Land of what….?

Its hard to imagine what this country came into being for. What transpired its birth. What caused this country to be made.

I can’t use the word nation here as i don’t see it significant with Pakistan’s situation. Maulana Abul kalam Azad opposed the creation of Pakistan as he saw the nation being divided into 5 nations or more. It wasn’t a futile thought as it stands a fact in the case of Pakistan today.

We were a nation chanting ‘Zindabad’ to the word ‘Pakistan’ but now we succumb to the Jiyala factor and Chant “Khappay” to Bhutto, Imran khan and Altaf Bhai and Voice Oft-Used Slogans signifying the party. All the Leaders replacing Our beloved Quaid Mohammed Ali Jinnah with their Pugnacious Ethnocentric antics.

While Ethnocentrism is a major issue, another issue polluting this nation is religious: defining the dominant religion Islam in their own terms and each sect claiming themselves the correct ones and holding authority to dictate and punish anyone who go against them.

In this hussle-bustle of every party having their own agenda and wanting to implement their version of Ideology(read: incompetent to the core) somewhere the Pakistan that had to be is lost. People have lost the will to live in this country with the ongoing strifes. Nepotism in every institution and ulterior motives of power giving birth to UnProfessional behaviour leading to Corruption.

In the midst of conundrum created, one wonders where it all went wrong? Did the generous, humble people thinking about their fellow muslims? Where is that spirit now? Of thinking collectively for all? Why is that, whenever you blame/accuse an ethnicity, just because its a specific ethnic majority they say: ‘why don’t your MQM/baloch parties deals with this?’ .If this is how it should go then above uttered reason by Maulana azaad stands correct. It all has come down to the question?: why was it created? & when you leave it to Allah to make it better, judging from the people’s behaviour it can be judged that its not going far ahead.

Nations go through crisis but only their people make it….. Or break it…..

TV Shows you must watch

Life is full of complexities and struggles. One has to work hard to make ends meet but what if your life is the same set of boring routines, university coursework, 9-5 Job where you work with boring colleagues who make you hate adulthood or what if life’s not giving you your share of lemons to squeeze?

You find a hobby to make you happy. Either you knit: too Boring and you can do that in your old age anyways. Paint: That requires effort but fun nonetheless and relaxing. Read: been doing that since childhood and you get boring after a while. So another alternative is a TV show, unlike a movie which ends after 3 hours it keeps you interested with its seasons for years and there are multitude of shows which were written with zeal that you can see if you start watching them.

Below are some shows you must watch. Or not, if your a boring Grandma ;p

1. Shameless: This show has you hooked from the first episode with its fast-paced story unfolding sequences. The Story centers around normal life around Chicago’s middle-lower class locality. Centers around a family where the main head of the house is a 21-year old filling the role since she was 15 and the parents abandoned the kids on the mercy of mother nature. The Episodes transcends as the kids struggles to have a normal life and fill in the Gap created by their money problems. Adolescent phases, love hurdles, Teen angst: All mashed in one which gives one one hell of a ride which keeps you craving for more.
2. Game of Thrones: As the title suggests, its a fight for power to the higher seat among 7 Kingdoms. With an old 7th century theme when fighting used to be done on horses and women were treated like cattle. With a Royal Family victimized by another who gets hold of the throne by false claims on the former and the bloodshed begins. Minute by minute passes and you’re on a fighting scene and things starts to heat up. Revenge. Bait. Kill.
3. The Vampire Diaries: This might catch attention of those who are into Vampires and witches. And don’t mistake it for some twilight-y thing, this is a legit TV show with a gripping script, teenage romance and Hot boys. Starting with a Vampire’s struggle to keep alive his humanly emotions and forget about his past, he meets a girl whose getting over her parent’s death and falls for her (her beauty resembling that of his old lover, in fact she is a doppelganger) and story unfolds from there until his brother returns to wreck a vampire-havoc and engages in a quarrel with the brother. As the TV show ensues, Battle with the older vampires, Dealing with a secret society in the locality to eradicate Vampires ensues but you never get tired of seeing the two hot Salvatore Brothers 😉

Whatever Life brings on my table, i can’t keep away from these TV shows. Don’t keep yourself down with Life’s ongoing Phases, cheer yourself up 🙂

Rosati Bistro: Dine in The Fusion

Its weekend & you don’t want to spend it watching the latest Episode of TV show thats probably gonna repeat later so you decide to head out and enjoy the weekend by exploring whats new in the city.

While deciding where to head to in a city like Karachi, one can only think of a restaurant. Firstly, the city provides less recreational places. Secondly, there are a Plethora of restaurants opening up around the city to provide people with the Different and the new.

One such eatery is Rosati Bistro. A place thats sure to delight you and leave you refreshed. With their opening at the New year, they provided citizens with a change which wont leave them disappointed. With the restaurant businesses providing mostly the cliché cafes with the environment suitable for Younglings, this one caters to Family environment with its Five star vibe and calm ambiance.

