I don't know why but I love this song....Saiyaan by Kailash Kher

Why people go for pomp & show...

Yesterday, I went to an engagement of my parents' close friendly friends' daughter in PC...It was almost like a wedding, infact even more elaborate, but without the bride going away with the groom at the end of the function...And I wondered why they had to put this expensive show for a mere engagement...Afterall, an engagement is an engagement...It's not as set in stone as a nikah...Engagements have a greater tendency to get broken, especially if they get prolonged...Back in the old days, even if people got engaged, it was mostly an informal function, with only immediate family of the guy and girl being invited along with their closest friends...Nowadays, its considered a rasam of similar magnitude to a wedding...People plan for months beforehand, get a proper hotel hall booked, invite loads of guests, book a proper professional photographer, make a dress as elaborate and expensive as a bride's dress and get the full bridal makeup done...I don't want to give the impression of a sore party spoiler or anything...I know its their wealth and they can and should spend it as they wish...What if it was the brides erstwhile dream to have an engagement as grand as this since she started playing with dolls and dollhouses...Infact I myself believe wedding functions should be fun and memorable as they only usually happen once in a lifetime for most of us (unless you're an arab sheikh)...I just feel that people are unnecessarily making engagements a big deal...Thinking aloud: they are kinda a big deal but you know how our society follows a herd mentality...Already people in the middle class find it so expensive and difficult to finance a daughters marriage and with this trend of making engagements as big as a wedding would only add to their woes...Daughters are supposed to be the blessings of God...Infact the Holy Prophet (SAW) said: Whoever had three daughters and was patient on raising them, and clothed them from his substance, they would be a protection for him from the Hell fire. And on another occasion: Whoever has three daughters or three sisters and supports them will enter Heaven.

Sadly, for ordinary middle/lower class parents, all this pomp and show and herd mentality makes the weddings of their daughters/sisters (who are supposed to be blessings in their lives) seem more like a burden...And the sad fact is that 95% of our society comes under this category...This is one of the reasons why people in these classes prefer sons over daughters...Infact a friends' mother is a gynecologist and he was telling how the potential parents would get disappointed once they found out in the pre-natal scan, that the sex of the fetus was female...In India, many middle and lower middle class parents abort the baby once they discover that its a girl...This practice is so rampart that its threatening to massively impact the gender ratio of the next generation...So, in my mind, the chain of causation for such attitudes is the "dekha-dekhi" herd mentality that is indirectly imposed by the upper-classes onto society...They are the benchmarks after all...

On an ending note, May God's blessings be with the newly committed couple and may their union have all the happiness and good fortune in the world...Ameen!

WoW songs I heard while driving to the airport at 6am...

I'm really surprised by the songs that they broadcast on the FM radio on a sunday morning at 6 am...When I was leaving to pick up my flatmate from the airport my father warned me to go slowly as I hadn't slept the whole night and it was still dark outside...Fortunately the music was absolutely amazing on FM and so I quite enjoyed driving on empty highways...Although I must admit I did massively overspeed...I now know what it feels like to drive at 160 kmh...woohoo :)

The Songs:

Pertinent Issue--UK Visa delays

I remember the first time ever I applied for a visa in my life when I had to go for my job interviews to UK.I was supposed to initially get there by the start of October but eventually got my visa in early Jan thanks to the one time rejection for a stupid reason and then the slow bureaucratic processing. Then, once I got my job offer and applied for the work permit visa, I lost 2-3 weeks of my initial job period, an all-expense paid week long international orientation in Toronto (for which they chose only a handful of new inductees).I've heard its got even worse now. Britain has been the most popular destination for Pakistani students for higher education due to the fact that Inglistaan has always been traditionally seen as a hallmark of excellence in higher studies as they were our colonial masters for two centuries. These days students have to wait for 3-4 months and often miss the start of their university sessions, and waste one-two month of rent for their uni accomodation that costs a fortune in Pak rs. for their parents. Its quite frustrating. This article sheds light on this dilemma for people waiting for British visa's in Pakistan:

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/18-britains-visa-shame-am-01

Trivia

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: the fear of long words!!!! :p The condition, sometimes shortened to sesquippedaliophobia, can leave sufferers with shortness of breath, rapid breathing, an irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea, and overall feelings of dread.

Hillarious British Desi Comedy

Generally speaking British humour is very dry and dipped in irony and sarcasm. Quite often you just don't get it. However, these few clips produced by British Desi's is quite funny! Enjoy!

Yearbook Yourself

Someone once said "an idle mind is a devils workshop"...Quite true I must admit...So I used my idle devil workshop-like mind to discover this site:http://yearbookyourself.com

Its soooo cool!!! Just upload the pics of your friends, cousins or your own if you're daring enough...Align the eyes and the face according to the grid provided in the template and wala, the software/website automatically creates your yearbook photo according to each year from 1950 to 2000...It adjusts according to the prevailing fashion, hairstyle during that era and even adjusts the music according to the time period...So not only is it fun but also quite informative at the same time and its a great way to have some laughs if you're with your siblings or cousins who've come over for the holidays...and oh yea you can save the images and upload it on facebook to make fun of your friends or cousins if you want :) So enjoy!!!

Randomness...

I love the air of this city because you breathe it like me...

I love the stars in the sky because you look at them like me...

I love the wind of this city because it touches you like me...

I love the streets of this city because you walk on them like me...

I have lost you but I still love you because my dreams bring you to me...

Song of the day--Swallowed in the sea (coldplay)

Pakistani Hill Driving 501

Pakistani Hill Driving is categorized as a five level advanced course. Pre-requisite courses include Driving 101, Pakistani Drving 211, Understanding the Psychology of Pakistani drivers 376 and Hazard Driving 420 :) Students should take home the following learning points from this course:

1) Check the following before you leave home
- Breaks
- Tire Pressure
- Horn (Most Important)
- Headlight beams (2nd most important)
- All back mirrors and side mirrors are properly aligned

2) If you're using manual transmission try to alternate between the first and second gear during the ascent. For automatic transmission try using 2 and D3.

