONTENTS

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10

Do you like Ellie Goulding’s voice? If not, don’t read this review; you’ll not like

this album. If you do (or you’re not sure), read this and listen to the album to

get obsessed with it. Because this stellar sophomore effort by the British

folkie-turned-pop-star is headlined by her voice, which shines on songs that

could have otherwise passed as electro-pop trash, and glitters on the best

tracks on the album.

The best word to describe her vocals throughout the album might be

Ethereal. It’s so soft and vulnerable, yet so powerful and emotion-inducing.

If nothing else, you’ll at least be moved by her vocals. Or creeped out, if you

hate her voice. Either way, that voice is really quite something and you’d

know it when you listen to this album. On songs like Atlantis and Anything

Could Happen, she’s cooing more than singing. But she does it with such

vulnerability that it’s almost otherworldly. At times, she’s just an

unbelievably beautiful voice accompanying a simple piano melody (Joy, I

Know You Care), but in most tracks, she’s a fragile, multi-layered one-

woman-choir that brings out harmonies that upstage the songs’

productions. As one critic from a review of this album I read pointed out, she

takes the phrase “Singing like a Bird” to new heights here.

Her voice is mostly in a marriage with heavy electro-pop productions on this

album. And it’s a marriage that works on so many levels. Goulding chose

this artistic direction because she knows the stuff. It’s evident when you

listen to her. But the best part is she doesn’t let the synths and beats take

away the spotlight: her vocals shine through them all. It’s a welcome change

when compared to other electro-pop giants like Skrillex and David Guetta. I

mean, you don’t always listen to their tracks ‘cause their featured artists

deliver center-stage vocal performances, right? You listen to them because

their beats are sick club-bangers that you can dance yourself away to. But

Goulding knows her voice is her greatest strength and do not let it be just a

“featured” element in the songs. That said, the productions are light and

beautiful when needed, chaotic and flashy where it’s best suited. Props to

Jim Eliot who produced most of the tracks on the album, with Goulding

herself.

As for the lyrical content, this is a break-up album through and through.

Goulding herself co-wrote all the songs on the record except Hanging On (a

brilliant cover of the original song by Active Child.) And she paints a troubled love affair

here as two people playing it wild and dangerous on the thinning ice of a frozen lake in

winter, and she does it pretty well. It’d be easier for someone who has been through a

damaging relationship to know the phases of relationship deterioration portrayed

here: the broken promises, the ignorance, the agony of waiting, the realization of the

inevitable, the calm before the storm, the storm itself and finally, knowing when to let

go. And the bitter pain in between.

But with the varied production styles, some really good love songs take on the disguise

MUSIC

11

REVIEWof being club music with lyrics that don’t

make sense. For anyone looking to

parody it, the lyrical content could come

off as about skinny dipping or having

monthly period! Moreover, songs like Only

You and I Need Your Love have jovial,

banging beats that makes it seem like

happy songs, whilst closer examination of

the lyrics would suggest otherwise.

Furthermore, heavy repetitions of the

same line occur in many songs in the

album. But with her beautiful voice singing

them, I didn’t have any problem with the

exquisite harmonies she created with the

repetitions. In fact, these tracks I just

mentioned are some of my favorites on the

album. On listening to songs like Joy and I

Know You Care, some might say that her

talent is better showcased with the simple

piano-driven ballads and that more

upbeat tracks and digital tweaks feel a bit

too weird and over-the-top, but frankly, I

think that’s what makes this album unique

and artistic.

Goulding said that she named the album

Halcyon (which is an African kingfisher

E l l i e G o u l d i n g - H a l c y o n - b y A b o

bird that brings calm to rough waters in winter to lay eggs on) because a lot of

the songs here are about the ocean and water, but I don’t get the “calm” part,

‘cause there’s nothing calm about the situations laid out in the songs. Maybe

making this album, the artistic process was what brought calm to her. So

maybe she means to say that the music here could also help you let go of a

chaotic, encaging relationship. Even if it doesn’t, this is great music here: you

can dance to it, break your heart to it, heal your heart to it, and might even be

inspired because of it. It’s ambitious, it’s devastating, it’s refreshing, but most

of all, it takes you on a quiet unforgettable ride (at least it did for me! :P).

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

10

11

12

13

Don’t Say a Word

My Blood

Anything Could Happen

Only You

Halcyon

Figure 8

JOY

Hanging On

Explosions

I Know You Care

Atlantis

Dead in the Water

I Need Your Love ft. Calvin Harris (Bonus Track) TRAC

KLIS

TR a t i n g :

⅘

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12

b y : S h a h a

DYM RECOMMENDS

From the author of The Kite Runner

and A Thousand Splendid Suns

comes another great tale about love

and the choices that make us. A tale of

families and how they nurture values

and care for each other that takes us

from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to

the Green islands of Tinos. Every

chapter more powerful than the last,

this is a tale that will be remembered

for generations.

And the

Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

rating:

5 STARS

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Jaycee and Rachel were best friends before Jaycee chose Skyler over

Rachel. Now Rachel is dead and Jaycee must follow the clues that Rachel

sent before her death to find who killed her. A tale of romance, friendship,

betrayal and murder set against the backdrop of a small town with a growing

gang problem, this book is page turning, heart shattering and full of secrets.

Dead Girls Don't Lieby Jennifer Shaw Wolf

rating:

3 STARS

Mathéo Walsh has everything. He’s Britain’s most promising diving

champion, a heartthrob, straight A student who lives a wealthy life in London

and he has the perfect life and the perfect girlfriend Lola. But one weekend

changes Mathéo into something different. Something terrible, violent and

twisted happened that weekend that leaves Mathéo trusting no one and on

the brink of self-destruction. A changed life, Mathéo now finds himself at

crossroads, whether to keep his secret and put Lola in danger or to confess

and lose Lola.

Hurtby Tabitha Suzuma

A book that is written with intimacy and piercing emotion, this tells a story of

obsession and artistic fulfillment. Nora Aldridge is a 37 year old elementary

teacher who has become “the woman upstairs”, a friendly neighbor but her

life takes a turn when one of her students, Reza gets attacked and called a

“terrorist”. Nora learns more about Reza and his family, learning some truths

that might just shatter not only the Reza’s world, but hers as well.

