New Music

Leona Lewis - A Moment Like This

Yes. I know. And I'm sorry.

Food: Shere Khan's Chilli 'n' Spice

I had thought that I had already blogged about this place, but it seems that the time I had thought of pre-dated the start of my food reviews.

Anyway. Halal Chinese is slowly becoming synonymous with bad. I mean, alright, this place isn't that bad, but it's not somewhere I would call a favourite or feel the urge to go to randomly.

Yes, it serves halal duck (allegedly, anyway). But seeing as how the rest of the meat is purportedly bad, we always end up sticking to fish and veg dishes, and although those are nice they can be had anywhere really.

Price is also nothing special, hitting twelve pounds per person on this particular occasion. So a bit of a "meh" overall.

New Blog, Same Content

Upgrade got!

And about time too. Look out for some small, and some not-so-small, changes coming this way.

Food: Tamrah

This little slice of Edgware Road in the heart of Ilford doesn't really innovate; it's offers the typical Lebanese food (albeit with larger portions) along with the identikit desserts and of course the all important shisha (tut). The food was alright, and the place was clean.

Prices seem to match that of Edgware Road too, with our bill managing to hit 13 per head (although admittedly we did over order a touch).

It's not really anything spectacular, so it fits right in on Cranbrook Road. Still, if you're longing for some Lebanese and smoke and can't be bothered to traipse all the way to the other side of London, you may as well check it out. Just remember how big those portions are.

Film: Kabul Express

Unconventional Bollywood about a pair of Indian journalists in Afghanistan seeking out that prize interview with a member of the Taliban a few weeks after 9/11.

First things first: the acting is slightly unfortunate, with Arshad Warsi managing to save a pretty wooden bunch (where Linda Arsenio is pretty and John Abraham is wooden). Music-wise, there's nothing to tell since there is none (although the soundtrack itself is pretty good). The film is very well shot and edited, with the camera regularly hanging on scenes while not over-doing it.

And you know what? As a whole, Kabul Express rarely misses a trick. It could have been so easy for it to stick to all the usual stereotypes, but instead it all manages to remain balanced. So, the Indians grow as they learn about Afghanistan, the Taliban isn't as bad as we are led to believe they are, the American is anything but a hero and the Afghan holds prejudices of his own. The film cheats a few times and creates scenarios in order to prove just how impartial it is but this happens so rarely that the film can be forgiven.

I was impressed anyway. At 104 minutes, in theory there isn't much time for much to happen but by doing away with all the fluff Kabul Express manages to give a good and seemingly authentic insight into post war Afghanistan. Much recommended.

Game: Gears of War (Xbox 360)

My first Xbox 360 review? Well only because I get to nab a mate's while he's on holiday. And to be honest, I wouldn't have bothered if he wasn't giving away GoW with it too.

Technically, this is just a third person shooter. The camera is planted off the shoulder of your character, Felix, and you have shoot, aim, reload and "take cover" buttons. Although having said that I kinda got confused by all the different buttons and I was continually tripping myself up over them; someone's getting old, I think.

Shooters don't usually have buttons that would make you take cover, and fundamentally, this is what makes the basis of GoW's game mechanic. Ultimately, all you're doing is finding cover, popping your head out to shoot a few bad guys, and then taking cover some more.

Sounds shallow, but it's not. This simple context makes for some brilliant scenarios and set pieces - you don't work alone in this game and for one the NPCs are pretty good. If they tell you to flank, then they expect you to. Likewise, the badguys are also smart, dealing with their own adaptive strategies. It's actually pretty cool for a game that just allows you to take cover and shoot.

And of course GoW made waves with its presentation. It's been in development since well before the 360 was released, and a lot of time and money has been spent making this look and sound like one of the best games ever on a home console. And that's via composite on my SD television.

But, this game isn't about the graphics or gameplay. GoW is definitely something that is more than the sum of its parts, and well worth a go even if you have to borrow someone's to play it.

I Have A Spam Blog

Radio Shak "requires word verification", because apparently a robot has decided that it has characteristics resembling a spam blog.

So there you have it. If you weren't sure of whether this place frequently publishes stuff no one really wants to read, it seems that it now, officially, is.

Film: Deja Vu

Slightly confused movie about an ATF officer trying to figure out who blew up a ferry full of Navy type people.

