A note from starryepiphany
Booklovers Talk had been gathering dust in my library for a while now. So I kicked it out cause it never gets updated :P At least not in the past 3 months since I’ve been on Wattpad. And then I shot a question (anonymously) to booohh on her ask.fm asking her the reason for not updating BT. Well turns out everyone's busy with studies. -.- But then the next day I get a PM from her asking me if I'd like to get interviewed, but that it's going to take a while, around Feb 2015.
So I PMed her back telling her that Oprah had done the same thing to me, wanting to interview me but no immediate available slots. So what I did was I had posted a parody of my own yet-to-happen interview with Oprah asking me stupid questions like what animal I want to be and the likes. And then she personally called me, begged me to take it down and prioritised my interview... well, gosh I wish I were that famous and that this all actually happened... :P
Next thing we knew after quite a lot of LOLs, LMAOs and ROFLs the interview started right away lol.
But jokes apart, I'm really grateful to her (duh, sounds so uptight and hypocritical) for this opportunity to feed you guys some more of the weird stuff hissing and gurgling around in a weirder container called my brain. Love ya all :D
Interview with starryepiphany
booohh: So let’s start with a quite unorthodox question, shall we? If someone was repeatedly punching you in the face, abusing you and spitting on you…would you be the type of person to mentally empower yourself in that moment, or give up on yourself?
starryepiphany: Actually this happened in school. I used to get in fights a lot with this bully. And it was like we both got injured more or less everyday. Every month when my dad came to visit me, he brought a box full of Band-Aids. One day things got so out of hand we were almost suspended. We were boycotted by the whole class and at that time we had corporal punishment as well. So yes we did get a good thrashing. Well after that the fights stopped but we hated each other to bits. The thing is, however much I wanted to stay away from all that, he came and started it. -_-
booohh: So to answer the question, you would empower yourself and not give up then? Wow, I never knew they utilised corporal punishment in India!
starryepiphany: Absolutely.
booohh: Awesome masha'Allah. It's not the easiest thing to do, I’m sure many of us can agree. Now I ask, when you see a blossoming flower, what are your thoughts? Similarly, when you look up at a magnificent high rise building, what are your thoughts?
starryepiphany: I’d think ‘wow’ in both cases. Well, it's just me I guess, I wouldn’t see them both very differently. My mind will automatically shift into "analysis mode". I'll try to "size up" its internal workings like how the fluids flow inside to make it bloom or how the beams and structural designs hold it in place. I mean that's how I've always felt. When I see stuff, I feel like getting "into" it, putting it "under the scanner". Kinda like "Deconstructing it."
booohh: Yes, you make perfect sense. You don't just look at the outer appearance of something, but the inner workings of it, how it came to be. That's a very interesting take on things! It would make sense, since, considering your career...which brings me to the next question. What’s the best thing about being a web developer? My sister is one too, and I remember whenever I would look at her laptop, all I’d see is codes and I’d be all o.O
starryepiphany: Wow really? Well, that's amazing. Oh shoot, yes I remember you mentioned that in one of the chapters of 3arab Down Under :) Yes you'll pull a similar expression if you look at my laptop as well :P
Well the best thing is pretty evil actually. There's something called Dev Tools. If you right click on any webpage and select Inspect Element, a geeky looking box opens up at the bottom of the screen showing some codes. Now if you tweak those values you can literally "rape" a webpage! You can pull things out, break things and do what not! Let me give you an example: in 5 minutes I can make the Gmail login page absolutely hilarious. I can make it look cartoonish like with circular buttons, change the text to something horrible and apply a weird background. ROFL.
booohh: LOL although it's not my thing, I have to admit it sounds really fun. It pulls the creativity out of you and that was something I always admired about my sister too. If you could go back and change your career, would you?
starryepiphany: Oh yeah, definitely. Gosh, I wanted to be so many things when I was a kid. Breaking news: I still do! LOL.
booohh: Really? What else do you want to be?
starryepiphany: Pilot, F1 Racer, Linguist, Travel writer, Marine biologist, Professional swimmer... gosh, I should stop here!
booohh: Wow that's quite the variety haha, a Marine Biologist would be amazing though :O. OK so, tell us what your average day is like, from day to night.
starryepiphany: It's pretty hectic actually. I guess you can describe it consisting of "dings, pings and buzzes" ‘cause during a major part of the year, we (my family) are scattered in different places. And I'm like "always doing everything". I really don't have something like "ah it's over now, I can sleep in peace". Work. Drive. Pray. Reply. Work. Reply. Read. Work. Pray. Reply. Work. Drive. Pray. Reply. Something like that LOL.
