Intro Blogpost

Hello Internet! It's Alaina here, logging in for the first time. On this auspicious first day, an introductory blogpost is pretty necessary. So let's get started, shall we?
My full name is Alaina Shariff, and I'm 16 years old. I'm originally from India, though I've lived in the UAE for most of my school years. 
Interests:

I'm interested in lots of things; If it were put on a spectrum, it would range from creative things such as photography and playing my guitar, to lazy activities, including playing video games and watching tv shows all day. 
Apart from these random interests, I am generally passionate about science and technology. I enjoy learning about ourselves and our surrounding world, and to be able to make new innovations. And that is why I'd like to go into the Medicine field after high school. 

Language: 
Furthermore, being an Indian, while living in the Middle East and going to an international school, places language at a high position in my life. (Fun fact: India itself has 22 languages.)

From a young age, my mother tongue has been Urdu, since my family is from the Muslim community of India. However, the official language of India is technically Hindi, and so I had to learn that in school too, until 7th grade, after which I switched to an international school. Keep in mind that these two languages are quite similar, but it differs a lot in vocabulary and the alphabets. On top of that, the state we reside in (Karnataka) has its own language, Kannada, and so whenever I travel back home, I would now have a language barrier, as most people in this state speak this language, and I haven't learnt it. Constantly hearing others converse in Kannada has helped me understand the language a bit better, but even now I still struggle to form coherent sentences. Many times, I rely on my family when it comes to speaking with others in Kannada. 

When I moved to the UAE during my primary school years, I unlocked access to a new language; Arabic. As a Muslim, I had to become proficient at reading and reciting it too. And after entering an international school, I had to learn French too, which I am now adequate at.

All in all, I regard my exposure to so many languages during my adolescence to have shaped my identity and personality. I also believe that language and culture go hand in hand, and when you are learning a new language, you are also learning and integrating parts of their culture. Which is why learning languages are important, not only to help you communicate with others, but to also understand others through their culture.

Urdu and Arabic has shaped the Muslim side of me, while Hindi and Kannada hold me down to my Indian roots, and French and English are the gates I've unlocked to traverse the international world.

Goal Setting: 

'Something new' I want to try this year would be to do less procrastination, and to be able to work quickly while efficiently. Developing new routines can be tricky at first, but I think that time-management is key to IB if I don't want to crash and burn. On a side note, I would also like to try sushi. 

My goal for this class is to develop my reasoning, analyzing and writing skills, as they are useful skills that can continue to help me in the future. And my overall goal for the diploma course is to word hard and score well, as that is an important component for getting into medical school. Simple goal yet challenging to do so. 

For my first goal, I think Language and Literature would profoundly help me with it as this course deals with understanding, analysing and writing about various kinds of texts/sources. The topics we also will be covering, such as language in relation to cultures and mass-media, can help me explore and interpret new areas of language. 

The second goal depends more on me, as long as I be open to advise and criticism on my draft work, and practice regularly. 

This brings us to the end of my introductory blog. I have my goals set out, and I'm ready to take on what this course brings. 

Alaina logging out. 

(Also, this is the picture which I believe best represents me.)