It's tough to say any more than that without spoiling the film but, despite its potential complexity if you're into Bruckheimer then it's safe to say that you'll like this too. It has action, guns and a pretty girl (who looks a bit too much like Halle Berry to be honest), but adds something more to keep all the smarter people happy.

The cinema is pretty quiet this week, but if you really need to watch something then this'll more than do.

New Music

Kabul Fiza - Kabul Express

If I didn't know any better I'd put this as classic Pakistani Pop. But I do, so I won't. The rest of the OST is interesting, so something else from it may turn up on my playlist.

Salaam-e-Ishq - Salaam-e-Ishq

I only like this for the bagpipes, but otherwise it's nothing new. And the rest of the line up isn't all that either. Hopefully the film itself will fare better.

Pseudoliberties

There's a growing trend for people to be what I like to call pseudoliberal, although going by Google it seems that this word has already been in use for a while. These are people who truly believe that they are being liberal and are considered as much by those with genuinely non-liberal views, but in reality are anything but.

An obvious and recent example that might ring with any Muslims reading is believing a woman isn't free if she wears the hijab/nikaab/jilbab. People who hold this view will insist that, in a free and liberal society, a woman wouldn't have to wear such a thing, without realising that in such a world women should be able to choose to wear what they want.

But there are other, more subtle, examples too. Throwing scorn on a playboy divorcee who wants to marry a virgin is pretty illiberal provided all said virgins are just as free to tell him to bugger off. Taking the case from my previous post, a person should be free with impunity to not give up their seat to a pregnant woman or elderly passenger. And generally, forcing someone to be liberal is a contradiction in terms (or perhaps ironic. I'm not quite sure which).

And unfortunately it seems that The Government is being just as lazy when it considers the issues surrounding liberty. We're seeing initiatives that, on the surface, seem to give us equal freedoms but are in fact taking them away (so, for example, we're discouraged to celebrate Christmas, or smoke in public places). Unfortunately, these end up being some kind of rotten carrot to complement a "if you don't like it here, then you're free to leave" stick. With emphasis on that "free", of course.

But then we have to ask, is it possible to be genuinely and totally liberal without causing chaos? After all, there would be many times when the liberty of one person would, by definition, infringe on that of another; even if we just confine this absolute liberty to that which doesn't affect others. Sometimes ideals themselves offend others (as free speech sometimes obviously does), so we end up having to, subjectively, draw the line again. Plus, sometimes it's just inefficient to allow everyone to do their own thing however harmless that might be.

So perhaps ultimate liberality is impossible? But whether it is or not isn't really relevant since with respect to us living in the UK, we don't need or even want that. What we need to figure out at the moment is the best way to be liberal within the current framework that we have - so staunchly protecting our right to free speech while not abusing it, or allowing people to live their lives as they want as long as it doesn't break the law (where I think of law being a social code of conduct rather than the stuff sometimes arbitrarily written down in certain books).

Things That Pee Me Off #15: Lazy Commuters

Why do some people (anecdotally usually women) grab a seat on a train as soon as it's free, even though they're going to get off at the next stop? The train is full as it is, but they don't think of the pain they'll cause a) getting to the empty seat and then b) getting back to the train doors in order to disembark (which is usually where they just raced from).

Take today for instance. I had a seat for a few stops already and I had a good few stops to go till I hit Oxford Circus; I was enjoying my usual nap on the way in. A seat opened up next to me, and a fellow commuter took it, forcing me to give up mine to the elderly lady behind her. Fair enough, since you can't expect everyone to want to give up their seat.

But to then get off the next stop, giving your seat to some guy who clearly didn't need it and so leaving me standing and, more importantly, losing twenty minutes of sleep? Gee thanks, you're the best.

As Mentioned On The BBC Asian Network

If you've wandered here off the back of the piece on the AN just now, then this post is for you.

Whether you have a look around or not, please take a second to leave a comment below. It'll be interesting to see how many came as a result of the show. If any at all. Gulp.

I'm Interesting, Please Read Me

I've spent the last hour or so chatting to friends, racking my brains and even, gasp, contemplating on what to write in order to make this blog look at least as interesting as it's been a few times previously. After all, the location of this place might be given to billions of people tomorrow, and I wouldn't want them to think that all I'm interested in is videogames, right?