3) On every sharp bend and turn, honk as if your very life depends on it in order to forewarn any overtaking vehicles, vans and animals (donkeys, cows, goats and sometimes dogs-yes you read that right)that might be coming from the opposite side.

4) Try to avoid going on Eids, 14 August or any public holidays because you would come across the most outrageously cheap, paindu, hyper crowd seen in the wild wild east. If somehow you HAVE TO GO. Try to ignore their manchala antics, their tere naam type songs, their hooting or their weird way of sitting with their arses sticking out of the car windows. The best way to ignore this is to turn your own music to full volume and look straight ahead. Otherwise, you'll either get mentally depraved or become one of them which is kinda sorta a level higher than complete mental insanity.

5) Some van drivers in particular but sometimes car drivers as well have the tendency to be deaf. So honking wont work on them. It is therefore suggested that headlights should be used with impunity as a "just-in-case" matter. After all safety comes first but most importantly its survival of the jerkiest out there.You might laugh at people wearing sunglasses when its sunset or dark but as you can see now, they do it with good reason: to protect whatever vision/sight they have left.

6) People around you might be eating: Pakoras, crisps, fruits and whatnot. It might tempt you to ask for a helping BUT....DONT DO IT. From empirical evidence, it has been observed that it will almost most certainly ruin your well ironed, cleaned clothes but more than that you might get overtaken by that diesel, sulpher dioxide and carbon monoxide emitting van that took ages to overtake in the first place. (It should be noted that this trip might/perhaps reduce your lifespan by a day or two or perhaps more due to the life-threatening fumes being emitted by the vans/trucks and khota garis :P..However, there is an upside. You can be enlightened literally by the verses/shairs written on the bumpers of the colorful buses etc. The most enlightening one for me was:

maa ki dua, jannat ki hawa :D

7) Yes, the scenery would be awesome, breathtakingly beautiful BUT that doesn't mean that you start looking at the valley yonder coz you would be rudely awaken by some ear deafening honk by the most colorful bus overloaded by people, some even sitting on the roof.

8) You might have been told by someone years ago in your bachpan that when the clouds descend onto the hills, paris (fairies) also descend with them. Although that was said 15 yrs ago,there is still a possibility that it stirs some deep childhood fantasy which makes your sights wander from here to there in search of the fairies. It must be stressed here that it was A FREAKIN MYTH. No paris would come. Even all those girls in the cars are paindu faislabadis, multanis or toba-taik-singhi's with tonnes of makeup stuffed onto their faces. Infact the perspiration of the long journeys they undertake make em look more like the pichal pair churails (witches who have twisted feet or walk backwards) that according to local folklore roam that area.

9) Music is really important for the trip. So try and make sure that you've got songs written onto a CD before you leave...songs that dont tick you off, songs that relax you rather than make you even more restless. Do not rely on the FM radio stations coz somehow during Eid or public holidays, all they broadcast are cranky callers, desperate housewives, sickos calling in and telling their life stories while on live radio. And oh yea, sometimes, if you're having a bad day with all the honking and traffic jam on an inclined slope, hearing Himesh Reshmiya's vocals emanating from deep within his arse might be the last straw.

10) Especially on your way back, you might be tempted to freewheel but do remember that this is Pakistan and there might be some khota, doggie or a bacha who might creep up from behind the bushes.So, keep a lid on the need for speed and keep one foot on the breaks and be ready to use the handbreak in the case of an emergency. Do remember that other passengers accompany you. There is the chance that they might get motion sickness, especially the girls/females. So, if you don't want your car to smell of puke, hath hola rakho. No need for speeding down the hill.

11) The last and final point is about the bandars aka monkeys. You might spot one. You might be tempted to run outside and meet your long lost monkey friends. Your heart might skip a beat seeing the monkey aunty carrying her baby on her back. Its all understandable and makes complete sence BUT try and safely stop your car in a convenient risk-free location. Get off your car. Cross the road by looking left, right and left again. Make sure you have enough food/khana for the whole monkey family coz if you DONT, you'll be sorry. AND you'll have to run fast. Trust me, it has happened in real. They're quite territorial and mind the fact that you gave food to the female monkey but not to the rest of the pack :S.

With this I conclude the first and only lecture on Pakistani Hill Driving. Hope it was an enlightening tutorial for you. God speed and Good luck with your hill driving experience in Pakistan and oh remember to say the kalima before you embark on the drive just in case... :S

Ghazals

I tried experimenting with the Mixpod player again and placed the Ipod styled player on the left pane BUT its still not properly aligning itself and is partly hidden behind the page template...So the play button is hidden...The way to get around that is to double click the name/title of the first track on the playlist and then use the next track button on the player to navigate through to the next tracks...I'll fix this thing once I come back from the undisclosed hilly retreat I'm heading off to with family...Till then au revoir...The old playlist is also underneath this new one...

P.S: This is the first time I'm taking a car that I'm unfamiliar with on a hilly road...Pray for those who accompany me in the car :S

Impossible Love

My Pak Studies Essay :D

On popular demand this post has been removed :) Waisay bhee it didnt signify the way I felt about my country and I didn't want people to mistake it as my views...

Eid Greetings

Friends, Romans and Countrymen!!! Eid Mubarak. I hope this Eid brings u limitless joy, happiness and Eidhi :D...Do remember in prayers

Interesting social experiment...

On first viewing, I thought wow, America seems such a polarized society. Some people are so openly biased while others stand up for the Muslim girl. Before I could form an opinion on the life of muslims in America, I considerd this: What if you setup the same situtation in Pakistan and replace the muslim gal with American gal or someone from the minorities (christians, hindus or islamic sects different than the majority) the reaction will be far worse. As a nation we don't accept anyone. That is clearly evident from the recent riots and killings in the Christian villagers in Gojra and numerous other incidents where hate insighed by self rightous clergy instigated bigotry and intolerance in the masses, most of whom are uneducated and illiterate and hence pliable to such extremist views. I think this video shows that there is hope and there are people who would stand for a muslim girls' rights in the West in general and US in particular. This video seems anti-american, but still shows some hope for a positive change.

