life etc June 10, 2007

why are there limits…u know the thought crosses my mind every calculus class…sucha boring course that is, but apparently i have to get thru it to get my BBA…and the irony of it is that we have just one HR course in the whole bachelors program…as if i give a crap about why a line is curved the way it is and whats stupid function if applied would result in such a line…if it were upto me , i’d just pick up a piece of paper and draw squiggles…why complicate life needlessly

*sigh* mathematicians needa life…all that intelligence wasted away on the functions of a particular curve..yeesh

im still internship less..purely becasue i applied to a cpl of top notch companies and assumed that merit would reign supreme..so much for idealism..all that u really need for a job in pakistan is one good contact!

the heat is unnerving…and im lucky enough to have electricity most times of the day…my heart goes out to the poor souls who dont even have an operational fan in their homes..no thanks to the hyperefficiency of KESC…

budget’s out…and OUT  it really is…see a lot of idealism there…i guess the GOP prefers to ignore the corruption that makes every strategy void! the one thing they should really zero rate is power generating machinery…and they should lather a 200% duty on all the luxuries…cell phones, cars, air conditioners….if u want em, either pay the duty or buy local! or else sell your nation to the dogs…you know people whine all the time about what they are to do to get pakistan about this rut….how about u stand up for whats right! its infantile logic really…sach bolo! be true to yourself and be honest in whatever you do! defend the pakistani economy by buying local! why expect the government to do everything…try paying for your electricity bills instead of taking it illegally!

i saw for the first time in my life, riots, rights in the heart of elitist karachi *schon circle*…just because of electricity outages…and politicians have the nerve to harp about prosperity…

im getting too worked up. so fullstop to that.

im going to be more regular in my blogs now…purely because i need some sort of catharsis every so often. im all the more glad if reading my catharsis brings relief to others!

The Judicial Crisis May 12, 2007

           Light

                                               Shadows~
Sardar Mohkim Khan

The lack of time
And lack of breaths
Dying thoughts
And confined breadths
The length of all
And so does height
I climb and walk
yet no sign of Light~

 

I walk a countless miles (yet more)
And all around I see
The crying faces
The broken souls
Begging for Life
That can be whole
And not an answer to all the prayers

In darkened Light, lurk
Shadows of despair
And yet no answer comes
And not a smile stitched
I passby a countless teary eyes
And the rivers of sorrows; bridged~

Some call themselves masters
And some pretend to know it all
Many know nothing of Life but
It rises and its falls~

——————–

I fear not darkness
But search for Light
For darkness is it’s absence;
Which itself is undefined~

The wars that have been waged
The terror that through time has raged
Havoc all around
Life runs,
When Death lurks around
No reason to greet
With a smile,
A person strange
Nor time to lend
To age old friends
Coccooned within ourselves
Are we?
Unknown to Mind
To the Soul
The Heart is~

Random paths
Chosen
And puzzled
Words said
We are all followed
By all that we have led~

The brutality of today..the clash of egos..and then this beautiful poem by a very sensitive poet! Hail the conscience! and many thanks to my friend Sardar Mohkim Khan

guess who’s back in blogging action May 1, 2007

*yayy*

my blog’s back after a friggin 5 months

pakistani servers are weird…anyway…i dont have much tiem to blog…have lots of updates….but here’s the bulletin for the time being:

• semester almost over. ends in a week….projects still pending! i submit my last one on Thursday!
• finals start Monday….and i have a really spread out schedule…so hopefully I’ll get lots of studying done
• i leave for Saudi on the 16th hopefully…going for just 10 days..to get my iqama paper work in order
• get back end may, start with my summer course *calculus…which i conveniently dropped last year*
• still haven’t got an internship…then again..I’m not the only one…about 90% of my batch *including the top 10%* don’t have jobs to their name….

