Monday, December 28, 2009
Yom-e-Ashoor
Dad, on seeing the mourners, 'Kafir bhi musalmano ko maar rahay hain or musalman bhi apnay aap ko maar rahay hain'
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Biology-my darling!
It's about those days when biology and I were in love. Like many ambitious youngsters, unaware of the demands and limitations of our society, my dream was to become a 'scientist' on growing up; biologist in this case (I had thought of becoming an astronomer before and a nuclear physicist later and what I ended up doing was medicine. Lol)
My interest began when my elder cousins told me that you get to dissect a frog in grade nine and ten. I was intrigued by the details of nailing the frog on a wood board and using all those dissecting instruments. I was pretty much looking forward to it. My cousins also told me that you get to dissect bigger animals as you go to higher grades. Frog, rabbit and then a giant monitor! Never got the monitor though.
Ms. Rizwana was one of the best teachers I have ever had. She demonstrated very accurately the technique of preserving that one vein that ran across ventral body wall of the frog. Some guys still cut it and their frogs bled to death. Some mischievous, gangster 'cool dudes' stabbed the frog right in the abdomen on their first time to show their indifference and valor. I was very meticulous, successfully preserved the vein and took a long time in just opening up the frog. A live beating heart was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. I just kept on wondering why is it beating, where is the energy coming from. And then the bell rang. The practical time was over. In fact it was the last period; school time was over. But I wasn't done yet. I had just opened up the frog. So what I did was I cut it's oesophagus from the highest end, then I cut it's cloaca and took out it's whole digestive system with every organ I could get hold of. I wrapped it in a paper, put it in my pocket and brought it home.
On coming back, in all excitement, I told mom, 'Hey mom, guess what I've got from school? FROG BOWELS!!! Yayyyy' She said it was disgusting and told me to get it out of the room. So I dissected and observed each and every thing of it in the veranda. I opened up the stomach and and intestines and looked at their insides to my heart's content. Finally I threw it away.
There were just three or four dissections in school. It wasn't enough of frog for me. I decided to buy a frog and dissect it at home. My younger brother had also reached the dissection stage so I bought one from him too, from Anarkali. I kept them in an old shoe box. To anesthetize them I soaked a piece of cotton in the anesthetic, dropped it in the box and covered it. I thought that the frogs would get unconscious by it's fumes. I shook the box well and it took a long time to knock them out. I had wanted to buy chloroform but the guy at the shop gave me carbon disulfide instead, saying that it was a 'better' anesthetic. In fact it was worse. Our frogs kept on convulsing during the whole dissection, though I had kept cotton pieces soaked in the anesthetic under the frogs' nostrils.
Even before a frog I had dissected a chick. I must have been in grade six or seven then. There was this huge banyan tree behind our house whose branches had covered half or our roof. Crows and eagles would frequently build nests on it. Once I found a dead chick on our roof. I couldn't figure out the specie; it didn't even have feathers on it. But it was big enough for me to play with. I dissected it with make shift instruments: straws and sticks and tree branches.
The preserved specimen in the biology lab were another interesting thing. I decided to build my own museum. I would kill animals, tie them on a scale with a thread and place them inside an empty jam bottle. To preserve them I would add spirit in the bottle. And the specimen would look just like those in the biology lab, erect in the bottle. I had collected lizard, mouse, centipede, millipede, earthworm, another lizard like reptile I don't know the name of and any other thing I would across. I killed lizard with an air gun and mice in a mouse trap. To kill the invertebrates I would directly drop them in a bottle full of spirit. Earthworms would convulse violently, release a white fluid from one end, anus or mouth, and die. Sprinkling salt over earthworms when they would come out after rain and watch them convulse was one of our (me, brother and cousins) favorite deeds. I had kept all the specimen bottles in a cupboard properly arranged and labeled.
In high school we had to dissect cockroach. Again I was good at it. I could separate out the digestive system of the roach very finely while some messed it pretty much. But there was one thing I couldn't do in first and second years of med school. Stunning the frog. Uff...I was never able to do that. Striking a rod hard on a conscious frog's head to knock it out, the sign of which was it's tongue would protrude out. So you'd have to blow real hard on the first time. If you do not strike hard enough, it would not get unconscious and would just shriek in pain. Most of the first timers would do that. Strike it lightly again and again. That was very disgusting. I never did it. Pithing was one hell of a job too. You had to run a needle all along it's spinal cord to destroy it. Many guys would insert the needle in every part of the frog but the spinal canal. It was difficult to find in the beginning but easy once you knew the technique. That was after brutally killing three or four frogs.
When spiders caught my attention, I would be in search for one every day. I would observe it build its web and wait for a prey in the center of it. Sometimes I would pick up some insect and deliberately throw it on the web so that it would get stuck in it. I would see the spider come for it, wrap it with its thread and eat it.
In plants 'reproductive botany' was my favourite. I loved sowing seeds and watching them sprout and grow. I sowed watermelon seeds, mango seeds, ginger, garlic, onion. I followed them for some time till my interest faded. Inspired by Mendel I grew peas too, in a jam bottle. It sprouted and produced more peas. Once I grew Rhizopus on a piece of bread by soaking it in water and keeping it in a dark place. I scrapped it off, took it to college and observed under microscope. I also scrapped some moss from a dark, wet wall to see it under microscope.
Ah, such were those days. :-)
My interest began when my elder cousins told me that you get to dissect a frog in grade nine and ten. I was intrigued by the details of nailing the frog on a wood board and using all those dissecting instruments. I was pretty much looking forward to it. My cousins also told me that you get to dissect bigger animals as you go to higher grades. Frog, rabbit and then a giant monitor! Never got the monitor though.
Ms. Rizwana was one of the best teachers I have ever had. She demonstrated very accurately the technique of preserving that one vein that ran across ventral body wall of the frog. Some guys still cut it and their frogs bled to death. Some mischievous, gangster 'cool dudes' stabbed the frog right in the abdomen on their first time to show their indifference and valor. I was very meticulous, successfully preserved the vein and took a long time in just opening up the frog. A live beating heart was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. I just kept on wondering why is it beating, where is the energy coming from. And then the bell rang. The practical time was over. In fact it was the last period; school time was over. But I wasn't done yet. I had just opened up the frog. So what I did was I cut it's oesophagus from the highest end, then I cut it's cloaca and took out it's whole digestive system with every organ I could get hold of. I wrapped it in a paper, put it in my pocket and brought it home.
On coming back, in all excitement, I told mom, 'Hey mom, guess what I've got from school? FROG BOWELS!!! Yayyyy' She said it was disgusting and told me to get it out of the room. So I dissected and observed each and every thing of it in the veranda. I opened up the stomach and and intestines and looked at their insides to my heart's content. Finally I threw it away.
There were just three or four dissections in school. It wasn't enough of frog for me. I decided to buy a frog and dissect it at home. My younger brother had also reached the dissection stage so I bought one from him too, from Anarkali. I kept them in an old shoe box. To anesthetize them I soaked a piece of cotton in the anesthetic, dropped it in the box and covered it. I thought that the frogs would get unconscious by it's fumes. I shook the box well and it took a long time to knock them out. I had wanted to buy chloroform but the guy at the shop gave me carbon disulfide instead, saying that it was a 'better' anesthetic. In fact it was worse. Our frogs kept on convulsing during the whole dissection, though I had kept cotton pieces soaked in the anesthetic under the frogs' nostrils.
Even before a frog I had dissected a chick. I must have been in grade six or seven then. There was this huge banyan tree behind our house whose branches had covered half or our roof. Crows and eagles would frequently build nests on it. Once I found a dead chick on our roof. I couldn't figure out the specie; it didn't even have feathers on it. But it was big enough for me to play with. I dissected it with make shift instruments: straws and sticks and tree branches.
The preserved specimen in the biology lab were another interesting thing. I decided to build my own museum. I would kill animals, tie them on a scale with a thread and place them inside an empty jam bottle. To preserve them I would add spirit in the bottle. And the specimen would look just like those in the biology lab, erect in the bottle. I had collected lizard, mouse, centipede, millipede, earthworm, another lizard like reptile I don't know the name of and any other thing I would across. I killed lizard with an air gun and mice in a mouse trap. To kill the invertebrates I would directly drop them in a bottle full of spirit. Earthworms would convulse violently, release a white fluid from one end, anus or mouth, and die. Sprinkling salt over earthworms when they would come out after rain and watch them convulse was one of our (me, brother and cousins) favorite deeds. I had kept all the specimen bottles in a cupboard properly arranged and labeled.
In high school we had to dissect cockroach. Again I was good at it. I could separate out the digestive system of the roach very finely while some messed it pretty much. But there was one thing I couldn't do in first and second years of med school. Stunning the frog. Uff...I was never able to do that. Striking a rod hard on a conscious frog's head to knock it out, the sign of which was it's tongue would protrude out. So you'd have to blow real hard on the first time. If you do not strike hard enough, it would not get unconscious and would just shriek in pain. Most of the first timers would do that. Strike it lightly again and again. That was very disgusting. I never did it. Pithing was one hell of a job too. You had to run a needle all along it's spinal cord to destroy it. Many guys would insert the needle in every part of the frog but the spinal canal. It was difficult to find in the beginning but easy once you knew the technique. That was after brutally killing three or four frogs.
