I knew why I was hopeful, because I knew that there was always some plan destined for me, whichever university I was accepted too. And on top of that, I knew that if things didn’t go the way I planned, there were ample chances to improve. The reason this all struck me was because, just four days ago a few people approached me and asked me for advise, they must have heard of the Yourtwocents career guidance which was offered in late 2009. These people seemed to be in a frenzy, having no idea whether they will even make it to university, with the news broadcasting that over 50,000 people had been denied university places, it was quite unfortunate seeing how many had lost hope at even persevering and trying to make it up there.

They began talking to me about how they sent their applications thinking they’d get in, as they were fully capable of doing so, but how it all went wrong with results, and later thinking that it was where things ended. I went on to tell them that whenever there is a problem, there’s always a solution out there, and brought about some personal experiences relevant to their circumstances.

Their panic reminded me how we are all so similar, whether at a secular level, social level, or even a personal level; when it comes to any unforeseen circumstances, our common tendency is to shy away, and brush it under the carpet. The solution is perseverance, and in order to succeed we need to remember that word, interpret that word, and act upon that word.

The solutions for these three A-level students weren’t quite clear as soon as their results were out, but a few hours later when their mind had digested the fact that something went wrong and there is a way out, solutions keep flowing in, and that when we all forget it ever happened. Next time, if something of the sort approaches you, sit patiently and think about some solutions, because every problem was created with a solution.

With recent popularity of car review programmes such as Fifth Gear and Top Gear, we have been edutained with loud noises and wheel spin every Sunday evening and whilst the car is taking a good bashing by the environmentalists, it seems to be surprisingly robust in nature – but is it all changing?

I live on a main road where eighteen wheelers to horses ride up and down at all hours of the day. There is no rush hour, or peak period and Sunday is rarely quiet. At first, I branded it as “the buzz” of the city but now as the black dust collects on my plants outside and my windows have started to tint, I’ve noticed the damage caused by a method of transport that seems so normal to us. I am a hypocrite myself, I drive my car 100 meters down the road because I am too lazy to carry more than a heavy load of groceries home and yet I can sympathies with the environmentalists. I really think it is time to make the switch to electric cars and it isn’t the pollution that has swayed me.

Everyone would know the ambience of a library. Even if no-one is there, if there are stacks of shelves filled with books, you whisper. Every student will know how irritating it is when someone sneakily crunches on their packet of crisps hidden underneath their desk or violently turns the page of their textbook. Now think of the complete opposite of this. Unimaginable chaos of noise, stench and organization on a cold rainy day. Cars and trucks racing in opposite directions, too selfish about returning home themselves then anything they are passing by as pedestrians pray that they survive when crossing the road and keep an ear afloat for the screeching and overly-alarming noise of a police car as it bullies its way through the streets. There is an easy solution – electric cars.

They are the next step in our modes of transport. Nobody needs to reach 200mph in their car, or even has the nerve to. Nobody needs to reach 0-60mph in under 5 seconds and nobody needs to make so much noise when commuting. The reason why I am not promoting hybrid cars because it far too down the line to even waste time contemplating over it whilst electric cars are current. The eagle-eyed of you will have noticed the electric charge stands which offer you superior parking and with an easy oyster card like payment option – and the cars? Cheap. The G-Wiz has slowed the electric car campaign a tad but the new hybrid 2010 cars have entered the market without anybody noticing.

Don’t listen to the dribble that Clarkson exaggerates about the practicalities if an electric car to a petrol car, it is merely a new system to learn and the older generations will moan about how it was “different it was in their day”. Soon London will become a cycle city which will compliment the soon to be noise-free electric motors, giving the pedestrians (the ones who cause no damage at all) a more pleasant day.

Ladies and Gentleman, guys and girls, bredrins and bredinellas(?). I have finally concluded the end of my research. Having ploughed through endlessly for 20 years, done tens of thousands of interviews, travelled across 10 countries, 3 continents, and 1 planet, I have reached a startling conclusion. Guys are better than girls, and that is FACT. It struck me like a bolt of lightning and I could barely believe it at first, but now I truly and sincerely think that guys are better than girls in every way.