and in other news: ADP had a great gig that i missed once again…courtesy of the 80’s themed farewell dinner at IBA* which was a resounding FLOP and a tribute to the 8 people in asad khalil’s life…yeesh! *i mean fine your the BASC (Business Administration Students Club…think of it as a student council) VP but hello, public servant, can u PLEASE stop harping about your friends, how you won in the elections, and how generally you and the rest of your outcast friends are ALL that..no one gives a crap!*

find gig reviews, and links to the gggrrrreeaaat Aunty Disco Project on my sidebar

today just happens to be Labour Day..and its a public holiday in Pakistan…its ironic that the white collared people get to enjoy this holiday, but the true laborers: the farmers in the rural areas, the domestic help, the drivers, the construction workers….all of them are still working!

updated January 21, 2007

it so happens that as soon as i had typed up this delayed blog below, my internet stopped working..thus the late post!

anyway…since then i’ve attended meetings and meetings and more meetings….some of them personal…others to do with my society..and yet others to do with conference work

yes its a crazy life!

also gave *and passed yayyy * the P&G test…inspite of the discouraging attitude of teachers and classmates, i’ve applied for an HR internship..according to the P&G HR Manager “dont let them discourage u…among the five most highly paid business professionals in the world, two of them are hr professionals..and its easier to get a jet in this line before any one else”..thank u mr saad something or the other for being a beacon of hope!

lets see if i get an interview call..there are set to be five interviews by the way…and personally ht bit i was most scared about was the test…i think i’ll do fine in the interviews

over confidence? or just plain KNOWING what im capable of? *sighs* time will tell

also im planning something large scale for my society…something along the lines of a regional social policy dialogue forum…lets see how that works out

and in other news: *randoommm*

warid has put a cap of 250 sms on *zoom unlimited* MAKING IT UNLIMITED NO MORE..and to add to misery has inflated the price a rupee *yes im whining about a rupee*

i like the new talkshawk ad…think its got this very chhaiya chhaiya-esque cuteness about it

i also love the soundtrack for salaam-e-ishq

the sajania song and video score high!! love them!! *yayy i learnt how to post videos on my blog!*

the olpers ad, and the bigg apple ad are *WTF is going on in pakistan!! wheres the authority thats supposed to regulate advertising!! and the sad bit is that BOTH products are homegrown, not MNC

shilpa shetty has been crying her heart out in big brother…her poise is admirable, and that other nasty female jade has been voted off the show…since its celebrity big brother, the nasty females have lost business and contracts
catfight

i have to do laundry

oh i had two days off…and did nothing but laze around and read uber bizarre stories from the Roald Dahl book “Someone Like You”…

i havent read today’s newspaper

hira left!! without meeting meee…but yeah sarah’s in town so we should have a nice girly meet up cum shopping spree

my khala had a baby girl! and we’re soooo happy for her..i’ve yet to see pictures of baby zarmeena but my taz hasnt sent them to me yet….oh and the irony is that i have a cousin named zarmeen *female* on my fathers side…and this new cousin is called zarmeena…how confusing!!

and then theres the very sad news of my papa’s best friend being diagnosed with last stage brain tumor…have been horribly upset about that and that deserves a post of its own really..i dont want ot joke about it and play around with it…he is a great man..and to know that his days are numbered is downright painful :’(

and in other news =D November 13, 2006

begu

Dancing eunuchs taxing red-faced shopkeepers

“The novel tax-collection technique kicked off Wednesday, with boisterous eunuchs loudly demanding that mortified shopkeepers pay up — to the bemusement of scores of onlookers.

Taxmen pocketed 425,000 rupees ($9,570) from defaulters in a few hours.

“People may be afraid of them, but they are very much part of society and are useful,” Prasad said, adding that authorities would pay the eunuchs a four percent commission on the total tax collected.”

so if we put begum nawazish ali and her saheliyan on our CBR, our tax woes should be resolved ..hehe…and the sahelis can get new joras too…steady income stream..hmmm..i like it!

Manners maketh millionaires

So says etiquette expert Diana Mather who Friday launched a weekend house party at a Scottish castle for businessmen, academics and diplomats eager to prove the 14th century proverb “Manners Maketh Man.”

As well as traditional country house pursuits such as clay pigeon shooting, bridge and formal Scottish dancing, participants will be tutored in the finer arts of charm and proper etiquette — all in the name of good business.

“This unique weekend provides the ideal setting for learning international protocol as well as the essentials of what it takes to become a lady or gentleman,” Mather says.