Mixpod!!!

Yayy...Finally I managed to get one of those widgets working which most of the cool blogs have on their sidepanses....Well it wasn't as if I was trying to get it working forever...Just got the idea a few hours ago...I mean youtube becomes too labour intensive for poor lazy me...So, for this experimental stage, I tried finding as manyyyyy Rahat songs as I could considering I'm a big fan of his....I think this playlist has more than 50 songs quite a few of which I haven't heard...This is my Eidhi to whoever reads this blog ;)..So I hope those who stumble across the blog might find it worthwhile...Even if they don't I can plug my headphones onto my laptop and listen to the playlist whenever I feel like it :P...The player is in the top left portion of the blog...Somehow part of it got lost in the layers of the html template of the blog...Khair, I'm not that good with the aesthetics anyways, its the functionality and utility that matters in the end :)

P.S: You have to click on the play button to listen to the songs in case you were wondering :S

Books one must read before one dies...

Islamabad is considered the hub of old book shops...People who've lived here till their teens and then move abroad for higher education fondly remember the old book shop culture of Isloo...Every nook and corner now has an old book shop...Its the best way to buy cheaply from a large selection of books, magazines etc. Sometimes you get your hands onto real gems from times bygone. More importantly, thanks to piracy, you can also get your hands onto the very latest books as well. I remember getting the last Harry Potter book one day before it was actually released in the rest of the world. Halfway through the book, when Harry was involved in some explicit PG-18, R-rated scene, I told myself hang on, this doesn't seem right. Later, when my brother got the original book a day or two later I realized that the book I'd read was totally fake and fabricated. Anyhoo, as per English tradition, rather than toying with my blackberry, I plan on reading books. Soooooooo, I need a list of books I should get before I go back to Queensville, something like "books one must read before one dies" or "books that changed my life" or something like that. I could go for the new york times best sellers list but I've found that generally the taste of the "majority" doesn't match mine. Its kinda same with IMDB as well. Sometimes I watch a black n white movie coz it had 8+ rating and halfway through the movie I fall asleep. So what books changed your life or your perspective on life or that added value to your views on life or changed the way of your thinking or for the moment you read them took you away to the imaginary world, away from the worries of the world. Just as a googled sample, I'm sharing amazons' listmania, someones take on 101 must read books. Comments are welcome on this one.

http://www.amazon.com/time-MUST-read-book-list/lm/2DF4OY60LYYF1

Supplication...

Back in the days when I lived in the ME, I remember going to Makkah with my parents to perform the Umrah during the last few days of Ramadhan. As a kid, it was such an overwhelming experience to be in this sea of humanity, amongst people of all races, creeds and colours standing shoulder to shoulder praying and worshiping. Even more startling was the one instance when in the wee hours of the night, all of them raised their hands and gradually started crying. It was weird to see all these grown men cry and the fact that it was being done in unison also stirred my curiosity. I remember asking my dad after the prayers were over why all of them were crying and he said that they had finished the Quran for the month of Ramdhan and the maulvi sahab was making a combined dua (supplication) to God. So, fast forward 17-18 years and today at sehri time, a live transmission was coming on a Saudi channel on TV with the same happening. It invoked the same memory. Hundreds of thousands of people with hands raised in the air, saying Ameen after every dua the Imam (leading the prayer) makes and crying so heavily in the process. The dua was in Arabic obviously and so I couldn't quite make out what was actually being said. This time I couldn't let this nagging curiosity go un-checked. In comes youtube (zindabad). After some search I manage to find the same dua (from 2008 Ramadhan actually) but most importantly with English translation. It's 27 minutes long. Some of it towards the second half is quite politicized and some of it involves un-necessary glorification of the Saudi royal family (which is understandable coz the Imam gets his salary from the royal coffers afterall). However, the part(s) which involve direct Man to God supplications are so overwhelming that I couldn't help but shed tears. Even if I didn't understand the Arabic, just looking at the emotions these people express, when they raise their hands to God asking for forgiveness and salvation, in itself is quite emotionally overwhelming. I just thought that if I can share a good song when I hear one, I must also share any spiritually enhancing stuff as well. After all, it is the middle path (mayana rawi) that is said to be the most suitable one. So here you go. At your own risk:

One step at a time...

Heard this song while driving my sisters to their respective iftar parties. I loved the lyrics. The song was a bit girlish for my liking :P...Anyhow here go the lyrics:


"One Step At A Time"

Hurry up and wait
So close, but so far away
Everything that you've always dreamed of
Close enough for you to taste
But you just can't touch

You wanna show the world, but no one knows your name yet
Wonder when and where and how you're gonna make it
You know you can if you get the chance
In your face as the door keeps slamming
Now you're feeling more and more frustrated
And you're getting all kind of impatient waiting

[Chorus:]
We live and we learn to take
One step at a time
There's no need to rush
It's like learning to fly
Or falling in love
It's gonna happen and it's
Supposed to happen and we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time

You believe and you doubt
You're confused, you got it all figured out
Everything that you always wished for
Could be yours, should be yours, would be yours
If they only knew

You wanna show the world, but no one knows your name yet
Wonder when and where and how you're gonna make it
You know you can if you get the chance
In your face as the door keeps slamming
Now you're feeling more and more frustrated
And you're getting all kind of impatient waiting

[Chorus]

When you can't wait any longer
But there's no end in sight
when you need to find the strength
It's your faith that makes you stronger
The only way you get there
Is one step at a time

[Chorus x2]

Fine...I'll share the video as well but only the lyrics wali vdo...

Inspirational: Do not stand in the way of your own progress...

Recently I heard a story about a man who was on his death bed. As he lay in bed, he pondered over what he had achieved in his lifetime, and he came to the conclusion that he had lived his life without making any mistakes whatsoever.

This was by far the man’s greatest and most virtuous achievement, having worked hard his whole life to always be right and perfect. He had spent 80 years in this pursuit, as it was really all that mattered to him. The man felt a tremendous sense of relief when he saw the enormity of what he had accomplished, and the power of what his life had represented. This moment of realization was the absolute best moment of the man’s life.

