Home and Away

Well, It was a wonderful trip to Lahore. Exciting 22 days. I got to spend time with my family, with my nieces and nephews, with friends and x-colleagues and everyone I wanted to be with, at least for a while. I enjoyed the cold weather there, the heavy fogs, sleeping till late in the morning, making plans at run time, joining friends on short notices. It was all fun. I got to be me back again for a short time

The train trip was the foggiest I have ever had. I was greeted with welcome home cards made by Muneeba. She always has lots of cards ready for me. She even hadn’t done her homework for that weekend because she was waiting for me to help her do it. Abdullah remembered me, he at least knew I was someone close. Ahmed didn’t at first recognized me but soon got accustomed to seeing me and then would come to me whenever I called him. I got to stay at my dadi’s place for a night as well. I even travelled to Faisalabad and to Gujranwala to meet relatives there. The dinner menu mostly used to be what I ‘farmaish-ed’ for .

Although I didn’t have internet there but I didn’t feel the need of it either except only when it was about the course registration and issues relating to IBA. I was on a total vacation. Although I did want to write about several things and check my blog occasionally but I didn’t feel the urgency. I had probably made up my mind to leave everything until I return. In fact, not having internet was probably a blessing for me because it just consumes too much time on things you can live without but spend time on if you have internet.

My blog also had its 1st anniversary on the 2nd of Feb. Couldn’t celebrate it because of unavailability of internet, otherwise would have at least written a post that day. Just for your information, I could only write 85 posts in this one year. I hope to be more regular this year Insha-Allah. Lets see.

Anyways, vacations are over. This semester seems to be the toughest of all, but Insha-Allah this is my last semester here. I hope I re-organize myself and manage my time, because that’s the most difficult thing I find being a hostelite. I hope you all have been good. Thats it for now!!

Exam, washing, ironing, fog and blogoversary

Still have one more exam to take, and that too tomorrow. Not in the mood of studying for that paper . Have some washing and ironing to do, then have to pack my stuff because I won’t have enough time to pack things up after the paper, and obviously have some blogs to read as well . I guess I’d be away from my blog for more than 15 days after today because of no internet back at home (I don’t think any internet package would suit me for 15 days only), although I’d try my best to make use of the dialup internet. And yeah, the washing machine here is still that old steel wire operated machine, the one I described in one of my earlier posts (Click here to go to that post). Will also have to mop my room so that it feels nice and gives a good look when I come back

I have been told its cold there in Lahore. At least more than what it is here, although the past few days here were good too. But it wasn’t the same as what the winters in Lahore are. I hope the fog stays in Lahore for some more time, I hope the temperatures stay down for some more time, although I know it really has been creating a lot of problems for the general public and for travelers but I guess it won’t make much of a difference for a couple of days more hahaha (is that selfishness?).

I just recalled that my blogoversary is also coming in a few days, and I’d be in Lahore at that time, lets just see if I can write something for the 1st anniversary of my blog… I hope all of you take good care of yourselves, and I hope I stay in touch with all the blogs I follow (including mine), and I hope you all stay in touch with my blog too .

Strange

The following trick is described as the best card trick in the world:

 

 

Well, there are two strange things in this video. One is obviously the trick itself, but during the trick when the person waves his hand over the cards, does he say Hezbullah as the magic word? I really didn’t understand the purpose of using this word in a trick. What exactly did the person mean? Was it just random or was it on purpose? Or was it not this word at all?

Exams :-(

1) Exams . And I’m not well prepared…

2) Missing Muneeba badly… Whenever I talk to her on phone, she tells me the number of days remaining for me to reach Lahore.

3) The only motivation I have to take my exams is that I’ll get to go back once my exams are finished. Looking forward to the journey and to the trip to Lahore…

4) I keep on telling myself not to read other blogs because I’m supposed to be busy preparing for my exams. Although I have been reading a few blogs, but I’m trying my best not to comment on other blogs, so that everyone gets this feeling that I’m busy .

5) Only one semester remaining after this, Insha-Allah

کرو وعدہ میرے مرنے پر آؤ گے

کرو  وعدہ  میرے  مرنے  پر  آؤ  گے

اور  مجھے  اپنے  ہاتھوں  سے  دفناؤ  گے

آؤ  گے  میری  میّت  پہ  اپنوں  کی  طرح

سامنے  دنیا  کے  آنسو  بھی  بہاؤ  گے

بتاؤ  گے  نہ  کسی  کو  ہماری  علیحدگی  کا

وہی  پرانا  پیار  دنیا  کو  دکھاؤ  گے

دو  گے  سب  سے  زیادہ  کاندھہ  مجھے

عمر  بھر  میرے  نام  سے  نہ  گھبراؤ  گے

چھوڑ  کر  زمانے  بھر  کی  خوشیاں  میرے  لیئے

اور  میرے  دل  سے  اپنا  غم  مٹاؤ  گے

روز  آیا  کرو  گے  میری  قبر  پر

اور  دعا  کے  لیئے  ہاتھ  بھی  اٹھاؤ  گے

کرو  وعدہ  میرے  مرنے  پر  آؤ  گے۔ ۔ ۔

Great pick-up lines

I have been trying to find time to write something but as usual, projects, assignments and exams keep me busy . Today, a friend sent me the following and I thought about posting it to my blog. There couldn’t have been a better way to write my first post of year 2010 . These are some of the great pick-up lines (Use them at your own risk ).