“The English gentleman is still viewed as the most gentlemanly in the world. They are the gold standard. British manners are the passport to success in the boardroom.”

as if we didnt have enough courses already…*mumbles*…manners are taught at home!!! and the guys could really do with some!! =D

*reminds self to write blog on the parenting debate*

Libraries in the sand reveal Africa’s academic past

Researchers in Timbuktu are fighting to preserve tens of thousands of ancient texts which they say prove Africa had a written history at least as old as the European Renaissance.The texts were stashed under mud homes and in desert caves by proud Malian families whose successive generations feared they would be stolen by Moroccan invaders, European explorers and then French colonialists.

smart move Malian families!!

The people of Timbuktu, whose universities were attended by 25,000 scholars in the 16th century but whose languid pace of life has been left behind by modernity, have similar hopes.

“The nations formed a single line and Timbuktu was at the head. But one day, God did an about-turn and Timbuktu found itself at the back,” a local proverb goes.

“Perhaps one day God will do another about-turn so that Timbuktu can retake its rightful place,” it adds.

u know this could be really really really interesting…i read somewhere that Mali was a Muslim kingdom and the king of Mali and his hajj procession was a famed one…but i guess that was before *after?* the 16th century.. S

*confession*i don’t know my centuries

Hundreds to compete for rock, paper, scissors title

Top players from around the globe will gather in Toronto this weekend to compete for a C$10,000 ($8,840) prize and the title of world champion.

More than 500 contestants, including national champions from Australia, Norway and New Zealand, are expected to attend.

Tournament organizer Graham Walker said players will have to steel themselves against psychological pressure as players typically form teams to rally each other.

“The team will surround the arena, provide moral support and usually try to intimidate the opponent,” said Walker, who is also co-author of “The Official Rock Paper Scissors Guide.”

hehe..this one reminded me of yasmin ansari and how we used to play rock paper scissors with her back in 3rd or 4th grade….she was just too good..hehe..so do we have any more rock paper scissors champs in the house?

and those of u who dont know how to play..there are directions on *how to play* in the article..hilarious =D

mucho awaited November 7, 2006

i know i know..i have a lot of explaining to dooo…where have i been? to cut the long story short, i was sick after eid…went to uni and everything…not very enthusiastically…but had to cz my hourlies were jussttt around the corner…got a dressing down from my Business and Society teacher cz i didnt hand in the assignment on time AGAIN and made a lame excuse that she refused to fall for! hehe..i have a knack for doing that… i was supposed to read articles for my Financial Institutions and Markets course once [tahira jaffery ]…and i hadnt read them…so when she asked me in class i said “err…i couldnt find them” so she’s like “what couldnt u find..the articles, or the newspaper??“…so i said ” newspaper“…so she rolled her eyes and kicked me out of class…and the irony of it is that NO ONE had read the crappy article…but only a select few *tee hee* got kicked out…

yeah but flashback to hourlies this time around…they were okie..considering that i hadnt really prepared..god bless the IBA admin that scheduled our hourlies to be at the end of the day so that we used to come in the morning and cram off each other till the exam took place at around noon…which reminds me, that the IBA admin has made a new ABSUUUURRRDDD rule..students not allowed to stay on campus after hours :S…apparently some naive couple was making out on campus after hours *rumor yet to be verified*, and the rest of us poor souls have to suffer as a consequence

also a feature of the hourlies that for the first time in my 5 semesters at the Institute of Business Administration (Karachi) i saw an hourly NOT being taken on time…oh and what a spectacle of mismanagement the day was! We were sitting right there for our papers to arrive…answer booklets filled out, for the dastardly Statistical Inference exam that lay ahead, formulas crammed *and scribbled at the back of our answer bookslets*…and we waited and waited and grew restless and started cracking typical section two wisecracks about our dheeelllaaa instructor *much to the annoyance of the BBA 1 bachas who were quite intent on doing their exam*…until 15 minutes had elapsed and we realized that the papers just werent coming..manoj[day programs officer] was pacing the corridors as lost as ever,victimizing our poor dimunitive class rep munazzah for being *irresponsible*

so we left university that day, told that the exam would take place the next day…we grumbled and protested *futilely of course* at the injustice of having to do 3 hourlies in a day…it was a friday so we got home early and just as i was about to drag my poor tired body into bed, i got a call from ammar…giving me the worst possible news…”we have an exam at 6 at the city campus…er….2 hours from now“…and the dumb campus is a good hours drive from my place anyway…after considerable firefighting, we got to the place and gave the exam, under the supervision of mobin khalili and manoj….that was really something….as if we didnt get enough of IBA in the day time, we were now giving exams in the evening…WHAT STANDARDS our Dear Dean would say in his infinite naivete!