The Woman Upstairsby Claire Messud

rating:

3 STARS

rating:

4 STARS

BOOKS

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Bay and Daphne are sisters

who were switched at birth

and after a lot of hardships of

getting to know each other

and their families, the girls

n o w f i n d t h e m s e l v e s

entangled in a lot of drama in

new surroundings. School

trouble, romances gone

wrong and family politics

keeps the girls busy day

and night and often in so

much trouble.

Switched at Birth, Season 02

DYM RECOMMENDS

Castle and Beckett tries keeping

their relationship a secret while

battling some of the toughest

cases yet. Murder at their

vacation house, kidnapping of

someone close to Castle and

Castle himself arrested for

murder, season five is filled with

cases that will shock you. The

season f inale leaves un

hanging yet again with a

question that could make or

break Caskett.

Castle, Season 06

15

TV

Stephen, normal boy up until one day

finds himself teleporting into places in

his sleep and hearing voices in his

head. When he is on the brink of

insanity, he follows the voice in his

head that leads him to find out more

about himself and find people like him

– The Tomorrow People who are a

genetically advanced race of super-

humans. Stephen also learns that

they are being hunted down and he

must run to escape from his reality.

The Tomorrow

Project Runway, Season 12

Sixteen enthusiastic fashion designers face off each other in a new season of

Project Runway. With challenges that takes them to Coney Island, and guest

judges including Kaley Cuoco, this season brings out the best in the

participants and also the best in fashions.

People, Season 01

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DYM RECOMMENDS

Nominated for Grand Jury Prize at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, Touchy Feely is the story of a brother and sister who discovers new things about themselves that transforms their lives. Abby, a sought after massage therapist suddenly discovers an uncontrollable aversion to bodily contact and her brother Paul who is a dentist finds himself with a “healing touch”. A film about living in one’s own skin starring Rosemary DeWitt and Josh Pais, this is a self-improved comedy that will touch many hearts.

TouchyFeely

Grace is a twenty something supervisor who works at a foster-care facility for at-risk teenagers. She lives a fulfilling life, passionate about her work and in love with her boyfriend Mason but when Grace’s past comes back haunting her, Grace must do everything in her power to help herself and the kids under her care. A movie about finding truth in unexpected places, this has been given highly positive reviews calling it “a roller coaster of every emotion, managing to be both heartwarming and heartrending at once”.

ShortTerm 12

rating:4 STARS

rating:3 STARS

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MOVIES

Rahul, a forty year old Bachelor is asked by his granny to drop his granddad’s ashes in a river in south but he and his friends made plans to go to Goa. When Rahul’s granny decides to see him off at the train station it forces Rahul to take a ticket on the Chennai Express. His life takes a turn for the crazy, when he meets a gir l names Meenamma who was running to catch the train. With forced marriages, duels and more in his way Rahul is mixed up in a whole lot of crazy in this commercial success that has broken several records including the record previously held by 3 Idiots, doing amazingly well both in India and overseas.

ChennaiExpress

rating:4 STARS

Following the food storm in the preceding Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Flint and his friends are forced out of Swallow Falls but an invitation from Chester V brings him back to the town. He discovers his machine now creates something even more evil and once again it’s up to him to save the town and the world! A movie that is amusing and fun for the whole family!

a chanceof Meatballs 2

Cloudy with

Release date: September 27th.

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DYM RECOMMENDS

The experimental rock band from Chicago comes with a new album that stays true to their rock genre with songs that talk about death, destruction and mending. With songs such as Stitches and Frosted Tips that see great use of instrumental music and the old rock vocal feel with lyrics that make the song come to life, this album is sure to generate critical acclaim. Ten songs each with a title more interesting than the other, this album could very well be our sanctuary away from reality!

Stichesby Califone

Yours Trulyby Ariana Grande

Nickelodeon star Ariana Grande makes her

music debut in this album with singles such as

The Way, and Popular Song. An album filed

with songs inspired from 90’s urban pop that

showcases Ariana’s amazing vocal talent, it

has generated positive reviews. Songs such as

Almost Never Enough featuring her boyfriend

Nathan Sykes talks themes of love and

hardships. Thirteen super fun songs are

featured in this album that we love playing while

working.

rating:

4 STARS

rating:3 STARS

19

PLAYLIST

With Loveby Christina Grimmie

The YouTube sensation Christina Grimmie brings out her first studio Album, With Love which boasts of 11 brand new songs that talk about life, love and loss. With songs such as Get Yourself Together and Absolutely Final Goodbye, the theme of heartbreak is seen. Dance-pop beats, catchy lyrics and great vocal talent make this an album that is a must have for every pop fan. Even if you aren’t a pop fan, songs such as My Anthem and With Love will bring a smile to your face.

The Third

by Belle and SebastianEye CentreThe Third Eye Centre is Bel le and

Sebastian’s second compilation album that

includes some of their songs released

between 2006 till now. In true B&S fashion,

all the songs have their signature style, their

old time classic beats mixed with great

timeless vocals that make this compilation a

must have for every indie fan. Our particular

favourites are Love on the March, Long

Black Scarf and Your Cover’s Blown all of

which just touches our hearts!rating:

4 STARS

rating:4 STARS

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B Y : I S HPeople make mistakes. Every action in your

life can’t be the perfect one to a fairy tale life.

You’re never the same person throughout

your life, giving up old personality traits as you

age. What doesn’t change throughout your

lifetime is the essence of who you are. Now, sometimes, the person you become

might dislike the person you were, to the point

where you berate yourself because you hate

yourself. Even if people are looking at you

with admiring eyes, you’ll keep wondering

when your flaws will drive even your closest

friends away, because you’re acquainted with

your faults better than anybody else. You strip

yourself down to nothing but your bare, ugly

truths and convince yourself that it’s your sum

of a whole. It becomes easy to convince

yourself that you’re not going to matter to

someone, that people would be better off

without you, because you see yourself as the

lowest of the low in your eyes. Because of

what you’ve seen and because of what you’ve

been through. They don’t know, but even if

they did could they understand you? Would

they sympathize, or would your heavy past

bring them down with you?

20

21

Eventually you can’t even meet your reflection

in the eyes because of the shame.