 

1) Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?

2) Do you have a map? I just got lost in your eyes…

3) You don’t need car keys to drive me crazy…

4) If you were a new burger at McDonald’s, you would be McGorgeous

5) Do your feet hurt from running through my dreams all night?

6) There must be something wrong with my eyes, coz I can’t seem to take them off you!

 

My final exams are just 4 days away now . I’d try to keep posting at least something and to keep reading other blogs as well. Need your prayers…

The Final Week of 2009 Meme

I saw this post here and really wanted to answer the questions myself as well. The questions really attracted me. I am also copying the picture from where I saw the post, and I didn’t even ask for permission if I can copy the picture or not (Only told the author that I’m copying the picture )…

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?

1) Missed a couple of my friends very very badly at times.

2) Started blogging .

3) Developed a passion of having my own library…

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I never made any resolutions. And lets see if I’ll make some for the coming year or not.

3. How will you be spending New Year’s Eve?

We have a bonfire and BBQ at our hostel. Besides I have lots of projects to submit, lots of assignments to complete and lots of course to prepare for the final exams…

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My grandfather did. I couldn’t even see him for the last time . And I was really very close to him.

5. What countries did you visit?

None.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

The list is just too long to be mentioned here

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Because this post is going public, I won’t mention that date and the reason here

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Developing a passion for writing I think…

9. What was your biggest failure?

1) I have really tried hard to control my anger but have failed badly

2) I realized very late that living in your past doesn’t lead you anywhere, and that whatever happens, life goes on…

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I have been ill several times. Constant Migrane and consistent Flu and sore throat…

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Didn’t do much shopping being a student, and can’t recall if I bought anything worth mentioning here

12. Where did most of your money go?

In my education and expenses related to it

13. What song will always remind you of 2009?

No specific song. Although I have liked many songs but I can’t associate any of them with this year.

14. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Be regular with my prayers

15. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Whine about what had already happened and living in my past

16. What was your favourite TV program?

I only watched TV in summers when I was at home, that too only twice or thrice a week, and no specific program, just whatever was playing…

17. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Nope. In fact I think I love more people now than I did this time last year

18. What was the best book you read?

I have mostly been reading my course books, and OBVIOUSLY, none of them can be rated as best .

19. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I have mostly listened to songs sung by those who were singers before 2009 as well , so no specific discoveries this year…

20. What was your favorite film of this year?

Many! And I can’t exactly recall if I watched some of those movies in early 2009 or late 2008. I have watched some excellent Indian as well as English movies this year…

21. What did you do on your birthday?

Spent time with ammi at my relatives as she was here in Karachi those days, and got the cards made by Muneeba and fell in love with those cards!!

22. What kept you sane?

My friends. No doubt about that…

23. Who did you miss?

I missed Muneeba the most, apart from summers obviously when I was at home. Missed my grandfather a lot after he died. I really wanted to talk to him in our specific way. And I missed a couple of my very close friends…

24. Who was the best new person you met?

I met many new people but no one has proven to be the best so far

25. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:

As I said earlier as well, Life Goes On, and that living in past only ruins you more…

Formal Relationships

I have always believed that there are a few relationships that need to maintain a level of formality, for example, the relationship of teacher and a student. Whatever the level of closeness there may be between a teacher and a student, the teacher should be saluted/talked to with respect. The choice of words used should portray the respect, and the attitude and behavior with which the two talk should depict that they are in a student teacher relationship. Similarly, I have believed that there are some relationships where there should be no formality whatsoever. For example, the relationship between friends. And by friends I mean people who are really close to you. You can be frank with them, you can say whatever you want to, knowing that the other person understands you. You can use words with your friends that you might not want to use in front of other people and so on.

I recently had a discussion with one of my friends on this topic. We both agreed that a few relations require some formality, but what we disagreed on was that a few relations can survive with complete informality as well. His point of view was that there needs to be a certain level of formality in every relationship, may that relationship be friendship. You can be frank, you can be straight forward, you can talk in languages that only you understand, but the choice of words is what needs to have some formality, was what his point of view was.

