The love of reading

For the teachers and parents out there...The ad below shows how the love of reading books can inspire kids. Nice conceptual ad. Reminds me of the good old days of studying marketing management in uni and brainstorming marketing, ad campaign and product launch ideas for a group project with the lahori dayscholar senior baji's. It was a logistical nightmare to organize group meetings with ALL of them at one time.Just shows the degree of complacency and non-seriousness between students in sophomore year of uni and seniors in their last quarter...A piece of advise: Even if you randomly get assigned to a group with seniors, especially dayscholar seniors, then do what you must to get yourself out of that group unless you plan on doing the whole thing yourself...



Song of the day

Heard this song on some tv commercial today.Its "the show" by lenka (an aussie singer, I think). The song grows on you (although it is quite girlish :S):

Dosage of humour

Ahmed and Hamid are both beggars at several of London's motorway services.
Ahmed drives a Mercedes, lives in a mortgage free house and has a lot of money to spend. Hamid, on the other hand, only brings in 2 to 3 pounds a day
Hamid asks Ahmed how he manages to bring home a suitcase full of £10 notes every day. Ahmed says, 'Look at your sign, . It says, 'I have no work, a wife and six kids to support. Britons who see that do not feel as if they have accomplished anything by giving you money. You will still have no job and a large family. Now look at my sign.'So Hamid looks and Ahmed 's sign reads:

'I only need another £10 to move back to Pakistan!' :)

Divine Precision...

As my good friend put it, Bayshak (verily), He (God) runs everything with Absolute precison...How can there still be atheists in the world. How can they disprove & deny that there is a Creator, a Supreme being behind all this harmony,precision and perfection. View for yourself and be overwhelmed...

Mushiness maximus...

I remember having this song in my playlist once upon a time when the movie Garden state was recently released.The song is "Such great heights". It has two versions as well, one by postal service which is faster paced and more rhythmic. The other slower version is by Iron and wine. Take your pick!!!

Lyrics:

I am thinking it's a sign
That the freckles in our eyes
Are mirror images and
When we kiss they're perfectly aligned

And I have to speculate
That God himself did make us into
Corresponding shapes like puzzles pieces
From the clay

True, it may seem like a stretch
But it's thoughts like this
That catch my troubled head
When you're away, when I am missing you to death

When you were out there on the road
For several weeks of shows
And when you scan the radio
I hope this song will guide you home

They will see us waving from such great heights
"Come down now," they'll say
But everything looks perfect from far away
"Come down now," but we'll stay

I've tried my best to leave
This all on your machine
But the persistent beat
Sounded thin upon listening

That frankly will not fly
You will hear the shrillest highs
And lowest lows with the windows down
When this is guiding you home

They will see us waving from such great heights
"Come down now," they'll say
But everything looks perfect from far away
"Come down now," but we'll say...

Cheapness galore...

These must be the cheapest, funniest, most absurd articles I've read recently...I just hope its someone playing around and that NONE of it is actually true...Have a look yourself and laugh your hearts out...Great examples of sarcastic writing...

http://mailatimes.com/2009/07/21/report-pakistani-men-are-sexy

http://mailatimes.com/2009/08/27/aunty-my-son-is-better-than-your-son-damn-right-hes-better-than-yours/#comment-247

http://mailatimes.com/2009/08/23/china-pakistan-is-a-facebook-whore/

Javed kai naam-Iqbal's poem written for his son

Allama Iqbal wrote this poem in a letter to his son Javed Iqbal while he was studying in London. Its quite insightful (if understood)

Dyar-e-Ishq main apna naam peda ker!
Naya zamana naye subha shaam peda ker!

Khuda agar dil-e-fitro-shanas de tujh ko
Sukoot-e-Lalah-o-gul se klam peda ker!

Utha na sheesha giran-e- ferang ke ihsaan
Sifal-e-hind se mina-o-jaam peda ker!

Main shakh-e-tak hun meri ghazl ha mera samr
Miray samr se mae lalahfam peda ker!

Mira tareeq ameeri nahin faqiri ha!
Khudi na beich gharibi main naam peda ker!

English Translation:

Create a place for thyself in the world of love;
Create a new age, new days, and new nights.

If God grant thee an eye for nature’s beauty,
Converse with the silence of flowers; respond to their love.

or (alternative version)

If god grants you a heart that can understand nature (fitrah),
Create poetry(talking Kalaam) from the silence of Tulips and roses.

Do not be beholden to the West’s artisans,
Seek thy sustenance in what thy land affords.

My ghazal is the essence of my life-blood,
Create thy elixir of life out ‘of this essence.

My way of life is poverty, not the pursuit of wealth;
Barter not thy Selfhood; win a name in adversity.

Nusrat Fateh Ali sung a longer version of the same poem which is from Iqbal's Shikwa. Quite deep it is...:)

Photographs and memories...

This is one of my favourite songs by Jim Croce. Its an evergreen song which can make even the best of us nostalgic...

What is a moment?

This short film is amazing...Its based on the best selling book "Sum: Forty Tales from the afterlife" by David Eagleman..He is a neuroscientist at Baylor College of Medicine, where he directs the Laboratory for Perception and Action and the Initiative on Neuroscience and Law. He is best known for his work on time perception, synesthesia, and neurolaw. He is also an internationally renowned fiction writer published in 15 languages.Lets see how your neurons "perceive" this video ;)

Countdown...

Exactly 2 weeks, 14 days, 336 hours, 20,160 minutes, 1,209,600 seconds left till I take off for Pakistan Inshallah. It seemed soooo far away some time ago and now the time to head back to home is finally not so distant.1,209,600 seconds won't be that much coz by the time I finish typing this blogpost atleast 120 seconds would have passed and if I sleep 7 hrs each day I can knock down 25,200 secs per day.Just the last few days of hardship and then partayyy Inshallah. I can't wait for the pilot to say: "Cabin crew, prepare for take off"!!! In a parallel universe where every little boy realized his dreams, I would have been a pilot, not quite a commercial airliner pilot, more of a jet fighter pilot. Anyhoo, I'm just excited. Amidst the gloominess of books and exam stress, this is one thing that keeps me going.Talking of time, I absolutely love these lyrics from one of my favourite ghazals:

Waqt ki qaid mein zindagi hai magar
Chand ghariyan yehi hain jo aazad hain x2
Inko khokar mere jaan-e-jaan
Umr bhar na taraste raho


On a slightly bizarre, yet humorous and even scary note, this ACTUALLY happened on the very same PIA flight that I'm taking :S

Dozens of large rats traveled in a PIA flight from Birmingham to Islamabad on Monday, July 06, 2009. The presence of rats on board not only delayed the flight by three hours but also haunted the ease of the passengers all the way from England to Pakistan. The renowned daily The News reported that the passengers heaved a sigh of relief when the plane finally landed in Pakistan. An exciting adventure for rats!



British Rats Fly from Birmingham to Islamabad

Details of the flight, published in newspapers, told the story of the PIA Flight PK-792 that was scheduled for leaving Birmingham at 11:30, through London, and arrive at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in . However, flight had to be delayed as the presence of rats was detected on board the plane. PIA staff tried to arrest the rats in mousetraps but had little success. The flight then took off at 2:30 pm with rats accompanying the passengers all along from Birmingham to Islamabad.

During the flight, the smart rats kept coming after food items in the plane, viewed by passengers, and, while scurrying about the plane’s floor, some of them got onto the feet of the passengers. A woman was reported shrieking after a rat jumped on her during the flight. Most of the passengers kept their feet up on the seats in order to avoid contact with the rats. Children were in particular scared of the presence of rats. Some of the passengers tried to trap and kill the rats but the British rats were too smart for them to outwit.

Finally, the passengers heaved a sigh of relief when the plane landed at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport. The airline staff started trapping the rats in the plane and thus ended an exciting journey of the rats from England to Pakistan.

Remember in prayers!

The monetize option..

I experimented with the "monetize" option of the blog settings a few days back just for the heck of it. I'm always up for trying new things (of a halal nature ofcourse :P). Anyhow, I set up the whole ad sence account and checked it today. Wala!!! I had earned 3 quids. I remember just clicking one ad each day whenever I posted an item, so merely 7 clicks plus 100 or so page impressions (i.e. the time an ad appears on a page when it is loaded up by you or someone else) had resulted in earning £3. Anyhow my point is that whoever has a blog or any website can earn money if they have decent traffic and people are actually tempted to click on "loose belly fat in 5 days" or "handle your debt problems". Its not that I want money or am greedy but I'm surprised at the fact that my website or blog can actually make a difference. Google releases a cheque whenever the cumulative earnings exceed £60. So, if and when I ever get this cheque, I will give it straight to charity, perhaps to some orphanage back home or Eidhi. Atleast that way, I can say something I did made an iota of a difference. So, whosoever reads this blog, please just click one of the ads making sure you do it in a new tab/window so that you can continue reading the blog. That way you might be contributing in a small way to helping someone.Ha! How ironic! The latest ad that google has placed on my blog is scientology.org

L.I.V.E While you can...