When spiders caught my attention, I would be in search for one every day. I would observe it build its web and wait for a prey in the center of it. Sometimes I would pick up some insect and deliberately throw it on the web so that it would get stuck in it. I would see the spider come for it, wrap it with its thread and eat it.
In plants 'reproductive botany' was my favourite. I loved sowing seeds and watching them sprout and grow. I sowed watermelon seeds, mango seeds, ginger, garlic, onion. I followed them for some time till my interest faded. Inspired by Mendel I grew peas too, in a jam bottle. It sprouted and produced more peas. Once I grew Rhizopus on a piece of bread by soaking it in water and keeping it in a dark place. I scrapped it off, took it to college and observed under microscope. I also scrapped some moss from a dark, wet wall to see it under microscope.
Ah, such were those days. :-)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Operation Northwoods
Operation Northwoods, or Northwoods, was a false-flag plan, proposed within the United States government in 1962. The plan called for CIA or other operatives to commit apparent acts of terrorism in U.S. cities to create public support for a war against Castro-led Cuba. One plan was to "develop a Communist Cuban terror campaign in the Miami area, in other Florida cities and even in Washington".
This operation is especially notable in that it included plans for hijackings and bombings followed by the use of phony evidence that would blame the terrorist acts on a foreign government, namely Cuba.
The plan stated:
The desired resultant from the execution of this plan would be to place the United States in the apparent position of suffering defensible grievances from a rash and irresponsible government of Cuba and to develop an international image of a Cuban threat to peace in the Western Hemisphere.
President John F. Kennedy personally rejected the Northwoods proposal and it was never executed. Obviously they would never have made it public if it was carried out. Read more
This operation is especially notable in that it included plans for hijackings and bombings followed by the use of phony evidence that would blame the terrorist acts on a foreign government, namely Cuba.
The plan stated:
The desired resultant from the execution of this plan would be to place the United States in the apparent position of suffering defensible grievances from a rash and irresponsible government of Cuba and to develop an international image of a Cuban threat to peace in the Western Hemisphere.
President John F. Kennedy personally rejected the Northwoods proposal and it was never executed. Obviously they would never have made it public if it was carried out. Read more
Thursday, October 15, 2009
On Lahore attacks
An acute, large scale war with clearly defined enemies and an end result is better than dying chronically.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Me versus Jews/Pro-Jews
If you ever read the comments below some controversial/religious videos on YouTube, you must have noted that sometimes they get really filthy, calling bad names to each others' religion and gods. This may seem stupid but there was this holocaust video on YouTube and I posted a harsh comment and there started a battle. The repliers were definitely pro Jewish if not Jews. This is how it went:
Me: This is what should happen to Jews again. They deserve it.
Jew 1: You even don't know what you speak, you have no idea how evil you are! You believe or not but GOD'S BREATH is in you, too. Be happy that you live!!!
Me: Evil? Evil are those who force people out of their houses saying that this is their land. Evil are those who kill innocent people. Evil are those who demolish innocent people's houses. Evil are those who killed more than 1000 unarmed people this year in January (not to mention those killed in previous years) using phosphorus bombs violating all international laws. (Oh and by the way phosphorus burns human flesh) There are thousands of videos here on YouTube . I can post here so many links.
Jew 2: Please buy some brains
Me: Lol. That's all you could come up with? May be you need to buy some brains. And please buy an extra occipital lobe so that you can see whats really going on in Gaza.
Jew 2: uuuuuuuuhm yes those are the only words i know
Jew 3: Are you comparing Gazy to the Holocaust? Do us all a favour and have a brain check in Pakistan (LOL)...
Me: Are you saying that Holocaust jusitfies Gaza massacre? Can I kill your family because somebody else killed mine? And that somebody has no link with you whatsoever.
Jew 3: No, but this video is not about the Gaza strip. You might want to join the Neo Nazi movement instead posting your hatred here.
Me: O come on dude. Gaza came up as a part of discussion. You know that. It's just that it was the only answer that came in your mind. Well I could say that this video is not about a Neo Nazi movement. They didn't teach you in school how to engage in a healthy discussion? And where is hatred? That was mere truth/criticism that you call that you Jews/ pro Jews can't bear and label it as hatred/antisemitism like this israeli minister telling here:
It's time you opened your eyes.
Jew 3: Are you from Paki Stan? Oh ok, that surely explains your ignorance... my bad...
Me: And you are from England which explains your stupidity and such a 'rational' and 'logical' answer! Thank you.
Jew 1: And again I say to ainwee and to the others who think all these evil things that we all have GOD'S BREATH in us, respect each other and be happy that you live! You even don't understand what you speak and how evil you are!
Me: History shows that where ever Jews went they were beaten and forced out from that area. Because that was the only way to achieve peace. If Jews really believe that they are the 'chosen ones' then they should wish to die. Because they love God and God loves them right? They should long to meet God. But they don't, they want this world, they want 'land'. They wouldn't pound on someone's land and say it is ours if they had a belief in God. And God certainly doesnt want them to kill thousands of people.
Jew 4: i see you're from Pakistan......well,can you please tell me how Pakistan came to existence??? and i'm sure it's not the jews killing innocent people but your kamikaze cousins!and for the argument of them wanting land.....how about kashmeer????It seems to me that the accuser is guilty of what he's accusing!BTW should they wish to die because they love God?the only ones who reason that way are people like you!!!waiting to see virgins and fast horses in the other side!
Me: Oh, a very good question. We have to go in history. Muslims had been living in Indian subcontinent for over a thousand years. The Mughals (Muslims) ruled India for about 400 years very PEACEFULLY. The Hindus were OK with it; there was never any resistance movement. Then the Brits decided to destroy the world and in the process they conquered India. Now there are four castes in Hindu religion, the lowest being the Shudars. The upper classes of Hindus consider Shudars unclean and don’t like to talk to them and touch them. Muslims were considered by Hindus even lower than the Shudars. This and so many other differences in the religion (e.g. Muslims eat cow while cow is a god for Hindus; they obviously couldn’t see their god being slaughtered and eaten) led Muslims to demand the DIVISION OF A COUNTRY IN WHICH THEY WERE ALREADY LIVING FOR A THOUSAND YEARS. Hindus went to one side while Muslims went on the other side of the border.
Jews on the other hand say that the land of Palestine is promised to them by God. Their movement took acceleration after world wars when Jews from all over the world specially Europe started settling in Palestine. After the United Nations Partition Plan more Jews started pouring in and they forcefully made the people evacuate the houses already living there. The resistance by Palestinians and Arabs was obvious. You don’t pound on someone’s house and say that it’s mine because god said so. You live in Italy right? If I start sending people from Pakistan to Italy today and say that Italy is ours because our scriptures say so, what would you do? You would kill us.
You say the Jews aren’t killing the people there? How about this:
and this:
Are you sleeping or what? I can paste here thousands of more videos. And by the way those kamikazes are not my cousins, they are my BROTHERS. That’s the only way they’ve got kill some 13 Jews in response to 1000 of their own killed (source) An atomic power and possessor of phosphorus bombs, laser guided missiles, tanks, radars and fighter jets versus suicide bombers and children throwing stones at the tanks. What a match!
And Kashmir, again you don’t send your 0.7 million army to an area and start killing people and say it is ours while the people of that area want to live independently. These examples of Kashmir and Pakistan you gave are completely out of place. Israeli case is very different from these.
And yes that is very very logical. If they loved God they wouldn’t kill innocent people. If they loved God, they wouldn’t want a piece of land. They would rather long to meet God and worry about the life hereafter! You ever loved someone? I’m sure you like to live with your loved ones, not away from them and blackmail other people in their name.
Jew 4: so what you're saying is the hindus started hateing the muslims after the brits ruined the world?it really doesn't sound coherent....and anyway........kashmeer?....... .and why do muslims bomb countries in order to form an islamic state???
Me: Dear dear, I'll have to teach you whole history over here in this little space. Muslims ruled India for hundereds of years and there was peace most of the time. When the British decided to leave a battle for dominance started between Hindus and Muslims. Muslims didn't want Hindu rule because they feared that they will be subjugated and maltreated as they were already being in Hindu majority states even in British rule. The reason was British were on Hindus side. The evidence of which is that many areas which were to be added in Pakistan were given to India on the very night of partition and independance.That could only occur through personal relations of Hindus with British.
OK,so which Islamic state was formed after Muslims 'bombed' that area?Is it wrong to act against the 0.7 million Indian army deployed in Kashmir to forcefuly occupy the land?Why don't you ask the Indians and Jews about their forceful occupation of land and killing of inocent people?
Jew 4: you said muslims ruled India for a long time even though they were a minority.......now,do you know what year it is according to the jewish calendar?and where do you think they were for centuries before muslims even existed????in New York????and anyway nobody's saying the war on Gaza was because of the holocaust other than you
Me: OK, so you say that Jews existed in that land before Muslims which is like thousands of years before? So, according to your argument Christians and Muslims should have no place on earth because both are newer religions. Muslims ruled Spain for 800 years. They don't say that Spain is ours.