In truth, these 80 years were wasted. The man had limited his experiences because, in his pursuit of perfection, he was unwilling to take chances. His life had been cautious and plodding, and he had made sure that he was always correct in each and every action. Think about how many experiences this man must have missed, and how much richer his life would have been had he been willing to take risks, and had he been willing to be wrong. His life would have taken on an entirely new dimension and he would have been a completely different person altogether.

Most people are programmed, like this man was, to make “safety first” and to always try to be and do right. Being a strong person who is effective in the world, however, requires that one understands and accepts his true nature and all his strengths and limitations. The man on his deathbed felt a profound sense of happiness and relief when he realized that he had spent his entire life trying to be right–even though it had been at the expense of living a truly fulfilling life. Would you feel the same?

There is another story about a student who comes to a Zen master and asks him to reveal the secret of enlightenment.

The Zen master tells the student that after two years he will reveal the secret. All the student needs to do is come to work for the Zen master. For the next year the student cooks, cleans and works very hard for the Zen master. After two years the student asks the Zen master to reveal the secret of enlightenment.

“In one more year I will reveal it to you,” the Zen master says.

The Zen master gives the same response the following year and the year after that.

After five years have passed, the student becomes angry one evening and demands that the Zen master tell him the secret of enlightenment. Suddenly, without warning, the Zen master pushes the student off of the ledge they are both standing on. The student grabs on to a piece of rock. It is nighttime and he cannot see what is below; he is terrified that he will fall to his death. The Zen master walks away, leaving the student there clinging for his life.

Soon the sun rises. The student looks down and realizes he is hanging only a couple of inches from the ground. He experiences a profound shift in consciousness and becomes enlightened. He realizes that fear is only anticipation–and nothing more. The student had been hanging onto the ledge all night, fearful, due to the false anticipation that something bad would happen to him if he were to let go.

This story is similar to that of the man on his death bed. The man on his deathbed had spent his entire life in fear. He had feared what would happen to him if he were wrong. This fear kept him in bondage and prevented him from living the life he wanted. Just like the student of the Zen master was trapped by a false belief, so too is the man who spends his life trying to be right all the time.

A child by nature is extremely vulnerable. A child will fall down numerous times and will often cause harm unto itself. A child needs to be watched very carefully at all times. The reason for this is that the child’s nervous system is unclogged. However, as a child grows into adulthood, its nervous system becomes clogged. It creates numerous defenses, and begins constantly calculating how not to get hurt. As full grown adults, people go to therapy or yoga; they exercise excessively; they drink, use drugs and do all sorts of things in order to unclog their nervous systems. What is the drunk person other than someone who has intentionally unclogged his nervous system for a time, making himself vulnerable–and perhaps less fearful of making a mistake?

The journey for you to become successful begins with an awareness of where you are, and not an obsession with where you should be. In order to reach your potential you must be willing to take a chance and to be wrong, and you need to understand the nature of who you are.You can do, be and achieve anything you want in your life if you understand who and what you are.

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
--Theodore Roosevelt--

Doggy Flu..

I caught the damn flu that had infected each of my siblings before it finally got me...Its funny how most of the flu's spreading these days are somehow related to animals, bird flu, swine flu etc. So in view of that I'm officially calling this flu "doggy flu", as one of my friends had the penchant of calling all bad irritating things "doggies"... Common symptoms of this flu include runny nose intermittent with total blockage as well as sneezing, drippy eyes, headache, sore throat and occasional fever. I'm more reliant on the so called "desi totka's" when it comes to treating the above mentioned symptoms. So, I used soothers and honey with pepper for the sore throat, joshanda for the runny nose and flu like symptoms, panadol extra for the headache/fever and last but not least: warm milk with honey to give overall strength to the body for recovery. It must be stressed that the milk shouldnt be too hot or too cold, just the perfect lukewarm with a teaspoonful of honey. It would be ideal if you try and sleep after this making sure that the fan or A/C is slow so that you wakeup with a little sweat/prespiration which is one of the first signs of recovery. Ha! This way the doggie-ness of your flu can be abated. However, it cannot be stressed more that in the end shifa and all cure is from the Almighty :)

How to embed youtube videos on blogs...

This is a detailed step by step procedure of embedding youtube videos onto blogs:

http://darraghdoyle.blogspot.com/2008/07/how-to-embed-youtube-videos-on-your.html

Iktara...

Another song I discovered following the discovery of the mystery early morning song...Its Iktara, whatever that means, but it is nice :) Listen to the long synthesizer music nearing the end of the song. Simply fantastic!

Hope & Faith...

And I won't lose faith in God's benevolence no matter how bleak things look: the sun never disappears, its the earth that changes sides.

Hazrat Ali (may he forever be sprinkled by Allah's mercy), used to say that I recognized Allah by the ruins that were my vain plans for life...

Urdu: Mainay apnay iradon kai tootnay sai apnay Rab ko pehchana....

How can I forget to share a song apt for the subject/theme...I heard it just this morning on radio when I was dropping my youngest sis off to school...I tried soooo hard to find it by googling the lyrics but couldn't find it...Just when I had lost "hope" and was about to sleep, I discovered it off one of the playlists someone had made on youtube :)...So here ya go...Enjoy!!!