I mean I like to think I've written some half-decent articles before, so another example of the same would do. Perhaps an article about Islam would work? Or maybe something about relationships would strike a chord with any new readers? Or how about a restaurant, book, music, film or videogame review? Or a list of rants?

But then there's the personal, honest feel of the place I'd like to demonstrate too - the whole marriage thing even. Oo, or perhaps I should write about a unique experience I've recently had? I could just stick to something for the boys, but then I'd probably have to balance that with something for the girls too. I think I'll avoid a technical post, seeing how badly they've gone down in the past.

Nope. I mean I couldn't write about a single topic since that wouldn't really reflect what goes on in this blog. If only there was a way to subtly link back to those examples I mentioned above. Oh well...

But then why do I care anyway? It certainly smacks of an egotistical need to be read that I denied I had when I spoke to that Asian Network producer earlier this afternoon. I mean, sure, these pages are more popular than most personal blogs (averaging over 1200 hits a week, 400 of which are unique if you really wanted to know), but none of that matters really. Even if no one read at all, I'd carry on writing.

I think it has more to do with being potentially misunderstood. I wouldn't mind people reading a range of posts and deciding that I'm actually a loser with too much free time, especially since they'd almost certainly be right. But for them to decide this after just reading the latest few, well, yes, I guess I'd feel a little misrepresented and, so, disappointed.

Of course this all has some pretty big implications. Assuming I do the show tomorrow, this would probably be the biggest outing my blog has had since its inception. As others have (apparently frustratingly) found out, I don't advertise this blog other than a link in the signature of a personal email account I use to mail people who know anyway, and having so many people I don't know visiting at one time is actually quite terrifying. But hey, I guess exposure comes with the blogging territory, so I'm also interested to actually see what happens. Who knows? Perhaps I'll make new friends and contacts. And find new rishtas. That last bit was a joke.

So anyway, yes, I'm totally stuck on what to write about. If you have any ideas, please feel free to suggest them.

Radio Shak, Radio Show

The BBC Asian Network is doing a piece on blogs tomorrow and have asked me to come on air and defend mine. Defend how or against what exactly I'm not sure, but they're gonna cover political and other themed blogs too, so perhaps I'm supposed to say how much better mine is over those. Apparently I'm not allowed to say that I don't actually care if people read Radio Shak or not. Hmm.

Still, I'm glad I have this post to refer to, since I'm probably going to be asked, again, why I actually blog in the first place. Come to mention it, it's all very apt going on AN to talk about my blog since if it wasn't for the rise (and subsequent fall) of the ALMBs, this place probably wouldn't exist. Like, totally full circle, yaar.

Anyway, I'm told it'll be on at around 10:30am tomorrow, so have a listen if you're bothered enough to. As for me, I'm off to write a post interesting enough for any possible passer-bys to be impressed with and latch on to. Jeez, it just had to be the Wii release day last week, didn't it?

Game: Wii Sports

This pack in game for the Wii is all we had to play with this morning. Still, despite it's reputation as being a mere technical demo, I'm pretty sure all of us fell in love with the Wii a bit because of it. We only played Tennis and Bowling, but that's all we really needed to.

There's been some fierce criticism about some of these games, and how as they move to imitate real sport they'll disappoint more. I have to strongly disagree though. For example, although I may not have believed that I was playing Tennis, I immediately and more importantly, intuitively figured out how to put top on the ball, how to slice and lob and all sorts of other things. I guess, for me, it felt more like playing Table Tennis than the court version, but I was having fun all the same.

Bowling was the same. I can't spin balls in real life but here I was getting angles and shots I could never in reality. It's pretty amazing and immersive stuff.

While I'm here, I'll talk about the console itself too. The first thing that strikes you as how small everything is. Even having seen the remote before, it seems much more minute when you hold it. Firmware seems solid, and I connected to the Internet fine (and downloaded two updates to prove that). Technically, I seem to be having more problems pointing with the remote than twisting and shaking, but that may have more to do with my quick set up than anything else. I've yet to explore the messaging functionality.

But yes. This little box seems to be full of some kind of pixie dust. I definitely urge everyone to at least give it a go, since it really is a magical experience to play one even for for a bit. I can't wait to get home!

