Yours Truly

Salaam. I'm Shahirah. I'm from the cosmopolitan city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia but I have lived in various parts of New Zealand for a decade and I absolutely love it. Today, I live in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, otherwise known as the Middle of Middle Earth. Today, I live in Brooklyn, an artistic borough in New York City. 

Media and communications became my passion ever since I watched a documentary called "Born into Brothels". It made me believe in the importance of telling our stories and listening to stories about people we think we have little in common with as part of our endeavour to educate the human heart and mind. Following that, I graduated from the University of Otago in December 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and obtained several kinds of work experience in the media and fashion industries. A few years later, I obtained a Master's degree in Media Studies at the University of Victoria, Wellington by researching the role of social media and social movements in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. 

This blog is my creative outlet and an avenue for me to articulate my never ending stream of thoughts. I've named my blog 'Colours of My Life' as I tend to think of life and everything it entails in terms of colours. My parents were professors who also worked in the design industry, therefore discussions about forms, textures, patterns and colours have been a big part of my life since I was very young. 

Blogging has allowed me to connect with many interesting people around the world and I find that illuminating. I thrive on finding the common ground between myself and others who differ from me in terms of race, faith, gender, nationality and culture.

As a Muslim who is always rediscovering the true meaning of Islam and what it means to believe in God, blogging is a great way for me to share, learn and discuss issues that catch my attention. Contrary to stereotypes about Muslim women, I personally believe Islam is for those who like to question and think about the world and society they live in. One of the biggest changes I've ever made in my life was my decision to wear the hijab in March 2010 after my family and I performed the Umrah pilgrimage in Mecca in December the year before. It was an easy and difficult decision at the same time but I knew in my heart it was the right thing to do. This is how it started.

So that's a little introduction to who I am. Like television, life is so much better in colour and there’s no experience more eye-opening, exhilarating and humbling than exploring life's various colours.