Saturday, December 25, 2010

"My name is Christmas. Will you merry me?"

"Dear 2011, my wish for this year is a big fat bank account and a slim body. Please don't mix these two up like you did last year."
A tweet on Twitter I chuckled/guffawed at, recently. Lord knows I can relate to it!
I am inscribing it here, because for some unknown reason that is having me shaking my head and muttering expletives under my breath, I am unable to form thoughts of my own right now. I blame all the Big Bang Theory I've been watching; the wit! Oh, the wit! Subconsciously making me feel inferior, it is.

Also watched Guzarish and now I'm longing for Aishwariya Rai's wardrobe in the film. Long flowy lengths, fitted bodices, poufy sleeves; so dramatic and delightful! I just want to don dark lipstick and roll my r's. Rrrrrrrrrright.
Cat eye glasses; exquisite! Heck, I love it when I see anyone wear glasses on-screen, as an eye-glasses-wearer myself.

That Victorian skirt is giving me goosebumps! It even looks like she's adorned her head with a quasi-hijab, eh?


*smooth transition to outfit part of post*

This outfit, worn about a week ago shares a few elements with Ash's costumes above. Namely, that luscious maroon colour.


 who what wear?
  • metallic vintage blazer, $6, thrifted
  • gold metallic, zebra-print scarf, $5, H&M
  • red vintage dress, $1, Jet Rag vintage sale
  • black + white tie-dye jeans, $10, Urban Planet
  • black sequined shirt, $5, Urban Planet
  • gold metallic sneaks, $1, F as in Frank vintage
Photo credits: up-and-coming photographer Elijah Yutuc. For serious, keep his name at the back of your mind!
>>Impromptu photo shoots are da bomb diggity. 
 aaand . . . Joyeux Noël to those who celebrate!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

UBC'ing. You-be-seeing: An Unusually Long Photo Diary

HOLY MOLY RAVIOLI.
I feel like a university student.
But you are a university student.

Shut up, interior monologue.
So it has happened. I have matured. (Please do not extricate evidence that otherwise seems to contradict this statement. Read: holy moli ravioli).

1. I am slowly transitioning from my urooba_flowergirl@hotmail.com email to my urooba.j@gmail.com email (which by the way, is where you should email me now!) LIKE, GMAIL!? How adult is that? As said by a peer of mine, I am "deflowered". Geddit? Haha, chuckle, chuckle, snort, snort!
It's like my childish instincts are being siphoned out of me at a rate of 248558 girly-bits/min. and the accumulation of sophistication is occurring at a rate of 248558 soph-bits/min. (Oh, see how I still remember calculus? This calls for a function, as in, a function celebrating my intelligence. Heh.)

2. I write papers, not essays y'all. *shoulder brush*

4. I have profs, not teachers y'all. *shoulder brush--but to no avail--that rascal piece of lint still won't brush off!*

Anyways, what will start now is a photo diary depicting My First Term of University.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words....but they were probably not referring to cellphone camera pictures, eh? It's true. Cellphone camera pictures indeed. However, fear not, as I will compensate by pairing 'em up with commentary by yours truly.

The September sun was certainly a sight to marvel at. Blue skies, fresh green vegetation on campus; school started off with oh-so aesthetic-appealing sights.

 Shrooms! And this is only debut number one of my gold metallic sneakers. Sadly, as routines go, I am stuck in a rut--they have become my everyday sneaks. *winces* Thank goodness they're pretty, though. And vintage, of course.  

 Like I've mentioned in an earlier post (what. *you* all don't creep me? Ridics, I say). Falling in love with fall was so easy. Truly. I've never been much of an autumn person. I used to be completely biased and only fixated my admiration and longing for one season only: summer. But if beautiful yellow, red, and orange leaves are slowly falling from treetops and are thrusting their beauty in your face, how can you not be touched and want au-tumn au-ll the time?
 