Wii Launch

So yes, the time came and went. GameIndustry.biz has a pretty good write up (that I've linked to above), but in short we got there at around 1030pm to be faced by a pretty long queue. There must have been around three hundred people in front of us, and suddenly we regretted not listening to Imran (the chap from Game who had called us on Saturday) when he told us to get there for sevenish. Or maybe not; the guys at the head of the queue had been there since 4pm. Pictures will be up on Picasa soon.

In hindsight, we should have really turned back then to delay buying the consoles (between us we had two on pre-order) the next morning. But we were too excited, and we figured that we'd get to the front of the line by around 1am or so. The queue was growing behind us, and as sorry as I felt for myself, I felt even more for those behind me. Still, at least the weather wasn't too bad (although I now realise how quickly the temperature drops at that time of night!).

The doors opened a half hour or so before midnight to allow those at the front of the queue to a) keep warm and b) start eating and playing. No one was allowed to actually buy (and therefore leave) till twelve, so it was only around then that the queue began to move. In the meantime, HMV down the road had no more queue - the flagship store is was big enough to contain everyone waiting, plus Game had more people in total anyway. I reckon they had around 500 units to shift.

Even so it was slow going. Those at the front were hanging around in the store, wasting time instead of leaving and allowing new customers to move in. Three of us actually considered going home; the fourth managed to convince us to stay. A good thing, since after an hour (as the food ran out and people just wanted to get home) it had begin to pick up. Staff were giving away some pretty rubbish freebies (scarves and hats), but I was pretty happy with my free Wii golf umbrella. Result! Well, kinda.

We got to the tills at around 215am. We didn't hang around, I paid for my console and waited for my friend to get his (along with a copy of Wii Play). Getting home was quick since only insane people were out at that time, and we managed to arrive by three.

Ten minutes later, we had set up and were playing two player Wii Sports Tennis. We only played for thirty minutes or so, and I was in bed by 4am, but the past four and a half hours of hassle had suddenly been totally forgotten.

Up Late With The Wii

Yes, that is the time.

I'm am so screwed tomorrow.

Bursting For A Wii

I know some people will find it strange my counting down to the launch of the new Nintendo games console. What's probably even more impressive (or sad if you're judgemental like that) is that I'm actually going for to pick mine up at a midnight launch, tonight, in Oxford Street.

The thing is, console launches don't happen that often so it is an exciting time for some videogame fans. This won't actually be the first midnight launch that I'm attending either; I was in the line for HMV's midnight opening for the Gamecube too (along with my brother and neighbour, so I'm not alone in my madness). In that case, however, I didn't have a guaranteed pre-order and so at around 00:05 we all looked at each other, asked what the hell we were doing there at that time of night and then left for home, empty handed. My brother ordered one online the next day and it came a few days later.

But still, I am excited about tonight. I'm not alone this time either - I have a friend who has also pre-ordered (serialised serials! Woot!) and two other guys who have nothing better to do. It will be surreal shopping on Oxford Street at that time of night, but not as strange as the intention we have to play some Wii when we get back to mine. Having said all that, the weather outside is pretty scary... Oh no.

Look out tomorrow for a review of the console and its pack-in game, Wii Sports.

Film: Pan's Labyrinth

Fantastic tale set in a 30's Spain about a little girl that struggles not only against a army captain step-father, but also with the possibility that she may in fact be the long lost princess of another world.

Just to be clear though: this is no tale of the fairy kind. In fact it's anything but. Graphic violence, very creepy visuals (certainly one of the more scary films I've seen this year - think Hellraiser) and some pretty adult concepts (like torture and fascism) puts this well into grown up territory.

But this cinematic schizophrenia doesn't harm the film at all. In fact it adds to it, giving it a depth that it wouldn't have achieved otherwise. Pan's Labyrinth is yet another foreign film (it's in Spanish with English subtitles) that doesn't disappoint. Go watch it.

How Long Left?

There are precisely:

• One day, thirteen hours and twenty minutes...
• One more night of sleep...
• Five more meals...
• One more exercise session...
• Nine more daily prayers...
• Two more showers...
• One more sabaq-reading...
• Two more days at work...
• Three more teeth brushings...
  

... Till the Nintendo Wii gets released. How exciting eh?

Game: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All (DS)

The second DS title in a row which is, in essence, a sequel consisting of not much more than the first game?