A night to remember

Ha! What a night. I knew it was cloudy and windy outside but I had given my word to a friend to hangout with him at "ye olde hangout". My mom was like today is one of the odd nights of the last 10 days of Ramadhan i.e. a potential "Laila-tul-Qadr". I still somehow managed to slip away. I have never driven my car in such heavy rain. To say that it rained cats and dogs would be a massive understatement. It felt as if I was driving in a river: strong howling winds, heavy rain, hail, leaves and branches falling over and oh yea lighting and thunder. What an experience. Even despite putting on the wipers at full throttle, I couldnt see much of the road infront. Yet, somehow, I managed to reach the place where I was supposed to meet my friend. He had said that the sheesha at this place is out of this world. And it was. It was orange flavor in a hollow apple base with the water in the filter being 7-up or some lime. It was worth it and so was the company. He is one of my oldest friends like 13 yrs or so.Even if we dont talk for ages, whenever we meet up we seem to carry off from where we left. We were both reminiscing the days of our bachpan, the school days, the A'levels, uni and now the big bad practical world. Its funny the little things we noticed. How both of us changed. Was it uni, was it dorm life or was it our friends etc. We noticed how our conversations were now like uncles, totally different from years ago when it would be studies, or some crushes etc. How now we talk about joblife and dream about future businesses together. He about his dream of becoming an international diamond/jewellry trader and me about opening up some really hip eating out place in the base of the Margalla hills for the entertainment deprived youth of isloo. Now I know why so many married men moan about their bachelor years. If you have the right company of friends, are financially independent and have that spontaneous sence of adventure, then this is the "life". It is this element that married folks miss unless their spouses are equally cool and adventure loving and totally best friends with their friends spouses which in most cases is rare but I've seen that happen too. Anyhow, I've got to run. We're gonna get some iftari packed from rahat etc n take it with us to jungle spot followed by coffee from Gloria Jeans :D...Ah, this is the life :)...For all ya food lovers out there, I'm sharing this list of iftari deals of all the cool restaurants in Pindi/Islamabad area. I know Ramadan is about to end, but I had to research all this coz my friends are totally useless and have no decision making power. So, I had to do it even though I'm supposed to be the guest, the pardesi technically. Oh well, somethings never change :S

• Texas: Rs 800


• Jahngir: Ph# 4412959... RS 540


• Saidpur village =Rs 800


• Monal Rs 800


• Olive garden Rs 675 service tax


• Khiva: Ph#2878788 Rs 299 only aftari


• 1969: Rs 869 + tax


• Crowne plaza = Rs 1100


• Red onion Rs 500


• Majlis: 2827044 Rs 1100


• Bar B Q 2nyt Ph# 8317131-32: Rs 750


• Holiday Day inn Rs 1000


• Virsa Café : Ph# 2558552 Rs 799


• Iffi’s : Ph# 2655060-1
  


• Diva Ph# 2541111, 8003267 Rs595 (I tried it, it was decent.. not 2 bad)


• Royal orchid/Chopsticks: Ph# 2829944- 2820152


• Kashmirwala Daman-e-Koh Rs 600 with tax


• KC Grill Rs 750


• Lasania Rs 590


• Cave Rs 699


• Sizzle n Spice (Bahria Town) Rs 800


• Dunkin Donut Rs 350 All u can eat


• Pizza Hut Rs 475 + Tax


• Papasallis 980 with drinks n tax


• Zaferz Rs 699 + tax worth it

Love-ly point to ponder....

I read this somewhere in a blog and this passage was extracted from the "points to ponder" section of reader's digest published way back in 1992...

Love is a moment and a lifetime. It is looking at him across a room and feeling that if I don't spend the rest of my life with him, I'll have missed the boat. Love is working together, laughing together, growing together. It is respect for each other and the people each cares about, however difficult it is sometimes to like his relatives or his friends. Love is wanting to shout from the rooftops the successes, little and big, of one another. Love is wanting to wipe away the tears when failure comes. Love is liking the feel of each other. It is wanting to have children together because they are the exclamation point of love. Love is laughter, especially in the middle of a quarrel.

-Journalist Liz Carpenter

Random excerpts from a book I'm reading

Love of Music

The record would begin and soon the listeners would be engrossed by those musicians who seemed to know how to blend together all that life contains, the real truth, the undeniable last word, the innermost core of all that is unbearably painful within a heart and all that is joyful, all that is loved and all that is worthy of love but remains unloved, lied to and lied about, the unimaginable depths of the soul where no other can withstand the longing and which few have the conviction to plumb, the sorrows and the indisputable rage-so engrossed would the listeners become that, by the end of the piece, the space between them would have contracted, heads leaning together as though they were sharing a mirror. All great artists know that part of the task is to light up the distance between two human beings....

Sounds...

She struggled hard not to cry at that but failed; in the end, however, she had to restrain herself because she had also to practise her English in the mirror. And it too was hopeless: what was a person to do when even things in England spoke a different language than the one they did back in Pakistan? In England the heart said boom boom instead of dhak dhak; a gun said bang! instead of thah!; things fell with a 'thud' not a dharam; small bells said 'jingle' instead of chaan-chaan; the trains said 'choo choo' instead of chuk chuk....

Jahan Dalda wahan maamta...

I tried watching TV for like an hour or so before iftari...Thanks to sleeping with my mouth open my throat was dry and my stomach was rumbling like a jungle with world war III taking place between the left over aloo ki bhujjia, the paratha and the omelette...Like every great war, it was instigated by an event or a series of events and in this case the events were the ads and cooking shows that the Pakistani TV channels put on before iftari...I think they shouldn't be allowed or atleast shouldn't show 7 course meals being served like that in respect of people who are fasting...And its not as if they show just one or two, its a god-damn bombardment...A dalda ad followed by a sufi bansmati followed by habib cooking oil, followed by some kausar oil ad....Jeez louise!!! The themes are similar...They show a perfect family with the whole lot i.e. grand parents, kids, some random guests, the hubby, all being treated to some mano-salwa type heavenly food mostly deep fried and dripping in the oil being advertised...The basic message being portrayed to the bahu's, wives, potential future wives, mom's in laws out there is that their oil can bring, besides nutrition, harmony and bliss to their homes if food is made using it...Ha! Talking of oils, I remember a funny anecdote...I remember that once while going for grocery shopping on my own, I had to choose which oil to buy from Tesco...I recognized the one that my flatmate bought which was the normal olive oil but just besides it was the "extra virgin" olive oil and I just bought it coz I thought of a whole line I conjured up at that time...So when I got back home and my flatmate had his friends or as I call them "pious brothers" in at that time...So I put all the grocery where they were sitting in the lounge and said: for all ya virgins out there, I present to you the extraaaaaa (read the emphasis) virginnn olive oil brought to you especialllyyyy from the fields of Castilla in Spain to preserve and safeguard your virginity till ad infinitum just like it helped preseve the mummies of Egypt (at this point they got blinded by the sparkle of my smile, proper as they show in ads)...Obviously they thought I'd gone cuckoo but it was still fun....