Where to begin? From the world of business to the world of sport, men dominate their arenas. There is quite an obvious schism in terms of sport between both genders. Whether it be Mohammad Ali in boxing, Pele in football, Roger Federer in tennis, there is no female equivalent with any of the records that the greats have. In fact, just to give females a chance of the record, they’re allowed to play a best of three match instead of five by men. Perhaps it was a little below the belt, but it is fact that as a result, women are paid less in tennis than men (another reason to be male I suppose).

Having been a driver for the past two years now, it is quite clear that men drive better as well. I must admit that men do have more accidents than women but it is certain that when driving, men can park better, drive smoother, and look better behind the wheel than women do. In the Transformers movies, the main hero (Shia Labeouf) would be the one driving despite the fact that you had Megan Fox in the same car. Why? Simply because, men not only look better behind the wheel but drive better as well.

The male gender is greatly renowned for its superior strength, dominance, and virility and they are certainly proud of that. Most men are taller, stronger, and faster than their female counter parts. Sayings such as “take it like a man”, “man up!”, and “Are you man enough?” just wouldn’t sound the same with the word female, wouldn’t you agree? The remarkable ability to grow facial hair is a symbol of a man’s brutish nature, but they can be soft when required. Tears are not a sign of weakness nor meakness, but a sign of power within. When a man cries, he uses it on the rare occasion, an atom bomb of sorts. To take everyone by surprise. It is not to be used and abused, willy nilly as the female gender do. Pregnancy pains, pre-menstrual pains, it-is-raining-today-so-I’m-depressed pains. All these do not exist in the world of the Man.

In retrospect, it is understandable that women can’t drive, avoid periodic bleeding, or do successful “Gap Yah” parodies. Simply because they aren’t men. Men are the driving force of the world and without men, the world simply wouldn’t function.

“Iron Man is a superhero, iron woman is a command!”- Facebook Group Title

The shore awakens, after its midday siesta.

Life has been resumed.

A flow has been resurrected.

Their reign has been assumed.

Once their routine emergence elapses,

They retire to their customary home.

The vast ocean, as it encompasses masses of its beautiful property.

The shore has bidden farewell to its unexpected guest,

Claiming residue in exchange.

Till next time…

A re-emergence follows once silence has been re-ensued.
The cycle repeats. Life continues.

The creatures which venture below the vast surface,

Are accustomed to exertions of energy,

Which they attempt to resist.

Yet, reluctantly, the weak get dragged.

Together, as though one.

The guests are harboured for their allotted period,

Before their exit.

Order and beauty,

Both characteristics of the great ocean,

As they harness energy,

And display lessons of excellence and hospitality.

The sun rises and falls, witnessing this act of generosity.

Observe the silence,

Observe the beauty,

Dig within yourself,

To find how your being has qualities that match the ocean…

A silent breeze startles the onlooker, as they become accustomed to this dream-like reality.

Those who live in the UK will fondly remember that at the end of last year, a giant battle ensued between two very different stars. In the blue corner, you had Joe McElderry, a teenage singing sensation who shrugged off the rest of the competition to win the X-Factor. In the red corner, you had Rage Against The Machine, a popular American rock-band renowned as much for its fierce music as it was for its views on corporate America. Through the power of social media, Rage Against The Machine managed to get their single “Killing in the Name”, a profanity-laden song from 1992 to Christmas Number 1, in the process stopping the Simon Cowell-backed Joe McElderry from reaching Number 1. While everyone saw this as a victory for the anti-establishment movement, it turns out that Sony Music owns both Sony BMG (Joe McElderry’s label) and Epic Records (Rage Against the Machine’s label) and so Sony Music was laughing all the way to the bank.

By creating brands, corporations can sell more items to more people. In the process, these different brands sell specific products to specific demographics of people who believe in specific values. All the while, the corporations are just after the money and not too bothered what these brands sell. For example, I was disappointed to find out that National Geographic Channel and Fox News are both owned by the Fox Cable Networks. One stands for the beauty and wonder of the natural world, and the other one is Fox News. Slimfast, which promotes weight-loss and healthy living are owned by Unilever who also are behind twelve different ice-cream brands including Klondike, Walls, and Ben and Jerry’s. Speaking of Ben and Jerry’s, aren’t they supposed to be the hippy independent ice-cream seller? Doesn’t being owned by a corporation like Unilever totally defeat the purpose of Ben and Jerry’s itself?