Yes, but as was the case with EBA I'm not complaining. Like the rhythm action game, PW was already perfect and all its fans really wanted was more levels to play. And since that's exactly what we got, I won't bother repeating myself here. Go read my PW review if you're new to the game.

There are small tweaks in the gameplay (you now have a penalty "bar" instead of five hits and can now also present profiles as evidence), but thankfully none of it takes away from what is still a brilliantly entertaining game.

OBJECTION!

Playing The Trains

The Central Line has been running pretty poorly lately. I can't remember the last time a full week of ten journeys have been quick. Coming in today, we had yet more Central Line blues, and the trains and platforms were equally packed with people desperate to get into work.

Now I'm used to this. Having been using the trains for almost ten years now, you learn to deal with it. There's nothing you can do and panicking or running around like a headless chicken won't get you to your destination any faster. Plus, why would anyone want to get to work on time? A delay means more time to read or play DS, so I don't suffer too much (although I must admit University was a time when I would rather get to lectures on time).

Nevertheless, I thought I'd be smart this morning. Faced with a packed platform and 12 minutes on the board indicating the wait for the next train (which I was unlikely to get on to), I thought I'd try going the other way one stop in order to get a head start on the rest of the guys. It's not something I've done before so at the very least I wanted to know whether it was a good tactic or not.

It wasn't. By the time the Eastbound train had arrived, there were only two and four minutes left for the next two Westbounds respectively. The first passed us on the way to the next stop up; the second just left as I (and the few others who had the same idea) ran to catch it. Bummer.

The next train was 12 minutes away but the board said that it was terminating anyway. However, after it had emptied, it continued travelling westbound - presumably to regulate the service at the next stop, that is the one I had deserted fifteen minutes earlier. If only I had waited there I would have been greeted with an empty train! Double bummer.

The next train had genuinely terminated. The train after that was too full to get on to (although some desperate souls did try with varying success). Triple bummer.

Finally, four trains and thirty minutes later I got on to a relatively empty train, and finally got back to where I usually depart from, already half an hour down. My only two consolations was that I got a seat for all my trouble and managed to get my teeth into Phoenix Wright 2.

So no. It's not a strategy I'll be trying again any time soon. It's a boring tale, sure, but I'm only recording it to remind myself of the lesson learned: that there's no point in playing the trains. Those in charge are probably in a better position to get you where you want to so just do as your told and you'll be fine. Just make sure you have a good book/game with you at all times!

Video of the Day

Briefly annoying, but well worth sticking with:



"When you're trying to clean the nose, you really got to clean the nose!". Classic. Make sure you check out the creator's site here.

Thanks to Fuad for the link.

Imitation or Flattery?

So it seems I have a bit of an admirer out there in the Blogiverse (and if I seem a bit upset down below it's only 'cos I've been made to use such a lame word to open this post). Please take a minute to check out the following:

• Introductions, me vs her.
• Looking To Get Married, me vs her (this one popped up as I was typing!).
• Religion and Culture, me vs her.
• Global Peace and Unity, me vs her.
  

And just in case they happen to have mysteriously disappeared by the time you click (I suspect that the blog's author comes here often), I've gone to the trouble of screen capping them all for posterity.

I'm actually the most annoyed with that first one, since the others have been ripped off somewhat whole and intact. I would prefer to have been credited, but then at least I'm being read by a wider audience indirectly. So yes, I'm a bit flattered.

In fact, my first assumption was that any citation owed to me had been mistakenly omitted, but then I realised that the posts had been changed in a few subtle ways (so Southall instead of Hounslow, Michael Jackson instead of Oasis and, of course, a liberal use of extra exclamation marks), but enough to make it clear that this author had tried to pass them off as her own. Still, I'm glad that I'm inspiring at least one reader, even if that is only to the act of blatant plagiarism. No doubt that there will be more similarities popping up as she travels further into the past of my blog.

Being 25 and female, only one real question remains left to be asked: is The Moonbeam Fairy fit or not? Yes, I have to admit that I'm a little intrigued. I mean, it's not often you find a single girl who thinks so similarly to yourself - it's almost like she gets me, y'know? I wonder if she's a Katie Holmes fan too...