When that happens, forgive yourself. Make

compassion a strength rather than a

weakness. Draw from yourself and show

yourself the kindness you deserve above all

else. Everybody is fighting their own battles

and everyone has been wounded in some

way or another. Your wounds don’t make you

ugly, or a lesser human being. Even if yours

run deeper than the rest, it doesn’t make you

tainted, it just makes you a human struggling

to find a better place in life. Maybe you’ve

been places you didn’t want to be – never

mind that, you live and you learn. Never again,

now that you know better. Show yourself a little

kindness. Allow yourself to be treated with the

same courtesy you would to a friend. Leave

behind your past and come to terms with your

present so that you can have a better future.

The road ahead is long, but you can only go

there if you learn to love and accept yourself.

Fight everyday till you finish your journey. But

start with the little steps.

So forgive yourself, today.

22

NoblesseObligeHave you ever heard of the French phrase, “noblesse

oblige”? Literally, it means “nobility obliges”. A more

elaborate definition would be, “whoever claims to be

noble must conduct himself nobly [i.e.: act with honor,

kindliness, generosity, etc]. To put it in simple and general terms, it can mean

something like “act in ways that fit who you are.” This is an idea that can be applied to every part of life for

any person, ever. The idea that we should do what we are

able to do. That we should not hold back from our true

potential for reasons such as fear, doubts or insecurities. Some people are good at art, some are good with

numbers, some are good with writing words, some are

good at speaking them, some people make the best food

and some people have funny personalities that are

begging for a YouTube show. But more often than not, these people hold back and not

show off their talents. Sometimes they are shy, sometimes

they fear judgment from others and some even have

insecurities about whether they have these talents or not. Whatever the reason, it eventually results in them living

half-lives, not being all they could be. This is seen at the most basic level, where people with

talents for practical things like cooking or accounting or

art don’t express it, and on more advanced levels where

people with the potential to be leaders and politicians and

CEOs choose to sit on the sidelines and express their

discontent instead. How many times have you seen the most amazingly

talented person just flat out deny their talent or refuse to

even try? How many times have YOU been told you were

great at something, only to disagree and refuse to give it a

go? Maybe it’s fear or doubt or insecurities. But you must

realize one very important thing: when you are choosing

not to be all you could be, you are failing yourself in the

worst way. You are failing every shred of potential you

have. You are failing all the amazing things you could do

and be. You are living only half your life. [And the less

interesting half at that.] There’s this John F. Kennedy quote that people like to

throw around when they want you to do something, “Ask

not what your country can do for you – ask what you can

do for your country.” Let’s take that saying and chop it up a little to make it more

relevant to the ideas being expressed here and to life in

general: “What can you do?” Sounds simple right? “What can you do?” Ask yourself

that. What are your skills? What abilities do you have?

b y : M o o n y

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NoblesseObligeWhat are you good at? What do people say you’re good

at? Now ask yourself this. “ARE you doing it?” Are you doing

what you’re best at? Are you living up to your highest

potential? Are you the best version of yourself? Perhaps one reason why our society has so many issues

and so many discontented people is because everyone is

holding back without expressing their true potential.

Everyone has things they could be doing really well but for

whatever reason, live their lives doing other things

instead. We all have things we COULD do and some of us say that

we SHOULD do it and some say we WOULD do it if certain

conditions are met. But the truth is that these fantastical

conditions are almost never met. And we never end up

doing these things. Which is where the phrase ‘noblesse oblige’ comes in

again. As we now know, this phrase means that those who

are a certain way must act accordingly. So we can take it

one step further and say that those who have certain skills

must use them. We can say that it is their obligation, not only to the people

who stand to benefit from their skills but also to

themselves. We all live just the one life, except for the cats

among us [reportedly]. So we must do everything we can

do in that limited time because there’s not going to be a

do-over. We must also be the best we can be. We must

take on the responsibilities we know we can bear, simply

because if we don’t do it, no one else would. If everyone out there stopped holding back and started

doing everything they could do and living up to their true

potential, the world might be a better place. It would

certainly be a happier place. So next time you’re holding back, take a deep breath and

think to yourself, “noblesse oblige.”

I can, therefore I must.{

}

2424

From the next period forward, I will assume that you have

already seen the very colorful banners that shade the roads

of Male city’ and know that the ball for the SAFF

championship 2013 has seen the back of the net.

But it took me a crowd of not less than 75 people screaming

on top of their lungs to realize that SAFF championship has

already begun.

With all the posters, the banners, the debates and the music

booming out of the base on every street, the very event of

Football where Maldivians go all red was not very much

flowing in the atmosphere. (Not for me anyway). But there

were people who always marked their calendars with big red

markers, and waited desperately to see the Maldivian squad

do wonders on a foreign green pitch.

It was one very boring evening for me and I decided to take a

walk around the city when I ran into a friend of mine who was

an activist of one these political parties. (Seemed that we

both were in the dark about the SAFF championship) We

walked around, talking about the random stuff; Syria, Miley

Cyrus, Elections and to whom I am voting for. After a long

exhausting exchange of unrelated news we decided that

heading home would be the best for the rest of the evening.

On the way back home, we heard more than occasional

chanting, screaming and cheering around the corners of

every street. And these screams of cheers stole our attention

from the dubstep music booming from our shared

headphones. We headed towards the noise and found

ourselves in a base set up by one of the political parties, with

an oversized screen and projector showing Ali Ashfaag

running with the ball. I would’ve missed it if I blinked, as the

ball flew past the goalie and hit the net like a snitch. And then

again, a jump, a cry and scream, all mixed together took

over the whole quiet atmosphere again. The guy standing

next to me was jumping with his hands raised as high as the

national flag, screaming like a girl. The veins on his neck

were pretty visible too.

After the ball went to the middle for kick-off I nudged him and

asked a question, to which I got an answer that actually

made me go speechless. “Dude, aren’t you sitting in the

300,000 PEOPLE,11 MEN,1 BALL!

24

2525

300,000 PEOPLE,1 BALL!

opposition party’s base? Don’t you hate this place and the

people to guts?” He replied with rage in his eyes “Its football

idiot! Who cares which party it is!!! I won’t move an inch from

here until the match ends, and no one is going to come and

make me either!” And the crowd rose with another cheer and

scream. It was another goal.

This guy I am writing about is a way more stubborn person

than the average activists you see around the city. He is 5 or

6 years older than me and he never changed his political

view ever since democracy was introduced to Maldives.

And now, that same person is sitting there in an opposition

base, as if he forgot his views, his principles and his beliefs.