However, the only time I shut myself out from everything is during Fajr (dawn prayer).
booohh: Wow, that sounds full on! Although I guess that's what most people's lives are like now, no one has time to just relax. Do you find it hard living apart from your family?
starryepiphany: Yes I do. Although my entire life so far has been like this, I still am not used to it. But no matter what, the feeling when you get to do those crash-hugs, shrieks and fist bumps at the airport after ages... well, I consider this kinda life a gift. After all, I don't think we could have been so "close" had we lived together. I guess when something's taken away from you, you realise it's true worth... thank you distance, although you suck :P
booohh: Beautifully said :') it really is true though, the cliche saying of you don't realise the value of something until it's gone is applicable. Seven months ago my sister and niece moved overseas and I believe that I will never get used to it either.
What's the funniest memory you can recall?
starryepiphany: Oh but yeah, that's true :'(
Gosh, there's just so much! Well, if I have to pick from the recent ones, I'd go for the time when I was typing away, "Sneak Peek Into My Brain". I was literally, absolutely, rolling on the floor laughing, grabbing my sides wary that my innards might smash out through my ribs! LOL
booohh: LOL I have to admit I had no idea what was going on with that, and I wouldn't dare to enter your brain. What about a memory from the past?
starryepiphany: Hmmm again it's pretty hard to pick one. Okay anyways, so I was a kid and once tagged along with a few of my uncles who were going to "see" a girl for one of their brothers. And this woman had three other sisters. So inevitably, while the elders were discussing serious marriage stuff, I was getting pampered and tortured by these girls in the backyard - squeezing me and pulling my cheeks, uh you know how it is when 3 girls attack a little kid -_- I was actually happy ‘cause I thought I'm gonna get so many aunties!
But then all of a sudden, one of my uncles calls out rather sternly "M, it's time to go." And before I could realise what just happened we were in the car and on our way back.
Only years later I realised it was just another case of dowry negotiation gone wrong... yes, it's still practised in my country.
booohh: LOL OK. So the next question is, what is beautiful to you and what is ugly?
starryepiphany: Well I'm not sure. I’m not the judge of anything. I guess for me anything is beautiful as long as it's not haraam (forbidden). Well that's what's ugly for me.
booohh: A very realistic answer, indeed. Explain to us all, why boys love cars so much.
starryepiphany: Gosh, I am not a representative of "all boys". I love cars and I'm happy about it :D
booohh: *sigh* You're really not making this easy for me. OK, why do you love cars so much?
starryepiphany: Well I guess it has to do with my intense craving to be able to operate something. To make it do what I want it to. To make it obey me. Well, I intentionally opted for a stick shift for my first car ‘cause it gives you control. Probably the same reason why I love computers, programming to be precise.
booohh: That's a tad creepy LOL but a valid reason nonetheless. Do you prefer the Winter or the Summer?
starryepiphany: Winter. Always. No questions asked. :)
booohh: Eww. Summer all tha way! *waves beach towel*
What attracts you to a person? As in, what in someone’s personality do you find to be the most endearing?
starryepiphany: Well for me beaches are just for taking a stroll. I will prefer to swim in the pool :D
Well, it's gotta be humour. If you’re funny, you're my homie lol.
booohh: JUST FOR TAKING A STROLL?! *takes deep breath* I will not dignify that with a response. LOL but I agree, humour is an absolute must for me when it comes to forming good relationships. If they can make me laugh, they're in my good books.
Now from what I’ve gathered, you LOVE languages…when did you first begin to have a fascination with languages and why?
starryepiphany: I really can't remember when, ‘cause I always loved it. No seriously, I guess I was the only guy who hated literature and loved grammar in class. The mere workings of the different elements of the language, how they fit together to express complex abstract ideas always got my juices flowing.
I've grown up tetra-lingual which is two dialects of the same language and two more. So I always strived to speak a language like it's spoken by its native speakers. And yeah, thanks to my circle of friends and the atmosphere I grew up in, I have to deal with this everyday - "Whoa, are you Indian? You don't sound like one!!" -_-
booohh: I agree, languages amaze me too, although I find them extremely hard to learn. That's why I admire people who actually put the effort in to learn them. And in this modern day and age, knowing just two languages can get you far!