I've added her to my list of feeds now anyway. What's more, it seems that we attend the same mosque (me vs her, although not really in the same way as above). Oooh, I wonder if she's shaking with as much excitement as I am? Gosh, we may have even prayed there at the same time already!

Alright, alright. I'm being a bit unfair now so I'll end it there. I'm sure my point has been made, and to be clear I'm more amused than angry (even though I certainly have a right to be that). But on a final and unrelated note (and, honestly, this isn't aimed at anyone in particular), that little "©Shakil Shaikh MMVI" down at the bottom of this page isn't just there for fashion you know.

EDIT: I know I shouldn't have to say this but just to be on the safe side: if you do decide to "contribute" on Fairy Dust, then I'd appreciate it if you would take a minute to think about the appropriateness of your comment before hitting that submit button. If you want to comment on this situation then it's best to do so here. If you just want to say something nasty and horrible and flamey, then I'd prefer if you didn't comment at all, anywhere. The last thing I want to do is regret writing this post in the first place.

Link of the Day

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Oh wait. I did.

The Holiday Curse

I've had a bit of a tough time getting out of the country recently.

Since my last holiday (which was really just a city break to Amsterdam), I've tried planning trips to Peru, one of the Scandinavian countries, and most recently Australia. All have failed, although there is still hope with the last one.

It's not important why they failed, but I do wish I didn't have to rely on other people in order to travel. People have their own things to do, and holidays are quite pricey so it's surprising anyone gets away in groups at all. I guess there is money to be saved and it's also safer and possibly more enjoyable to share a trip with friends, but still, going on my own would be better than not going at all.

But so far travelling is something I've never done by myself. I did spend an extra day in Dubai on my own, but I had local friends there so I didn't really notice. Flying back on my lonesome wasn't really bothersome either. So I think a trip alone from start to finish is definitely possible for me. It seems to be pretty easy for others.

So I guess the only thing that's really stopping me is myself. Who knows? Perhaps like it is with cinema I'll eventually gain the courage to go on holiday myself. I'm certainly glad I don't miss out on films now so it's more than likely I'd enjoy not missing out on any new places to visit either.

Media Darling

I spent most of today filming for Unity TV's next Eid show (due out New Year's day or thereabouts; the precise time and date to be confirmed). We've decided to pre-record it as opposed to broadcasting it live this time.

I think the official reason is so that we can have something a bit more polished, but I reckon we did a good enough job last time. Still, I'm interested in the new experience: recorded television is a different beast to playing live; it's certainly seems like much more hard work. And I say that as someone who's been involved a tiny amount compared to the directors and producers who have been filming for two weekends already. I guess being creative takes as much time as you want to throw at it.

So now we have takes and retakes. When we mess up, we try again (and again). If something works we improve it, and if not then we do something else to replace it. As expected, one hour of programming takes many more to actually film and produce.

Apart from the hours already spent, we also now have a bit of structure to the show. Timeslots are set, scripts have been created and shots planned. Sections are now more ambitious, but I don't want to spoil what we are planning on showing. It's all pretty hardcore in a laid back amateurish way (not to take anything away from the team - we're all working hard). Although those in charge did come across as oppressive dictators at times.

Due to the time available, I've chosen one of the easier parts to do. Me and the same co-host from last time will be introducing the show as a whole and each individual slot, which not only requires the least preparation, but also involves a minimum of working with children. We also did a bit of promotional material, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Gulp.

We finished just before 10pm, which was pretty late for a Sunday night. Still, it one of those worthwhile things that you don't mind sacrificing for - we had fun both working and playing in the course of creating the show (and we have plenty of bloopers and super secret "extra" footage to prove that). Of course the work isn't over yet as the producers have to somehow condense and present the footage down into a respectful quality show, and hopefully I'll have an opportunity to help with that too.

On a more general note, I did notice something quite a bit bigger than just the two Eid shows for Unity Television forming, and the vision, passion and excitement some have for these projects is clearly building towards something potentially very special. I'll say it again: we are all amateurs, but that doesn't seem to matter much at all.

It's definitely something I want to continue being a part of, even if that happens to be a role firmly behind the camera (fame isn't really all that, dontcha know). Watch this space, I guess.