The pic which was taken from a cell phone is kinda blurred...So i'll re-write the message in it:

"First I was dying to finish my high school and start college
And then I was dying to finish college and start working
Then I was dying to marry and have children
And then I was dying for my children
to grow old enough
so I could go back to work
But then I was dying to retire
And now I'm dying...
And suddenly I realized
I forgot to live

To make money we lose our health,
and then to restore our health we loose our money...
We live as if we're never going to die,
and we die as if we never lived...
(How true...bungee jumping,NewZealand/Greece and sky diving, here I come!!!)

Wisdom lies in an empty stomach...or NOT?

I know I'm not writing any deep, original, pseudo philosophical stuff these last few days but its not my fault. Try keeping a roza without sehri, without any food or drink in the last 22.25 hrs. My dad always has the opposite view. He keeps on saying "khaali pait main hikmat hai" i.e. "wisdom lies in the empty stomach" but I just argue how can your brain work w/o any fuel, how can a processor in a PC operate w/o power or a vehicle without fuel but then he argues that the more food one eats the more active the nafs becomes. I then counter argue that perhaps that wisdom is some sort of deep religious spiritual knowledge which requires curbing the nafs.An empty stomach doesn't help in studying i.e. acquiring worldly knowledge. Perhaps the very nafs is appeased through our studies considering that it is worldly knowledge and helps us in our pursuit of "material" happiness.That's some food for thought.At least my thoughts are having food eh!!! I think I'm going loony now. But its worth wondering why someone came up with the phrase "food for thought".Perhaps he/she might be fasting as well.

I just came across these random shairs(more food for thought) by Ahmed Faraz after getting to know through Geo that it was his death anniversary today:

Na kar aitbar hath ki lakiroon ka
Taqdir to un ki bhi hoti hai jin k hath nahi hotay

Neend tau kia aai gee faraz
Maut aai tau sau lain gai

Ab ke ham bichharay tau shaayad kabhii khabon main milain
Jis tarah suukhe huay phooll kitaabon main milain

Har roz dil udaas hota hai or shaam guzar jaati hai "faraz"..
Ek roz sham udas hoga or hum guzar jaaynge..!


In Barishon sai dosti achi nahi faraz
Kaccha tera makaan hai kuch tau khayal kar

(Its not good to befriend the rain faraz..Your house is made of mud/clay, atleast be mindful of that (u dufus...faraz must have mumbled in his head)

ZZzzzzz.....

This was my first roza at work here. It's almost 16 hours long. From 4:20am to almost 8:20pm. The difference between fasting here and fasting in Pakistan is the fact that here people just eat, drink and munch in front of you. I'm so used to having some sort of caffeine from the drinks vending machine atleast three times during college. It just helps to keep me awake. But now, with the weird timing and sleep deprivation, I find it hard keeping myself alert in class. Its not that I'm sapped of energy. Infact I hardly feel hungry or thirsty. Thank God, the weather is quite pleasant here. I just feel drowsy ALL THE TIME. As soon as I break the fast, the sudden surge of glucose in my bloodstream makes me sleepy. I try to gulp down a whole thermos of tea or coke to keep me going through the night. Then give up and try to sleep by 1 am to wake up by 4 am to do some sehri.Then sleep again till 8. Now I'm just waiting for the roza to open. I can't study anymore. I don't know how effectively I'll be able to study through the roza's. I need all the prayers I can get.

While waiting, I stumbled across this amazing video. Its about the golden mean i.e the number 1.680 which was mentioned in Dan Brown's books but its also related to some verses and Quran. This video proves how Kaaba and Makkah's location is related to the figure of the golden mean. Quite fascinating!

Cool Ad!!!

P.S: I use the same razor ;)

Wisdom Inc.

"Most of our life is a series of images. They pass us by like towns on the highway. But sometimes a moment stuns us as it happens. And we know that this instant is more than a fleeting image. We know that this moment, every part of it, will live on forever".
'One Tree Hill'

"Every moment that's ever been or ever will be, is gone the instant it's begun. So life is loss. And the secret to happiness is to learn to love the moment more than you mourn the loss."

"It would be possible to describe everything scientifically, but it would make no sense. It would be a description without meaning, as if you described a Beethoven symphony as a variation of wave pressure."
Einstein

"Don't take life too seriously. You'll never escape it alive anyway."
unknown

"Only the wisest and the stupidest of men never change".
Confucius

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
Ralph Waldo Emerson


"Strong relationships are based not on the self-sacrifice in dealing with the big problems, but on the compromise in dealing with the little ones."
Mike Hutchison

"Just when you think there is no one else to disappoint you, you disappoint yourself."
Mike Hutchison

"How quickly the fabric of our lives unravels. We weave together protective tapestries of assumptions and false belief that are torn to shreds beneath the malevolent claws of reality."
Richard Paul Evans

"I have an uneasy relationship with memories, a vexed alliance with the past. Almost invariably I want to "clean it up," to excise the sad sections and leave out the parts of the story that still hurt, and in the retelling to somehow sidestep those times that, deep down, I cannot forget. If we would only tell and remember the good times, I used to think, perhaps we could draw more of them to ourselves? "Cleaning things up" is a habit you learn early, before you have a chance to ponder the extent to which it will constrain your life. It's all well and good to clean things, but when we turn to tidying up the past, whitewashing the events and people who have profoundly shaped us - all of them - we've laid our hands roughly on something priceless: the knowledge that we can walk through pleasure or pain, joy or sadness, with equal grace or clumsiness, as the case may be, that what counts is that we get through somehow. More troubling, perhaps, we've comprised the chance to walk beside the person we follow. The process of walking alongside must account for good and bad alike. Following only the good means we follow the phantom, nothing more. To find the real person, we have to be careful what we clean."
Hannah Nyala "Leave No Trace"

"There's such a thing as being too frightened to be a coward".
TV show "Cracker"

"You must decide for yourself how you should live in this world. Like a flower seeking light, we each go where we find our best sustenance. Yet in reaching out - free as we are - we have to be careful not to lose more than can ever be gained".
'Heaven's Edge'

"Paying attention to simple little things that most men neglect makes a few men rich."
Henry Ford

"Your little candle may not light the room but it can light the candle next to it, which in turn can do the same, until all the candles are lighted and darkness is gone".
Ruth Smeltzer

"There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval."
George Santayana, Soliloquies in England [1922] 'War Shrines'

"To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead".
Bertrand Russell, Marriage and Morals [1929] ch 19

"How strange and miraculous and unnerving it is to stumble accidentally on your capacity to open yourself so completely to someone else. To know that you will always feel this way and that time can have no possible effect. To watch it, like a natural wonder, like Niagara Falls, the eternal feeling rising up inside you, flowing with deafening force, glittering in the sun, even though it is of no practical use".
'Still She Haunts Me' by Katie Roiphe

"The question is, what should he have done? Because you don't judge by outcome do you? You judge by a whole plethora of other, less clearly defined things. Under the circumstances that held at the time, what was the right thing to do?"
'The Fall' by Simon Mawer

"There are always sides. There is always a winner, and a loser. For every person who gets, there's someone who must give".
'My Sister's Keeper' by Jodi Picoult

"Suffering is one very long moment. We cannot divide it by seasons. We can only record its moods, and chronicle their return. With us time itself does not progress. It revolves. It seems to circle round one centre of pain. The paralysing immobility of a life every circumstance of which is regulated after an unchangeable pattern, so that we eat and drink and lie down and pray, or kneel at least for prayer, according to the inflexible laws of an iron formula: this immobile quality, that makes each dreadful day in the very minutest detail like its brother, seems to communicate itself to those external forces the very essence of whose existence is ceaseless change. Of seed-time or harvest, of the reapers bending over the corn, or the grape gatherers threading through the vines, of the grass in the orchard made white with broken blossoms or strewn with fallen fruit: of these we know nothing and can know nothing.
'De Profundis' by Oscar Wilde

"Confidence comes not from physical appearance, but from the presentation of physical appearance."
Paula M. Kramer

"Stars should not be seen alone. That's why there are so many. Two people should stand together and look at them. One person alone will surely miss the good ones".
'Dry' by Augusten Burroughs

"Part of the job of being human is to consistently underestimate our effect on other people."
'Autobiography of a face' by Lucy Grealy

"Sometimes the briefest moments capture us, force us to take them in, and demand that we live the rest of our lives in reference to them".
'Autobiography of a face' by Lucy Grealy

"The general plot of life is sometimes shaped by the different ways genuine intelligence combines with equally genuine ignorance".
'Autobiography of a face' by Lucy Grealy

"Mistakes are inevitable, what separates a person from others is the improvement made after a mistake is realized".
Luzuko Mbane

"The reason we all like to think so well of others is that we are all afraid for ourselves. The basis of optimism is sheer terror".
Oscar Wilde, 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'

"There were sins whose fascination was more in the memory than in the doing of them, strange triumphs that gratified the pride more than the passions, and gave the intellect a quickened sense of joy, greater than any joy they bought or could ever bring the senses."
Oscar Wilde, 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'

"Nothing is certain but the uncertainties. Everything is certain but the uncertainties".