There have been wars and conquests throughout history. So to know that to whom does a particular land belongs, should we go back in history and see who conquered that land first of all? That's not the way things go. The point is forceful occupation and killing of innocent people which if anyone (whether they be Jews, Christians or Muslims) does should be comdemned and stopped by force.
Me: This is what should happen to Jews again. They deserve it.
Jew 1: You even don't know what you speak, you have no idea how evil you are! You believe or not but GOD'S BREATH is in you, too. Be happy that you live!!!
Me: Evil? Evil are those who force people out of their houses saying that this is their land. Evil are those who kill innocent people. Evil are those who demolish innocent people's houses. Evil are those who killed more than 1000 unarmed people this year in January (not to mention those killed in previous years) using phosphorus bombs violating all international laws. (Oh and by the way phosphorus burns human flesh) There are thousands of videos here on YouTube . I can post here so many links.
Jew 2: Please buy some brains
Me: Lol. That's all you could come up with? May be you need to buy some brains. And please buy an extra occipital lobe so that you can see whats really going on in Gaza.
Jew 2: uuuuuuuuhm yes those are the only words i know
Jew 3: Are you comparing Gazy to the Holocaust? Do us all a favour and have a brain check in Pakistan (LOL)...
Me: Are you saying that Holocaust jusitfies Gaza massacre? Can I kill your family because somebody else killed mine? And that somebody has no link with you whatsoever.
Jew 3: No, but this video is not about the Gaza strip. You might want to join the Neo Nazi movement instead posting your hatred here.
Me: O come on dude. Gaza came up as a part of discussion. You know that. It's just that it was the only answer that came in your mind. Well I could say that this video is not about a Neo Nazi movement. They didn't teach you in school how to engage in a healthy discussion? And where is hatred? That was mere truth/criticism that you call that you Jews/ pro Jews can't bear and label it as hatred/antisemitism like this israeli minister telling here:
It's time you opened your eyes.
Jew 3: Are you from Paki Stan? Oh ok, that surely explains your ignorance... my bad...
Me: And you are from England which explains your stupidity and such a 'rational' and 'logical' answer! Thank you.
Jew 1: And again I say to ainwee and to the others who think all these evil things that we all have GOD'S BREATH in us, respect each other and be happy that you live! You even don't understand what you speak and how evil you are!
Me: History shows that where ever Jews went they were beaten and forced out from that area. Because that was the only way to achieve peace. If Jews really believe that they are the 'chosen ones' then they should wish to die. Because they love God and God loves them right? They should long to meet God. But they don't, they want this world, they want 'land'. They wouldn't pound on someone's land and say it is ours if they had a belief in God. And God certainly doesnt want them to kill thousands of people.
Jew 4: i see you're from Pakistan......well,can you please tell me how Pakistan came to existence??? and i'm sure it's not the jews killing innocent people but your kamikaze cousins!and for the argument of them wanting land.....how about kashmeer????It seems to me that the accuser is guilty of what he's accusing!BTW should they wish to die because they love God?the only ones who reason that way are people like you!!!waiting to see virgins and fast horses in the other side!
Me: Oh, a very good question. We have to go in history. Muslims had been living in Indian subcontinent for over a thousand years. The Mughals (Muslims) ruled India for about 400 years very PEACEFULLY. The Hindus were OK with it; there was never any resistance movement. Then the Brits decided to destroy the world and in the process they conquered India. Now there are four castes in Hindu religion, the lowest being the Shudars. The upper classes of Hindus consider Shudars unclean and don’t like to talk to them and touch them. Muslims were considered by Hindus even lower than the Shudars. This and so many other differences in the religion (e.g. Muslims eat cow while cow is a god for Hindus; they obviously couldn’t see their god being slaughtered and eaten) led Muslims to demand the DIVISION OF A COUNTRY IN WHICH THEY WERE ALREADY LIVING FOR A THOUSAND YEARS. Hindus went to one side while Muslims went on the other side of the border.
Jews on the other hand say that the land of Palestine is promised to them by God. Their movement took acceleration after world wars when Jews from all over the world specially Europe started settling in Palestine. After the United Nations Partition Plan more Jews started pouring in and they forcefully made the people evacuate the houses already living there. The resistance by Palestinians and Arabs was obvious. You don’t pound on someone’s house and say that it’s mine because god said so. You live in Italy right? If I start sending people from Pakistan to Italy today and say that Italy is ours because our scriptures say so, what would you do? You would kill us.
You say the Jews aren’t killing the people there? How about this:
and this:
Are you sleeping or what? I can paste here thousands of more videos. And by the way those kamikazes are not my cousins, they are my BROTHERS. That’s the only way they’ve got kill some 13 Jews in response to 1000 of their own killed (source) An atomic power and possessor of phosphorus bombs, laser guided missiles, tanks, radars and fighter jets versus suicide bombers and children throwing stones at the tanks. What a match!
And Kashmir, again you don’t send your 0.7 million army to an area and start killing people and say it is ours while the people of that area want to live independently. These examples of Kashmir and Pakistan you gave are completely out of place. Israeli case is very different from these.
And yes that is very very logical. If they loved God they wouldn’t kill innocent people. If they loved God, they wouldn’t want a piece of land. They would rather long to meet God and worry about the life hereafter! You ever loved someone? I’m sure you like to live with your loved ones, not away from them and blackmail other people in their name.
Jew 4: so what you're saying is the hindus started hateing the muslims after the brits ruined the world?it really doesn't sound coherent....and anyway........kashmeer?....... .and why do muslims bomb countries in order to form an islamic state???
Me: Dear dear, I'll have to teach you whole history over here in this little space. Muslims ruled India for hundereds of years and there was peace most of the time. When the British decided to leave a battle for dominance started between Hindus and Muslims. Muslims didn't want Hindu rule because they feared that they will be subjugated and maltreated as they were already being in Hindu majority states even in British rule. The reason was British were on Hindus side. The evidence of which is that many areas which were to be added in Pakistan were given to India on the very night of partition and independance.That could only occur through personal relations of Hindus with British.
OK,so which Islamic state was formed after Muslims 'bombed' that area?Is it wrong to act against the 0.7 million Indian army deployed in Kashmir to forcefuly occupy the land?Why don't you ask the Indians and Jews about their forceful occupation of land and killing of inocent people?
Jew 4: you said muslims ruled India for a long time even though they were a minority.......now,do you know what year it is according to the jewish calendar?and where do you think they were for centuries before muslims even existed????in New York????and anyway nobody's saying the war on Gaza was because of the holocaust other than you
Me: OK, so you say that Jews existed in that land before Muslims which is like thousands of years before? So, according to your argument Christians and Muslims should have no place on earth because both are newer religions. Muslims ruled Spain for 800 years. They don't say that Spain is ours.
There have been wars and conquests throughout history. So to know that to whom does a particular land belongs, should we go back in history and see who conquered that land first of all? That's not the way things go. The point is forceful occupation and killing of innocent people which if anyone (whether they be Jews, Christians or Muslims) does should be comdemned and stopped by force.
I don't know if there's any limit of comments on YouTube but I could'nt post any more comments. Anyways aina di aisi di taisi :-p
Friday, July 31, 2009
Death
I wont say I'm not afraid of dying but the verses of Quran about going back to God really helped. It made it a little exciting. The afterworld and a positive life in this world lessens the fear of death. And now I know that ardent believers and hard practicing Muslims are not afraid of dying. They look forward to it. And Quran is so right when it asks the Jews that if you are right then you should wish to die. (62:6) Mumtaz Mufti asked his son that don't mourn when I die, rather celebrate my death, sing and dance and beat drums.
Usama Qamar's funeral was really sad today. He must have been twenty one, one year junior to us in the university. Everyone looked as if they knew him very well. No fashion, no deodorant, no spikes. Everyone felt it. Usama is great in the sense that he shook us all, stimulated us to think, gave us a lesson. On my way back I kept on thinking what if it were me. I thought about my funeral, where would they have arranged it, how many people would have come. And then I thought am I ready?
Usama Qamar's funeral was really sad today. He must have been twenty one, one year junior to us in the university. Everyone looked as if they knew him very well. No fashion, no deodorant, no spikes. Everyone felt it. Usama is great in the sense that he shook us all, stimulated us to think, gave us a lesson. On my way back I kept on thinking what if it were me. I thought about my funeral, where would they have arranged it, how many people would have come. And then I thought am I ready?
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Dogs
Dogs bark. Some dogs bark to hinder your way and if you want to grow then you must learn to ignore these dogs. You always grow against resistance. If there are no dogs in your way then you are not really going anywhere.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
The Journey
I'l be at the airport in half an hour. I tried to remain calm and casual but couldn't. Because I know it's huge. And I'm going to learn a lot of things. I hope I get something permanent out of it. It's just half an hour and I'm still unable to decide what to pray on the first sight of Kaaba. There are a lot of things.
And man...its really hot in Saudi Arabia.