He screamed and chanted and patted on my back as if

nothing happened. He was like a freeman, with no reason to

stare at another fellow Maldivian with a red face and yell why

the nation is still in debt and why people are being killed like

mosquitoes.

I understood a fundamental law that applies to all Maldivians

that day; No matter who you are, where you come from,

whether you are dark or fair, educated or uneducated, dumb

or smart, who you support in the presidential race, when it

comes to football, you are just a red-blooded Maldivian

same as the one who is cheering next to you. The same red-

blooded Maldivian, who took the nation from the

Portuguese, the same Maldivian who are caring and

sharing, well dressed and creative. Just a ball and 11

players on a pitch running around can bring 300,000 people

into a synchronized heartbeat. Just like Turtle Theory sang:

Though the political views differ (Siyaasee, Fikuru thafaathakas)whatever the color they maybe

(Komme kulayakas)though they dislike each other

(Kithammey nuruhunas)Say,

(Bunaashey)we are one

(Mee ebbayekay)this is one force

(Mee Ebbaarekay)we are Maldivian children

(Dhivehi Dharinney)

[ Maakanayoa / Turtle Theory ]

b y :J i nb y :J i n

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27Follow me for more!@shaaaarkie

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The elections are upon us and we, at Dhi Youth

Movement (DYM) believe in the power of youth

engagement during this crucial time. What better

time is there to let our leaders know that we hold a

huge stake in the future of this country?

We recognized and understood the need for

advocating for informed decision making by the

general public, especially the youth population,

in the current polarized situation in the Maldives.

Hence, DYM has been heavily involved in the

elections this year, by partnering with UNDP to

distribute voter education material throughout

the country. We managed to cover all 20 atolls, and

all 192 inhabited islands in the country – which is a

huge feat.

The purpose of this huge effort was to emphasize on

the importance of everyone’s right to vote, and to

ensure that everyone makes an informed decision,

based on the candidates’ manifestos and their

insights on various policies that affect citizens. We

also strive to create awareness within public on the

procedures that would take place prior, during and

after Election Day.

We are also picking up an online social media

campaign named ‘Faahaga’, in partnership with

UNDP and the Elections Commission of the Maldives,

where pictures of mainly new eligible voters are

uploaded with what they want out of this election ie;

you th deve lopmen t , soc ia l secur i t y , j ob

opportunities, etc.

With heavy integration of multiple social media

platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram,

FAAHAGA CAMPAIGN B Y S H A A M

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FAAHAGA CAMPAIGN B Y S H A A M

we aim to reach a large audience through this

campaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness

on political tolerance, provide latest news on the

elections and provide a platform for youth to

express what they want out of the election in a non-

partisan and youth-friendly online platform.

Our teams will be actively approaching newly

eligible voters and would request them to upload

their pictures to the campaign. We have also been

going out on the streets with professional

been going out on the streets with professional

photographers, who would be snapping pictures for the

campaign – so keep an eye out for our team!

While we are happy to see that young people are actively

involved in independent observation efforts and working

alongside the Elections Commission, we cannot stress

further on how important it is for youth to be engaged in this

election. As the youth population accounts for roughly 60%

of our country, we have the largest say in this election.

We, Dhi Youth Movement, are doing our part in this

election… will you join us?

Click here to go to our facebook page.

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S h a m m a M u h a m m a dW O N D E R W O M A N :

Shamma Muhammad, the founder of Shumsie’s

Bridal Hijabs and Rings and Things is one woman

who inspires us. She is an entrepreneur, and an

innovator and a mind of modest fashion. She grew up

in Colombo, Sri Lanka attending an all-girls Muslim

international school which she believed was a great

influence on her. Having a strict uniform code that

involved the hijab encouraged her to experiment with

new hijab styles while being modest. She started

wearing the hijab at a young age along with her many

friends. As kids wearing hijab, there wasn’t much

inspiration to look for, no tutorials and such and so

they had a lot of time experimenting creative styles

with the little resources they had. The experience was

something that interested her in creating hijab styles

and becoming a Hijab stylist.

She never regretted her decision to wear the hijab, it

defines who she is. Like every young girl she wanted

to feel special, and confident, the hijab was her way

of showing the world that she was a special,

confident young woman who was not only defined by

her outer appearance but also appreciated for her

intellect.

Shumsie’s Bridal Hijabs started as an album in

Facebook where she often uploaded hijab styles that

she tries out. Family and friends gave her a lot of good

responses to the pictures that she eventually started

a Hijabi fashion blog at hijabiii.blogspot.com. A year

of blogging at this address got her many followers

and fans all around the globe and a year later she got

a domain at hijabiii.com and has been blogging

since.

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S h a m m a M u h a m m a dW O N D E R W O M A N :

During mid to late 2011’s, she started experimenting

with different Turkish hijab styles especially with

brides’ in mind and practicing the styles every day

and after a few months, Shumshie’s Bridal Hijabs was

born. She started doing bridal hijabs on clients and

also making accessories to style with the hijabs

which interested her in crafting and designing

headpieces which eventually led into creating

accessories such as rings and bracelets leading to

her second online endeavor Rings and Things.

Shamma is inspired by many things. She is an avid

reader of historical fiction, especially the regency

romances, their ball gowns full of tulle, lace, silk and

pearls which was what made her interested in

fashion. A lot of her signature pieces are inspired

from that era. Magazines and TV shows also play a

big part in inspiring her. Some of her favourite TV

shows for fashion inspiration include Ugly Betty,

Downtown Abbey and Pretty Little Liars.

Shumsie’s Bridal Hijabs provides live styling and

consultation of bridal hijabs and hijabs for dress

occasions. She works alongside her business

partner Niuma taking live styling clients’ separately.

In addition, they also make ready to wear hijabs for

brides living outside Male’ or Maldives. They have

clients in all corners of Maldives, in UK, US, New

Zealand, Malaysia and parts of Europe.

Rings and Things consists of all hand-picked and

some handmade jewelry and other accessories

which can be summarized as a collection of cute,

whimsical and personalized jewelry to suit the

customer’s tastes. When choosing accessories, she

tried to choose pieces that a person could easily

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She tries to make the services she provides as unique as possible by keeping up to date with fashion

blogs and magazines about the latest hijab styles. She believes that hijab is not just a garment but a

whole lifestyle and an expression of an individual. And that no two people express themselves in the

same way, the same going for how they'd like to wear their hijabs.