I hate you. A simple sentence. Just three words. Something very straight forward, something very frank, but what these three words mean is not as frank as one would have liked. The receiver of this sentence would definitely want the use of some lighter words. Although I believe that in relationships where you can be frank and straightforward, you won’t face a situation where you need to use words like those used above. And if you really think these words are required, they must be said. That’s what the beauty of frankness is. But this example really made me think again if there needs to be a certain level of formality in each and every relationship or not.

The sorrys and thank yous, I totally agree, make your relationship stronger, but I say they only make weaker relationships stronger. There are a few relationships that cannot be made any stronger, and those relationships do not require the usage of these words. But does not using these words mean we’re weakening a stronger relationship? Saying sorry and thank you is not the point, its the intention with which you say it that matters. If you feel someone really did something for you for which he had to go out of his way, you can thank him, but if the relationship you’re in with that person calls for going out of the way if required, there doesn’t need to be any formality of using words that are only temporary. But again, does the choice of words matter in all relationships? Does being frank and straightforward also require choosing the use of words? What’s your say on this?

Lessons Learnt – Part 1

Life is a teacher. It teaches with examples. It makes you learn things by experiencing them first hand. And that is proven to be the best learning method. And above all, the lessons never end. Each day you get to learn either an old lesson through a new example, or a new lesson altogether. At times we try and make the message out of what we face, out of the examples that life makes us go through. Not always do we successfully decode the message, but at times we succeed as well. If we don’t, that’s when life has to come up with a totally new example for us. Here, I plan to write some of the lessons I have learnt so far, and I hope to continue this series as and when I get to experience more stuff from life…

Lesson 1: Make friends. Make trustworthy friends. Life is just too difficult to live without friends. Now there is a difference between a friend and an acquaintance. Or even better put, there is a difference between a best friend and a friend. A friend is someone you talk to, you hangout with, you share your things with, but a best friend is someone who you don’t necessarily talk to, but think of when you’re alone. A best friend is someone who you don’t have to hangout with, because he is always with you, may it be physically or otherwise. A best friend is someone you share your feelings with…

Lesson 2: Move on. Life never stops. What has happened in past has already happened. You cannot do anything about it. Although you can definitely learn a lot from your past, but you shouldn’t live in your past. As they say, “Cry as hard as you want to, but just make sure that when you stop crying, you will never cry again for the same reason”. Crying again and again on what you lost in past is no use. Your future definitely has many better things in store for you.

Lesson 3: Be a kid occasionally. In fact I’d say, be an adult only occasionally. Ever noticed how a kid finds his enjoyment? Kids start playing from virtually anything, may it be a colored wrapper or boxed packing of a toy. They’d turn the box up and down, find where to open the box from, try their best to do whatever it takes to open the box. And more often than not, they succeed in doing what they wanted to do. Even if they don’t, they just throw that box away and go for something else. They find a new enjoyment in no time. That’s how I think we should live. Try our best at something we want to do, put in the maximum effort, but if the results aren’t favorable, move on. Put your hands on something else. I think you have to let go of your maturity at times, and enjoy life just as kids do.

Lesson 4: First things first. We need to prioritize things. ALWAYS. Most of the times we fail at things because we didn’t know how important they are. Those electricity and telephone bills can always be paid tomorrow, but your family needs time first. Your parents need your time, your children need your time, your spouse needs your time. You’ll feel great yourself when you take out time to take your children to a park and run after them and let them win a race. You’ll feel great when your spouse is happy because of the time you give him/her, or when you take your parents to a trip to where they really wanted to be.

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough – Mae West

In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life; It goes on – Robert Frost

رِیت اس نگر کی ہے، اور جانے کب سے ہے

تتلیوں کے موسم میں نوچنا گلابوں کا
ریت اس نگر کی ہے اور جانے کب سے ہے
دیکھ کر پرندوں کو باندھنا نشانوں کا
ریت اس نگر کی ہے اور جانے کب سے ہے

تم ابھی نئے ہو نا اس لئے پریشاں ہو
آسماں کی جانب تم اس طرح سے مت دیکھو
آفتیں جب آنی ہوں ٹوٹنا ستاروں کا
ریِت اس نگر کی ہے اور جانے کب سے ہے

شہر کے یہ باشندے نفرتوں کو بو کر بھی
انتظار کرتے ہیں فصل ہو محبت کی
چھوڑ کر حقیقت کو ڈھونڈنا سرابوں کا
ریِت اس نگر کی ہے اور جانے کب سے ہے

اجنبی فزاوں میں اجنبی مسافر سے
اپنے ہر تعلق کو دائمی سمجھ لینا
اور جب بچھڑ جانا مانگنا دعاوں کا
ریت اس نگر کی ہے اور جانے کب سے ہے

خامشی میرا شیوہ گفتگو ہنر انکا
میری بےگناہی کو لوگ کیسے مانیں گے
بات بات پر جب مانگنا حوالوں کا
ریت اس نگر کی ہے اور جانے کب سے ہے