And man...its really hot in Saudi Arabia.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
'Taliban' exposed
Major General Athar Abbas, spokesman military and DG ISPR has said that Taliban are using weapons of NATO and that foreign agencies are training and supplying weapons to them. (Source)
Now those taliban phobic 'enlightened moderates' would still not raise their voices against these foreign hands. They will still fail to see that the same people are helping taliban who are asking Pakistan army to fight against them. They will still not realize that it's the people behind taliban who are a threat to Pakistan's nuclear assets. They still won't understand that fighting taliban wouldn't do any good unless you fight with people sending taliban.
If you want to get to rid of a tree, you don't waste time and money cutting the branches; you cut the roots. Branches sprout again.
Now those taliban phobic 'enlightened moderates' would still not raise their voices against these foreign hands. They will still fail to see that the same people are helping taliban who are asking Pakistan army to fight against them. They will still not realize that it's the people behind taliban who are a threat to Pakistan's nuclear assets. They still won't understand that fighting taliban wouldn't do any good unless you fight with people sending taliban.
If you want to get to rid of a tree, you don't waste time and money cutting the branches; you cut the roots. Branches sprout again.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Bake sale
A novel way to help Swat IDPs. We sold home made pizzas, cakes, cookies, pies, burgers, sandwiches and chana chaat and were able to collect Rs. 21,000 in one day. All for Swat people.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
1-5 blast
As they came in the emergency of Mayo Hospital one after the other...
Targeting police serves a special purpose. It scares them, along with the common people. Many policemen might have abandoned their job because of this and many of those who had thought of going in the police department might have given up their thoughts. Result: a still weaker and lesser police, local thieves and criminals getting brave, shattered law and order, chaos, collapse. Target achieved.
3-3-9
30-3-9
27-5-9
9
Targeting police serves a special purpose. It scares them, along with the common people. Many policemen might have abandoned their job because of this and many of those who had thought of going in the police department might have given up their thoughts. Result: a still weaker and lesser police, local thieves and criminals getting brave, shattered law and order, chaos, collapse. Target achieved.
3-3-9
30-3-9
27-5-9
9
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
OMG
This is what a patient had to present in the E.N.T Out Patient Department yesterday. Pity they don't show up early.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Good Bye Bano Ji
One of my favorites that she sang, Dasht-e-tanhai by Faiz. This is one of the poems that I learned by heart and sang it in the class in Government College. :-D Our Urdu teacher would very often ask me to sing something semi classical in the class.
This is a golden video. I can recognize Ashfaq Ahmed, Amjad Islam Amjad and Ahmed Faraz among the audience. Notice Iqbal Bano's way of receiving compliments.
This is a golden video. I can recognize Ashfaq Ahmed, Amjad Islam Amjad and Ahmed Faraz among the audience. Notice Iqbal Bano's way of receiving compliments.
Monday, April 20, 2009
On having kids
I wanted to be called a father. Saad said you are an uncle, Mamoo (as if he knows what I've been doing!). Anyways their paternity is not important as long as they are being cared for properly. My peahen had been incubating five eggs and three chicks hatched out the day before. Small, plump, cute. Mommy (I've now named her Daisy) is happy and I'm happy. To name the chicks their sex had to be known, obviously and the only way chicks' sex can be determined is by palpating their genitals with the pulp of a finger which I'm not going to do by any means. So Saad and Noman suggested unisex names like Naseem, Tallat and Farrukh etc for which I'm thankful to them. I'l consider these names.
Daisy is a wise mommy. She's vigilant and takes each and every step slowly and carefully as she walks while her chicks follow her. Once she stepped on one of her chicks accidentally. She soon realized it, did not put her weight on that foot and lifted it immediately. What I'm rather flabbergasted at is the communication between the family. She produces different voices to which the chicks respond. She has a different voice on sensing danger to which the chicks respond by hiding beneath/behind her. A distinct voice on finding something eatable which is a signal for the chicks to come close to her beak and look forward to something tasty. God!
Feeding time. Scrambled egg is one of their favorites.
Daisy is a wise mommy. She's vigilant and takes each and every step slowly and carefully as she walks while her chicks follow her. Once she stepped on one of her chicks accidentally. She soon realized it, did not put her weight on that foot and lifted it immediately. What I'm rather flabbergasted at is the communication between the family. She produces different voices to which the chicks respond. She has a different voice on sensing danger to which the chicks respond by hiding beneath/behind her. A distinct voice on finding something eatable which is a signal for the chicks to come close to her beak and look forward to something tasty. God!
Feeding time. Scrambled egg is one of their favorites.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Bad weddings
I hate those weddings in which they create a partition between male and female guests. It kills half my purpose of going to weddings. And if the food is bad, the other half is killed too. ;-)
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Tit for tat
An Indian Colonel, one Harish Puri's letter to General Kiyani was painful and infuriating. The reply by a Pakistani was analgesic and euphoric. Here I post both the letters. They are really interesting. Note the similarity of words in both, specially in the beginning.
An open letter to General Kiyani
Dear Gen Kayani,
Sir, let me begin by recounting that old army quip that did the rounds in the immediate aftermath of World war II: To guarantee victory, an army should ideally have German generals, British officers, Indian soldiers, American equipment and Italian enemies.
A Pakistani soldier that I met in Iraq in 2004 lamented the fact that the Pakistani soldier in Kargil had been badly let down firstly by Nawaz Sharif and then by the Pakistani officers' cadre. Pakistani soldiers led by Indian officers, , he believed, would be the most fearsome combination possible. Pakistani officers, he went on to say, were more into real estate, defence housing colonies and the like.
As I look at two photographs of surrender that lie before me, I can't help recalling his words. The first is the celebrated event at Dhaka on Dec 16, 1971, which now adorns most Army messes in Delhi and Calcutta. The second, sir, is the video of a teenage girl being flogged by the Taliban in Swat -- not far, I am sure, from one of your Army check posts.
The surrender by any Army is always a sad and humiliating event. Gen Niazi surrendered in Dhaka to a professional army that had outnumbered and outfought him. No Pakistani has been able to get over that humiliation, and 16th December is remembered as a black day by the Pakistani Army and the Pakistani state. But battles are won and lost – armies know this, and having learnt their lessons, they move on.
But much more sadly, the video of the teenager being flogged represents an even more abject surrender by the Pakistani Army. The surrender in 1971, though humiliating, was not disgraceful. This time around, sir, what happened on your watch was something no Army commander should have to live through. The girl could have been your own daughter, or mine.
I have always maintained that the Pakistani Army, like its Indian counterpart, is a thoroughly professional outfit. It has fought valiantly in the three wars against India, and also accredited itself well in its UN missions abroad. It is, therefore, by no means a pushover. The instance of an Infantry unit, led by a lieutenant colonel, meekly laying down arms before 20-odd militants should have been an aberration. But this capitulation in Swat, that too so soon after your own visit to the area, is an assault on the sensibilities of any soldier. What did you tell your soldiers? What great inspirational speech did you make that made your troops back off without a murmur? Sir, I have fought insurgency in Kashmir as well as the North-East, but despite the occasional losses suffered (as is bound to be the case in counter-insurgency operations), such total surrender is unthinkable.
I have been a signaller, and it beats me how my counterparts in your Signal Corps could not locate or even jam a normal FM radio station broadcasting on a fixed frequency at fixed timings. Is there more than meets the eye?
I am told that it is difficult for your troops to "fight their own people." But you never had that problem in East Pakistan in 1971, where the atrocities committed by your own troops are well documented in the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report. Or is it that the Bengalis were never considered "your own" people, influenced as they were by the Hindus across the border? Or is that your troops are terrified by the ruthless barbarians of the Taliban?
Sir, it is imperative that we recognise our enemy without any delay. I use the word "our" advisedly – for the Taliban threat is not far from India's borders. And the only force that can stop them from dragging Pakistan back into the Stone Age is the force that you command. In this historic moment, providence has placed a tremendous responsibility in your hands. Indeed, the fate of your nation, the future of humankind in the subcontinent rests with you. It doesn't matter if it is "my war" or "your war" – it is a war that has to be won. A desperate Swati citizen's desperate lament says it all – "Please drop an atom bomb on us and put us out of our misery!" Do not fail him, sir.
But in the gloom and the ignominy, the average Pakistani citizen has shown us that there is hope yet. The lawyers, the media, have all refused to buckle even under direct threats. It took the Taliban no less than 32 bullets to still the voice of a brave journalist. Yes, there is hope – but why don't we hear the same language from you? Look to these brave hearts, sir – and maybe we shall see the tide turn. Our prayers are with you, and the hapless people of Swat.
The New York Times predicts that Pakistan will collapse in six months. Do you want to go down in history as the man who allowed that to happen?
The writer is a retired colonel of the Indian army who lives in Pune. Email: hbpuri@hotmail.com
The response by a Pakistani.
Dear Mr. Puri,
Sir, let me begin by reminding you of the quip that made rounds all over Asia, right after the 1965 Indo-Pak war: To guarantee defeat, an army should ideally have Indian Generals, Indian Officers, Indian Soldiers, Israeli Equipment and Pakistani enemies.
An Indian Air Marshal that I personally met, told me that in the 1965 war, one Pakistani pilot, brought down 6 Indian AirForce Jets, in less than 60 seconds. Israeli Air Force pilots under Indian command, he said, would be the most hilarious combination possible. Indian Officers he argued, were more into Bollywood Actresses, Killing innocent people in Kashmir and getting their asses kicked in Mumbai by a bunch of amateurs.