Let's move on...what’s the worst pain you’ve ever experienced? [Mental, Physical, Emotional, Spiritual?]
starryepiphany: I guess I have experienced all of that... especially the physical and spiritual ones. They are real bad you know :’(
booohh: Yes, I guess we've all experienced them in some form or another. But I guess we have to remember it's a way through which Allah SWT tests us :)
Do you agree with this statement? “Don’t despair if your heart has been through a lot of trauma. Sometimes that’s how beautiful hearts are remade: they are shattered first.” Why or why not?
starryepiphany: Absolutely. In fact that's what compelled me to take up my username. Only after coming face to face with death twice I finally felt guilty of how I had been wasting my life. It was a cold, starry night. And I was returning from the mosque. I looked up at the sky ‘cause I love stars, but then bam. It hit me like a shock wave.
I really felt that even though I was blind and deaf and wasting my life ‘cause I had forgotten Him, He never forgot me...alhamdulillah :’)
booohh: Wow that last line...gave me goosebumps. Alhamdulillah for the fact that he is the Most-Merciful, the Most-Forgiving. I know that you had a pretty bad experience revolving around a horrible accident. What happened and how did it change your life?
starryepiphany: So I was going to college in a "shared cab". And then our vehicle was hit by a bus from the side while it was overtaking us and we slid off the road whilst the vehicle got into a horrible roll. I held on to whatever I could for dear life. In that particular instant the thing that zipped through my mind was "oh no, not today... I’ve got so much left to do..." And then we, the passengers, crawled out from the sides as the cab came to a stop at a weird angle. I had banged my head into a rod and a pointy shard of glass had come flying like a boomerang and slashed my forehead, missing my left eye by just an inch or so. So we were all scattered on the field. There was groaning all around and so much blood. My jacket turned crimson red in minutes. Well then...
Relatives who couldn't stand each other but liked me, came together to see me! But other than all that, something had changed inside me. For the better :)
That night when I came back from the hospital, I was feeling bored. So was playing NFS!
booohh: Oh my, that sounds absolutely terrifying :( Alhamdulillah He gave you another chance to do what would please him. And I'm glad it had a 'good' effect on you, not the opposite. Like you said, He never forgot you.
Describe your childhood.
starryepiphany: Pretty boring, painful and absolutely crap. Hated school, hated studies, hated my teachers and most of all hated the people I lived with. They kinda tortured me, mentally. My escape was books, hip hop and well... let's not get into it… :(
booohh: Looking back at your life, would you say that you’ve come a long way and accomplished a great deal? Why or why not?
starryepiphany: Oh no. No freaking way. In fact the stuff I learned on here and the number of awesome people I met, well one word- awesome.
booohh: So you don't think you've come a long way, is that what you're saying?
starryepiphany: Yes.
booohh: Why?
starryepiphany: Gosh, I am learning something everyday. I'm just freaking 24, still a baby don't you think? :D
booohh: Apparently, LOL. When was the last time you got lost in a really good book?
starryepiphany: A few weeks back. Palestwinians :)
booohh: Oh well, I'm not surprised there, I mean the author of that book is a renowned writer and absolutely amazing from what I've heard :P
Kidding guys, I'm not that self-absorbed. But thanks :)
Now I have asked this in an interview before but I will ask it again because I think it’s a very important question: if someone asked you what the most important aspect of Islam is, how would you answer?
starryepiphany: The name itself. Peace. Makes your life peaceful. Period.
booohh: Hmm, very interesting. So simple, yet so profound. Now lets talk about your book, ‘So…Is This The End?’ What inspired you to write it?
starryepiphany: Death.
booohh: Do you want to expand on that?
starryepiphany: So when you "know" you will be no more within the next few minutes, the stuff that goes on in your mind, that's what inspired me.
booohh: That's so beautifully deep and I guess those who've read your book will understand. I'm sure we can all agree it's an extremely gripping and unique piece of work. Did you have to do a lot of research for it?
starryepiphany: Oh, thank you so much! Well yeah, I had to read up stuff on planes and especially what goes on in the cockpit before a potential crash. And also another challenge was ‘cause the main character's a girl. So I was kinda wary whether it might really sound authentic enough :D ... and I don’t have a sister :(
booohh: Well as someone who’s read your book, I can see that from the written detail in your novel, you did some pretty accurate research!
Now we have a fan question from Adaeze123. She asks what got you into Wattpad?
starryepiphany: Nothing in particular. My best friend has an account. I made one too after he told me about the site. And it was sitting there idle for ages :p But then I thought why not try writing something of my own? So yeah, made this account and started afresh!
booohh: She also asks, why do you love Palestwinians?
starryepiphany: Great question Adaeze123. Yeah, I usually stay away from romances. In fact the book was in my library for quite a while before I bothered to start reading it. I really thought it must be another of those butterflies -> engagement -> marriage -> cute babies books. But yeah, I skimmed a few chapters but then something struck me.