 Highlighter and highlighter yellow shoes? Win. Working outside in September and October was a luxury, though, seeing as November brought rain and December brought cold. Will cherish this fact next year, definitely. 

Pretty, right? And a couple of months later... 
...and a couple of months later, this is what it looked like. Not that different, right? Only difference is that the flag is turned the other way.

We constantly were chilling-like-villains. P.S. yes, that is my backpack. My very functional backpack. I no longer carry purses. I know! It's silly! Like, function over fashion....who does that!?

Another sunny September day--love that skirt, love those rings. Sadly, there is no documentation of the outfit.

Hellcats! Heard of it? I hadn't---till they started filming at our school. It stars Ashley Tisdale and that other blonde one. I admit, I got a bit fan-girl-ish. Not that I'm a fan. I'm simply a consumer of media. I don't know which is worse. Also, apparently UBC is a hot spot for Hollywood. (Now does that mean *insert hot celebrity* has the possibility of being within 50 meters from me? Hot dang! I chose the right school).

 
This is The Bus Loop. Also known as my own personal hell. Commuting 4 hours per day is bound to have an effect on me, so hush now. [But there is an 85% chance that me and a few friends will be getting an apartment next year near campus, so fingers crossed! iA]

And these are the effects of commuting: collapsing in buses. Lawls, don't worry, we don't always sit on public transportation like this.

Favourite building on campus!


More snow. And my favourite building on campus, still.

The beach! Right on the outskirts of campus. Never mind it's a nude one and one has got to take 1924584578676 steps to get down--it is so pretty. Miles and miles of the Pacific Ocean right there.

 

 

Pigs! Yes we are! Incoming college kids: Freshman 15 is no lie--you will gain 15 pounds and your average will drop 15% (or more-ha!ha!) from your high school average.

For some reason that is unbeknown to me, I sat in on a friend's Chemistry lecture. Don't worry, even I don't know what I was thinking. Chemistry will always = chemisery to me.

Also sat in on another's friend Econ lecture. Yup, that's one subject I'm glad I'm not taking--talk about snore!

Here is a photo somewhat not depicting my first politically-inflamed event ever! It was so exciting and exhilarating! The tension, you could've cut with a knife! Here's a brief synopsis of what went down: so a social justice club at school was allocating $700 to another club, called Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, to give to The Canadian Boat to Gaza. Opposition and unjust claims followed suit, especially by one group in particular, The Israel Awareness Club. They spewed postcards all over campus proclaiming that the money was going to a terrorist organization. The above photo was taken at a meeting of the Alma Mater Society, which handles all undergraduate affairs at UBC. After 3 hours of debate, it was decided that the money was to be sent, indeed! Ah! Felt great standing up for what was right. However, the president of AMS, was still opposed to this decision...

Snow day at UBC! Snow [n]ice, right? ;)


Sometimes, when I am compelled to take the sky train, I pretend it is a roller coaster. Increases the quality of my life by a thousand-fold, at that moment.

 Cam-whoring in libraries--my specialty.

One of the 2 main libraries. The aerial view resembles a book, with the spine and pages and everything. F'reals, yo. I'm sorry I couldn't get an aerial view, heh.

My first university reading ever. Only 2 pages. I was satisfied and decided, "Man, college is so easy!" Still is, but I found myself reading hundreds and hundreds of pages of readings the day before tests....Um.

A few blurry outfits....



Step out of psychology class and into this. ^

7 AM fog.

 And this is on the roof of our "rival school". We were on "enemy territory". lol! Nothing of that sort! We went to visit a few friends at another university nearby, Simon Fraser. This is one of their 3 campuses. It's on a mountain, hence the pretty view.