Anyhow, of all the oil ads I love the theme of dalda, jahaan dalda wahaan mamta :D...did u notice that most of the oil brandnames have undertones of purity, love or piousness: sufi (we all know how pure and faultless sufis are known to be), habib (undertones of love) and so on...I think I should go back to hibernation again....

Soulful spanish guitaring...

In the midst of dreaming while sleeping and sleeping while awake, I had to share this amazing music by armik (an Iranian guitarist) who is for me one of the best spanish guitarists out there...just check out his music and u'll lose urself in it...I'm sharing three or four of his best tracks but I'm sure once you'll get the hang of it you'll love to hear ALL his music...Its just so soulful and takes you to another place, to a happier place...or atleast to some cafe in spain or andalusia :)

Where the streets have no names...only barricades...

What have they done to my isloo?!?!?! I went from one corner of the city to the other on my favourite Margalla road to hangout with my friends in an outdoor sheesha place in the foothill of the margalla hills and I had to slow down and pass through atleast 5 barricades in the space of 10 or so miles...I'm not being all whiny and complaining coz I know it is for our security and what not BUT the difference was that these barricades were only in the direction of the sectors where the bigwigs reside i.e. the F-6's and F-7's and none whatsoever in the opposite direction i.e. towards the sectors where the commoners or government staff live...I guess the politicians are more concerned about saving their own arses.....and u know what the policemen only stop the poor taxi or van drivers coz they know if they stop someone with a civic or a corolla, it will come back to bite em back in their arses...so, only the poor man gets harassed coz of these check points and barricades.....Khair, Isloo has also become too over crowded...I couldn't find a single parking space at Jungle spot, so had to goto CJ near Gellato and that too was soooo overly crowded....perhaps it was just coz of it being a saturday night or near the eid time.....

It was fun catching up with friends after such a long time...It was gossiping galore...Yes, guys gossip too :P...Talking of barricades, one of my friends said he had noticed so many times that policemen didnt stop or check up on shady cars with bearded people in them coz they feared these ppl might blow themselves up if prompted to stop...So yeah, what's the point of turning the capital into a fortress if such people can still trickle in unchecked....

I am being fed like a malnutritioned turkey who needs to be buffed up before thanksgiving to be stuffed up for some big meal...I havent had anything deep fried during my year abroad, so initially all of it seems heavy...Thank God, nothing has happened to my stomach so far but then again I havent had anything to eat from outside so far....Thank God, ever since I came there has been no power blackout...I was about to attribute it to my mubarak presence but I was told that its been like that since Ramdan in islooo....Whatever, it still works for me :)

My sleep time has gone totally haywire...I sleep when everyone is awake and am awake when everyone is asleep...Even when I'm awake it seems as if I'm dreaming with open eyes coz my brain gets numbs coz of the 14 hrs sleep...In a way I get so tired of sleeping that I have no choice but to go back to bed again :D...Isn't that just the way heaven should be: unabated, unashamed license to laze around...Thats what I'm going to do right now...sleep till iftari :D

Homecoming...

The flight wasn't as bad as I expected...Just the normal stuff one can expect from PIA...ermm, oldielocks hostesses who must have been grannies yet had their hair dyed in yellowish blondish streaks....someone had taken over my window seat...so I had to ask the steward to find me another window seat and he gave me one just on top of the wings...I tried sleeping but couldn't...I tried out the in-flight entertainment system....It wasn't bad I must admit...I watched two urdu short plays/dramas produced by Hum Tv...They were really decent...I'll reccommend a watch...Here is the link to one of them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJZvZ0HKe08&feature=related

It was still dark when I landed in Pakistan... As soon as I came out I took a long deep breath...No, I didnt become all senti and kissed the ground etc...but still it felt nice..Although I had totally forgotten what humidity felt like :(...The roads seemed a lot wider and generally quite a few highway/road projects that were underway when I left have been completed by now...I surprised my folks who were all asleep and weren't expecting me at all....You know what hit me the most when I entered the house was how high the ceilings seem in Pakistani homes...They were like 1.5 times higher than the ceiling in my flat :S...Anyhow, for most of the day I just slept coz of the jetlag...I didnt fast today...In the evening, I took the car out and went for a haircut...I had forgotten how dark the roads are in Pakistan and it took some time to get used to driving in such darkness...For some odd reason, I miss my room, my flat and my flatmate...I am about to start the book that I brought with me especially from UK...Its title is the inspiration behind the URL of this blog: "Maps for lost lovers" by Nadeem Aslam...My internal clock is so out of sync right now...I feel wide awake while its almost pasr sleeping time for my siblings....Anyhoo, I should start reading that book.....

D-Day

Ha! It feels like a dream. The moment seemed so distant. Yet, today, I am just hours away from going back home conditional to the fact that it will be a non-delayed, safe flight (Inshallah). The last 3 days were torture. I mean, I now know why they call em professional exams. As my friend puts it, they expect us to do a 4 hr exam in 2.5 hrs.To make matters even more creepier, our exam hall/centre was actually the headquarters of Warwick county's freemasons. IT WAS A FREAKIN FREEMASON LODGE...Talk about conspiracy theroies and what not. It was so creepy and dark and such an old building with weird portraits and pictures of old freemason chiefs or masters or something like that. Anyhow, I think I managed to not completely screw em exams up. Inshallah, I hope to clear them. I'll know in due time like 7 or so days after I return from my holidays. They sms the results at exactly 5 pm on 16th of Oct. Even the thought of it is freaky. Imagine the results that determine the future of your job being sent in such a causal way. Anyhow, no more stress or tension till the result. What matters now is IM GOING BACK :D