"It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes. But the half-wit remains a half-wit, and the emperor remains an emperor".
Neil Gaiman

Full circle

Its such a weird feeling. It just came to my mind. Life always comes round a full circle. A time not so long ago I was living in the home provided by my dad, eating the food he bought from the money he earned. I was the one waiting for him to come back from work and spend time with me. Now, last Friday the same thing happened in reverse. I don't know how he must have felt. For the first time coming to the home of his son. Having the food he earned and made for him and waiting for him to come back from work/college. It must have made him nostalgic.

Well I did see him in flesh and blood after a good 10 or so months.Its weird that no matter how much you talk to someone on webcam chat etc, they still look so different in real. Its like I had this image frozen in time in my mind and when I met him again, I was comparing him to that same image in my head trying to look at any discernible changes. He looks older, his hair a bit more whiter.I'm sure when I go back home I'll notice all these changes in my siblings especially my youngest sister as she is that growing age. I'm missing her growing up. I wish I could have been there. Ahh!!! First ever roza without pakoras..As the great Ghalib rightly put it "Hazaron khwaishain aisi keh har khwaish pe dam nikle"...That is the basic dilemma of humans. Too many desires, too many expectations...And in the end dam unhi khwaishon par nikalta hai which aren't realized...Anyhooo, its time you guys get to read the full ghazal by Ghalib, not the abbreviated one sung by Jagjit:

Hazaaron khwahishen aisi ke har khwahish pe dam nikle
Bohat niklay mere armaan, lekin phir bhi kam nikle

Daray kyon mera qaatil? kya rahega us ki gardan par?
Voh khoon, jo chashm-e-tar se umr bhar yoon dam-ba-dam nikle

Daray kyon mera qaatil? kya rahega us ki gardan par?
Voh khoon, jo chashm-e-tar se umr bhar yoon dam-ba-dam nikle


Nikalna khuld se aadam ka soonte aaye hain lekin
Bahot be-aabru hokar tere kooche se hum nikle


Bharam khul jaaye zaalim! teri qaamat ki daraazi ka
Agar is tarahe par pech-o-kham ka pech-o-kham nikle

Magar likhvaaye koi usko khat, to hum se likhvaaye
Hui subaha, aur ghar se kaan par rakh kar qalam nikle

Hui is daur mein mansoob mujh se baada aashaami
Phir aaya voh zamaana, jo jahaan mein jaam-e-jaam nikle


Hui jin se tavaqqa khastagi ki daad paane ki
Voh ham se bhi zyaada khasta e tegh e sitam nikle

Mohabbat mein nahin hai farq jeenay aur marnay ka
Usi ko dekh kar jeetay hain, jis kaafir pe dam nikle


Zara kar jor seene par ki teer-e-pursitam niklejo
Wo nikle to dil nikle, jo dil nikle to dam nikle


Khuda ke waaste parda na kaabe se uthaa zaalim
Kaheen aisa na ho yaan bhi wahi kaafir sanam nikle

Kahaan maikhane ka darwaaza Ghalib aur kahaan vaaiz
Par itna jaantay hain kal voh jaata tha ke ham nikle

Hazaaron khwahishen aisi ke har khwahish pe dam nikle
Bohat niklay mere armaan, lekin phir bhi kam nikle...


TRANSLATION-


Thousands of desires, each worth dying for...
many of them I have realized...yet I yearn for more...

Why should my killer (lover) be afraid? No one will hold her responsible
for the blood which will continuously flow through my eyes all my life

We have heard about the dismissal of Adam from Heaven,
With a more humiliation, I am leaving the street on which you live...

Oh tyrant, your true personality will be known to all
if the curls of my hair slip through my turban!

But if someone wants to write her a letter, they can ask me,
every morning I leave my house with my pen on my ear.

In that age, I turned to drinking (alcohol)
and then the time came when my entire world was occupied by alcohol

From whom I expected justice/praise for my weakness
turned out to be more injured with the same cruel sword

When in love, there is little difference between life and death
we live by looking at the infidel who we are willing to die for

Put some pressure on your heart to remove that cruel arrow,
for if the arrow comes out, so will your heart...and your life.

For god's sake, don't lift the cover off any secrets you tyrant
the infidel might turn out to be my lover!

The preacher and the bar's entrance are way apart
yet I saw him entering the bar as I was leaving!

thousands of desires, each worth dying for...
many of them I have realized...yet I yearn for more

Ramadan Mubarak

Ramadan Mubarak to All!!!

May this holy month bring all the associated blessings and spiritual peace to All. May the blessing of Allah (SWT) be with you today and always...May Allah (SWT) keep you in His care forever...Here's wishing that all your wishes are granted this Ramdan (Ameen!)...I'll like to share this prayer with you all...God bless!!!

I witness, my Lord,
the knotted resolutions of my certainty,
the hidden inwardness of my consciousness,
the places to which the streams of light of my eyes are attached,
the lines on my forehead's surface,
the openings for my breath's channels,
the parts of my nose's soft point,
the paths of my ears' canals,
what my lips close upon and compress,
the movements of my tongue in speaking,
the joint at the back of my mouth and jaw,
the sockets of my molar teeth,
the place where I swallow my food and drink,
that which bears my brain,
the hollow passages of my neck's fibres.....
Were my life to be extended through the epochs and the ages to deliver thanks for one of Your blessings, I would not have been able to do so,
And this alone makes incumbent upon me never-ending and ever-renewed gratitude to You and fresh and ever-present praise...

(Taken from the supplication for the day of Arafah)

Titliyan

Dil Tha, Khilona
Chalo toot gaya, Kya karein
Koi Saathi tha , jise chaha tha..
Wohi rooth gaya, kya karein

Titliyan yadon raton ki. udati jaayen

Rangon mien, mujhse kuch, kehti jaayen

Ek jheel thi, Kaii phool they
Sab mit gaye, Kya karein

Chaha tha, Kehna
Na kaha, Chup rahe
Rahon mein, Tanha
Chalte hi hum rahe

Titliyan yadon ki, udati jaayen

Rangon mien, mujhse kuch, kehti jaayen

Girti kirne, Tera aachal
Kaise bhulen, Kya kahein
Gaati koyal, mehaka aangan
kaise bhulen, kya kahein

Titliyan yadon ki, udati jaayen
Rangon mien, mujhse kuch, kehti jaayn

teri chah thi, meri roshni
ab bujh gayi, kya karein

Dil Tha, Khilona
Chalo toot gaya, Kya karein
Kya kare

Monday blues...

A friend of mine came up with such a creative status. I had to put this in my blog because whoever works would strongly relate to this one:

"After Mondays and Tuesdays, even the week says W,T,F!!!"

I had to share these two new songs from coke studio from some episode celebrating independence...I love the lyrics

Uncomfortably Numb

My brain is numb.Or in common guy lingo, i'm brain fucked. Forced sleep deprivation, number crunching and the impending stress of daddy dearests' supposedly sudden arrival in the midst of crazy exam revision is going to literally rape my mind and sanity or whatever is left of it after the lunacy that I am the living embodiment of these days. Yesterday, I got to know in a very matter of fact way from sis that dad will be coming over to UK the day after tomorrow. I was OMG!!! My flatmate was like OMG raised to the power of infinity. How can we possibly entertain dad in this crazy exam season plus it will be Ramadan. Thank God its only for a week. My room is an utter mess of papers and books. I'm a complete mess myself.