Luckily, today's trending twitter topic (OMG, MY BRAIN IS APPRECIATING ALL THIS ALLITERATION) was #collegetaughtme. The following were my additions; all true.

that my sister will call me a college dropout during any long break I have. i.e. this one month break between semesters.
that my T.A.'s will most likely always be young men in their 20's. My peers have taught me to take advantage of this.
that my English Prof probably lives alone in a house full of cats.
that there is an unspoken rivalry between faculties, that BECOMES SPOKEN. Dundundun.
that paying $500 for a visual arts course is like paying $500 for FREE time. oooo, IRONY.
to think profoundly/deeply/critically. :)
that the average 18 year old undergrad knows NOTHING and/or very little and/or is misguided about .
that it is possible to be a 7th-year undergraduate student D:
to bond with new acquaintances by drawing our professor during lectures.
that doing 2 papers in one night is equivalent to the pain brought on upon by labour and having your toenails ripped off.
that grad school is a necessity. lolol.
that first year Science students are seldom comforted by their first year Arts counterparts. lol, sorry.
that aesthetically-appealing environments to study in are compulsory. Thank god I go to @. :)
that if I need a badly-written essay for investigative purposes, I should ask my good 'ol engineering buddies.

Ahhhhhhh. Omg. You read all that? pat yourself on the back.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

TOO TRUE HISTORY LESSON by STUDyingMUFFIN



History teacher in the year 3008: 

"And this, class, was a period we now deem Finals Time. Its inherently distinctive characteristics included:
1) isolation of individual from civilization and/or society
2) limited or virtually non-existent social interaction
3) an abundant consumption of "junk food", which is a term for the dietary supplements consumed by the participating individuals --also called 'students'--during this period

This photograph was taken in what was known as 'Starbucks', although many students habituated other establishments as well, such as Library and Isolated Bedroom.

Many accounts during this epoch depict individuals to be curled up in the fetal position, indicating that longing for simpler times (i.e. inside a mother's womb) was quite prevalent."

SEE Y'ALL IN A BIT! XOXO

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Vlog Numero Uno--but aha! It's a teaser, y'all.

It's true.
*We* here at Under Urooba's Umbrella, are taking a slight detour from static images as the only form of phantasmagoria--and are venturing into the world of cinematography. Well, hardly. It's a v-log, video-log, vlog?
But, a'las. A catch!--this is a teaser. (And you only thought they did that for movie trailers, huh?)

Also, folks, keep in mind that this speculation will be the most perversely eloquent and intellegible thing you are most likely to ever witness. See for yourself:


Vlog numero uno --teaser! Nyah, nyah! from Urooba Jamal on Vimeo.

It's exactly as the title describes, bimbo.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Brevity is Bravery?

I never blog about my shortcomings or my lack of talent in any particular field/activity/circumstance.
Not that I'm suggesting any notions of phoniness. Nor am I hinting at the fact that I only blog about things I feel I can relate myself with positively. However, a trend that has come to my attention is my inability to articulate my thoughts and feelings effectively, with that certain 'je ne sais qoui'--the very same kind that Tyra Banks practically salivated for, in her quest to unearth this distinctive quality from her models. (My dissertation on 'America's Next Top Model' is somewhat thorough for a good reason: most of my prepubescent and pubescent years were spent glued to the television screen, watching said show. Absorption of modeling tactics and cat fights were paralleled with Science 8 geology worksheets and paragraphs on "How I Spent my Summer Vacation").

Wait, what was I getting at?
Argh, you see?

Friday, November 26, 2010

I WANT AU-TUMN AU-LL THE TIME.

Falling in love with fall was so easy.
[photos by yours truly]


(VIDEO POST THIS WEEKEND, YARRRRR! ALSO. THANK YOU, NEW FOLLOWERS! XOXO)

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Hijabi Fashion Week--Day 7: "The Cup of Life" - Running Errands! UUU style.