As I look at the moments of numerous defeats that Indian Forces face every day in Kashmir, against a bunch of Mujahideen, with an ultra-equipped army of 700,000 troops, I can’t resist recalling his words. The second is the moment when the world witnessed in the war of 1965, the graveyard of 100, 200 no 600 Indian tanks not far from your border.
The surrender of any army is no doubt a sad and humiliating event. And to think of the signing of the Tashkent (ceasefire) agreement to end the 1965 war, after which your Prime Minister Shastri died of heart attack, entertains me with rolls of laughter. The fact that India was once again planning to attack Pakistan in 1986 (during the reign of Gen Zia-ul-Haq) under the wise leadership of Rajiv Gandhi; Rajiv Gandhi, the then PM of India, during his conference with the Indian Generals and top brass of India (to finalise the details of the attack) receives a call from Gen. Zia ul Haq where he reminds Rajiv Gandhi that he also has the copy of the file of plans lying on his (Rajiv Gandhi’s) table for discussion, and then Gen Zia flies all the way to Jaipur (and meets the Indian PM during a cricket match) to return that copy, as a courtesy to the Indian PM to remind him that we might’ve been sleeping, but we’re NOT Dead! – sometimes makes a cunning smile cross my face. That some wars are lost even before they’ve started, is not only shamefully mortifying, but a serious blow to the entire establishment; and is simply a lesson that is taught only once.
I always thought that the Indian Army was far superior to the Pakistan Army, in terms of their Artillery, Infantry, Fighter Fleet and weaponry systems (being provided to them exclusively by Israel), however, President Jiang Zheming reminded us recently in 2002, when India was once again planning to attack Pakistan – that he had never known soldiers more pusillanimous (meaning cowardly) than those that represented the Indian Army. He was of course referring to the fleeing incident of the 1962 Indo-China conflict, where Indian soldiers fled the battleground, and in their haste to “run away”, forgot their weapons, which China later returned to India (it is also said that Chinese army cleaned, polished and removed the rust of the arms being used by Indian Army before returning them). Such total surrender, disgrace, and fleeing the battleground, by men who call themselves “soldiers”, is astonishingly humiliating yet funny.
I have been an analyst, and it beats me how my counterparts in India have been unable to understand the Asamese Freedom fighters, the Kashmir Freedom Fighters, The Naxalites etc. etc. (the list may fill up a page), in over 60 years, and keep on blaming Pakistan for all their woes. Moreover, how the Hindu Extremist parties like the RSS have opened up training camps in densely populated urban areas, training Hindu extremists to burn people alive, and to bring down landmarks as significant as the Babri Masjid, without raising any eyebrows in the Government. Is there more than meets the eye?
We are told that it is tough for your army to counter “your own people”, like the extremists of Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Pareshad and RSS. Whether it be burning of thousands of Muslims alive in Gujrat, or be it the genocide of Christian minorities in Orissa, your security forces simply stand and watch the mass murder of innocent unarmed people.
Mr. Puri, it is imperative that without any further delay, we recognize our enemy. I use the word “our” advisedly because the threat of BJP (which is fully backed by the types of Narindra Modi and parties like RSS, VP and BD) coming into power in the upcoming elections – and putting our borders under serious jeopardy, is quite imminent. Additionally, your army consists of several serving officers like Col. Purohit, who exhibit hostility and hatred towards Pakistanis by bombing innocent civilians in trains (Samjhauta Express). What is more, the BJP did not mind mass murdering people in Mumbai during November last year, simply to prove its point that the Congress Govt. was a major failure, and during the upcoming elections, BJP must win. And framing the “Pakistani terrorists” was the easiest part, because a similar hostile viewpoint is maintained by a vast majority of Hindu population in India.
You remind me of one Pakistani journalist being killed by the so called Taliban Pakistan? Well, ever heard of the Journalists who were “MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD” by Israelis, not by shooting them down with bullets, but by running tanks over them. God knows how many such journalists have been run-over, murdered by Indian Extremist parties in the name of nationalistic planned killings. But believe me, there still are some sane voices in India like Arundhati Roy and Amresh Misra, and it is about time you started thinking rationally and instead of suppressing their voices, gave them some room to express their thoughts, so that BJP does not hi-jack India once again.
Ok, anecdotes aside, on a serious note:
What would you say if we asked you what took the “Indian Commandos”, the Indian NSG and the Israeli Commandos, 60 long hours to control only 10 terrorists who had hijacked Mumbai in less than 60 minutes? You were trying to save as many hostages you say eh? To avoid casualties to the max, isn’t it? Why didn’t the Indian Govt. simply drop bombs over the Taj & Oberoi hotels, (and let’s not forget the Nariman house, where your Israeli friends were busy cooking broth for Pakistan). And you shamelessly suggest we wipe off a complete region just because its got a few black sheep? Ok, it seems to us, Mr. Puri, that either you are not and have never been a part of the Indian Army, or they retired you early due to your childish, infact amusing approach towards solving problems. As to why we decided to stop the operation against these Terrorists of Swat is something beyond your comprehension, and it would be highly recommended for you to stop giving advise to people with more than twice as much experience as you might have. Haven’t you heard the phrase “it is better to remain quiet and let people think you’re a fool instead of speaking up and confirming it”.
As far as the flogging of the girl in Swat is concerned, to which you have attributed your whole letter to our General (COAS), its a fake story. Even if it were true, it is mere punishment. What do you call the burning alive of human beings? This is a far worse threat and insult to humanity than any one could imagine in the 21st century!
Not only the NYT, but the Pentagon, Tel Aviv and Delhi have also expressed their opinion of Pakistan’s collapse in next six months. It doesn’t worry us much, because the sooner we learn about our enemies, the better. Nonetheless, it also clearly tells us about the forces at work in Pakistan trying to tear it apart. But we assure you, that even if we DO break (GOD Forbid), we’ll only break into 4. Think of what will happen if BJP takes over India and starts openly suppressing all the minorities in your population of over 1 billion people. India will break into countless pieces, just like the USSR.
A nice stunt you’ve pulled there, and I completely appreciate it. I hope that you shall equally enjoy our response to your “well-versed” letter. Keep the comedy coming, this is good for the future of both Pakistan and Bharat friendship.
Yours,
Chokore Paratha
An open letter to General Kiyani
Dear Gen Kayani,
Sir, let me begin by recounting that old army quip that did the rounds in the immediate aftermath of World war II: To guarantee victory, an army should ideally have German generals, British officers, Indian soldiers, American equipment and Italian enemies.
A Pakistani soldier that I met in Iraq in 2004 lamented the fact that the Pakistani soldier in Kargil had been badly let down firstly by Nawaz Sharif and then by the Pakistani officers' cadre. Pakistani soldiers led by Indian officers, , he believed, would be the most fearsome combination possible. Pakistani officers, he went on to say, were more into real estate, defence housing colonies and the like.
As I look at two photographs of surrender that lie before me, I can't help recalling his words. The first is the celebrated event at Dhaka on Dec 16, 1971, which now adorns most Army messes in Delhi and Calcutta. The second, sir, is the video of a teenage girl being flogged by the Taliban in Swat -- not far, I am sure, from one of your Army check posts.
The surrender by any Army is always a sad and humiliating event. Gen Niazi surrendered in Dhaka to a professional army that had outnumbered and outfought him. No Pakistani has been able to get over that humiliation, and 16th December is remembered as a black day by the Pakistani Army and the Pakistani state. But battles are won and lost – armies know this, and having learnt their lessons, they move on.
But much more sadly, the video of the teenager being flogged represents an even more abject surrender by the Pakistani Army. The surrender in 1971, though humiliating, was not disgraceful. This time around, sir, what happened on your watch was something no Army commander should have to live through. The girl could have been your own daughter, or mine.
I have always maintained that the Pakistani Army, like its Indian counterpart, is a thoroughly professional outfit. It has fought valiantly in the three wars against India, and also accredited itself well in its UN missions abroad. It is, therefore, by no means a pushover. The instance of an Infantry unit, led by a lieutenant colonel, meekly laying down arms before 20-odd militants should have been an aberration. But this capitulation in Swat, that too so soon after your own visit to the area, is an assault on the sensibilities of any soldier. What did you tell your soldiers? What great inspirational speech did you make that made your troops back off without a murmur? Sir, I have fought insurgency in Kashmir as well as the North-East, but despite the occasional losses suffered (as is bound to be the case in counter-insurgency operations), such total surrender is unthinkable.
I have been a signaller, and it beats me how my counterparts in your Signal Corps could not locate or even jam a normal FM radio station broadcasting on a fixed frequency at fixed timings. Is there more than meets the eye?
I am told that it is difficult for your troops to "fight their own people." But you never had that problem in East Pakistan in 1971, where the atrocities committed by your own troops are well documented in the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report. Or is it that the Bengalis were never considered "your own" people, influenced as they were by the Hindus across the border? Or is that your troops are terrified by the ruthless barbarians of the Taliban?