*sighs*…too much IBA talk….

a day before the hourlies, there was a lecture by Karen Armstrong at the Aga Khan University on Religion that ammar and i just could not resist…fine our hourlies were dismal, but in the words of sohaib and ammar:
“jaana must hai..hourlies toh hotay rahengay..karen armstrong roz roz nahi aati [we must go...exams are a regular feature, karen armstrong isnt!]“….so we went and it was anything but regretful..enlightening on the evolution of religion and how there are concurrent themes running though every religion…and for once we were surrounded by an audience that wasnt just students….it included senior citizens, philanthropists, celebrities, educators, and even students like ourselves…and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves…its apparent that the karachi audiences are starved for such lectures since 3 small auditoriums and the large AKU auditorium were all PACKED, with people filling in every inch of carpet they could find!

*reminds self to live life to the hilt*

and yes i should continue this in the next blog cz sid *my loyal blogosphere navigator* inisists that i post regularly…every day..which i intend to do! hehe..arent u going to enjoy that!

and yes i intend to start blogging on News soon..read the most mundane of articles and have loads of thoughts in response…which should rightfully be placed in my blog =P

Further Reading on Karen Armstrong:
http://jang.com.pk/thenews/nov2006-weekly/nos-05-11-2006/kol.htm#3

eid (s) October 27, 2006

eid was celebrated in the majority of the world on monday…saudi arabia, us, canada,south america…also in some parts of pakistan! tuesday was also eid…in the northern parts of india and some parts of pakistan…and then finally…on wednesday was eid in the rest of india and the majority of pakistan…india, being a larger country in terms of size, celebrated 2 eids…then why the hell did we have 3 eids in pakistan?? the age old debate of sighting of the moon…our pathan brethren insist on being shariah-compliant and celebrating eid *and starting ramadan* according to when the moon is sighted in their region…personally i see no problem with that…because they are technically correct…and then we have the Mufti supreme of the ruet-e-hilal committee [moon sighting committee] insisting that the eid celebrated there was in violation of shariah…why do they insist on imposing themselves?? does it make a difference whether or not the country or the world celebrates eid together?

we were having this debate yesterday that in all parts of the world, in all countries, *including the religious center saudi arabia*…the moon is sighted in some places and is not sighted in others…so most countries make a 100 year calendar based on astronomical calculations and just follow that…or they set a standard…for example, eid is decided in saudi arabia, on the basis of the moon sighting in Makkah

so should Pakistan pick up from the example…or continue to rely on a group of aging maulanas to tell them whether or not to celebrate eid?

oh and how many of u actually saw the moon? i spotted it myself! *gloats* im lucky!

so on chand raat, right after iftar and sighting of the moon..the girls of the family put on henna..*sighs* i love henna….faizan T jaali sahaafi asked me what i love most about eid a week ago..he thought i would say eidi..but naahhh..its gotta be the dressing up…chooriyan and mehndi [bangles and henna] =D

and since i had henna on..i couldnt do any of the work i had set out for me..cleaning up my room..irning clothes..taking out jewelery…so we crashed in front of the tv…and watched a hilarious show called *chand raat*…also saw bits of titanic …ive always loved the movie! hehe…love the rebellious streak in rose, and the impulsive nature of jack…and i still cry when i see the ship going down…the class divide portrayed…uff its a great movie!

