Damon…

Too irresistible to resist

Oh admit it! Sometimes a handsome bad boy image is a dreamy guy to most of the female population, well me included of course. We sometimes fall for those who break our heart…ehmm..talking about personal experiences hahahaha! Anyway, I give you one sample of a bad boy character; Damon from the Vampire Diaries TV series. I have wanted to write about Damon character for quite some time now, and just tonight I just have to jot down what I think and it’s soooo important for me to speak my mind about Damon. Don’t you agree girls….! Maybe the casting for Ian Somerholder really fits his character as a “handsome/bad ass/charming/risk-taker/lovable yet annoying” man. I mean…come on with a handsome face, great body and charming smile..damn he’s too good to ignore! If you have watched Vampire Diaries season 1, you’ll know what I mean by too irresistible. He was so annoying and a jerk at the beginning of the series, but in the middle to the end you’ll learn that he is not “all bad”. He tends to be a jerk just to have fun and mostly to piss off his “good” brother, Stefan. And the minute he starts annoying Stefan…Damon is just getting “hot”. He does have this dark and sarcastic sense of humor, which he always uses it to upset Stefan. For the Vampire Diaries fans, I guess you know that Damon probably secretly falls in love with Elena, and he shows it with his own way. Elena in alike with Damon’s past love Katherine, yet Damon knows that Elena cannot be compared with Katherine. There is so much goodness in Elena, that Damon finally sees it. However, he knows that Elena and Stefan have relationship, though he doesn’t want to come between them, he shows his “affection” to Elena in the image of “bad ass” guy and always like to take things easily without too much thinking, ehmm..spontaneous act I guess! Stefan, on the other hand is more caring, thoughtful, and always saying that he has “more control” over blood compares to Damon. Yet, in some of the episodes it was revealed that Stefan could not control hid thirst, due to his “control” to feed on animal blood rather than human blood. Hence, when Stefan got exposed to human blood, his resistance for human blood is in question. As Damon said that Stefan has always been holding back of his true nature as Vampire, which is feeding on human blood, so when he tastes human blood running to his body, he tends to want more. Damon, then again..becomes “in control” for the human blood. If we see him in the first episodes how coldblooded and guiltless Damon for feeding from someone’s life, in the final episodes Damon survives his craving by drinking from “blood bank”. And no I won’t even compare him with Edward character from Twilight, I am a fan of Twilight but Damon and Edward is like comparing angel and demon, you know what I mean right! My final say would be for someone who is ruthless from the start …Damon finally turns into a “quite adorable” vampire…and oh boy I do hope the second season he will always stay lovable yet hated character because his character is developed into this irresistible bad boy! If you agree…say..team Damon hahahaha!

A Muslim is crowned as Miss USA 2010

Is it a political interference, a public acceptance or a dishonor for Muslim?