Sir, it is imperative that we recognise our enemy without any delay. I use the word "our" advisedly – for the Taliban threat is not far from India's borders. And the only force that can stop them from dragging Pakistan back into the Stone Age is the force that you command. In this historic moment, providence has placed a tremendous responsibility in your hands. Indeed, the fate of your nation, the future of humankind in the subcontinent rests with you. It doesn't matter if it is "my war" or "your war" – it is a war that has to be won. A desperate Swati citizen's desperate lament says it all – "Please drop an atom bomb on us and put us out of our misery!" Do not fail him, sir.
But in the gloom and the ignominy, the average Pakistani citizen has shown us that there is hope yet. The lawyers, the media, have all refused to buckle even under direct threats. It took the Taliban no less than 32 bullets to still the voice of a brave journalist. Yes, there is hope – but why don't we hear the same language from you? Look to these brave hearts, sir – and maybe we shall see the tide turn. Our prayers are with you, and the hapless people of Swat.
The New York Times predicts that Pakistan will collapse in six months. Do you want to go down in history as the man who allowed that to happen?
The writer is a retired colonel of the Indian army who lives in Pune. Email: hbpuri@hotmail.com
The response by a Pakistani.
Dear Mr. Puri,
Sir, let me begin by reminding you of the quip that made rounds all over Asia, right after the 1965 Indo-Pak war: To guarantee defeat, an army should ideally have Indian Generals, Indian Officers, Indian Soldiers, Israeli Equipment and Pakistani enemies.
An Indian Air Marshal that I personally met, told me that in the 1965 war, one Pakistani pilot, brought down 6 Indian AirForce Jets, in less than 60 seconds. Israeli Air Force pilots under Indian command, he said, would be the most hilarious combination possible. Indian Officers he argued, were more into Bollywood Actresses, Killing innocent people in Kashmir and getting their asses kicked in Mumbai by a bunch of amateurs.
As I look at the moments of numerous defeats that Indian Forces face every day in Kashmir, against a bunch of Mujahideen, with an ultra-equipped army of 700,000 troops, I can’t resist recalling his words. The second is the moment when the world witnessed in the war of 1965, the graveyard of 100, 200 no 600 Indian tanks not far from your border.
The surrender of any army is no doubt a sad and humiliating event. And to think of the signing of the Tashkent (ceasefire) agreement to end the 1965 war, after which your Prime Minister Shastri died of heart attack, entertains me with rolls of laughter. The fact that India was once again planning to attack Pakistan in 1986 (during the reign of Gen Zia-ul-Haq) under the wise leadership of Rajiv Gandhi; Rajiv Gandhi, the then PM of India, during his conference with the Indian Generals and top brass of India (to finalise the details of the attack) receives a call from Gen. Zia ul Haq where he reminds Rajiv Gandhi that he also has the copy of the file of plans lying on his (Rajiv Gandhi’s) table for discussion, and then Gen Zia flies all the way to Jaipur (and meets the Indian PM during a cricket match) to return that copy, as a courtesy to the Indian PM to remind him that we might’ve been sleeping, but we’re NOT Dead! – sometimes makes a cunning smile cross my face. That some wars are lost even before they’ve started, is not only shamefully mortifying, but a serious blow to the entire establishment; and is simply a lesson that is taught only once.
I always thought that the Indian Army was far superior to the Pakistan Army, in terms of their Artillery, Infantry, Fighter Fleet and weaponry systems (being provided to them exclusively by Israel), however, President Jiang Zheming reminded us recently in 2002, when India was once again planning to attack Pakistan – that he had never known soldiers more pusillanimous (meaning cowardly) than those that represented the Indian Army. He was of course referring to the fleeing incident of the 1962 Indo-China conflict, where Indian soldiers fled the battleground, and in their haste to “run away”, forgot their weapons, which China later returned to India (it is also said that Chinese army cleaned, polished and removed the rust of the arms being used by Indian Army before returning them). Such total surrender, disgrace, and fleeing the battleground, by men who call themselves “soldiers”, is astonishingly humiliating yet funny.
I have been an analyst, and it beats me how my counterparts in India have been unable to understand the Asamese Freedom fighters, the Kashmir Freedom Fighters, The Naxalites etc. etc. (the list may fill up a page), in over 60 years, and keep on blaming Pakistan for all their woes. Moreover, how the Hindu Extremist parties like the RSS have opened up training camps in densely populated urban areas, training Hindu extremists to burn people alive, and to bring down landmarks as significant as the Babri Masjid, without raising any eyebrows in the Government. Is there more than meets the eye?
We are told that it is tough for your army to counter “your own people”, like the extremists of Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Pareshad and RSS. Whether it be burning of thousands of Muslims alive in Gujrat, or be it the genocide of Christian minorities in Orissa, your security forces simply stand and watch the mass murder of innocent unarmed people.
Mr. Puri, it is imperative that without any further delay, we recognize our enemy. I use the word “our” advisedly because the threat of BJP (which is fully backed by the types of Narindra Modi and parties like RSS, VP and BD) coming into power in the upcoming elections – and putting our borders under serious jeopardy, is quite imminent. Additionally, your army consists of several serving officers like Col. Purohit, who exhibit hostility and hatred towards Pakistanis by bombing innocent civilians in trains (Samjhauta Express). What is more, the BJP did not mind mass murdering people in Mumbai during November last year, simply to prove its point that the Congress Govt. was a major failure, and during the upcoming elections, BJP must win. And framing the “Pakistani terrorists” was the easiest part, because a similar hostile viewpoint is maintained by a vast majority of Hindu population in India.
You remind me of one Pakistani journalist being killed by the so called Taliban Pakistan? Well, ever heard of the Journalists who were “MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD” by Israelis, not by shooting them down with bullets, but by running tanks over them. God knows how many such journalists have been run-over, murdered by Indian Extremist parties in the name of nationalistic planned killings. But believe me, there still are some sane voices in India like Arundhati Roy and Amresh Misra, and it is about time you started thinking rationally and instead of suppressing their voices, gave them some room to express their thoughts, so that BJP does not hi-jack India once again.
Ok, anecdotes aside, on a serious note:
What would you say if we asked you what took the “Indian Commandos”, the Indian NSG and the Israeli Commandos, 60 long hours to control only 10 terrorists who had hijacked Mumbai in less than 60 minutes? You were trying to save as many hostages you say eh? To avoid casualties to the max, isn’t it? Why didn’t the Indian Govt. simply drop bombs over the Taj & Oberoi hotels, (and let’s not forget the Nariman house, where your Israeli friends were busy cooking broth for Pakistan). And you shamelessly suggest we wipe off a complete region just because its got a few black sheep? Ok, it seems to us, Mr. Puri, that either you are not and have never been a part of the Indian Army, or they retired you early due to your childish, infact amusing approach towards solving problems. As to why we decided to stop the operation against these Terrorists of Swat is something beyond your comprehension, and it would be highly recommended for you to stop giving advise to people with more than twice as much experience as you might have. Haven’t you heard the phrase “it is better to remain quiet and let people think you’re a fool instead of speaking up and confirming it”.
As far as the flogging of the girl in Swat is concerned, to which you have attributed your whole letter to our General (COAS), its a fake story. Even if it were true, it is mere punishment. What do you call the burning alive of human beings? This is a far worse threat and insult to humanity than any one could imagine in the 21st century!
Not only the NYT, but the Pentagon, Tel Aviv and Delhi have also expressed their opinion of Pakistan’s collapse in next six months. It doesn’t worry us much, because the sooner we learn about our enemies, the better. Nonetheless, it also clearly tells us about the forces at work in Pakistan trying to tear it apart. But we assure you, that even if we DO break (GOD Forbid), we’ll only break into 4. Think of what will happen if BJP takes over India and starts openly suppressing all the minorities in your population of over 1 billion people. India will break into countless pieces, just like the USSR.
A nice stunt you’ve pulled there, and I completely appreciate it. I hope that you shall equally enjoy our response to your “well-versed” letter. Keep the comedy coming, this is good for the future of both Pakistan and Bharat friendship.
Yours,
Chokore Paratha
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
A tree in lungs!
It's not the bronchial tree. Russian surgeons found an actual plant growing inside a man's lungs which was thought to be a carcinoma. It is believed that the man inhaled a tiny seed which germinated in the lungs. It caused severe pain and the surgeons decided to operate and there was a surprise for them. Lol. What more have you got for us mother nature? (Source)
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The bigger game - 1
These are weird times. The world is in a state of war. There are no clearly defined enemies, there's no hero, no one knows when and how will this war end.
There are two ways this war can be observed. One, through the governments' eyes as shown by popular media. This perspective is as simple as ABC: 'Taliban and Al-Qaeda attacked America on 9/11 and now America wants to take revenge and wipe them out. Taliban have been hiding and running and America and its allies has been chasing them since the war started.' Cat and mouse game (We have got a very clever mouse by the way and the cat through this perspective falls nothing short of Tom). This is the easy way out. This is all what the governments tell us and want us to believe.
The second perspective is that its the cat who is cunning and the mouse is the poor guy. Reaching this conclusion is difficult because it requires inquisitiveness, deep insight and a lot of common sense. The information is difficult to get because it doesn't get that highlighted by the media and is ignored as unimportant. It is found in bits and pieces and the puzzle has to be solved by joining the information. The outcome is usually really huge and scary. Unfortunately the so called liberals and moderates who are vigorously skeptic about traditions, orthodoxy and religion miserably fail to read between the lines when it comes to politics. They don't question, they don't ponder. They want to believe the 'cunning mouse-naive cat' theory.