What an year its been. When I close my eyes, I can still remember the moment the plane took off from Pak and the sinking feeling that followed thinking OMG, life would never be the same again. The excitement of working and living in a new country. The landing at the airport and being recieved by a whole troupe of my flatmate's friends, each giving me a separate flower. What a gay start to life in pardes eh? The first time I cleaned a bathroom and was utterly humbed by it. The cold, the rain and the howling wind...Oh the rain, all the time...I mean I love rain...dont get me wrong, but an excess of anything is bad...The train rides sitting face to face with strangers and striking random convo's...the green fields and the sheeps (trying to spot the poor ba ba ba black sheep)...my love affair with my blackberry, my most thoughtful investment (yea, still maintain it, iphone shiphone, bb rocks anyday)...the living for days on end in hotels some of them being creepy 18th century manor houses with creaky floors, dark passageways and one of em being on an island in a middle of a lake...The boxing day sale rush and excitement of being run over by desi aunties in the NEXT store as they literally snatched things from you in a mad rush of frenzied chaos...like literally desis will always be desis no matter where they go...Thats something that aint gonna change...I'll remember the millie cookies, the cinnabuns, the krispy kremes (donuts-the weird thing is that I haven't seen a single dunkin donuts here :S) the jimmy spices buffets, the starbuks fraps, the costa teas, the infinite types of chocolates and the haramo-fying of my beloved hagandaaz :S...I never knew I would be such a good cook, like proper finger lickin good cook...My proudest achivements of inventing a totally new chicken dish, baking the perfect lasagne and enchallades (or however you spell em)...When I go back, Inshallah I plan on making one meal for my folks especially for my mom as a treat...I'll remember the awesome summers here...When its bright and sunny, its really worth going out but I wouldnt go as far as stripping my clothes off and lying in whatever grass/field I find...I'll remember my skype sessions with my friends, the conference calls with everyone picthing in at the same time yet no one understanding each other leading us to innovatively come up with a way to know that the conversation's ended...We just used a commonly used swear word (hint hint...its v commonly used)...I'll remember London...the subway rides looking at all those ppl, their tired derpessing looks as they commuted from office back home...I'll remember the rush hours there and the absoulte jam packed trains/subways...I'll try not to remember the awful fumes and wretched smells that the brits have...Although ppl think its coz they dont shower, I still have a feeling its got to do with the fact that they shit and dont clean their rear ends as they should :P...London in my assessment is a good place to visit for like a weekend or max a week but I won't like staying there...Life seems too stressed and fast paced there...I could judge it from the looks of people in the subways...The city I live in is much better...No subways...workplace is just a walk away and all the big malls etc not that far off...I'll remember one of my friends visit here...The fact that we were running around in London on Valentines day for sightseeing while everyone was being all lovey dovey...I can't forget the look on his face when he said, OMG that girl smiled it me, and then again and again...He still had that mentality in his head: "hassi tay phassi"...Little did he know that its considered common courtesy here...I think I've become purged of my desi instinct of oggling at females or staring unnecessarily...I mean its like I've become desentesized now (if thats a word)...cleavage, flesh exposure, its like ermm, so whats new....I'll take with me the english manners of holding a door for someone no matter if they're 100 metres away, of saying thank you, you alright, cheers bla bla...Although I sometimes get the feeling they do all this but deep down inside theyre still snobbish, as if they do it out of compulsion coz of some oath of mannerism given by their ancestors to some queen of bygone times...Its been such an experience and the most important thing is that in the process, I'm helping out my family...Its for them, for my future family and if someday I have em, then my kids (Inshallah)...So, for now these are just random thoughts that are coming to my head when I think of my stay here so far...Its been a rollercoaster ride...Oh and how can I forget the sheesha and the post sheesha inspired highness infused ramblings...How can I ever forget 07/09. Its apt to use my recently learned french phrase: c'est la vie !

I missed Pakistan badly. Small things. The noise and hussle bussle (Its eerily quiet here espeicially after 6 as most shops close)...I miss driving. I miss hanging out with friends. Hell I even miss the pollution and smoke, even the donkey carts :P...So, for a month atleast, I wont have to miss these things that much...I wonder whats changed...I'll notice how my friends have become bulkier or more mature or unclish or the worst male nightmare, baldish...I'll notice the new buildings, the roads, the restaurnts. I'll keep ya guys uptodate with my observations once I get there...I hope the power situation has improved and I hope its not that HOT...

The good thing is that none of my friends know my exact date of arrival. My family thinks I'll be coming 2 days later. So I'll surprise em. Just walk into the house casually coz it would be early morning. Then after iftari and all, I'll just get my car out and goto each of my friends house one by one and shock the living hell out of them...I love surprises. I guess I should better start getting ready and pack this laptop as well...

c u when i cu....adios

P.S: How can I leave without the song of the day :D....

Peri Peri...

A humorous bilboard mocking Zardari's advances on Sarah Palin...

Torrents to Greys Anatomy OST

http://thepiratebay.org/search/grey%20anatomy%20soundtrack/0/7/0

I believe in you...

They ask me how I feel
And if my love is real
And how I know I'll make it through
And they, they look at me and frown
They'd like to drive me from this town
They don't want me around
'Cause I believe in you.

They show me to the door
They say don't come back no more
'Cause I don't be like they'd like me to
And I, I walk out on my own
A thousand miles from home
But I don't feel alone
'Cause I believe in you.

I believe in you even through the tears and the laughter
I believe in you even though we be apart
I believe in you even on the morning after
Oh, when the dawn is nearing
Oh, when the night is disappearing
Oh, this feeling is still here in my heart.

Don't let me drift too far
Keep me where you are
Where I will always be renewed
And that which you've given me today
Is worth more than I could pay
And no matter what they say
I believe in you.

I believe in you when winter turn to summer
I believe in you when white turn to black
I believe in you even though I be outnumbered
Oh, though the earth may shake me
Oh, though my friends forsake me
Oh, even that couldn't make me go back.

Don't let me change my heart
Keep me set apart
From all the plans they do pursue
And I, I don't mind the pain
Don't mind the driving rain
I know I will sustain
'Cause I believe in you.