Livin' It Large... In Birmingham

A friend and I drove all the way to Birmingham, that place you pass on the way to Manchester. Now, I've only been once before but that was pretty limited in that I was restricted to the ICC Hall for those Bollywood Star auditions, and although that day was fantastic I don't think it was because of being in Birmingham. In short, this was going to be my first experience of the real Birmingham.

We had a couple of native tour guides to show us around; they came pretty cheap at a box of Celebrations each. We even had a surprise visit from someone who didn't live there (and if you really want to know who they were, I'm sure all three will be along to populate the comments list for this post). So yes, in terms of hosts we were well looked after.

The weather was crisp but dry so we didn't have that particular worry to... uh... worry about. We hit The Bullring first (which, if you actually think about it, is a pretty absurd name for a shopping centre really), where my London friend and I begun our window shopping. I think he'd agree with me when I say we were very satisfied, with the Mobile Shop Effect clearly holding in Brum as well as London, although The Bullring in general held its own too.

We walked along some of the back street canals, visited The Mailbox (where I paid tribute to Sonia Deol's new home) and ended up lunching on pizza (and like most of the day, lunch was on our most gracious and generous counterparts). Although it was nice so far, there wasn't really anything that smacked of Birmingham.

As I mentioned we had driven down. This turned out to be pretty annoying since it meant having to travel in separate cars - this being accentuated by Birmingham's horrific Saturday evening traffic. Still, at least we didn't have to pay twice for parking; brummies seem to only have to pay for one vehicle. Well, as long as the second car is fast enough to nip under the car park's exit barrier before it closes, that is. Cunning eh?

I always like to visit a local mosque in any new place I visit, and so our hosts obliged by stopping off at one on the way to our final destination. Unfortunately it wasn't Birmingham Central Mosque, but the one we did go to had the local vibe I was looking for anyway so it was all good.

We ended up at Star City. This place had been described to me as the sleazy destination for secret boy and girlfriends to hang out in (and for others to perv), and so obviously I was eager to check it out. After three quite "interesting" games of pool, I realised that it wasn't really anything more than any other hang-out and it may have been slightly over (or under depending on your viewpoint) played. Having said that, we were there pretty early.

We had a flying tour of Alum Rock, but again this seemed to have had its much publicised rudeboys and cars missing from its streets. On returning to Star City, a couple of us (the ones who weren't cowardly chicken) went on one of the fairground rides which had been set up in the parking lot. Although the ride itself was pretty tame it was still amazing since we were able to see Birmingham at night from quite a high distance, and the view was stunning.

Alas we had to end the evening relatively short since we had to be back in London by a reasonable hour so that's all we had time to do. I must admit that, even though it was a nice day out, I'm still not quite sure what makes Birmingham Birmingham. But perhaps that's the point; that Brum actually doesn't have an identity of its own? That could be why it's such a bland forgettable place... But seeing as I have some good friends there and it's only two hours away I guess I can just imagine it as a suburb of London whenever I inevitably go back to visit. After all, in a place like that it becomes more about the people you are with than the location itself.

IMASE: Soulful Careers

I think that today's talk, organised by IMASE (or The International Muslim Association of Scientists and Engineers), was intended to provide us, the audience, with inspiring anecdotes and tips on how to get into "soulful careers"; occupations that would bring benefit to not only ourselves but the world around us too.

there were as many in the audience as there were panellists, so what we ended up with was a more intimate discussion and show-and-tell. A few occupations were talked about, ranging from the humanities to Islamic finance to engineering. What follows in an overview of the experiences shared this evening.

Dr Abdool karim Vakil, a History professor at Kings, opened by stressing the importance of Muslims to take part in the Humanities and Social Sciences, saying that they're just as important as more regular and less "boring" areas of work, and furthermore how the under-representation of Muslims in this field is doing more harm than good.

Next up, we had the barrister Salman Hassan. Although not quite, since although he had trained in Law, he actually left the field to concentrate on more altruistic and educational projects. So instead of talking about becoming a lawyer, he stressed the importance of spirituality, and, basically, how "money and status weren't everything". The Ibn Jabal Institute is definitely something I'll be looking into.

Abdur Rahman Malik from Q-News then stepped up to talk about journalism and media. He explained how he had actually fallen into it almost accidentally (he was trained as a teacher and taught Drama for a few years) - although when listening to him it was clear that he might be one who created his own luck. He also talked about how we should be concerned about the health of our souls as well as our bank balances.