I was like wow, this relationship kinda seems platonic. At least not something cliché romantic. And then something else happened. I came across the Charter Of Privileges (Christian-Muslim relationships). And then I was like okkkayy... hmmm, the author seems to know her stuff :p I think that was the first chapter I actually voted on... Looking back though, I'm glad a book like that exists. In one sentence: it's a powerful poignant tale of human beings who are so amazing that they don't forget to celebrate life and thank their Creator even with death and destruction so close to them... :’)
booohh: *Pretending I'm not the author of that book* Honestly though, jazakAllah khair, I'm very humbled!
Lastly she asks: do you want to get published?
starryepiphany: LOL *pretending I didn't say all that*
Maybe yes, maybe no. I DON'T KNOW :D
booohh: Getting a book published is something all we writers should strive for, methinks!
Ok, so, why don’t you write Romances?
starryepiphany: Honestly, ‘cause Romance is something I don't feel very strongly about. I think I can write stuff that might sound good enough and not crap, if I'm in some way or the other involved in it. And also maybe ‘cause I've never been in love lol, but I'm learning stuff everyday. So eventually I might write something romantic :D
booohh: How does it feel to be the competition winner for Palestwinians?
starryepiphany: Oh gosh! That was an evening. The moment I saw the update I was like whoa!!! Really? It's me??? Okay, so when all that had finally sunk in, I just realised that this was the first time I wrote something on that issue... and all of a sudden I began to feel involved, not just with the book but what's really happening out there. And it's a bittersweet feeling :’)
And I would like to take this opportunity to tell everyone who's reading this about "Palestine And The Humans Within" by nouralkd. It's a small paragraph and she has an open invitation for translations to as many languages as possible!
booohh: Check it out guys! So, what do you think is the biggest problem plaguing the world currently?
starryepiphany: Hahahahahahahahahahahaha, that a 24 year olds getting addicted to minion fan fiction.
booohh: Wow -.- [Yes he was actually reading a fan fiction on minions.]
starryepiphany: Well there's just so many things to pick one and call it biggest. And I think that concept of singling out an issue and giving it a universal colour itself is another problem. It's all relative.
For a homeless kid, her biggest problem would be her daily fights to get food and warmth in the refugee camp. For a beggar, it would to beg enough to survive one more day. For a dyslexic kid, it would be to go through one more day of taunts from the teacher. For a scientist, one more fabricated and toned down report to "balance" real lab findings with investor expectations.
I just don't know. There’s this parody of the song "Dead and gone" by T.I featuring the Obama lookalike. It goes like "so many things are wrong dead wrong..." I just dunno what to pick :’(
booohh: I agree most problems are linked, but you have to admit that some problems are bigger than others. Political power and greed for example. After all, isn't that what puts people into the kind of situations that create poverty and homelessness etc?
starryepiphany: Yup, that's kind of what I wrote in the answer to a question asked by Writer_Muslimah on ask.fm. Leaders always fight with their "isms" all of which suck nonetheless and the common man has to bear the brunt sometimes, simply perishing in the process…
booohh: Very very true. If you could pick up and leave to any country right now, where would you go and why?
starryepiphany: I am not really sure. In fact I wanna tour the whole universe, let alone the world!
booohh: I think we all wish we could tour the universe and witness all of Allah SWT marvellous creations.
Post your favourite quote.
starryepiphany: EXACTLY! To think that our beloved Prophet [pbuh] got to do just that, at a time when spaceships were unthinkable :)
“Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.” 2:286
I just can't express how peaceful this one sentence makes me feel every time I cry out in pain, when I get hurt physically or emotionally, or when the weird tingling happens on my left part of my forehead and scalp from time to time. Or when I see those hungry hollow, eyes of the kids in Africa... :’(
booohh: What's wrong with your forehead? I think we can all agree though, that that is one of the most beautiful verses. I read something not too long ago that said, if this world pushes you to your knees until you cry out, it's Allah SWT way of getting you to talk to him :') subhanAllah.
starryepiphany: Oh wow. I can totally absolutely relate to it!
Well it's that accident thing. Got 7 stitches on my forehead. And once when I was about 2 months old, I fell down the stairs and was in critical condition for 3 days. So I guess these are part of the aftershocks lol, although CT scans always show normal :p
booohh: Oh right, yes. May Allah SWT give you the best of health, ameen!