Dove had a fantastic marketing campaign involving putting up real women, as opposed to super-slim models, and showcasing the ordinary woman as beautiful no matter what their size. At the same time you then have Lynx, a company that prides itself in using provocative images and sexualised campaigns to sell their manly products. Guess what, both are owned by Unilever. Two companies with two completely separate ideals owned by the same corporation. Other examples include Nuts magazine, a UK softcore porn mag, and the Hannah Barbara cartoon franchise are both owned by Time Warner. MTV also have a similar design owning both Nickelodeon and Spike TV. One is aimed at tweenagers, the other at horny men.

It all boils down to this. Corporations have only one goal, one philosophy. Make more money, by any means necessary. Whether that means going down an ethically sound route or not, these megalomaniacs do not have a conscience. So the next time, you buy something, be wary of the fact that all they want is your dosh.

“Corporate social responsibility is a hard-edged business decision. Not because it is a nice thing to do or because people are forcing us to do it… because it is good for our business” – Niall Fitzerald, Former CEO, Unilever

I have spent the past month in North Africa and Arabia, where the predominant language is Arabic, and in one of the countries; French and Arabic. My first stumbling block was the language barrier; my inability to speak either of the languages with ease meant I was vulnerable and victim to being ‘ripped off’/charged extortionate prices on everything.

From the buzzing streets of Marrakech to the historic bends of Alexandria, if you’re recognised as anything but local, you get ripped off. The trend I noticed over the weeks, especially in the ancient taxis of North Africa, was that your initial agreed price was subject to change by the end of the journey, merely because you have no option but to pay, once you’re tied into it. If anything, I was amused by this trend. By the end of the first week, part of me would enjoy the haggling, and making sure I was firm with them.

After being driven around by supposed Hollywood actors’ publicists, I learned one key lesson. Know who to trust, and when to trust them. In a land foreign to your own, you’ve got to be extra vigilant, to ensure you’re not being taken for a ride. Although it’s hard to gauge how genuine someone is, it’s an important skill to work on when you’re away from home.

The creativity of the Berber’s (Native Moroccan’s) have imprinted itself within me, as something extraordinary. To see something of value made from waste materials, in order for trade to take place, requires determination and confidence. For instance, they would make sculptures of people using bicycle chains and other pieces of scrap metal. Some live a life of struggle, yet their determination enables continuity and subsistence. I was struck by contentment. As we travelled past the Berber’s town, we approached the sensational sight; the Atlas Mountains. There was more to it than just a mountain; our destination was a waterfall, at the mountain peak. With a midway break for the best orange juice I’ve ever had, we approached the waterfall and sat beside it in contemplation, only to realise it’s magnanimity.

Over the few weeks, this sight was second to one of the greatest, the greatest mosque in the world. On entrance, I was struck by awe at the Ka’aba (the cube) in the centre of this great Mosque, in the midst of Saudi Arabia, where millions of pilgrims would circumambulate every year. There was an energy which pulled me towards it. It was surreal. I felt magnetized, as though I had lost control of my bodily limbs, and as though my circumambulation was an effortless task, moving amidst the crowd, with the crowd. In unison. Around this closed circuit, where my act of circumambulation would represent my being with respect to the universe.

My identity had been negated. I was dressed in white, amongst thousands dressed in exactly the same. People cried and wailed in different languages, in different tones, expressing themselves fully. I wasn’t anyone. I was just my innate being, in my initial form. Nobody, yet somebody.

Over my few weeks, I started off with the rich culture in Marrakech, and even more so in Casablanca, before I travelled to Cairo, where the culture had similarities to Morocco, yet presented itself as something entirely different. I then moved onto Saudi Arabia, particularly Makkah, where I lost my identity and culture, and became one with everyone. My roots meant nothing. My degree, my efforts, my activities meant nothing. I had negated what I commonly refer to as ‘me’, and became the actual ‘me’. I then travelled away from Makkah, to Madinah, another holy city, where the religion of Islam first originated. I was walking on the lands of previous leaders, who were some of the greatest of people, and felt blessed.

I then travelled back to Egypt, Alexandria to be precise, where I was struck once again by culture. I regained my own culture, and found that culture meant something completely new now. Everything became more noticeable, more distinct. Finally, before making my way to the final destination of my summer,  Tanzania, I spent another few days in Cairo, where I visited the great pyramids and local papyrus factories.