Rupon Miah from Centrepoint, a charity dealing with the homeless and surrounding issues, then took the stage. The most interesting thing about this section was how there were many ways to gain a "soulful" career - both subtle and indirect and creative, or more obvious, overt and pragmatic like in the case of joining a charity.

Imran Sharaf covered Islamic Finance. This also had a pragmatic air about it; the speaker explained how he had done his time in a bit Investment Bank to gain the skills required to help in the Muslim World. In this sense joining a profession which may be seen as hard, cold and not soulful at all might not have been the "selling out" it had seemed to be. I think a more subtle point was that it was the employee that made their career soulful, not the career itself.

Finally we ended with Dr Mahbub Gani, a fellow IC graduate, talking about how we should be looking for careers that excite and interest us, since if we have that then the soul would automatically follow - for example by giving example and dawah to work colleagues.

The low headcount allowed us all to have more of a round table than we would have otherwise. We briefly explored some of the points raised; my own question was about how realistic the panellists were being, since not everyone was in a position to leave their jobs for something else, and even if they were how nothing was guaranteed. I also questioned how likely it would be seeing how a few of the speakers had admitted how accidental their current situations actually were.

Still, despite my cynicism I was inspired. Sure, these guys were special cases, but that doesn't mean there aren't things we can do to increase the soul in our jobs; small, non-risky things joining projects outside of work or even setting a good example to our co-workers. And who knows, perhaps with that attitude those of us with less than soulful careers will "accidentally" fall into new ones too?

Global Peace and Unity

Last weekend was the second spectacularly annual Global Peace and Unity event. People came from far and wide (well, Hounslow anyway) and everyone who was anyone went. Except for me - I was too busy doing other things.

It didn't take long before someone told me how great it was, what I had missed and how it was my Islamic duty to support such events (the corollary being that anyone who didn't wasn't a good Muslim). Of course, that last bit was like waving a red rag to a bull (but I suspect my friend knew exactly what he was doing).

Don't get me wrong. I do think that the GPU event is a good thing. It sometimes gets criticised for being disorganised, or not providing what people actually want, but for something that's been going on for just two years it's pretty darn impressive. From what I've seen there's enough for even the least interested to have a passing look at, and even for someone of another or no faith it could be a nice day out. So yes, it's officially A Good Thing in my eyes, and long may it prosper.

But I still didn't want to go. And so, more importantly, I shouldn't be forced to go.

I've written before how broad Islam is, and therefore anything described as "Islamic" may not actually be that to all Muslims. And even if it was, Muslims shouldn't be expected to support everything and anything described as such. It's why we're not all members of the MCB or MPAC or FOSIS even though we may agree with what they say. In fact, to think that we should all Muslims should homogeneously act the same smacks of the particular Governmental policy or media opinion some of us take issue with.

Apart from this identity issue, there's something unsettling for me about overtly Islamic entertainment of this type. I don't need to celebrate my faith just like I don't need to celebrate the fact that I'm a man or that I develop software. Sport, music, videogames and television all don't have to have been "islamicised" to be more acceptable for a Muslim audience, so why do family days out?

And apparently it's spiritually beneficial to attend these things. However, in my opinion, £15 to charity and two days worth of private prayer/study will provide much more benefit than GPU ever will. Of course events like these are more accessible, easier to take part in and possibly even more fashionable than other traditional things. I'm sure that more than a few feel that they've done their duty after watching a nasheed concert - it's almost similar to offsetting Home And Away with an hour of Islam channel each day. At best it almost smells of over-compensation and at worst for many it's an easy-to-swallow McIslam.

And don't get me started on nasheeds. I really don't like them and they give me the creeps. I don't think it's my duty as a Muslim to like them either. And so I probably won't leave my house to listen to them. Oasis, on the other hand, I would (they rocked at Wembley in 2000, by the way).

Ok, I'm ranting now. And this isn't really about GPU, it's about being preached to. But this post is already five paragraphs too long, and so I'll leave that particular gem for another time. For now, spare encouraging me to go to GPU. I honestly, truly, have better things to do, thanks. But hey: if you feel the need to spend a weekend listening to nasheed concerts and eating halal hot dogs then please, do go nuts. I certainly don't think it's my place to stop you.