Upcoming talent...

This guy is from LUMS...the song is titled "bachana"...I think its a really decent effort...love the lyrics...

Muzic...

Arz kia hai...

Jab Jab Ye Sooraj Dhalne Lagta Hai,
Us Ka Naam Mere Honthon Pe Khilne Lagta Hai,
Kuch Is Tarah Se Us Ki Yaad Aati Hai,
Ki Zindgi Ka Har Pal Mehekne Lagta Hai

Thrillseeking

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8133785.stm

Irony...

Soulful

Heard this hamd while it was being played on my flatmate's laptop...I fell in love with it...The hamd-khwaan recited it with real humility...You can feel it in his voice...Although, it is in Punjabi, if you close your eyes and try to understand it with your heart, y0u'll get the whole gist of the hamd...Its beautiful and soulful...




The same ham'd (I think) is recited by Junaid Jamshed in Urdu...I don't know if it has the same effect as the original one but it is beautiful nontheless...

Interesting facebook status...

One of my friends' on facebook had this status:

"All women are flirts, but some are restrained by shyness, and others by sence."

A female friend of his replied to this by: "All men are tramps, but some are restrained by time, and others by the fact that maybe they can't get their fly down in time."

Weird ppl they are :S

Do Schools kill creativity...?

An interesting video on the above topic...

The Wooden Bowl

This was forwarded to me in an e-mail not so long ago...

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl
tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and a four-year-old grandson.

The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered.

The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.
When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.
The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess
"We must do something about father," said the son.
"I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor."

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.
There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a
tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with
wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded,
"Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in, when I grow up. "The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless.
Then tears started to stream down their cheeks.
Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.
That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And
for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled. On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things:

a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I've learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life
I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life.."

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands.

You need to be able to throw something back
I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you
But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch-- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

Princess Diana's soulmate...

Found this article really interesting...Who knew a low profile Muslim heart surgeon of Pakistani origin could be the soulmate of the late Princess.

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/diana-was-planning-to-marry-heart-surgeon-claims-former-butler-1266256.html

A related article to that is on the fact that over the years Pakistani men have proven to be so called "chick magnets". I don't know how much of it is actually true but it does make interesting reading. I remember coming across a group on facebook which had the title: "India can beat us all they want in cricket but we will always be better looking" :D... The best part of the article was the ending:

"The region of Pakistan has been invaded and occupied by Aryans, Greeks, Huns, Arabs, Turks, Mongols and Eurasians. And, let us not forget the birth of civilization took place here in the Indus Valley in 2000 B.C. Quite naturally, its people are culturally and socially wealthy. The West acknowledges it. Wonder when the Pakistanis will wake up to this fact."

Here's the link:

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/pakistan-is-a-chick-magnet_10013218.html

"J" and the periodic table...

A day or two ago, I went to my newly married friends house to throw a surprise birthday party for his wife by bringing in a cake @ 12 midnight...It was fun. A pleasant break from the tiring world of books and numbers. Its funny how marriage transforms a person, at least initially. How even the most macho, testosterone infused guy starts acting weird, all lovey dovey. So, while I was there I noticed a few things. They looked at each other furtively, like secret glances and what not. I mean it seemed they either develped the ability to communicate through mere eye contact OR it was just some affectionate, loving look. I have no idea. Secondly, they start calling each other by elaborately lovey dovey nicks e.g that day bhabi called my friend "J". I mean he does not have any J in his name. So, I couldnt understand the logical link. Curious as I am, when I got back home, I asked my flatmate what could "Jay or J" possibly mean? It couldn't just be some random alphabet she's calling him by. Being the nerd that I am, I even had the whole periodic table of elements going through my head, wondering if it was the name for some precious element or something like gold, platinum etc. But nothing made sence. My flatmate was like duh: its the short form for "jaan".I go, it should have been jinn, given that he is large and impish. Anyhooo, these are just my observations. These days couples act cool by even making the lovey dovey nicks of olden times like jaan into J.

Well, the periodic table just gave me an idea for the nick of my flatmate. From today, I shall call him Z(inc). If I had to go by the element starting with F, I would have been Flourine (I know, I'm going loony but its not my fault. Sleep deprivation, exam stress and fasting has done this to me).

Just for laughs, have a look at the properties and uses of Flourine.


Properties

Flourine is the most reactive element in the world. It reacts with absolutely everything (except for nitrogen, oxygen and some of the lighter noble gases), very often explosively. Flourine attacks and breaks down most organic comounds which burn in it's pale yellow gas.
Chemical synthesis of Flourine is very difficult as compounds containing it will rarely decompose.
The F-F bond in the free-state flourine gas is very weak as flourine is very small, yet very electronegative. It is this weak bond that is responsible for Fourine's destructive nature. The bond is weaker than the other halogen diatomic bonds as, because Flourine is so small, it's lone pairs are pushed together and become repelled.

Uses

Despite blowing a lot of things up, Flourine is still useful. It is used as hydroflouric acid in aluminium smelting and steel production, and Cryolite (a naturally accuring Flourine source) is used in Aluminium manufacture. Silicoflouride salts are used mainly in water flouridation and laundry detergents.

Without flourine, you'd have no recyclable cans, no cars chassis', your clothes would be filthy, and water wouldn't be safe to drink.

In short, you'd be dead ;)

P.S: Its funny how elements starting with the symbol "A" (representing quite a few people I know) are either precious metals (Au=Gold; Ag=Silver, Al=Aluminum). totally inert nonreactive noble gases (Ar=Argon) or the basic element in poison (As=Arsenic) :S...Just out of curiosity, have you ever wondered, why are noble gases, actually called "noble". According to Saint Google, its because they rarely bond with other elements (before marriage)...As the urdu colloquial expression goes: "tab tak apna daman bacha kar rakhti hain"

Song of the day...

The song is "Freshman" by verve pipe. Verve pipe was a one hit wonder. The song brings back many nostalgic memories from uni...Ahhh, freshman yr in uni...seems so far back now *sighs*...