anyway..since i hadnt done any work in the night..i had to wake up early on eid day..cleaned up my room…got ready..and before i knew it it was guests, guests and more guest…my grandparents are the senior most members of the extended family…so on every eid, we dont go anywhere…people come over to our house…so theres a lot of work at home…around 11 i had a splitting headache…so i popped a panadol and continued to work…before i knew it i couldnt make sense of the world around me…was greeting a family member when she said..abeer ur burning up…so i gave her an odd look…ke that was a weird way to put it ;P

then i realized she was referring to my body temperature…went and took my temperature…it was a whopping 40.5…*no wonder i felt giddy*…so i got into bed…and spent the rest of the day greeting guests, talking to friends and family online and on my cell…and worrying myself thinking i had come down with the scary diseases that were doing their rounds in karachi…dengue and viral haemmorhagic fever and what not…but my chacha *paternal uncle..he’s a doctor* calmed me down…and said that i should for the time being just continue with panadol..and if it still sticks then i should get my blood tested..i followed the advice…and am feeling a lot better this morning..the fever’s still there..but its gone down to 38.5…i hope it goes away altogether by tonite..i cant afford to get sick!! have reports to give in, and then the hourlies that i cant afford to screw up…also the upcoming seminar!! i better not get sick!!

lets see how the rest of eid is going to be..have to go to university anyway on the 3rd day of eid…cz our super smart government declared the 2 days before eid holidays..and then decided, oh crap..too much loss of productivity..so lets bring em back on the 3rd day of eid! *sigh*…and yes im homesick!!

unpredictable pakistani October 18, 2006

if people are looking for sporting controversy all they have to do is turn to the pakistani cricket time

its been thru such tumultuous times recently…pehle the whole ball tampering Ocal controvery..then the captians being changed and rechanged..and then this last drug abuse accusation

personally, i’d like to think tht at least Asif is too naive for drug abuse..the way i see it…their physicians might’ve given both Akhtar and Asif meidicne for recovery, n thts why there are traces of the substance nadrolone found in theri bloodstream….i’ve read a lot of articles abou the controversy, and im not convinced tht the PCB would go for such desperate means to beef up their bowlers…we’ve been one of the best bowling attacks in cricket for a long time..and dont really need performance enhancing, bulk building drugs…

anyway…research shows tht the consumption of large amounts of protein, be it in the form of meat, eggs, or even protein shakes and energy drinks…combined with heavy workout sessions, can induce the body to produce higher levels of nadrolone…the way i see it, becharey pind ke larkon ne injury ke baad dher saare dood anday se jaan banai…kutton ki tarah workout kiya[translates to: poor village kids ate a whole lotta eggs n milk after they got injured, worked out like dogs] n then the poor things just pissed in a cup and were told okie guys uve taken *drugs* *HARK tabooooo in our culture…u say drugs they think CHARAS [weed/joint]* hehe..which reminds me..i was explaining the whole drugs thing to my naive little dadi yesterday….she said ke *manshiyaat[drugs]* li hain..and i was like nooo…its more like *nashaasta[food used to give u strength]*…:P…so she goes chhup ke khaa lete jaan, hi toh bana rahey hain..sab ke saamne khaane ki kya zaroorat thi [they shdve eaten it secretly, why'd they consume it in front of other people]…toh then we explained the whole urine sampling thing to her…and then she was like ooohhh

but anyway..whtever the resons may be for the nadrolone traces…we’ll jst have to wait for the trial, which is set to be conducted in a fortnight….innocent until proven guilty!

on the upside, the match between pakistan and sri lanka was reall really reallllly good…after going thru such bad times, and suffering heavy team losses, the pakistani team put in a great show without key players…*standing ovation*…ALL of the factors were against them, and yet the pakistani team proved yet again that where theres a will there is a way!

moment of the match: younis khan lifting bob woolmer into the air hehe! just shows how badly the teacm wanted this victory..and what effects it had….it was sweet really the way they were celebrating! i wish Afridi had put in some good batting! but Malik and Razzaq were electrifying…!

next match on the 25th..lets hope nothing more drastic happens by then! u never noe wht to expect next from em!