Situated opposite PNS mehran, the restaurant has a modern Architecture with Glass walls and provides the diners with an impressive attitude as they enter the eatery. Having a separate section for the smokers & non-smokers, shisha and an amiable Serving Staff. One of the scoring point for Roseti Bistro is their Fusion of cuisines they offer: Italian, Mexican and Lebanese, serving the continental lovers as well as the ones who like to eat eastern food. Humus with Pita Bread as starters. One of the best selected from the menu by me was their Cesar Salad irrespective of the other meals ordered. As a treat for their Soft Launch, they served us with Red velevet cheesecake and Blueberry cheesecake from their menu Complimentarily.

One must savor the delight that this place offers!

Autumn.

As the Autumn approaches and the leaves fall off the trees it reminds me of real-life dilemma of people departing through my heart. Of the mean-hearts vanishing through the existence where once they held a haughty outlook. Curtain falling off , revealing the rusty faces. Lack of Benevolence, prompting to go solo. Trust going down the drain leaving off sore odor. The smell trying to populate the mind & the soul but the essence of my heart manipulating it into resilience. Now left with saving off the candour & the tender heart. People are lessons not precious gifts to be kept dear to heart.

Imperialism, Theirs and Ours

Important.

Greased Cartridge

Below is a conversation about imperialism, US and Pakistani, and my note about it.

1. 

   While it is commendable that there is an upcoming documentary (The Invisible War) to highlight the sexual abuse female US soldiers suffer >>

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   Mehreen Kasana

   
   

   Sat, Jun 09 2012 13:00:28

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2. 

   by their very own American male counterparts, I doubt anyone will make a documentary on the Afghan, Iraqi and/or invaded >>

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   Mehreen Kasana

   
   

   Sat, Jun 09 2012 13:00:55

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3. 

   country victims of rape by US soldiers. And that hypocrisy or censorship of US military abuse on other civilians is what unsettles me.

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“Are you single? Abhi tak koi nahi mila?” : The Irritating question that has become a custom

Among many things in our society that make you oddly aloof is the question asked by many of our peers: Who are you dating? . Yes, you do get these questions in Pakistan and ironic how its not rare but a common question, synonymous of the relative’s question of whether you’re married or not. 

Its not something unusual for a youngster to experience the romance phase among many other teenage phases. Hormones at the peak, crushing over many and desperate for a romantic adventure. Although romance is part of human life, understanding diversity in human being’s practice of affection and sexuality is important, one thing lost in many in our society. The above mentioned question reflects ignorance to the different priorities people set in life. Every human being is constructed with difference in tolerating emotions, attitudes etc. Keeping in mind the way today’s generation exercises romance, its adamant many people feel like being single for a long time.

This Millennial Generation deem it appropriate to throw people’s emotions in the river and go down the selfish alley which leads to a dangerous path often ending in abuse, insulting of each other through any medium they get their hands on and getting a rebound.

How to counter this question one doesn’t know. In the end you have to try to accept it as one of the stupid things people have added in their general conversations.

There are more important things to set your aims at. Rather than falling flat on your face every year thrice, setting your goals on career-building and character-building can have a meaning to your life: A reason to live and feel alive whenever you’ve reach a succeed at something in contrast to being left as an emotional wreck. People set their priorities and everyone has it different in life. To give romantic relationships significance of all the things in the world is not only the most trivial thing but also a person’s personal matter. I personally feel like being single so as to evolve and work on myself individually and enjoy my own company for a long time so that i won’t go down that downward spiral after a break-up, One thing to be noted. I’ve seen friends bounce back with their estranged exes because they’ve been with them long and become a wreck after the break-up and in the end up living in an unhealthy relationship.

Being single in your early 20s, the phase where you’re reinventing yourself, questioning your career choice that you choose and were most passionate about in your teens and many more self-discovery issues are what need to be looked after and being single give a benefit to deal with them properly and with much attention. But its so implausible for this generation to comprehend people’s priorities which gives in to the peer pressure. While its true that exchanging warmth and happiness through relationships is a healthy way of living, one should mark it as a fact that a plausible relationship sometimes takes time to find and even one does find its not like one will share it with the others like a buffet. In our Hypocritical society, where people are finding ways to prove someone in a negative light, having a boyfriend/girlfriend means raising eyebrows and not having one either means the person is a loser or he/she is a prude. People even give preference to it over an education or career. Single or not, don’t fret over it. One day you’ll have your prince charming, as a human or as a career(If all else fails) 😉

Pakistani Women Hit Hurdles in Medical Profession

Journeys to democracy

Left to right, medical student Saima Firdous, Dr Jamila Khalil, Sarah Peck, Dr Khalil Khatri. Photos: Beena Sarwar

My report for Inter Press Service, March 8, 2014. Picked up by newspapers around the world – I like the headline Asia Times gave it: Women doctors say what ails Pakistan

BOSTON, United States, Mar 8 2014 (IPS) – On one of her many visits to Pakistan recently, Sarah Peck, director of the US-Pakistan Women’s Council, spent some time talking to young women medical students in Pakistan. She was struck by their passion and commitment — and by the hurdles they face.

