OH!!! I’m so happy that Chapter 1 is finally done! I can’t believe I managed to crank out nearly 130 pages in about 5 months? That’s really cool! I am hoping to shorten the time I could do the next few hundred pages (HAHA). I’m ready to get into Grimsley’s story as well this year.

Anyway my Semester 1 exams are in June, and I’ve been itching to study for it, plus I’ve a 2000 word assignment (on the missing gaps of neuroscience and consciousness affecting any discussion on the philosophy of religion, but maybe I might change the topic to the problem of evil in the context of evolutionary theory) that I need to research and write for. URGH!! Wow!! Plus I have freelance work in the backlog that I gotta work on in my spare/break times.

Meanwhile, here are a few interesting and illuminating things for you all to check out:

1. Act for Peace – The Ration Challenge – (link)
   This is an Australian initiative aiming to raise awareness on the refugee crisis by getting people into doing a challenge – they have to eat the same amount of rations as a Syrian refugee during Refugee Week – and encouraging their family, friends, whoever to donate to the cause in support of them doing the challenge. It’s basically Kickstarter and Living Below the Line merged together. Although I’ve my *tiny* misgivings about the concept of emulating someone’s current life situation as a ‘challenge’ to those who don’t experience it, I still think it’s a valuable and important cause to support. Especially if it’s a cause that has raised so much money into providing food, hygiene products and education. I’m not sure if I’ll do the challenge but nonetheless I’m going to give money (about $67 – $137, depends on how much I earn this summer) to it.
2. The Breadwinner – Cartoon Saloon
   I’ve never been so excited for an animated movie for so long!! (the last time was Coraline) I’ve been anticipating this film for ages; it’s essentially about a Afghani girl who dresses up as a boy to financially support her family. (echoes to Mulan)
3. PBS Frontline: Muslims, a documentary – (link)
   This is a SUPER OLD documentary (like 13 years ago, unbelievable), but it’s a good one as an introduction to the variety and diversity of Muslim faith, practice and the different kinds of internal issues and interpretations happening in various parts of the world.
4. Harvard Religious Literacy Project, a FREE Online Course on the Major Religions of the World  – (link)
   

   The study of religion is the study of a rich and fascinating dimension of human experience that includes but goes well beyond beliefs and ritual practices. In this religion course, learners explore case studies about how religions are internally diverse, how they evolve and change through time, and how religions are embedded in all dimensions of human experience. We’ll explore these tenets through the lens of scripture and through themes such as gender and sexuality, art, violence and peace, science, and power and authority

   Religions studied: Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism

   I’ve been enrolled in this course since its beginning (unfortunately I don’t have time for the previous two topics due to workload, but next month!! When I am free!!). I can definitely recommend its quality and its depth in exploring the complexity and nuance of faith traditions as a whole. It also has an incredibly respectful and intellectual forum with students from international backgrounds and experiences coming together to talk about how said experiences affect their reading/understanding of a topic introduced. I really love this course!!! It’s so good