ho hum..as random as ever! October 17, 2006

hmmm

its almost been a week and i havent blogged…what have i been busy with? i have absolutely NOOOO idea

typically when i get home from university i head to the kitchen…work for iftar there..nap for an hour…wake up for iftar…and then jst help around the house i know i havent been sleeping..cant really bring myself to study this semester for some reason! so what HAVE i been upto this week…*contemplates*

i know i slept REALLY late on saturday nite..was watching this documentary on national geographic about how south americans cross into the US…was depressing really…people get mauled and killed after they leave their families…they WALK for most of the way and are obviously undocumented…

erm…and i know i watched lage raho munnabhai sumwhere during tht time…cute movie..just like the first part…comedy with a cause! although i think the whole MAHATMA GANDHI thing has been blown out of proportion, i agree tht he was really different in his problemsolving approach…but it only works on people with a conscience…difficult breed in todays time when children are brought up to be ruthles insensitive and self serving

also watched this documentary tht mullah waqar very graciously gave me about the misconceptions regarding the hudood ordinance…i didnt have much interest in the issue in the first place..primarily because i see no reason to laws being debated in a country like pakistan where one can only PRAY for enforcement! so its nothing new if old laws are being twisted around by the people in power to exploit the underlings of society… if we revise the laws, im sure the corrupt legal system will ensure tht the interests of the powerful are served

the image they show of the blindfolded lady is so ironic..where on the one hand its supposed to symbolize tht all are equal, it also shows that often, even laws turn a blind eye to justice

*sighs*

wht else

had another one of those rediscovery and self improvement talks with lili…talking to her is sooo invigorating! tht woman makes one think!! and sorta read over sardar’s piece…but then decided tht i was too tired to actually sit down n read it with concentration…so im going to do tht soon!

songs..which remind me tht im craving listening to nazar by ADP…talal is being an ass and making me jealous cz he gets to listen to it before i do *grumbles*..r u listening al fatah!

oh and sid has been a sweetheart and has added me to her friends list on her blog..*yayy*..now if only the tech idiot i am could learn how to put friends up on blogs! and im whining again al fatah, cz u havent added me to urs yet ..hehe

ummmmmmmmm….my msn is acting really *GAY in the words of dj tal * rite now..so im logging in logging out…having random conversations with the issues gang…honestly…technology really tests my patience! especially when it has the word LIVE in its name it is anything BUT that

on the agenda for the next couple of days:

iftar with the batch: which has been delayed so many times now tht its not even funny anymore…was initially supposed to be after the elections.. a sob event for the losers tht is bba5 …so tht we could mourn not getting those 20 odd votes….and tht was wayyyy before ramadan…i was supposed to coordinate with murtaza abbas *aka don w/ decieving looks ;P*…and i never really got down to doing tht till ramadan happened..*arent i the procrastinator*…so we decided it would be iftar…then we got down to convincing people to go for ifatr..out of the blue murtaza told everyone tht we’re going for dinner on monday…since it was the 21st of ramadan people bailed out…so we decided okie..wednesday should be it ..iftar bas khatam!…but its ammar’s mom’s birthday, n we cant really have the thing without our failed politician so its been pushed to thursday..and im NOT taking any crap excuses now…ive been txting and retxting plans like crazy listening to ppl whine about the place, the money…*grumbles*..i cant be an event manager…i’d end up sobbing in a corner cz people CANT be happy!

sending out seminar invites: got the sexiest guest list today…and wht made me happiest was to see ahmed mustafa haq’s name…really miss him! the one funloving carefree cheetah on campus…has officially become the hot corporate with THE voice tht he was destined to be..im sure just as carefree, an funloving and CHEETAH as before here..wreaking havoc at the indigo office!

sending out the article to cK: yes i promise i will update it and send it to u

going n harrassing the tailor to gimmme my clooottthhheeesss…n harrassing my brother into taking me for mehndi on chand raat..hhe

studying for the hourlies! *yipes* hourlies n 3 reports due right after eid…plus the seminar and interviews for societies and *scream!*

oh and next blog shd be on cricket..wanted to talk abt it today..but i think this is long enough..and too many fonts!

i already have too many ppl telling me tht my blogs are too long *screws up nose*

oh and sarah jaannuuuuu…u made my dayyyyyy!!! ur comments cheered me up sooooooo much *hugs*…love u!

now the rest of u silent readers…comment!