A challenge is something that Shamma looks forward to, and when a client requires something different

or a customized accessory, it’s something that she puts her heart into to give the client just what she

needs.

Shamma mentions her fans as the biggest supporters who include her former clients, and those who

have been following her blogs and pages. Without the encouragement and support of her beloved

family and sweet friends, she would not be where she is today.

Looking upon the future, she wishes to expand all her ventures, to create new ideas, involve more

people and to develop more styles and accessories. Shamma and Niuma have already created a

hundred ready to wear hijab orders from all around the country and have successfully completed a

style shoot just a few months back. Their line of ready to wear, pre-styled hijab caps are the first in the

country and their signature design. Shamma also plans to expand the line of business to include more

items that make a hijabi’s outfit complete.

Related Links

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Space Parade is a Maldivian group that makes short movies and videos for YouTube. The founders of Space

Parade are Ahmed Iyash and Ahmed Karam. Mohamed Hursheed (AzMyst) joined them sometime later and

the three of them now form the core of a larger group of close friends who work and help out in the making of all

Space Parade videos. Space Parade is strictly a non-profit group and all their videos are created on very low

budgets and uploaded to YouTube for everyone to freely enjoy. In the last few years their popularity has

increased rapidly among Maldivians and they currently have over 800 Subscribers on their YouTube channel

and the dozen or so videos they have uploaded have been viewed over 90,000 times. This year Space Parade

participated in a short film contest called “Focus” held by TVM and won first place for their short video called

“Dhuveli”.

We at DYM have been fans of Space Parade since we saw their “Mirus Lee” video on YouTube a year or so

back. They are absolutely fantastic and a fun group to hang out with. The interview with AzMyst, Karam and Iya

was great, talking about all the things that made Space Parade what it is now. Later, during the photoshoot, we

got to see just how fun the entire team was as fifteen people went about doing their own thing and being all

Space Parade-y, making the whole experience of working with them really fun and entertaining. After that we

knew exactly what they meant by their “Entertainment Upgraded” slogan.

Here’s what they had to say.

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Interview by Shaha & AreenPhotography: TobyAssistance: Shanan & Ahusam

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How did you guys get started in making short movies?Iya: Videography is actually my profession, and I have always been

interested in making movies so going into short movies was a very

small step for me. Karam and I always believed that we could make

something better if we actually tried, because we love movies and

were always interested in the techniques and direction styles of

great filmmakers. Space Parade was formed out of boredom, that’s

the simple truth. We were bored and one day we decided to do

something about it. The opportunity presented itself while we were

at Karam’s grandma’s place one night during the “circumcision

season”. We made a short video to entertain everyone who visited

the house every night and called it “Dhen Vaany Kihineiy?”

(meaning “What will happen next?”). The idea was, as the title

implies, for the audience to guess what will happen at the end of the

short film. We got a great response for the video from everyone, so

we decided to upload it on YouTube so that our friends who were

abroad could also enjoy it. And that’s how Space Parade took off.

Where and how did the team meet?Iya: Karam and I were classmates and friends since childhood.

AzMyst: I met Iya and Karam through blogs. It was some years back,

before Twitter and Facebook became popular. Back then almost

everyone had a blog and we used to comment on each other’s blogs

and that’s how we became friends. And then I found out that they

were making fun short videos and I had always been interested in

that. So I hung out with them and since I had started dabbling in VFX

at the time, I offered to help them out and they were more than happy

to have me in the team.

Iya: We actually met AzMyst for the first time during a blogger meet-

up and found that he was also interested in short movies. He is

“insanely talented”.

AzMyst: I’d just like to make sure that you got the part where Iya said

that I am “insanely talented” on record. You got that part on the

recorder, right?

Why the name Space Parade?AzMyst: Iya once explained to me how he came up with the name…

but it didn’t make any sense to me. Maybe he should try explaining it

again.

Iya: Let’s just say that Space is infinite and Parade is very

flamboyant.

AzMyst : That’s not what you said before. There was this huge

elaborate story involving clouds and space that made no sense, I

remember.

Karam: Why didn’t you say that before? That one actually kind of

makes sense.

AzMyst: All these years, you could have just said that!

Iya: Hey, I just made it up, ok!

Greatest Compliment:A guy once said that our videos will be talked about in the future like

how we talk about “Bakhabaru” and “Floak the International”. That

was great! Also, Tedry once said that Space Parade is a very familiar

name which is a great compliment for us because he’s among the

few directors here in Maldives that we actually look up to.

Greatest criticism: There was once a comment on Speed Walker video on YouTube that

said: “What is this gay bullshit?”. We found it hilarious. But seriously,

there hasn’ t been much real cr i t ic ism. Maybe some

misunderstandings, where people took offence at some of the

scenes in some of our videos, but nothing really critical. Actually,

we’re our harshest critics. I don’t think anyone else can criticize our

work as much as we criticize it ourselves. Most of the feedback

we’ve received so far have been overwhelmingly positive.

Inspiration behind:SPTV Episode 1 : Bakhabaru, Floak The International and Robot

Chicken. It’s a mixture of a lot of things. We believe that

“Bakhabaru” sets the bar in Dhivehi comedy and we wanted to

emulate and give tribute to the great work they had done.

Speed Walker: Atheek was clearly the inspiration. When we planned

out the video, we decided that it would be Karam who would be

chasing Ammadey but on the day of the shoot Karam got delayed

and Atheek was already there with us on location. So we decided to

use him instead and then when we asked him to do a “slow to

medium jog” he said he’ll try speed walking instead. I don’t know if

you’ve seen actual speed walkers in a race or not but their walk

looks pretty ridiculous to begin with. But what Atheek did that day

was so hilarious we just had to use it. Nothing else would have

sufficed.

Dhuveli: This was a tough one. When we heard about the contest we

all got together and brainstormed but couldn’t come up with

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anything that we could shoot, edit and finish within the short

timeframe we had been given. Since we’re all very busy with our jobs

and only work on Space Parade stuff during our free time, we didn’t

think it would be possible to make something that had any chance of

winning in that short a time. However, we did go to TVM to meet with

the producers of the show and found out that we had only seven

days to submit a finished video. There was no way we could finish a

video in seven days so we decided to give up before we had even

begun.