The US-Pakistan Women’s Council is working with expatriate Pakistani doctors to find ways to encourage women qualifying as doctors in Pakistan to practice medicine.

Women outnumber male students in medical colleges across Pakistan, forming up to 85 percent of the student body in private universities and 65 percent…

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New Year. . .

Sitting on my bed, thick sound of Heater on, Pressing my chilled fingers in a fist to warm them up, watching Friends on the mini TV we own in our room while reading through the tweets. Tweets of people expressing themselves, flashbacks of their time spent in the year that soon to become the previous year and their resolutions for the new year. Regressive, regretful, Hopeful and some even inadvertently praying god for the hopeful year.

I contemplate and even envy some of the tweeters. Envying people spending New years in a different country/city where they enjoyed New year’s celebration and sidelining some people’s tweets as mere exaggeration. General Strategies people adopt to counter their jealousy and envy with negativity or denial. While on the other hand wishing i could be in another city in Pakistan where i could have the blessing of enjoying the mother nature Or some other country where i could enjoy how a certain occasion is lived in a different city. At the same time realizing what i have lost and how i could’ve made use of the time spent the last year. The goals and aims put to good use that could be counted as the best actions and moments of the ‘Previous year-2013’.

That’s what its about. One can never have a life with an accelerating pace, only the Great ones & the ones who don’t put off their feet from the accelerator of the car(Life) they are driving. Life is all about how you make of it. While some wish for a fruitful year, the only thing a rotten fruit tells us is that it should be thrown and the other one showed be picked up. Throw away the pain and worries and start on the ride that will bring you the ripe you! One Day at a time and see what Fruit you become 🙂

Its unruly what people expect of the shy & the Introverted.

Despite the emotional trauma that a shy/introverted person has to go through, people add up to thier misery by discarding thier effort to atleast be ‘nice’ by pointing towards the more talkative & jolly as an example to follow. Surely, the extroverts have it easy. They are the crowd pleasers and easy to sway anyone with thier communication capabilities. But i dont envy them.

One of my cousin preferred my totally-extroverted sister over me and said “You should be more like her and talk more” ; Another time one of my best friend from college asked my about my uni experience and exclaimed “oh Gosh! Ab bus bhe kardo shy hona, kab tak rahogi aisay.. go out and find somebody!”

No one can understand the innate phenomenon that comes with the introverts that renders them to think more, do more self-inspection and be more aware of thier talk that they deliver. Maybe they might act less but thats just thier hesitation and confidence they’d had to work on. But the inner-inspection and the mystery is, though uncanny but alot of times is chilling.

Alot of times we face with reality checks and the disposition of this world. Self-doubt and self-loathing ensues which takes a tide alot of times, depending on the consequences.

Introverts have a more harder time in this world. People claim us wierdos. But life is not that unfair, there is always someone to accept your calmness and containment.

In the long run, after countless claims of people, we come to understand ourselves and accept ourselves and be content with it. Make peace with it.

Incandescent

 Thats the word for my current emotion. or maybe ardent? yup or add a pinch of ardousness .. ardent-ousness, lets not get into the new word inventions.

Meek as i was when i first started off- as a kid, a teenager. submissive and compliant like a pet cat…. doing nothing which could even flinch a small part of sand as if i was immobile-surely thats how i felt-Godforsaken, the things we feel as a teenager, the emotions we have. Barely there as i was, trying to feel the human nature, to feel normal, to feel a sense of humanity, to feel Present if not alive. But to no avail. For months i tethered to feel the feelings within my companions. But soon i found out, they too are struggling not to wither. And as time swayed, i found a ladder to climb.

My journey so far, though not completed and still in its primary stage-has been like a visitor in an empty spacious Renaissance Mansion. Elusively searching for the right path to lead to the desired room.

Like a magic spell that is casted and takes a blow with sparks and fire-balls eruptions and then the spell is casted. It takes time for the journey to take the turn to where it will end. Like my empty,immobile start. Later picking up pace with the meaning to ‘Existence’. First only comprehending the five letter to the word-like knowing the basic fact that humans have five fingers to thier hand,like a Kindergarden student knowing only things they are taught at school. Later picking up the rest with your own conscience.

Everything has beginnings and the journey requires to pass through all kinds of pathways. Narrow, Fleeting and broad. 

Unflagging concupiscence – Success we shall reap!