Hijabi Fashion Week Day 7 = Last Day of Hijabi Fashion Week.
'kay, I'm so lobbying for 9 days in a week, because if this was so there'd be two more days of HFW left!
Plaintively obvious and coupled with-a-smudge-of-politics statements aside, the last theme is pertaining to what one wears whilst running errands.
 OH NO. I never thought it would come to this. Dear readers, this outfit will be plain, y'all.
Brace yourselves.
In fact, it is my weekend-errand-running UNIFORM.
No one sees me in these clothes except for:
  • bank tellers
  • fast-food workers
  • retail workers
  • pimply teens that work at Superstore and other such establishments that employ minimum-wage labourers
  • la familia
And now, I am plastering this on cyberspace? T'is true.
 who what wear?
  • classic beige trench: Old Navy
  • FAT JEANS, OH YES!
  • comfy, soft hijab!
  • lime green flats: Joe Fresh, $6
  • glittery purple purse: Claires, $5
 outfit commentary:
Blank, beige canvas with pops of color. Bit of jewelery for interest. Only for running errands/lazy day at schoolio? *winces*
Similar to LAZY DAY OUTFIT OF LAST YEAR.

NOW, NOW! FUN IS STILLLLL NOT OVER! CLICK HERE: modestytheory.blogspot.com TO SEE HOW HIJABULOUS LADIES DRESS FOR RUNNING ERRANDS!

And with that, Hijabi Fashion Week comes to a termination. It was a good time, y'all. I've *met* so many cool hijabis through this experience. It's kind of radical having friends from ALL OVER THE WORLD! Thanks to all my lovely new followers; so glad you're a part of my journey of experimenting with life. :)
*emotion-laden tears fall down my face*

AW. CYBER HUG Y'ALL! :D ♥

Friday, November 19, 2010

Hijabi Fashion Week--Day 6: Date Night! UUU style.

Yup, you read right.
DATE NIGHT! =D
With hubbies, of course; th'as how we do it halaaaal, yo. ;)
I'm not 100% sure if the other ladies participating in HFW are of age, as in, have husbands...but from perusing their blogs, most of 'em are young! Still, there are a few that do have significant others, so when you look at their outfits...keep in mind it may be a Real Date Outfit, gasp! :)

*Hey future soul mate: when Hijabi Fashion Week rolls around 6, 7, 8 years from now inshah'allah (as HFW will be an annual thing!) you better be willing to guest star on Under Urooba's Umbrella, during the themed day of Date Night.
Yeah? Yeah!? Yeah! You really will be my soul mate then! ;)


Date Nights[/Days] That Would Be Incredibly Joyous For Me:
  • la classique: dinner + movie; YUMMY dinner + GOOD movie
  • moonlit walks on the beach (cue the awwwwwwwwwws) I LOVE MOONLIGHT.
  • picnic on the beach, witnessing a sunset
  • day at an amusement park!
  • going to a cafe for some overpriced, caffeinated drinks and not only watching but participating in a slam poetry fest on a rainy sunday evening <3
  • cliched candle-lit dinner at home; meal cooked together!
  • 6 AM hike, up a mountain (I don't really do physical activity, but I'll make an exception ;))
  • kayaking!
  • camping together!
  • reading the dictionary together--I kid, I kid! (Sort of. No wait, I do! I do! Ish.)
  • And, you know, a day spent vintage shopping with his credit card has got to be a good day! ;)
Ahem. Got a little carried away there....
Anyways.
Here's what I'd wear (well, I wouldn't wear it to all the aforementioned activities. Read: hike up a mountain!):
who what wear?
  • black shiny blazer: $7, Salvation Army
  • kick-arse booty heels: $5, random thrift store
  • CRAZY-wonderful-but-not-depictable-in-this-way-with-my-crapola-pictures-80's-discotheque-shiny dress: no clue, but it's vintage ofc!
  • necklace: Aldo, $10 
Yeah! Fun's not over (ARE YOU SICK OF ME SAYING THIS YET, LOL)!
To see how other hijabulous ladies dress up for Date Night *wink wink*, click HERE HERE HERE!

See you tomorrow! For the laaaaaast day of HFW! :O