Then, three days before the deadline, Karam comes up with an idea

that we figured could be shot and edited together in two days.

AzMyst was against it because we really didn’t have the time to do a

good job on it but agreed since the others wanted to go ahead. We

managed to shoot it in one day and despite several delays and

accidents we managed to put together something decent. Even

though none of us were happy with the final result, we decided to

submit it anyway since we had worked on it and didn’t want all the

hard work to go to waste. We really had no expectations of winning.

How was the reaction when you won Focus competition?At first we thought it was a prank. When TVM called and asked us to

drop by for a final interview the next morning we actually forgot and

overslept. By the time we managed to go to TVM, it was almost an

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hour late! When we were told that we had won it took a while before

we even realized what was happening. In fact, when we watched

the final interview on TV we realized that we actually looked half

asleep during the entire interview… and mumbled our way through

the whole thing.

Are there any particular recurring themes in your videos?There are a few things. Karam appearing from behind a pole or

something obviously too small and narrow for him to hide behind is a

running gag that we started in Project Montage. That scene got the

most laughs from everyone and so we did something similar, but

with VFX, in Express Delivery. We did that again in SPTV: Episode 1.

Another recurring theme… that only we know about (since the

audience will never see this part) has to do with stabilizing the shots

when shooting VFX scenes. When doing VFX, it is important to keep

the camera on a tripod to stabilize the shot. Otherwise you’d have to

do motion tracking before adding any VFX to the footage. And since

we’re lazy and try to do everything in the fastest and laziest way

possible, AzMyst always insists on using a tripod for all the shots that

require VFX. However, Iya, who usually handles the camera, will

always say that we can stabilize the shot in post or that his handheld

shots will be steadier than using a tripod. We’ve had to throw away a

lot of VFX shots because of the shaky handheld video footage.

Another thing we do is put references to movies and other things we

love in our short movies, sort of like a tribute. In SPTV: Episode 1, we

threw in a TARDIS for no other reason than because we are all fans

of Doctor Who. We’ve also put references to “Die Hard” and our

favourite Hindi movie “Andaz Apna Apna” in some of our short

movies.

Do you have plans to go commercial?We actually do commercial projects too, like ads. But we always try

to add the Space Parade humor into it. We only do commercial stuff

if we find it fun and think the concept is different from the usual stuff

you see on local channels.

If you could collaborate with anyone in the world, who would it be?All together: Seezan! And Amjay!

How do you see Space Parade in 5 years’ time?We hope to become an evil conglomerate in the future. Our agenda

would be to dominate the world, although we’re not sure how we’d

do that but that’s our goal. Actually, we already have our super-

villain names all figured out. We even use them in our business

cards. No, seriously! We have business cards! Iya is the Supreme

Overlord, Karam’s title is Villainous Sky Captain and AzMyst is the

Nefarious Battlemage. We did that because we thought Assistant

Manager and Managing Director were too boring and mundane. We

spiced up our business cards!

What is your message to young people?One of the main goals of Space Parade is to inspire the enormously

talented younger generation of Maldives to stop saying “We’re

bored!” and actually go out and do something fun and creative. Go

crazy! Find your limits and then break free of it! Don’t whine about

how boring your life is and that there’s nothing here in Male’ to do;

there’s so much to do if you just put your mind to it. Find something

you are passionate about and do it. Practice and experience makes

everything better. It’s extremely rewarding when fans come up to us

and say that we inspired them or when we get messages on our

Facebook page dedicating some awesome and creative project to

us. Seeing other people do awesome stuff because we inspired

them, that’s just an unbeatable feeling.

What would you say to your fans?Ah, our fans. What would we do without them… well, actually we’d

still be making videos even if we had no fans but seeing them get all

excited about our videos is unbelievably fantastic! One of the Space

Parade crew, Bugs, once referred to Space Parade’s fan as “our

batteries”. That’s actually perfect! Our fans keep us charged! They

really are our batteries now. We owe a lot to their love and support.

When we began Space Parade, we never even imagined we’d ever

get more than a thousand fans on our Facebook page. We were

expecting to get about a hundred Likes and we’d have been more

than happy with that. We are rather lazy and our fans motivate us to

finish our work. And even other popular local pages on Facebook,

like MVTrolls, have been promoting us so I guess it’s safe to assume

we have a huge fan there too.

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Do your fans contribute ideas and things?Yes, they do. Some of them send really weird ideas too. Things we’d

never be able to do on the low budgets that we usually work on.

We’re continually surprised by how much faith they have in us. Some

fans even seem to think that we can match big budget Hollywood

movies! We do most of our projects on a minimal budget; almost

zero budget. Most of the money goes on props and snacks! It’s

amazing that they have more faith in us than we actually have in

ourselves. But as we say, we’re amateurs and we’re still learning.

The Internet is our teacher

Do you plan to make videos about social issues?We think all of our videos are about social issues… sort of. We

mostly wanted to make fun videos that would make people laugh

and have a good time. When we began, we mostly wanted to make

cool fight sequences, because we love Kung Fu and action movies.

Later on, we decided to branch out and try out new things so that we

could learn more varied stuff.

What is the biggest challenge you face in Maldives?The biggest challenge for us is finding locations to shoot. And then

there’s the problem of finding equipment. We usually borrow all our

gear from friends. Without their help we would not have been able to

make even one video. As far as locations are concerned, we are

very geographically challenged so we make do with what we have.

We use the same locations over and over because it’s easier and it’s

very hard to find places with low traffic where pedestrians and other

people don’t walk into the shot while we’re shooting. When we were

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shooting Mirus Lee, there were two kids watching and they just

kept looking and didn’t budge even though we asked them

repeatedly that they’ll end up being in the shot. Not surprisingly,

they ended up being in the shots.

One other challenge we face is finding girls to act in our videos.

Perhaps it’s because the idea of being in a movie or short movie is

still generally frowned upon. Maybe… we don’t know for sure.

There might be other reasons. What we know is that anyone who

watches our videos will realize that we are having good, clean fun

in our movies. We’re not going to exploit anyone who offers to help

us out. And unlike the movies released by the so-called Dhivehi

Film Industry, we actually have some really cool, fun and different

things going on in our videos. We really hope that more girls will

come forward to help us out. We have several cool projects that

we’ve had to put on hold due to lack of female actors. We don’t

care if you can’t act. Most of us at Space Parade can’t act either

but we still have a fun time trying. It’s a skill that can be developed

through practice and experience. And since we’re also learning

and making mistakes as we go along, that’s fine. We’ll all learn

together and have an awesome time too!