When you’re away from your comfort zone, you live a life where basic needs are met first. For instance, my first night in Alexandria was slightly different; I hadn’t booked my hotel prior to arrival, so instead, had to quickly search for a decent hotel with decent standards. I imagined it to be a simple task, but turned out to be the most difficult, especially considering the time of night. If there’s anything I learned from that, it’d be, never go to an unfamiliar town without booking a hotel.

From the places I visited, to the cultures I witnessed, each and every instance has been an additional highlight to my time away.

I await each day, anxiously, as the summer continues to unfold.

I was about to start a trip which consists of the most manic 10 days ever; 5 cities in 10 days. By this point, there will be some readers who will have come up with an average of 2 days per city, but not this time, here things were slightly different, and plans were to be made after landing.

My first stop was Cairo, Egypt. As I landed on Egyptian turf, I could already see the beautiful pyramids right before me, and this was just the beginning.

We got out of the airport only, attempting to speak our little bits of Arabic, in order to seem like we’re locals. But soon enough, we realised that our attempt failed and taxi drivers ripped us off!

As many of you may have experienced when travelling either alone or with one other person, you always fear the worst possible circumstance in a foreign country. This brought about the illusion of doubt, many events led to this, for instance stopping at a petrol station just one minute away from the airport for over 40 minutes, he must have told us why, but we lost track of his words as soon as they got longer than 4 letter words.

We were soon on the five lane highway in Cairo, which had conveniently been extended to 8 lanes by most motorists. Upon arrival at the hotel, we spent our first night in eager anticipation of what to expect in the forthcoming days.

It was now our second day, and the plan was to fly off to Saudi Arabia in the middle east. Normally, this would be simple, but we decided to complicate ours with a coach to Alexandria, and a cab to one of the worlds tiniest airports (Borg el Arab, Alexandria).

At this point you should be aware of the purpose of our visit to Saudi Arabia.

Most of you will know that Muslims from all over the world face a certain direction during their daily prayers, this is called the “Qibla”, this is the Kaaba which is based in Mecca, Saudi Arabia; built by Abraham with the command of God, there is a great significance to this “Kaaba”, which you will find out by reading the rest of this article.

When Muslims have the privilege of visiting the “Kaaba”, and the mosque which accompanies it in the holiest of lands, Mecca; we take it as an invitation from God, for us to visit his Holy House. Therefore just as anyone would prepare themselves before visiting any royal figure, you aim to be in your most humble of states, and try to be yourself. This journey has a great significance in Islam, and I will dwell into this shortly.

You should also be aware that no planes are allowed to fly through Mecca, which explains why I travelled through Jeddah, around 70 miles away from Mecca.

There are two types of visits one can have at this holy land, the first being “The Hajj”, a journey which is obligatory on every individual at least once in their life, as long as it is affordable. The second is “The Umrah” which is optional. There are substantial differences between the two, however I will explain my visit (The Umrah).

After leaving Jeddah, and before entering Mecca for the first time of that particular visit, every individual must ensure that they are clean, both spiritually and physically. Another requirement is that each individual must be equal. To promote these values there are two guidelines set for muslims.

One is to take a shower, with the intention being for the Sake of Allah. The second is wearing two pieces of white cloth (for men) which covers your whole body. Although some people may not be able to picture this, a google search of “ehram” might suffice. There are several reasons for wearing this, one as mentioned earlier is to promote equality, this is served by every man wearing the same two pieces of white cloth, therefore you cant tell the difference between rich or poor, royal or layman, everyone looks the same. At this point you should also be aware that once these two pieces of cloth are worn, 25 things are forbidden, again I won’t dwell into this but a google search may be sufficient once again.

This marks the beginning of “The Umrah”, which can take around two hours to complete. As you enter the main mosque called the “Haram” you begin by circumambulating the ‘Kaaba’, the reason for this is to show that Allah is our main focus, therefore by revolving around the same cube which we pray towards, we are emphasising its spiritual focus.

Next we head off to the hills of ‘Safwa and Marwa’. The Qur’an (holy book of Islam) explains the story of this great place. It is said that Abrahams family were once in a dessert where they were struck with hunger and thirst. As Abraham continued praying for relief from this, he was called by Allah, to which he questioned how he could leave his wife and child all alone; God reassured him, saying that he will protect them.