OK this question might be a bit random but I'm sure we could all benefit from a males perspective. What are your thoughts on polygyny?
starryepiphany: Well one sentence: if you really, like REALLY want to wipe out prostitution from this world, polygyny is the way to go.
booohh: Really? That's your thoughts combined on it?
starryepiphany: Yup. More or less. ‘Cause I have read on prostitution, trafficking, child labor and "those" actors. And well I'm pretty much convinced. Period. Most of the hapless souls in the sex trade do it out of necessity. No girl EVER wants to be one!! No one!!! It’s because they need support. They need to survive and their kids need to survive as well :’(
booohh: I don't agree with your sentiment fully. Of course, marriage plays a part but saying that polygyny would be the best way to completely rid of prostitution is like saying marriage is the only solution, full stop. I personally think that's a very narrow view. Women don't just need a husband for support. They need education. They need health benefits. We need a government who actively tries to prevent these things. Depending on marriage solely to get rid of prostitution is an impractical approach.
starryepiphany: Prostitutes (who are not prostitutes yet) are poor and uneducated. They are trafficked from the villages to the cities. And some travel because that's the only thing they can do to survive because they lack education. In fact, this is the oldest profession in the world.
Now if they could get someone to take care of them, a roof above their head they don't need to resort to something like that. I don't believe it's a narrow approach at all. In fact, its bound to play a very very crucial role in our quest to erase this social evil. Of course it's one of the ways in complement to others. Education and health being the other approaches. Jeez, I'm not saying round them up all and marry them off lol
And yes, agreed. Governments do play a very important role in that.
booohh: See you're looking at 'cure' or 'treatment' whilst I'm looking at it with that combined with a preventative approach. What I'm saying is that if a country had a stable, fair government and women were provided and motivated to get a solid education, prostitution wouldn't exist in the first place or at least it would be in much fewer numbers than it is now.
But let us move on before this sweeps into a full blown disagreement :P
OK, do you have a favourite celebrity?
starryepiphany: I guess it's just my lack of faith in the government and the WHOLE FREAKING SYSTEM that we've got ourselves into, which makes me think that way. Disagreement is fine with me but yeah, I wouldn't wanna make the editor go nuts :D
What the hell...nope lol
booohh: If you could give any piece of advice to someone, what would it be?
starryepiphany: Just don't get too caught up with the world. It's going to turn back on you sooner or later. Holds for anything like your job, possessions anything really.
And don't extreme fangirl or fanboy about anything or anyone. This just reminds me of the times when I was wavering in life. I had this MJ song going full blast in my room. My Mom came and spoke close to my ear: MJ toke bhaat debe? Tui okei borolok korchhis. [Will MJ give you food to eat? You're simply making him richer.]
booohh: Wise words from the mother. How would you describe your sense of style?
starryepiphany: I would say casual. I never wear anything formal. And I guess I'm lucky ‘cause I'm in the tech industry and startup culture is really open in its sense of dressing. In fact, at least in India, this is one of the few industries where we can call anyone and everyone by their first names, regardless of age, experience or position.
booohh: Sweet. OK we're coming to a wrap. For the last question, I would like you to describe yourself in three words.
starryepiphany: Um well... I would pick what others tell me then: weird, insane and over-achiever lol
booohh: I want YOU to describe yourself, not how others describe you.
starryepiphany: Gosh, now that's REAL difficult. Well the first two words definitely. Not really sure about the third though :P I'll instead go with “iconoclast.”
[For those who don’t know, an iconoclast is ‘a person who attacks or criticises cherished beliefs or institutions’]
booohh: Now THAT is a severely random term to describe oneself.
Annyywaaay! Thanks for agreeing to do this interview with me and I really hope you did enjoy it! Your readers can now get a better insight into the type of person you are. If you haven't realised, most of my questions were created to pull out your personality traits and whatnot. [Which is why I was angry when you didn't answer my fishing question and chicken crossing the road question -.-] Again, JazakAllah khair!
starryepiphany: LOOOOOL, I did enjoy that mate! Especially how it all started. Well, about the chicken and fish, I have nothing to do with them. I eat neither. Never realised they can be SUCH a valuable yardstick to bring out my personality :P I'd rather go with Jung typology :D
And thank YOU for having the patience to interview me! No really, you deserve it.
booohh: Yes believe me I had to muster up all my patience to deal with you :P [I actually did at some points. The dude was creating his own questions and then wouldn’t answer them when I asked him to lol!]
starryepiphany: -_-
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Hope you guys all enjoyed that! We definitely had fun and if any of you guys have any other questions, comment them below and I’m sure starry will answer them for you guys!