How was life before Space Parade?Karam: Kind of boring. Very monotonous. That’s why we started

Space Parade. Our first project was going to be “Industry trailer”,

a fake movie trailer, but it wasn’t the first video we uploaded. We

managed to finish two others while “Industry trailer” was being

shot. However, that was also the first of our videos to get a huge

response from viewers. It’s still our most viewed video on

YouTube.

Any nal comments?We’d like to thank all our friends who has helped us every step of

the way. They volunteered to help us with everything, from

costumes to acting to post production. They didn’t have to do any

of it, but they did help us out when we needed them and they still

continue to do so. They are awesome! Shamin from Madhoship

should get a special mention because… Space Parade would not

exist without all the help he has given us. From lending equipment

to providing constructive criticism and even voluntarily taking on

post-production work, he’s been helping us from the very

beginning.

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Karam

Three things to do before you dieMaster the art of eternal lifeTouristy TravelMake a really awesome film

Most hilarious memoryI once went to Dolphin Café and ordered a Spaghetti Carbonara and when I was

about to eat it I realized that it smelled really strongly of rotten onions. So I called

the waiter over and complained. Instead of apologizing he got really angry for

some reason and told me that since I had not specifically requested Spaghetti

Carbonara WITHOUT rotten onions, it was apparently all my fault! He got really

loud and then the manager came over and explained that the onions weren’t

rotten and that it was exactly how the dish was supposed to smell! And then the

waiter got even more furious and told me to just say that the food wasn’t good.

“Don’t blame it on the onions!” he barked at me. Biggest Aspiration: To become thin.

Fav Space Parade Video: SPTV Episode 1

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?To be able to run very fast… run without stopping!

AzMyst

Three things you want to do before you dieMake a feature length movieTravel the worldHave a Hollywood premier for a Space Parade movie Most embarrassing memoryThe umbrella incident! There are actually three such incidents but the last one

was the most embarrassing. It’s too complicated and long to summarize here

so just ask me about it if we ever meet in real life. Even now, friends run away if

they see me holding an umbrella. Also, I’ve come to accept the fact that an

umbrella in my hands in a dangerous weapon. So I never carry an umbrella

now, no matter how hard it is raining.

Biggest AspirationI’ve always wanted to create something really funny. Not necessarily a movie, it

could even be a story. I want to see a lot of people enjoy my work and have a

good time. There are only a few movies and stories that I can watch or read over

and over and still laugh out loud to myself. If I can create something that will

elicit that kind of reaction in other people, over and over again… that would be

extremely cool.

Fav Space Parade Video:My favorite is “Express Delivery” but I really love the work I did on “Ice Cream

with a Vengeance”. Mostly because it was the first Space Parade video I edited

and also because it was really difficult. It was a fight scene and I wanted to

ensure that it looked better and more realistic than any other fight scene seen in

a local movie. I learned a lot about editing from that project and I’m still, even

now, very happy with the way it turned out.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?Wolverine’s healing factor!

Iya

Three things you want to do before you dieMake a feature length movieHave a bionic eye that can record images and videos in HDHave a conversation with Christopher Nolan. Most embarrassing memoryActually, we made a short movie about that incident. Space Parade’s “Serial” is

basically a replay of the most embarrassing incident I’ve had, but with some

facts changed. Specifically, the locations and the names of the people

involved. It was actually a case of mistaken identity. I saw an old friend paying

the bill near the counter at Seagull and since I hadn’t seen in him years I thought

I’d surprise him by tickling him from behind. Don’t ask me why. He was

surrounded by his friends and family when I sneaked up behind him and tickled

him so hard he lost control and nearly fell to the ground. It was only when he

turned around that I realized that I had tickled a total stranger! I’m pretty sure the

guy is still wondering what happened that day.

Biggest AspirationFor Space Parade to make something that is timeless, that will be talked about

all over the world.

Fav Space Parade VideoIt’s a tie between “Industry Trailer” and “Ice Cream with a Vengeance”. We

actually started Space Parade with Industry Trailer and it took a lot of pre-

planning. I’m really proud of how it turned out.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?Deadpool’s healing power.

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randomacts ofKindness

I discovered this concept a few years back when I

was writing my life list and it was something so

amusing and fantastic I had to tell everyone I knew.

What is a random act of kindness? It’s doing

something for someone for no reason at all, and

without any expectation of anything in return. This is a

concept that is derived from kindness. A concept

that was once so common but now viewed through

skeptical eyes.

Just this year to celebrate DYM being registered, we

carried out 15 acts of random kindness which

included donating blood, buying ferry and bus

tickets for strangers, leaving a big tip for our favourite

waiter, giving food and drinks to construction

workers and leaving happy notes all around the city.

The day was filled with joy from the start. Some

people were super skeptical and kept asking what

was in it for us. Someone even said to our faces that

no one would ever do anything for someone without

expecting anything in return, I think we proved her

wrong that day.

It was a great learning experience for us. I don’t know

if our act of kindness was passed on or not, but I sure

felt like the day was just so great. Being kind is

extremely satisfying and one of the easiest ways to

be happy. We were just so filled with happiness that

day.

saying thank you to shopkeepers/service providers

after getting a service. I often say thanks and wish

taxi drivers a good day and some of them are

genuinely surprised and others are just happy. One

very nice taxi driver said that it was so nice meeting a

young person who appreciated the work they do,

and that made me happy too! See, being kind is a

win-win.

Sure, some people would never appreciate it, and

will be like, aren’t you doing this for your own sake

too? Well, maybe a little part of it is but once we start

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So, how can you incorporate more random acts of

kindness in your everyday life? For starters, there is

this thing going on where on your birthday you carry

out acts of kindness equivalent to the age you turned

(20 Acts of kindness on my 20th birthday). Instead of

receiving presents and well wishes on your birthday,

you can give. Giving is so much more rewarding.

You can also do small things, things that you might

think wouldn’t even count but might end up making

someone’s day. Smiling to someone you see on the

street, opening the door for someone behind you,

saying thank you to shopkeepers/service providers

after getting a service. I often say thanks and wish

taxi drivers a good day and some of them are

genuinely surprised and others are just happy. One

very nice taxi driver said that it was so nice meeting a

young person who appreciated the work they do,

and that made me happy too! See, being kind is a

win-win.