9/11 drama was staged by American government/agencies. Now there is a huge bundle of evidence supporting it. I have seen at least three American documentaries proving that 9/11 was not the job of Al-Qaeda. Evidence from other countries and other Americans is additive. Every one who believes that it was done by Al-Qaeda needs to go through the evidence against it. Common sense also raises many questions to create doubt against the government presented perspective. Like: How come the CIA never knew it? How come the air traffic controlling departments couldn't notice the change in a plane's route? Why weren't the defense mechanisms mobilized until the second plane crash which took place after about 10 minutes of the first? Etc. This was done to terrorize people, so that they would give up their rights, give in to the government and the government could justify her invasion of South Asia. There was NO other way at all she could do it. So the whole war on terror becomes a lie. Now, why would she do it, I haven't been able to find one answer. Oil reserves of Iraq, deeming Pakistan and China as potential threats and reaching up to them, fear of spreading of Islam. (Speaking of Islam, 20,000 people convert to Islam in America each year according to NBC News)
(To be continued)
There are two ways this war can be observed. One, through the governments' eyes as shown by popular media. This perspective is as simple as ABC: 'Taliban and Al-Qaeda attacked America on 9/11 and now America wants to take revenge and wipe them out. Taliban have been hiding and running and America and its allies has been chasing them since the war started.' Cat and mouse game (We have got a very clever mouse by the way and the cat through this perspective falls nothing short of Tom). This is the easy way out. This is all what the governments tell us and want us to believe.
The second perspective is that its the cat who is cunning and the mouse is the poor guy. Reaching this conclusion is difficult because it requires inquisitiveness, deep insight and a lot of common sense. The information is difficult to get because it doesn't get that highlighted by the media and is ignored as unimportant. It is found in bits and pieces and the puzzle has to be solved by joining the information. The outcome is usually really huge and scary. Unfortunately the so called liberals and moderates who are vigorously skeptic about traditions, orthodoxy and religion miserably fail to read between the lines when it comes to politics. They don't question, they don't ponder. They want to believe the 'cunning mouse-naive cat' theory.
9/11 drama was staged by American government/agencies. Now there is a huge bundle of evidence supporting it. I have seen at least three American documentaries proving that 9/11 was not the job of Al-Qaeda. Evidence from other countries and other Americans is additive. Every one who believes that it was done by Al-Qaeda needs to go through the evidence against it. Common sense also raises many questions to create doubt against the government presented perspective. Like: How come the CIA never knew it? How come the air traffic controlling departments couldn't notice the change in a plane's route? Why weren't the defense mechanisms mobilized until the second plane crash which took place after about 10 minutes of the first? Etc. This was done to terrorize people, so that they would give up their rights, give in to the government and the government could justify her invasion of South Asia. There was NO other way at all she could do it. So the whole war on terror becomes a lie. Now, why would she do it, I haven't been able to find one answer. Oil reserves of Iraq, deeming Pakistan and China as potential threats and reaching up to them, fear of spreading of Islam. (Speaking of Islam, 20,000 people convert to Islam in America each year according to NBC News)
(To be continued)
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Stairway to heaven
My brother specially called me from the gym to inform me about the rainbow that had adorned the sky in the evening. And I couldn't thank him enough :-)
It was actually a double rainbow. If you see closely in this photo there is another arc over the brighter one.
It was actually a double rainbow. If you see closely in this photo there is another arc over the brighter one.
Tom, Dick and Harry
I don't have to think twice when it comes to a Shah Sharabeel production. His name has become synonymous with quality English theater. I run to see the play as soon as possible.
This humorous play, by Ray and Michael Cooney, is about three brothers; Tom, Dick and Harry. Tom, the wise one, is married and wants to adopt a baby. Mrs. Potter from the adoption agency is about to arrive to evaluate the family. The whole play revolves around the three brother's preparation to make a good impression on Mrs. Potter and how one after the other they get into so much trouble.
Honestly, I didn't like it a lot. Perhaps it wasn't as HUGE as his last two plays Phantom of the Opera and Bombay Dreams were. There was just one set and it continued for almost two hours without any interval. In Bombay Dreams, the musical, there were about 500 performers and huge sets and beautiful dances. While it was the biggest production I had ever seen, Phantom of the Opera had the best sets and costume. These were the two best plays. This one was just time pass.
Here is an interview of Shah Sharabeel with little clips from Bombay Dreams
OK, now I have to put a dance from Bombay Dreams too :-D This was the last one and very unexpectedly the performers threw confetti all over the audience. Shah's plays are full of surprises. In Phantom of the Opera they actually threw a large chandelier on the stage from a height which shattered the bulbs with a loud noise.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Flogging of a girl by Taliban
It was bad. Deplorable. Despicable. Abhorrent. And all the words implying this meaning. It was nauseating to see that helpless girl being whipped like that. People are disturbed, obviously, as evident from the demonstrations held by rights activists, civil society members, workers and NGOs. Asma Jahangir, Human Rights Commission Pakistan (HRCP), Commission for Peace and Human Development (CPHD) have all condemned the horrible incidence. Good, well done. That should be the spirit.
Now the terrorist attacks every day in Lahore and Islamabad and other cities and the daily drone attacks by America. No demonstrations. No HRCP. No CPHD. No Asma Jahangir. Can't they stage protests against the drone attacks too, that kill innocent civilians during marriage processions and funeral services, the suicide bombings that kill ordinary people? Why have these become acceptable? I hear that students and lawyers also protested. Thats good. But why don't they protest against drone attacks?
Just in case you are thinking these two things are unrelated, here is the comparison. It's about human beings, right? Basic human rights. Should one type of violation arouse more hatred than other? If yes, then killing is more deplorable that beating. No? Is it just Taliban phobia?
Now the terrorist attacks every day in Lahore and Islamabad and other cities and the daily drone attacks by America. No demonstrations. No HRCP. No CPHD. No Asma Jahangir. Can't they stage protests against the drone attacks too, that kill innocent civilians during marriage processions and funeral services, the suicide bombings that kill ordinary people? Why have these become acceptable? I hear that students and lawyers also protested. Thats good. But why don't they protest against drone attacks?
Just in case you are thinking these two things are unrelated, here is the comparison. It's about human beings, right? Basic human rights. Should one type of violation arouse more hatred than other? If yes, then killing is more deplorable that beating. No? Is it just Taliban phobia?
Saturday, April 4, 2009
A day with friends
Its spring vacations. We had to go out. We decided the old city. Plan was to visit Lahore Fort and offer Jumma Prayer at Badshahi Mosque.
We were sitting there in the mosque and guess what we were talking about.
There was this old man who claimed that he had done M.A in English and had been teaching the subject I forgot where. Well he was fluent in English. From his appearance it didn't look like he could speak like that. He told a little history of the mosque and then he showed this 'trick'. In a confinement of the mosque with high arched ceiling he showed that his voice could resonate. He produced voice of a particular frequency and it did resonate. People were clearly impressed and gave him a little money. Later I told my friends that I often do that in my shower which is bounded by glass.
At Eden Restaurant, Fortress
Laughing ourselves off at my place, watching video of class trip that I made. In this video: Awais, Noman, Mansoor, Tamoor, Salman, Osama, Asad, Azeem and me.
We were sitting there in the mosque and guess what we were talking about.
There was this old man who claimed that he had done M.A in English and had been teaching the subject I forgot where. Well he was fluent in English. From his appearance it didn't look like he could speak like that. He told a little history of the mosque and then he showed this 'trick'. In a confinement of the mosque with high arched ceiling he showed that his voice could resonate. He produced voice of a particular frequency and it did resonate. People were clearly impressed and gave him a little money. Later I told my friends that I often do that in my shower which is bounded by glass.
At Eden Restaurant, Fortress
Laughing ourselves off at my place, watching video of class trip that I made. In this video: Awais, Noman, Mansoor, Tamoor, Salman, Osama, Asad, Azeem and me.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Cooking Chickpeas - the desi way
Ahhh...spring vacations...time to sit back and relax. Cooking is fun. Cooking chickpeas is ecstatic and cooking chickpeas the desi way is the best thing in culinary world (after baking and barbecue and making a steak and frying fish).
Dehydrate the fresh chickpea branches in the sun for a day so that the leaves become brittle. Light some fire with the help of wood and papers in a container and cook the branches directly over the fire until the pods are all black and fall down in the container. The fire will probably extinguish in one go. Light it again over the fallen pods and ash and cook the rest of the chickpeas. The pods will get buried in the ash and will be heated and cooked well. Then let it get cool a little and dive into the ash. Pick out the pods, open them up and there they are, fresh green warm chickpeas, ready to be gulped down.
Dehydrate the fresh chickpea branches in the sun for a day so that the leaves become brittle. Light some fire with the help of wood and papers in a container and cook the branches directly over the fire until the pods are all black and fall down in the container. The fire will probably extinguish in one go. Light it again over the fallen pods and ash and cook the rest of the chickpeas. The pods will get buried in the ash and will be heated and cooked well. Then let it get cool a little and dive into the ash. Pick out the pods, open them up and there they are, fresh green warm chickpeas, ready to be gulped down.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sigh...