I just feel like banging my head against the wall. Plus I gave a two and a half hour long freaking exam in college today where my already raped brain got gang banged by numbers and time pressure. Apologies for the use of the obscene language. Its improper. I know! I need to vent out. Argh!!!! Practical life sucks. I'd rather stay in college. Sometimes I envy my friends who are doing the 5 year courses for PHd's. Life sucks when the very result of your exams can directly influence your job, your very livelihood. It sucks even more when you know people back home are counting on you. You're the eldest. The burden of responsibilities just cripples you. To make matters worse, it sucks when you don't have a poker face. I literally wear my emotions on my face. Its transparent. Even today in college, whoever saw me said, dude you look soooo stressed, so tired. I hate it. Please God, make this torture end soon and make it end in a way that is positive and successful (Ameen!). Ahhhh!!! How much I long for the 10th of September, the day I'll go back home. I hope time flies by and it comes soon.

I don't think I'll be able to take dad for sightseeing when he comes. He'll have to understand. Somethings have greater priorities and Inshallah he can come again some other time for sightseeing and sair-o-tafreeh. A time when I'm not stressed out, a time when I can actually give him time and take him around, a time when its not Ramadan and a time when perhaps I have a car Inshallah. I think I'll be taking a hiatus from blogging. I'm a nerve wreck right now. I should probably get another cup of black tea, the fourth for the day. You know why I dream about bungee jumping, sky diving, cliff diving and other thrilling stuff. Its because whoever has done it says that the 10sec of adrenaline rush that you get when you make the huge leap of faith is a feeling that's worth any risk, a feeling that liberates you from the monotony, the stress and tension of rigorous daily life. Its the adrenaline high basically and trust me if some mullah comes up and says that it is haraam or something, I'm literally gonna shoot him or myself. I want something to be high on. Life sometimes becomes so stressful and tense.You need something liberating. So, I hope I get to do all such bucket list "MUST DO BEFORE YOU DIE" stuff before I actually die(Inshallah). If its not done by 2040, I'll gather similar like minded oldies from my group of friends or even random strangers and make a list based on consensus to spend our hard earned pension getting to do the things on the bucket list. As a preview, I think this list can be quite useful:

http://travel.uk.msn.com/inspiration/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=12867720


So whoever wants to join, do know that it is an elite group and all applications are reviewed on a first come first serve basis :P...Its time I start the long process of cleaning my messy room which according to bhabi looked as if an earthquake had struck it with the books and all :S

Three cyber giants merge

Guess what would be the name of the company formed as a result of the merger of our favourite three online websites, the sites that we always visit whenever we're online..What do you think would be the name of the company formed from the merger of Youtube, Twitter and Facebook...

"YouTwittFace!!!" :p

I still don't get twitter...It seems to be the lamest thing out there :S

Arghh!!!

I feel like banging my head against the wall.Do not try to run any program forwarded to you in an e-mail no matter how alluring it seems. I know!!! Its basic elementary stuff. It happened with me sometime yesterday. I got an e-mail from a friend saying: "Look somebody has blocked you on msn/hotmail". I checked my msn list to discover that I had actually blocked him. So I thought,wow,wait a minute, this program might actually work. It would be fun to find out who has blocked you. As someone rightly said, curiosity killed the cat. I used it only to later find out that EVERYONE on my msn list had been e-mailed automatically through blind carbon copies of the same e-mail that I opened. Weird! The next day I wake up with the same e-mails from other people in my contact list which shows that they tried it as well. Its just some big scheme to make an arse out of you. Unfortunately, I fell for it. I would repeat this to the rest of ya people out there: "Children,please do not try this at home :D".

Having said that, any inconvenience caused as a result of my foolishness is deeply regretted.

Song of the day: Somewhere only we know by Keane:



There's another version of the same song sung by Natasha Bedingfield. It gives a different perspective to the same song. I just love the lyrics. O simple thing, where have u gone!

New beginnings

Today our friend and his newly wed wife arrived from Pakistan. They were pleasantly surprised by our "creative" welcome. I still think it was girlish but oh well, at least they thought it was a really warm and welcoming gesture, so whatever rocks their world :).The worst part was that I was given the job of waiting in their apartment to light up candles just before they came back from the airport with my flatmate. To make matters even more embarrassing the candles were arranged in a heart shape :S



Anyhow, I guess it was a good thing. Just imagine how it must be for our bhabi (it still feels weird coming out). She left her home and family to come live in a totally new country where she hardly knows anyone other than her hubby and now, through him, us.It must be scary and exciting at the same time. So, till she settles in and makes new girly friends, we have to make her stay as pleasant and interesting as we can.Who knows someday when one of us brings our wives here, they can also return the favour and welcome her the same way ;).But seriously, I really appreciate how gals have to sacrifice and leave behind when they marry someone and come abroad. It is such a humongous leap of faith and it must take real guts and patience. However, in this day and age when telecommunication has advanced to such an extent with telephony, internet, skype etc, it is still wayyyy better than the era when my mom left for the Middle East after she married my dad.

May God bless the couples' future life with joy, happiness, prosperity and health.

May their joys be as bright as the morning,
their years of happiness
as numerous as the stars in the heavens,
and their troubles but shadows
that fade in the sunlight of love.

and just to be a lil bit selfish...may Bhabi from time to time, in her own convenience be able to cook yummy home made food for us :P

Ameen!!!

Song(s) of the day

Lucky Ali's songs go along well on a Sunday afternoon. They just have that slightly notsalgic, somewhat mood enhancing power. Plus, they're usually not as complicated and fairly easily to sing along. So, for today, I'll share three Lucky Ali songs which I really like right now :)

Confessions of a non-shopaholic

Three precious hours wasted in the mall trying to buy stuff for my folks back home. Shopping for others is so difficult especially here in the first world countries, when you have soooooo much choice, so many options. It just confuses me to no ends. What to buy, what to look for, will they like it, is it something worthwhile, is it something that can't be found back home? Too many questions and too much choice just makes me crazy. Plus there are so many brands here. People are so brand conscious, which is also prevalent in Pakistan to some level but not to this crazy extent. Shopping for yourself is easy. You know what you want, you know what your need is, you have a preferred brand. Its like a surgical operation. Precise and time-efficient. You go in, pick up what you want, perhaps try it just to see how it looks, pay and then get out.

To add to the complexity of things, shopping becomes infinitely more confusing when you try to buy stuff for your sisters or mom. The fairer gender is too choosy when it comes to things they want. I remember when I was back home and used to take them out for shopping, they would take ages and be so finicky about small things. Its a norm in Pakistan to spend a good chunk of time bargaining with the shopkeeper, sometimes to the extent of walking off even though you might have spent three hours choosing a darnn thing in the first place. Although, the walkout threat works quite a few times but when it doesn't its the most frustrating thing to experience. Another weird thing which I observed was that whenever women ask for a guys opinion and the guy gives one (usually just as a matter of speeding things out without paying much consideration and mostly agreeing by showing the thumbs up), the women quite often just do the opposite. So its redundant and counter productive. Its better that the ladies go in groups while the guy just sits in the car waiting, listening to some radio show along with chit chatting with some friend over the phone. The only other incentive for guys to go out and shop is to checkout the eye candy but trust me when you get to wait for four to five hours, you start cursing yourself for coming out in the first place.

Still I have no idea what to get my sisters and mom and I know from past experience that whatever I get for them will be considered skeptically. So, I've given them two choices: choose from online links to amazon, boots, debenhams, TK max etc and other stores OR offering cash when I get back so that they can shop according to their own preferences

My flatmate is the opposite. He loves shopping. I think his wife would be lucky in that regards. Guys who love shopping long hours are a nearly extinct species, perhaps just as much extinct as the pandas :p. So of the three hours we also spent shopping for stuff to decorate the bedroom of our newly married colleague who will be arriving tomorrow. It was the gayest thing ever. Two guys shopping for flowers, rose petals, scented candles, cards and coming back carrying an inflated balloon having "just married" written on it. I was deliberately running ahead of my flat mate lest the people think something is queer. Oh well! As my mom would say, "tumnay konsa wahaan kisi sai rishta karna hai!" :) BUT STILL. In what parallel dimension do guys go around decorating their friends bedrooms with such girlish stuff. As always, I came up with the cheesy ideas but got vetoed over by the executive council. What's wrong if just for fun, we placed some indecent magazines under his bed, in his bathroom and under the lounge sofa. Plus it wasn't a bad idea to give his wife the card titled "Please accept our heartfelt sympathies"! Ha. Anyhow. This might have been one of the gayest days of my life :S



I've fallen in love with this song. Its a cover by some amateur but I think its still quite decent : )

What goes around comes around and 14 Aug

I just keep coming across these amazingly inspiring videos and I feel obliged to share them. Someday when I might be bald and going through a mid-life crisis (God forbid), I might seek some inspiration from them. The message is simple and taught by none other than an innocent kid. One smile, one act of compassion and kindness can trigger a series of kind and selfless acts. Whatever good you do ultimately gets back to you. You just have to be patient and have faith in the Justice of God. Sometimes, the simplest lessons of life are taught by the innocense and naivity of children.