Sure, some people would never appreciate it, and

will be like, aren’t you doing this for your own sake

too? Well, maybe a little part of it is but once we start

being kind it just comes automatically and becomes

a part of who you are.

So from today on, start to treat people a bit better.

Write a list of things you can do to be more kind.

Some of the things on my list are made with this

concept in mind such as paying for a strangers

groceries, praying for someone for a month straight

and complimenting someone for a week.

As one of my favourite talk show hosts, Ellen says “Be

kind to each other”

“Be kind to each other”

- Ellen DeGeneres

by: Shaha

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ARTHRITISB Y : T H I N A A NArthr i t is is not unheard of but a common

misconception is thinking that it is a disease. Arthritis

is collective term used to address many diseases.

For an example heart disease is not a disease but it

covers all the types of heart diseases like heart

attacks. Arthritis occurs in joints.

A joint is a place which joins two bones together.

Elbows, wrists and knees are all joints. No matter how

much you move, your bones are held in place by

elastic bands in the joint known as ligaments. The

end of each bone is covered by a smooth tissue

which is like an oil lubricant on hinges to allow two

bones to rub against each other smoothly.

Arthritis attacks the cartilage, the smooth tissue,

meaning the bones scrape against each other like

sandpaper. Arthritis can also cause the muscles

around your joints to puff up and it becomes difficult

and painful to move your joints. In worse cases, the

bones slip out of shape and the joints stick out or look

deformed.

The more you age, the more likely you are to develop

arthritis. However, this is alarmingly common among

the youth as well so think ahead and work your way

into preventing arthritis.

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ARTHRITISB Y : T H I N A A N

Stick to the basics. Exercise. Exercise. Exercise. It

keeps your muscles stronger and improves your

overall health.

Be quick on your feet. The moment you feel pain in

any of your joints treat it with an ice pack for about 20

minutes with reasonable intervals of time.

Drink plenty of water. The cartilage is about 70% of

water. Need I say more?

You are what you eat. Calcium keeps your bones

strong so never be too lenient when it comes to your

calcium intake. Cod liver oil has vitamin D which also

contributes to bone strength. Latest research also

shows that broccoli can reduce the incidence of

arthritis.

Slim down. The heavier you are the more you

pressure your joints with your weight.

Yoga and Stretching! This has a more permanent

effect on the strengthening of your muscles than any

other exercise. The more you stretch, the stronger

the muscles around your joints. It can really take the

load off your bones.

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Cholestrolb y : T h i n a a n

In celebration of cholesterol awareness month this September

This is a topic I am proud to say that majority of the Maldivians have a keen insight on. Too much cholesterol is bad because it makes you overweight, gives

you heart diseases and cause other complications.

But is this all? What else do you know?

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1. Rather than giving cholesterol the old boot, let’s hear it out.Cholesterol can be a high density lipoprotein (HDL) or a low density lipoprotein (LDL). HDLs are good cholesterol. Yes, there is actually such a thing. Good cholesterol is your secret admirer. They help you keep your body temperature stable, produce necessary hormones and keep you up and running. It also helps you hunt down the bad cholesterol (LDL) and get it out of your system before you know it!

2. A small change in your Friday LunchBy Friday lunch I mean chicken. Chicken is very popular among Maldivians which is good news because chicken is a low cholesterol choice for a food. However, if you leave the skin of the chicken on, you might as well be eating a lump of bad cholesterol.

3. Good things do not ALWAYS come in small packagesPeople always think that the less you eat the better. Not in the case of ice cream. A small cup of ice cream can cause more damage than gulping down 10 donuts in one go!

4. Girl Power!Men tend to have a harder time dealing with cholesterol than women thanks to the female hormone oestrogen. Oestrogen has been found to help in reduction of cholesterol levels

5. Vegan AdvantageBad cholesterol generally comes from any products obtained from animals. Milk, eggs and animal meat are all necessary for your diet but need to be eaten with great care in limited potions. Products obtained from plants however are full of good cholesterol.

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As he passes by…

she tries to assault him

and get hold of his curves,

Which has nurtured her as a child

And between which

she entered this world,

As he passes by…

he see the lust in her eyes

that tear apart his clothes

he feel the intensity in her gaze

that pierces his body

with million sharp needles

in a moment,

As he passes by…

she thinks it is virility

to pass lewd remarks,

to talk about he as a product,

and to fondle with his arcs and bends

in her lecherous talks and laughs

with a bunch of crooks,

As he passes by…

A s t h e y p a s s b y . . .

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51

he is much more than just fragrant flesh

walking in smart clothes

he is not a commodity

or, a menu at a restaurant

that she scans him in a moment

to choose something for herself,

As he passes by…

Today he smirks at the thought

And he feels pity,

for her brothers and sons,

who tie her weak threads

And who sit in her lap

innocently,

ignorant of the vulture inside…

Why this attempt to cut his wings

and silence his every thought

by confining he to four walls

like a tied animal,

to be used over and over

at will,

As they pass by…

b y : A l i S h i f r a a z

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b y : F a z u S i n g a

Till the end, and then no more.

art by annaarmona.deviantart.com52

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I loved you when you were boring and dull;When your lifestyle was mundane and dreary

Stuck close to you when you were broke and down;Held onto you when you were weak and unwell

Finally, you’re slim and pretty,Rolling in money all rich and

Thrifty; I loved you through thick and thin;And now you walk away, saying

My love is not from within

Maybe one day, when I’m long goneYou’ll surely yearn for someone to hold onPractically nothing to bargain with except

Those few not-so-subtle tricks up your sleeve;I wonder with whom you’ll replace me

Or if you wake up one day from your dream

And realize reality; when you find the lost faithsomewhere in the bouts of uncertainty;

Perhaps, you’ll reach out someday ahead,When you can see the world with better clarity

And will come a day when you and I are stripped bare

Nothing to hold on to, no money, fame or identity;So you shall see, what we are meant to be

None but beings who depend on one anotherFor survival and security

And when the day is gone

You’re left all aloneThrough the emptiness

You realize that even when you had nothingI had loved you anyway.

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In the meantime, find us at:

Thank you for reading.

See you in October!

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