Rima Fakih is the new Miss USA 2010, she is an Arab-American of the Muslim faith. Rumor said that Rima Fakih and her family practice both the Christian and Muslim faiths. Born in 1986 in New York to Lebanese American immigrant parents, Rima Fakih graduated of the University of Michigan where she majored in Economics with a minor in Business. With the title of Miss USA, Rima Fakih has made headlines news, not just because of her winning as Miss USA, but also the controversy surrounding her winning; being a Moslem with its moral values and the surface of her pole dancing pictures scandal.
The beauty pageant contests such as Miss USA or Miss Universe have been an issue of controversy for Moslem countries especially Moslem women to enter the competition, whereas in one part of the contest, the contestants are obligated to pose with a swimsuit. In most devoted Muslim countries whereas women cover themselves from head to foot in a hijab or nikab (a covering worn in the presence of men), Rima Fakih’s swimsuit could hardly be considered as a Muslim women’s clothing characteristic. In that sense, probably many people are questioning how a Muslim woman such as Rima Fakih could participate in the swimsuit category for the Miss USA pageant, but still regard as a muslim. For some Muslim people, her action can be assumed that she is not a devout Muslem.
The general/ western representation of Muslim women is to wear hijabs as part of their Moslem identity. However, there are several Moslem countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, who some of the women are not covered by hijabs, they are still in their regular piece of clothing. As a country where most of the populations are Moslem, Indonesia also participates each year in the beauty pageant such as Miss World and Miss Universe. Maybe because in Indonesia, the controversy surrounding the participation in the swimsuit category does not become a constant problem, since the government and the Ministry of Culture approves the participation. But, me myself as a Muslim woman, feel that wearing hijab does not the only way to show us as Muslim, but it is also seen through our obligation to do our “Muslim duties” such as in praying 5 times a day, caring for others and creating peacefulness even though surrounded by other religions.
Fakih’s victory as Miss USA 2010, for some Muslim community could be seen as a public acceptance for Muslim in the eyes of fellow Americans or for some devoted Muslim could be seen as a disgrace. Since the terrorist attack in 9/11, the representation of Muslim in the public knowledge was destructive. During the period of horror, American had a difficult time in accepting Islam as a religion of peace. Therefore, for a Muslim woman to win an American beauty pageant is a sign that America’s perspective of Islam has made a public acceptance that Islam is not a threat. On the other hand, her showing skins in public eyes, can be seen by devoted Muslim as a disgrace for Muslim women, because she does not reflect a Muslim women’s clothing characteristic. Additionally, there were also a few pictures surface after Fakih’s winning, that she was once participated in a pole dancing contest. Another issue also emerged that it is one of the way to embarrassed the Muslim community, because what the public knowledge know about being Muslim women is how they cover themselves with hijab, but Fakih’s action may shifted the public perception for Muslim women, that showing skin is okay. The ridiculous issue afterwards, is that rumored Fakih's Lebanese background or some of her family members are linked to terrorism. How ridiculous is that!
I, myself think a beauty pageant should be seen as just a “beauty contest” and not a place to judge them by their political, religion, or races, especially a conspiracy theory. Please, it’s a beauty pageant, with 3 B as their motto, “beauty, brain, behavior”..we can just stick to that without adding more assumptions for Rima Fakih’s winning. It is her responsibility as a Muslim to do her own “private” life, it is not our place to judge if she is a devoted Muslim or not.

Return to Humanity

When no more blood remains...What will be the cure?

Beyond our imagination, the vampire world has extended its limit. Vampire smoking, ability to drive a car with a protected sun shield during the daylight using a modern technology, a sub walk that have made possible for the vampire to walk during daylight. The story sets in the year 2019 where most of the population are vampire, living a life like most human and the human race is only 5% left. Dr. Edward Dalton, a vampire and hematologist who works for a pharmaceutical firm, has to find an artificial blood supply since there is some sort of blood drought in the vampire world. Edward is also sympathetic for human, hence he has been fighting himself not to drink human blood anymore for a while. Along the way, he meets a bunch of human group that are trying to survive from the vampire abduction. In the group, Edward also discovers a person who found a way to transform himself back from being a vampire to human form again. In a "twisted" kind if way I would say, since the transformation procedure is "the common and natural way for vampire to die", which is to be burnt with the sunlight. Edward realizes that instead of finding the artificial blood, the sun light is actually the cure. So the vampire will try to get himself "suicide" by burning himself in the sun and then jump into the water. Surprisingly, the vampire will change back to human again. Ever since the blood drought, the riots within the vampire world is increasing, consequently, it has made some of the vampire are crazy and losing their mind(since they are limited with blood supply). Because the lack of blood supply, some of the vampires are sucking or drinking their own blood, which cause them to mutate into the vampire with wings and become more aggressive and violent. Edward also discovers that the cure to change the vampires back to human again is to drink the blood of the "transformed human". The question remains is, do the vampires want to be cure again (changed back into human form) or they want to stay damned in the eternity that causes them to fight for one another. This movie reminds us about the danger of the world we live in now...do human..or us want to have a better world or just stick with our negativity and bad influences that cause no clear future and war against human...which I say, it is happening slowly.