While we celebrate Pakistan's Independence day, we must pldege as a nation, that WE OURSELVES would change our destinies. We'll have to purge the ailments that cripple our society ourselves. No one will come from outside and do it for us. Obviously greed and selfishness is a basic human trait. Without it there would be no enterprise. However, if each one of us tries our best to be kind, honest, helpful, patient, charitable and does whatever is in his/her power for the nation, I'm sure in no time it will trigger other people to do likewise, just like a domino effect as portrayed in the short video above. Its not even complicated stuff. Simple changes. Changes which are ingrained in the very basics of the religion of Islam our ancestors made this homeland for. The Tesco tagline of "every little helps" is apt viz-a-viz our obligations to our nation as well. For once, lets just forget the differences that divide us forever; race, religion, creed, ethnicities, and the past. It is high time we re-unite under our flag and vow to change the future for the better (Inshallah). Most importantly, it is the responsibilty of our generation, to right the wrongs of the past. As Kennedy said: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country".

Pakistan Zindabad!!! I miss you my motherland. This is the first time I'm away from you in manyyy years. Let this separation be a temporary one. I hope and pray that I don't end up as another brain drained away. May the love and protection of God be with you always and may you continue to exist honorably in the comity of nations till the end of times. Ameen!!!
Allama Iqbal, the great poet who came up with the vision of Pakistan, coined this prayer (poem), which is till this day recited by children in many Pakistani schools in the assemblies before the start of the early morning classes. Even I did it once upon a time :)...
Lab pe aati hai dua

Lab pe aati hai dua banke tamanna meri
Zindagi shama ki surat ho khudaya meri

Door duniya ka mere dam andhera no jaaye
Har jagah mere chamakane se ujaala ho jaaye

Ho mere dam se yoon hi mere watan ki zeenat
Jis tarah phool se hoti hai chaman ki zeenat

Zindagi ho meri parwaane ki surat ya rab
Ilm ki shama se ho mujhko mohabbat ya rab

Ho mera kaam garibon ki himaayat karna
Dard-mandon se zaiifon se mohabbat karna

Mere allaah buraai se bachaanaa mujhko
Nek jo raah ho us raah pe chalaanaa mujhko


ENGLISH TRANSLATION (translation doesn't do justice to the original)

My longing comes to my lips as supplication of mine,
God ! may like the candle be the life of mine.

My presence would destroy the darkness of this world,
And my burning light would illuminate all space.

May my homeland through me attain elegance,
As the garden through flowers attains elegance.

May my life like that of the moth be O LORD !
May i love the lamp of knowledge O LORD !

May supportive of the poor my life's way be ,
May loving the old, the suffring my way be.

O God ! protect me from the evil ways,
Show me the path leading to the good ways.

Johnny Cash-Hurt

I just loved this song which was introduced to me by a friend during my uni days...I love the point where he says: "What have I become, my sweetest friend"

This poignant performance of Nine Inch Nail's, "Hurt" is almost haunting, as it was recorded just prior to Cash's untimely death. Whether or not a Johnny Cash fan, this performance is powerful and deep with emotion. Also watch the movie: "walk the line" which is based on the life of Johnny Cash...

Darkness is infact the absence of light

This anecdote goes out to all those people who donot believe in God at all: the atheists, scientologists etc...I still can't understand what they base their beliefs on!!!

The university professor challenged his students with this question. "Did God create everything that exists?" A student bravely replied, "Yes, He did!" "God created everything?" The professor asked. Yes sir", the student replied. The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are, then God is evil".

The student became quiet before such an answer. The professor, quite pleased with himself, boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the faith on God was a myth. Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?"

"Of course", replied the professor. The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"

"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The students snickered at the young man's question.

The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (- 460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat."

The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?"

The professor responded, "Of course it does."

The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?" Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

The young man's name --- Albert Einstein

One of my favourite passage from Paulo Coelho

A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter. At one point he asked:
‘Are you writing a story about what we’ve done? Is it a story about me?’

His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson:
‘I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I’m using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.’

Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn’t seem very special. ‘But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve ever seen!’

‘That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.’

‘First quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will.’

‘Second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpner. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he’s much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.

‘Third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.’

‘Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.’

‘Finally, the pencil’s fifth quality: it always leaves a mark. in just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action’

This is the way to do it...

Wow!!! This vdo just brought a smile to my face...This is the way to partayyy on weddings...In our desi shadis everyone EXCEPT the bride and groom have fun on the days building up to the wedding...I know its understandable but to be a bundle of nerves permanently glued onto the stage while the rest of the world performs choreographed bollywood clone dance moves isn't the right way to celebrate what is billed to be the happiest day of one's life...In desi weddings the poor bride and groom are blinded by camera shots as the ENTIRE 98798789789 people in the wedding queue up to take photo's with them...I just feel for the newly wed couple...They hardly even talk to each other during the rasam's besides some courtesy exchanges...The only thing they do well is to act shy and all...I can't wait till one of my close friends gets married...Lets say things will not be as conventional as the "normal" shadis...But Oh!!! I hate the fact that I only have 30 days to spend in Pakistan for a whole year...It isn't sufficient...Anyways, I think I should go back to nerd mode for the night....xoxo

Driving Tests, carrots, eggs and coffee

I have become another statistic too...Failed my first practical driving test in the UK...I'd heard that it was tough and all...None of my friends got it right on the first attempt plus I hadn't taken many lessons...Its the norm for people to take 20 hrs of lessons...I had only taken 10 hrs but still in the end it was just one serious mistake and that too a stupid one at the start of the test coz of the nervousness...Other than that it was perfect, just 3-4 minor error whereas people even go into double figures for that...but yaar aik choti si ghalti...felt like screaming my head off...Not only a 100 quids go down the drain but to add insult to injury the next available online test booking isn't till the mid of October when I will be on away jobs...I guess waiting is all I can do...I just keep repeating these consolatory words in my head: "Patience and perseverance son!" or "whatever happens, happens for the best"...I read a very inspiring anecdote on a friends fb profile...It kinda sorta eased my frustration......So here it goes:

A Carrot, an egg and a coffee

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as though just as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil.

In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did, and noted that they were soft.

The mother then asked the daughter to take the egg and peel it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee.

The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter.

"When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"


Ask yourself: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor and brings out good from the bean. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity?


Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes their way :)

Brothers

Today my day began when I got this post on my facebook wall:

Thats nine big uns in your face =P
step back,the throne is mine naow =D

It was none other than my one and only younger bro...He did it!!! Finally...Got straight A's in his O'levels...I always had this guilt eating me from the inside that my parents ALWAYS end up comparing him with me in everything and I also realized that he hated me in his own special way...I guess it was partly my parents fault...If Charles Dickens were to write a book titled "Greatest Expectations", my dad would be one of the chief characters in it...He just doesn't get satisfied with what his offsprings achieve...He just keeps pushing them...Keeps asking for more...I remember when I got my straight A's in O'levels and out of sheer luck also got a few distinctions, he pointed out why don't you get the WORLD distinctions like so and so guy...Even in uni, he was constantly egging me on...He calls me up even now asking me whether I have enough preparation to get a "Gold medal" in the professional exams...I get so pissed off sometimes...But then I imagine how he must be with my brother and I feel ashamed...They always make his life miserable saying: "well your brother did it, why can't you...you eat the same, live in the same house, why can't you study the same way"...Even the teachers in our school knew him as my brother and I remember my mom and the teachers would have these long conversation in the parent-teacher meeting comparing his academics with mine...He loved playing football and reading novels etc and my dad would chastize him for wasting time in all this so called "fazool bakwas"...

As a result, my relations with my brother played out like a cold war... They were perennially cold and frosty...Our conversation used to be off hand random mutterings and he always seemed pissed at me...In a way, I also acted like a jerk which I now regret...However, now that I'm away, I think distances have made the hearts grow fonder...A friend also helped me realize this (for which I'll be forever grateful) and in the last few months, I feel relations between bro and I have thawed considerably...Simple, plain ol' bribing always helps...I successfully bribed him with cool football shoes and a nintendo wii...