Abrahams wife and child were now left in the middle of the dessert, and in order to quench her thirst, she ran between ‘Safwa and Marwa’, she did this for 7 consecutive times, on her 7^th run, God made water flow out in the middle of the dessert, this continues to flow today and the water is called ‘ZamZam’. We therefore perform this act again showing our humility and inadequacy, this is called the ‘Saiee’; Once this is complete, the main ‘Umrah’ is complete.

The journey continues.

All this is happening 12000km away in South Africa, how does the result over there effect us over here? England’s opening game against USA caused huge amount of excitement, Obama vs Cameron, BP causing havoc on their coast and well, it’s their fault so many have died in Afghanistan. Every bar and pub in the West End was pre-booked with corporate hospitality and for once, London had no traffic.

This reoccurring practice in every country for their team is echoed and is a huge positive. If there is a positive result, people are happy. If people are happy, people spend money. If people spend money, businesses receive money and pay more tax to the government who as a result become richer. If a team lasts a whole tournament then their home country’s fiscal benefit is huge, so much so that an early exit can cause a reverse of this.

If England lose, pubs and bars will be empty when they would normally be full of customers, in addition, there will be no need for corporate hospitality or even people gathering in homes to watch the game. As a result, this “feel good” factor would not be apparent and people may not unzip their coin purses causing a restrain in economic growth. Furthermore, people will not feel like going out where they would normally spend money and a period of mourning will hit the nation, encourage mass suicide for The Sun readers.

The UK Economy

Earlier this week we saw the mighty George Osbourne animate his budget where pundits had already written their criticism of the budget before it was even released. When the dust settled and the alert readers took another look at the budget, they noticed that it may not be too bad. It was tough but fair, with an interesting yet some-what attractive mix of Lib-Dem Conservative policy and the message was uniform throughout, we need growth.

It is evident that our economy needs movement and for me it comes from small businesses. This can be achieved with pubs, bars and cafes being full for most of the World Cup serving the fans and generating business and why stop with football? If all sports were given the same media exposure as the World Cup, the streets will be full during Wimbledon, Ashes and Silverstone allowing our economy to grow and enjoying great sport.

As June turns to July, the best of the summer months are upon us for those living in the northern hemisphere. For me, this is the best time for me to be involved in my most guiltiest of pleasures. It is something that for the first time I am not afraid to admit nor am I concerned about the potential malicious mockery that may ensue once this confession is in cyberspace. My guiltiest pleasure is none other than…gardening.

I’ve finally come out of the closet and I am not the least bit bothered by the fact that this is a pastime generally indulged in by the aging members of our society. To be quite frank, this is not something that I have been doing for a long time. It’s something I took more of an interest in when I escaped the chaos of London to the cultural recluse of Bath in late 2008. It started off with a simple chrysanthemum plant in my room by the window sill. I didn’t even want it in the first place. It was an unloved child put up for adoption and forced into the hands of an unsuspecting foster carer. Day by day, I dutifully gave it some water in the morning and gave it adequate amount of sunlight and slowly but surely, the shoots began to sprout. It was a lengthy laborious process which I guess, unknown to me at the time, was a long-term investment in happiness. Leaves began to shoot some time later, and finally the chrysanthemums bloomed into life. It was a triumph of sorts, a feeling of accomplishment soon followed.

Yet what struck me most, was the beauty of it. It’s pretty pattern, the time and the effort taken to get that stage, and unlike the more popular flowers like roses and sunflowers with their ostentatious displays of arrogance and impudence, the humble chrysanthemum stood with pride and honour. I agree gardening is not to everyone’s liking and it is not like I am fanatical about it to the extent that I may have posters of David Attenborough on my bedroom walls, or that I eagerly await the Chelsea Flower Show as keenly as I wait for the start of the Premier League season. For me, gardening is more therapeutic than anything else. It helps you unwind, it gives a feeling of oneness with the earth (I promised myself I would avoid hippy-talk but I couldn’t help myself), but most importantly the sheer beauty of the produce is striking. So why not go into your local garden centre and pick up some Marigolds and Busy Lizzies, some strawberry plants, and a fuchsia plant or two. Plant them in the back garden, water them regularly, and enjoy the journey.

“People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have the things about us.”- Iris Murdoch