So, I'm happy! I'm happy he's done it...I'm glad he's done it in a way better than me, without sacrificing his love for football and other extra-curricular activities..He's proven himself to my dad...I hope he exceeds my achievements in all the future milestones...I am proud of him...The thing is I can't still say all this out loud to him... Guys don't just get emo like this...Its against the bro code...I hope he doesn't get to read this blog until wayyy later, perhaps when I'm dead...I hope he just simply realizes it in the the silence of the unspoken word...Yet I've still typed all this mushy stuff to get the guilt out of my system...Finally, I hope it provides closure...I'll end this post with a quote:

A brother shares childhood memories and grown-up dreams. ~Author Unknown

Oh, like always, I managed to find an equally mushy song fit for the occasion...It is "Hey Little brother" by Jonas brother :) [Ignore the vdo :P]

Heavenly Thoughts

I was just having one of those lazy Sunday afternoons trying to complete my revision for the day when I kinda sorta started day dreaming...For those of you who watch Scrubs, it was one of those moments that JD has when he phases out into a world of his own...So I thought to myself what would Heaven be like...The great majority of the religions of the world have some concept of rewards or punishments for the deeds done in this world to hold everyone accountable for their actions...The concept of heaven is similar: Eternal life lived in the kind of luxury us mere mortals cannot even imagine...One has read of streams of milk and honey, palaces made of gemstones,wine and the guys favorite: Hoors (virgin maidens of incomparable beauty)...Then I asked myself...Wait a minute!!!...Isn't the whole idea of heaven playing on our basic instinctive desires of food, lust, greed, materialism and all that stuff...I mean all these things seem shallow and carnal...Yet we do good deeds to get "that" heaven...Aren't we being plain greedy...In economics, I remember studying a term for this, whereby consumers in the young generation consume less today in order to consume more in the future when they retire...So following that train of thought it just seemed that we might be trying to save ourselves from such "carnal" adventures in this temporary world so that we might go buck wild in Heaven and that too for eternity...I mean, it would still get boring...Don't you think so? No matter how much you eat, no matter how much you live in luxury or how much you screw around, there must come a certain point in time when the inhabitants of heaven would turn to God and say, Hey Creator, What Next??? Even in this finite worldly life, we always look for some change, some progression...When we're young, we study to get into some profession..After that we look to progress in our jobs, get married, start a family and so forth...We always have something to look forward to...Yet it seems, the prospects of an eternal life in Heaven might not sound as exciting as its portrayed..

To resolve this conflict in my mind, I needed to find someone to talk to...So I just played out my thoughts on this topic to my flatmate even thought I feared he might chastise me for thinking about such unholy satanic ideas...Surprisingly, he replied quite logically...He just said look around you...The world is full of so many wonders...God made all this by merely saying Kun Fayakun (let it be)...He further argued that at the current state, our thought capacity is limited and we cannot even start comprehending what Heaven would seem like...For God, it isn't difficult to create progression and meaning for our life in Heaven as well...If He managed it for us here in this world, surely, He can do it in the Hereafter too...He also said that Heaven wouldn't be the same for all...God knows His creation well and everyone will have Heaven which would be a sort of Utopia for them, customized to their own ideals and preferences...I asked jokingly: does that mean the 70 hoors won't be in your utopian version of heaven?

I think, in the end, he managed to convince me in a way...Perhaps we can't even start comprehending Heaven right now...Perhaps, its better as a mystery...Perhaps we would be sooo blissfully happy to be in the company of prophets, saints and other noble human beings..From what I read in books of religion, the best reward for man in Heaven will be to live in the shadow of the Creator and to be able to communicate and talk to Him without any indirect means like prayers and all...It will be the feeling of complete and utter bliss that our faith in the Hidden God and His Signs paid off...I'll end this post with the peace of mind I got from these verse of Surah Rehman from the Holy Quran:

055.046 But for such as fear the time when they will stand before (the Judgment Seat of) their Lord, there will be two Gardens-

055.047 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-

055.048 Containing all kinds (of trees and delights);-

055.049 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-

055.050 In them (each) will be two Springs flowing (free);

055.051 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-

055.052 In them will be Fruits of every kind, two and two.

055.053 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?

055.054 They will recline on Carpets, whose inner linings will be of rich brocade: the Fruit of the Gardens will be near (and easy of reach).

055.055 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?

055.056 In them will be (Maidens), chaste, restraining their glances, whom no man or Jinn before them has touched;-

055.057 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-

055.058 Like unto Rubies and coral.

055.059 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?

055.060 Is there any Reward for Good - other than Good?

055.061 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?

055.062 And besides these two, there are two other Gardens,-

055.063 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-

055.064 Dark-green in colour (from plentiful watering).

055.065 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?

055.066 In them (each) will be two Springs pouring forth water in continuous abundance:

055.067 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?

055.068 In them will be Fruits, and dates and pomegranates:

055.069 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?

055.070 In them will be fair (Companions), good, beautiful;-

055.071 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-

055.072 Companions restrained (as to their glances), in (goodly) pavilions;-

055.073 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-

055.074 Whom no man or Jinn before them has touched;-

055.075 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?-

055.076 Reclining on green Cushions and rich Carpets of beauty.

055.077 Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?

055.078 Blessed be the name of thy Lord, full of Majesty, Bounty and Honour.

Another brick in the wall

After hours of studying tax all day long, I just felt like screaming Pink Floyds song: Another brink in the wall...seriously, at this very point I feel like "just another" brick in the wall, just another cogwheel in this huge capitalistic machinery geared towards making money, money and more money, fueling consumerism, spending, overspending...I know I might sound like a communist/socialist but its just the numbers circling in my head right now...I remember those stories which we read in our childhoods of Aladdin having this amazing lamp with a Genie who asked for three wishes...I never quite understood why Aladdin just wished for an infinite number of wishes as his first wish...I mean, comeon!!! Isn't that simple common sense...It is after all a valid wish...You just have to be smart...I think Aladdin was high on some sheesha or something...

Still, I wonder if someone in this day and age got hold of such a lamp and asked the genie to grant him/her absolute happiness...what shape/form would that take...Would the genie just go and get the person a blank cheque of sorts...Thats just my thinking...For most people these days, money seems to buy happiness...I know for each person, the genie would have to bring some specific customized things to bless them with happiness but I still think that for the majority of people out there, money=happiness...That's how the world is these days...I shouldn't think about genies in the middle of the night though...I should just shout out:

We don't need no education
We don’t need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey! Teacher! Leave us kids alone!
All in all it's just another brick in the wall.
All in all you're just another brick in the wall.

Gar mujhe Is Ka Yakeen Ho (Tina Sani's rendition of a poem by Faiz)

Just found this amazing ghazal by Faiz which is beautifully sung by Tina Sani.




Lyrics:

Gar mujhe iska yaqiin ho
mere hamdum mere dost
gar mujhe iska yaqiin ho
ke tere dil kii thakan
Terii ankhon kii udaasii tere siine kii jalan
merii diljouyi mere piyar se mit jaiy gi
gar mera harf e tasalii woh dawa ho jis se
ji uthae phir tera ujraa hoa benoor dimagh
Teri peshaani se dhul jain ye tazlil ke daag
Teri bemaar jawani ko shafaa ho jaiy
Gar mujhe iska yaqin ho mere hamdum mere dost
roz o shab sham o sahar mein tujhe behelataa rahoun
mein tujhe geet sunaataa rahaoun
halke shireen
aabshaaroun ke baharoun ke chaman zaaroun ke geet
aamad e subh ke mehtaab ke siyaaroun ke geet
tujh se mein husn o mohabaat kee hikayat kahoun

Kaise mughroor hasinaoun ke barfaab se jism
garm hathoun ki haraarat se pighal jaatae hein
Kaise ek chehre ke therae hoay maanus naqush
dekhte dekhtae yuklukht badal jaatae hein
kiss tarha aariz e mehbub ka shafaaf bilour
yukbayuk baad aiy ahmar se dehak jaata hei
kaise gulcheen ke liye jhuktee hei khud shaakh e gullaan
kiss tarha raat ka aiwaan mehak jaata hei

Yunhee gaata rahoun gata rahoun teri khaatir
geet buntaa rahoun ,betha rahoun teri khaatir

pur mere geet tere dukh ka mudawa hee nahi
naghma jarrah nahi munis o gham khaour sahee
geet nashtar tu nahi marham e azaar sahi
tere azaar ka charaa nahi nashtar ke siwa

Aur ye safak maseeha mere qabze mein nahi
iss jahaan ke kisi zee ruh ke qabze mein nahi
Haan magar tere siwa , tere siwa......tere siwa

English Translation:


If I could believe,
for one second,
my friend,
that my words, my song
could wither away
that weariness in your heart
the sadness in your eyes
the pain in your heart,

If my words of solace
could be the potion
to clear away
the autumn in your mind
could dissolve
the stains of humiliation
from your forehead

your sickened youth
could be healthy
If I could believe
my friend
day and night
I would comfort you
I would sing for you
light, sweet, songs
songs of waterfalls and spring
of orchards, of morning,
of moon and stars

I would tell you all
about love and beauty
I would tell you how
you could melt
the bitter cold bodies
of proud maidens
with your warm hands

I would tell you how
a stem of roses bends
to offer itself
to be plucked
and lends its fragrance
to the walkways of night

If I could believe it
I would sing and sing for you
I would knit new songs for you
I would sit by your side
for ever and ever

But I know,
my songs
though they are
balm to your wounds
are no remedy for your pain
my melodies are no medicine
for what ails you

The hands that could
heal your wounds,
bandage your heart
are no one's
but your own.`

An Observation

Lately, I have been trying to come up with this hypothesis that the level of country's level of socio-economic development can be judged by two factors namely the traffic and the level of sanity prevailing amongst its dogs. Why?

I remember when I came for the first time to the UK, I was so shocked by the fact that cars rarely honked at each other which was contrary to the common practice in Pakistan. You can't get from A to B in Pakistan without honking multiple times. Its not even due to some frustration that drivers have to vent out. You can literally get killed if you don't. Amongst the various possibilities: a rickshaw wala without side mirrors or a motorcycle with a family of 6 can come in front of your car. It is certainly a necessity to say the least.The traffic generally is haphazard, with people rarely following the rules, overtaking from the wrong sides, breaking traffic signals, over speeding and the likes.A great majority of the people never go themselves for the driving test and have some influential uncle or their dads' use "contacts" helping to deliver the driving license directly to them while they sit in the comfort of their homes. Although, there are fines in place for violations, most of the people get away by bribing or giving a nominal sum to the traffic policemen.

In contrast, traffic here flows much more smoothly. I've yet to hear someone honk :o. People give way. Pedestrians actually do have rights and are not considered targets to be run over. The fines are so hefty that one actually thinks a gazillion times before considering violating any rule. No one gets away, no matter how influential. There is traffic congestion and occasions where a driver might get frustrated but it still doesn't result in all hell breaking loose. Getting a driving license is considered quite a tough achievement and everyone, even the prime minister must pass the driving test before he can be considered safe to drive on the roads.In short, there is order, harmony and flow in the traffic of a first world country. I know, my experience is limited to merely two countries but I still base this hypothesis and will test it further if and when I get the chance to travel to other parts of the world (God Willing).

The second factor is based on the dogs I have observed here. I know that in Pakistan most of the dogs are either stray or guard dogs but still I've seen huge, ferocious dogs here that never bark at anyone and they seem to have a pleasant, sort of smiling demeanor. I must admit I'm scared of dogs. So many times, during my walks in Pakistan, I was barked upon by huge dogs locked behind gates. Some even run after you if you're unfortunate enough. I know of people who have been bitten back home. However, here they seem to have manners, are properly groomed and trained. I still get scared by them if they get too near but gradually I'm learning they don't mean harm (I hope I'm not proven wrong :S).

In short, well mannered dogs and the traffic of a country in a way does tell us how "civilized" and "developed" it is. At least that is my observation so far.

Random quotes from the Alchemist

When you know [the Universal Language], it’s easy to understand that someone in the world awaits you, whether it’s in the middle of the desert or in some great city. And when two such people encounter each other, and their eyes meet, the past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written by one hand only. It is the hand that evokes love, and creates a twin soul for every person in the world. Without such love, one’s dreams would have no meaning. - page 98

When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person realize his dream. - page 121.

You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his Personal Legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it’s because it wasn’t true love. - page 126.

One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving. - page 128.

There is only one way to learn . . . It’s through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey. - page 131

Wherever your heart is, that is where you’ll find your treasure. - page 128.

Treason is a blow that comes unexpectedly. If you know your heart well, it will never be able to do that to you. Because you’ll know its dreams and wishes, and will know how to deal with them You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it’s better to listen to what it has to say. That way, you’ll never have to fear an unanticipated blow. - page 129

People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don’t deserve them, or that they’ll be unable to achieve them. - page 130

. . . the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity. - page 130.

Keh do jo bhee by Junaid Jamshed

I just rediscovered an amazing song by JJ. It is one of the rare songs, before music got so commercialized. Somehow, whenever I hear his songs, it really makes me nostalgic...His songs have this ability to take you to times bygone...I absolutely love every aspect of this song right now...perhaps it just says what I feel like saying or perhaps I just love the lyrics but it has some inexplicable mystical effect...keh do jo bhee man mai aai, aisa na ho khamoshi main sunnay wala hee kho jaii (say whatever it is in your heart before the one who is waiting to hear gets lost in the silence). Its so simple, yet so profound.I know the video appears exceedingly mushy but that was the only HQ audio vdo I could get off youtube...courtesy some mehreenji (uploader of the vdo)

Who am I?

This isn't a rhetorical question. It's not even a wise-ass way of attempting to be cool. It is something that each and everyone of us has tried to answer in different stages of our lives. From awkward introductions at the start of every new school year to college applications and then job interviews. Each one of us has been asked to describe ourselves. To be fair, it sounds so simple. Yet, when you actually sit down and try to think about allllll the possible ways of describing yourself, you realize it is not as simple as it sounds. To add to the complications we are under the pressure of describing ourselves in a way that makes us seem to "come or leap off the page" as the application guidelines in the big corporate firms or the Ivy league schools would put it.

Yet I still don't know how to describe myself. Isn't it different for every context? Should I be described by my personality traits and habits? Should I describe myself based on my socio-nationalistic-religious affinities? Should I try and list out what I've achieved so far in life so that a lay man just randomly coming across my blog can make a judgment call on "who he is"? Or more importantly should I describe who/what I want to be, what I want to achieve and what my aspirations and aims in life are? Even better, I can go the facebook route and just state the movies, books, music, poems I love and see if people can judge who I am based on that.

Lets start with the basics. If we apply the principle of Occam's razor, the simplest explanation is usually the best one. So here goes my lame attempt at that:

I'm a guy...alright don't go "like duh"...I still have mails in my inbox from work collegues who thought that I had a girls' name just coz those dumbutts never heard an arabic name like that before. So its essential that I clear that upfront. I belong to the not-so-fairer gender inhabiting the globe. I'm not exactly an alpha-male. Although in the animal kingdom that means the dominant male, but in my dictionary of earthbound humans, these are the casanova's, players, playboys of the world. I'm one of those nice, decent, nerdy guys who try to remain low profile and under the radar so that they can follow their nerdy-geeky pursuits of books, comics, video games and plans of dominating the world someday like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. I believe the 21st century is about the "triumph of the nerds" and I hope against hopes that someday I will have my very own triumph as well (God willing).

While describing oneself, it is crucial that you describe your roots, where you come from. By faith I'm a muslim. I believe that there is a God and that when all is done and dusted, everyone of us will return to the Creator. I might sound like I'm strict and follow my faith word by word. But like all humans, I am weak. I fall and have periods of weak faith. All that keeps me going is that "I try my best".

I lived the first decade of my life in the land of the sheikhs where oil was cheaper than water. I don't know how it might have affected who I am but its important in understanding where I come from. Living as an expat in a middle eastern country meant lots of get-together's, dawats, and sence of fraternity and unity amongst the expat subcontinent families there. I had happy childhood memories of picnics, going to the seaside, cycling, riding horses and annual visits to Pakistan, my maaaather country :) (I never get why don't they also call it father country as well :S..i think a nation/country is a she but WHY!!!!

I am a Pakistani. Despite all its faults, all its problems, all its imperfections and no matter what the rest of the world says, I love Pakistan, my country with all my heart and soul. It is the only place I can truly call "my own", the only place where I belong and no matter where life takes me I will never forget my roots, my motherland, the place where I grew up in and where I spent the most amazing time of my life and treasured my most precious memories.It has given me the most important aspect of who I am: "my identity". Someday, I long to return to Pakistan and give something back. Lets see if life gives me the opportunity to do that. Lets hope I don't just end up as another brain drained out to the west.

I am who I am because of the people who came in my life. I am my mommy's boy. She was the one who made sure I attempted to become the best in everything I tried. She was the one who egged me on, who motivated me, who sometimes even resorted to bribing me with food treats if I studied, if I excelled in some extra-curricular activity. Without her constant carrot and stick tactics of teaching me the lessons of life early on, I wouldn't have come across this far and become whatever or whoever I am today. It shouldn't take a mothers day to thank one's mom. So today, officially, I'm locking this fact in the typed word. Thank you mom for everything. I know I cannot ever repay you back for what you've done for me. All I can do is try being the son you can be proud of.

Another important aspect of who I am is the fact that I'm the eldest brother to a set of 4 siblings whose age range from 10-19. Its too difficult. Not only do I have the burden of being a role model for all them, someone who look up to them but I also have to make sure they don't literally kill each other due to their bickering and ramblings. I think it's one of the most difficult roles in the world especially if most of them hate you inherently because of the fact that you over-achieved and parents always expect them to match and/or exceed the example set by you. However, I have felt that distance has indeed made the hearts grow fonder. Lately, I actually do get the vibes that perhaps, they really do think I'm their big bro, but I might be wrong. It might be their clever trick to get extra pocket money off of me. Still, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, at least for the time being.

When I came over from the Middle East to settle in Pakistan, I did not have much of a grasp of English. The most I had written as essays were 10 lines on my school, my friend etc. I can't forget to thank all the teachers who in their own special ways, over the course of time managed to make me read books and encouraged me to write. I know I'm still a lousy writer to say the least but its still way better than writing rudimentary 10 sentence essays.

My biggest achievements in life till date if any have been mostly in the boring-banal academic field. After all, once a nerd always a nerd. The only non-academic things I can think of are my attempts to play cricket on a regular basis, occasional short-lasting bursts of gym visits.

I do profess the fact that in the four years I spent in Uni, I managed to watch a lotttttttt of American tv series and by alot i really mean ALOT...from macho series like lost, 24, prison break, entourage, band of brothers to the series followed by the not so macho crowd OC, One tree hill, greys anatomy, desperate housewives, gossip girl etc, I have watched plenty...I don't know how it fits into who I am but I do have this ability to talk on hours upon hours about these TV shows..

I don't watch movies with the same intensity as the TV series. I have a short attention span. Sitting for 2 hrs and trying to figure out the whole story is something that I do only when I know it would be a good movie...So imdb and the other review sites have a lot of say in the movies I watch...However, if someone was to ask me about movies that actually made an impact on my life and if I had to chose 5, they would be:

1) Braveheart
2) Before Sunrise
3) Requiem for a dream
4) V for Vandetta
5) Black (Indian bollywood movie)

I don't know why I randomly chose them. There might be others too but at the first instance these came to my mind. Others I can think of NOW might include Patch Adams, Goodwill Hunting, A Beautiful Mind, Dil Chahta hai...Its difficult to list everything down in top 5. I guess it just gets to show I'm not so good in decision making :S

I love music. I live and breathe music and for me there is no better feeling than finding a new song or rediscovering an old one. The best part is when you share the song with others and they love it as much as you. But i don't restrict myslef to any particular genre or singers. For me the lyrics of a song are more important than its overall beat. I know its weird but thats how things work for me. If the lyrics hit the right place of the heart, I manage to tolerate the singing. I wont list any favourite songs right now but if I had to list two songs that I loved and had in my playlist recently they would be:

1) Chal diyay by zeb and haniya (coke studio version)
2) Let me take you there (plain white t)

For those of you who believe in horoscopes, the thing about me is that I dont have one. I'm in the cusp of two stars. So basically, no point in reading them if one newspaper says you're a scorpio and the other considers you a libra. Thus, I'm confused in that regards.

One thing people notice about me is that I am reallyyy curious. I still have the curiosity of an 8 year old kid. I still ask alottt of questions and perhaps that is one purpose that this blog will serve: to help me answer my own questions. I know curioisity killed the cat but I'd rather ask and die than to have not asked at all. If you want to judge the sort of questions that might come to my mind then think of this one: "Why the freaking hell do we have pubic hair...why oh why?? I mean was it some sort of punishment by God or some joke? I know someone will come up with medical reasons to support their utility, but still...i'd go by russell peters words that it was a joke by God to see how us south asians reacted if we were placed in the hottest parts of the world, made to eat the spiciest curries and had a plethora of pubic hair and that too when loadshedding was to become a norm of life...:P...i know i'm crazy...i've been told quite a few times but it won't stop me from asking questions :)

I'm a workaholic, sort of a perfectionist in the work I do. I believe in hardwork. I really believe genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Hardwark always pays off, sooner or later. I didn't get through college and uni just on my brain power. Infact its quite inferior to the really smart people out there. I just had a good work ethic, plain and simple: Thou shalt work thou arse off!!!

I'm a liberalist. I believe in the principle of live and let live. To each his own.

I'm an optimist by default. I always have a way of looking at the brighter side in the end.

I believe in dreaming and having high hopes and aims. Without them one would never get anywhere in life.

I think I'm a romantic at heart, although I wouldn't ever confess it unless someone forcefully extorted out of me. I believe in happy endings and true NIRVANA :)

I believe in the principle of karma. What goes around comes around. Good actions result in good things happening to you and vice versa.

I think that the best way to spend life is to try and make the people around you happy. Making someone smile is the biggest charity. For a moment atleast it makes them less worried about the problems of their lives. If everyday is spent in the pursuit of making "others" happy, your happiness would be a natural outcome. Atleast it would give one peace of mind. For me it works.

The biggest blessing in life is to have good friends. Fortunately, I have been blessed over time with great friends and friendships that have stood the tests of time and adversity. Still I try everyday to find someone new, to discover the beauty of someone else's personality, to make a new friend. Yet I never forget the people who I once called friends, no matter how much the physical distances might be, no matter how long after they contact me, I try to be there for them and do whatever is in my power to give them any kind of support they want.

The truth is that we never get to know who we truly are. It is always a never-ending quest. Nothing is set in stone. Life is so dynamic. Each day adds another color to the canvas of our lives. Some wise ass philosopher once said: "we are the sum total of our experiences".

I always used to love the sufi poems pondering on the purpose or identity of man on earth and I would end this post on that note by quoting this poem by baba bulleh shah (famous sufi punjabi poet)

Na maen momin vich maseet aan Na maen vich kufar diyan reet aan Na maen paakaan vich paleet aan Na maen moosa na pharaun. Bulleh! ki jaana maen kaun Na maen andar ved kitaab aan, Na vich bhangaan na sharaab aan Na vich rindaan masat kharaab aan Na vich jaagan na vich saun. Bulleh! ki jaana maen kaun. Na vich shaadi na ghamnaaki Na maen vich paleeti paaki Na maen aabi na maen khaki Na maen aatish na maen paun Bulleh!, ki jaana maen kaun Na maen arabi na lahori Na maen hindi shehar nagauri Na hindu na turak peshawri Na maen rehnda vich nadaun Bulla, ki jaana maen kaun Na maen bheth mazhab da paaya Ne maen aadam havva jaaya Na maen apna naam dharaaya Na vich baitthan na vich bhaun Bulleh , ki jaana maen kaun Avval aakhir aap nu jaana Na koi dooja hor pehchaana Maethon hor na koi siyaana Bulla! ooh khadda hai kaun Bulla, ki jaana maen kaun

Not a believer inside the mosque, am I Nor a pagan disciple of false rites Not the pure amongst the impure Neither Moses, nor the Pharoh Bulleh! to me, I am not known Not in the holy Vedas, am I Nor in opium, neither in wine Not in the drunkard`s craze Niether awake, nor in a sleeping daze Bulleh! to me, I am not known In happiness nor in sorrow, am I Neither clean, nor a filthy mire Not from water, nor from earth Neither fire, nor from air, is my birth Bulleh! to me, I am not known Not an Arab, nor Lahori Neither Hindi, nor Nagauri Hindu, Turk (Muslim), nor Peshawari Nor do I live in Nadaun Bulleh! to me, I am not known Secrets of religion, I have not known From Adam and Eve, I am not born I am not the name I assume Not in stillness, nor on the move Bulleh! to me, I am not known I am the first, I am the last None other, have I ever known I am the wisest of them all Bulleh! do I stand alone? Bulleh! to me, I am not known

Having gone this far down the blogpost, you must have realized that I don't understand the concept of summary or word limits. Infact my friends would just call it a "writing diarrhea"..I'd just say: "whatever"...its my blog. I can do whatever I want. So buzz off :P...jk

This blog is for all the lost souls out there who are,like me, still trying to figure out who they are. Worse comes to worse, atleast someone might get a few laughs out of reading this shit (referring to writing diarrhea mentioned above :)

ciao