No one knows about the investigation of the 3/3 attack, if at all it is being carried out. Similarly people will forget 3/30 attack in due time. No one will ever know who did it and the culprits wouldn't be captured let alone prosecuted.
Stupid Rehman Malik's stupid remark that Baitullah Masood's group is involved strengthens my view that it has been done to pave way for America. This is to reinforce the idea that Taliban have got a strong hold in Pakistan and that America needs to come and wipe them out. They are going to pay $1.5 billion per year. Thats not for nothing. This money is to shut the mouth of those officials who say that they condemn American attacks. America is already talking about Quetta. Taliban have fled from Afghanistan to FATA, from FATA to Quetta, soon it will be Punjab and Sindh. And America WILL attack Quetta but slowly and smoothly, just like the attacks in FATA were declared mistakes in the beginning and then these mistakes became regular. Obama is poor guy. He is weak. As I said when he was elected that there would be NO change in America's policy. Her advancements wouldn't stop. She wouldn't quit Afghanistan or Iraq in near future. And that she would try her best to get Pakistan. But will the Pakistanis allow her to get them that easy? Lets see.
Stupid Rehman Malik's stupid remark that Baitullah Masood's group is involved strengthens my view that it has been done to pave way for America. This is to reinforce the idea that Taliban have got a strong hold in Pakistan and that America needs to come and wipe them out. They are going to pay $1.5 billion per year. Thats not for nothing. This money is to shut the mouth of those officials who say that they condemn American attacks. America is already talking about Quetta. Taliban have fled from Afghanistan to FATA, from FATA to Quetta, soon it will be Punjab and Sindh. And America WILL attack Quetta but slowly and smoothly, just like the attacks in FATA were declared mistakes in the beginning and then these mistakes became regular. Obama is poor guy. He is weak. As I said when he was elected that there would be NO change in America's policy. Her advancements wouldn't stop. She wouldn't quit Afghanistan or Iraq in near future. And that she would try her best to get Pakistan. But will the Pakistanis allow her to get them that easy? Lets see.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Made in Pakistan
A documentary on the lives of four Pakistanis; Tara, Waleed, Rabia and Mohsin, each striving to make a difference. Coming soon. Waiting.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Kashf: The lifting of the veil
Why don't other 'watchable' Pakistani movies get to have the same publicity as Khuda Ke Liye, I don't know. Kashf: The lifting of the veil is a new movie in English directed by a US based Pakistani, Ayesha Khan, shot entirely in Lahore. She claims to have presented a different aspect of Islam and Pakistan, seldom talked about in movies before: Mysticism. Seems interesting. I heard it has already won some award at some film festival in the US. Couldn't find out if it will be shown in the cinemas here. Here's a trailer
Ayesha Khan, the director:
Ayesha Khan, the director:
Friday, March 20, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Welcome spring
I had to release the anger which built up in me after hearing a professor's excruciatingly painful bakwas today. Luckily there was this classical dance performance by the students of Alhamra Arts Council at Alhamra Hall. And luckily it was the beginning of spring. The performance turned out to be good. I had some friends with me. Interestingly all the performers belonged to entirely different fields. Girls from LACAS, LGS, a veterinary doctor, a civil engineer, a guy from Sri Lanka and a traffic warden. Lol. So anyone can happen to like classical dance. The first video is sort of Kathakali, the second is a poem by Amir Khusro and the third is a Tatkar (fast foot movement). Sorry for the bad quality of the videos. It was just my cell phone. :-)
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
How to kill time during boring lectures
This is today's ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) lecture. Azeem and Asad were drawing and making boats and kites out of paper while Saad and Noman were playing cricket. So here's a good idea for you. In a boring lecture you can utilize paper or you can play cricket. In case you don't know how to play cricket: Each guy has a team of players noted down on a paper. The one who's playing first opens a book randomly again and again and the second guy notes down the last digit of the even page number; 2, 4, 6, 8. That's the first player's score. When the last digit comes out to be zero the player is out. Total is done in the end and compared with the other team. See? Cricket is an adult's game. There are so many other things that we do during lectures (the boring ones only, we have to listen to the professors'). I'll post those too. ;-)
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
People aren't afraid
Who would have thought that among all the bombings and threats and the recent attack on Sri Lankan team, such a huge mass would come out on roads in Lahore. People aren't afraid. Literate masses/middle class people might be, who sit in their homes and watch it all on TV but illiterate ones aren't. And it was certainly this huge crowd that made the government give up. One can just hope and pray now that every thing goes well.
Honestly, I don't think the things are going to change much. The people running the government are incompetent. There will be more such clashes and I doubt the fact that the government will complete its five years. For starters, PM has announced the restoring of CJ Iftikhar. OK, but how? Will he take a fresh oath or be restored as such? Why is the government waiting for the tenure of CJ Doggar to end? Secondly I don't think they will declare the steps taken on 3rd November invalid neither will they restore the constitution to its pre-3rd November state. This is an NRO government which itself is the biggest injustice, injustice to the 160 million people of Pakistan. But I'm still hopeful.
Honestly, I don't think the things are going to change much. The people running the government are incompetent. There will be more such clashes and I doubt the fact that the government will complete its five years. For starters, PM has announced the restoring of CJ Iftikhar. OK, but how? Will he take a fresh oath or be restored as such? Why is the government waiting for the tenure of CJ Doggar to end? Secondly I don't think they will declare the steps taken on 3rd November invalid neither will they restore the constitution to its pre-3rd November state. This is an NRO government which itself is the biggest injustice, injustice to the 160 million people of Pakistan. But I'm still hopeful.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Town arrested
I happen to live in the same housing society as our dear Nawaz Sharif. To prevent that one man from moving, whole of the town has been sealed off. No one can move out, no one can move in. While Nawaz has been house arrested, all the other residents of the society have been town arrested. Democracy rules. Lol.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
They weren't afraid
Professor Dr. Arshad Cheema, head of the surgery department at KEMU, was the surgeon who was called at Qadafi Stadium after the attacks to treat the Sri Lankan players. He told us today that they had very minor injuries, some fragments of metal embedded in their bodies, which he removed successfully. And that they weren't afraid at all. They were joking. They were used to such things in Sri Lanka. One of them actually asked the professor to have a photo with him.
Now I didn't know that Pakistan and Sri Lanka had so much in common. :-D
Now I didn't know that Pakistan and Sri Lanka had so much in common. :-D
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
To the martyrs
I'm not a writer but I still had this block. I couldn't write. And now suddenly I have a lot to write about.
A friend broke the news to us in the university. We showed the obvious reaction. With this attack on Sri Lankan players I thought the sports in Pakistan are over too. First they tried to bring an end to cultural activities by attacking the Arts Festival.
The only autopsy labs in Lahore are in our university, King Edward Medical University. All bodies are brought there. When we heard that they had brought the bodies of the Liberty carnage victims, we ran off to see them. There were six Edhi ambulances parked in the garage of Forensic Department, one body each. I stood there for a long time. There were people, two groups. One, the relatives and colleagues of the deceased, crying, shrieking, in deep shock. If I could understand one word that they were uttering, that was ALLAH. The other was the spectator group, not crying apparently, but their faces showed what they felt. From a few of them I could hear the word 'India'. Then there were the passers by who came, saw and went indifferently, again apparently. Some were coming back from Al-Karim Bakery; eating sandwiches and patties and drinking juices and I was like 'WTF, can't they just stop eating for a while, at least when they are passing by the ambulances? Can't they just stop there for a while and show that they feel, that they care, that they are human beings too? Can't they stand there and offer Fatiha, console the crying and show some solidarity? Can't they stop laughing for a while?' Or was it just me? Do I feel too much? Some people would say, 'kya hai yaar, roz hi to hota hai ye sab kuch, theek hai jo hona tha ho gaya, kya karain ab, move on.' I made this little over there
One of my friend's eyes welled up, I saw our Forensic demonstrator crying. Then I heard the siren of another ambulance and I thought, 'Oh no, another.' A guy asked a policeman who survived, 'None of the attackers were killed?' He replied, 'It takes a little while to load the rifles, we didn't even have time for that.' But I salute those martyrs who, as soon as they heard the firing, came out of their vans and surrounded the bus which was carrying the Sri Lankan players. This is exemplary braveness. I saw their blood, dripping from the edges of the ambulances and on the stretcher, gore, which had now become semi solid, black. Only if I could preserve it, the blood of the martyrs.
Later, Dr. Sajid was taking our class in his office. His cell rang. I could tell that someone just told him what had happened. He said after hanging up,
'Congratulations, Sri Lankan team has been attacked.'
'Yeah, we know Sir'
'Kitnay afsoos ki baat hai, agar ab bhi government na bolay to lanat hai in pe'
'Exactly Sir, this is so clear who has done it'
'Khair dafa karo, lets get back to the topic, so pyogenic meningitis has an acute history of headache, fever and vomiting while the history of tuberculous meningitis extends over weeks and months....you know Pakistan ke mukaddar main foj hi likhi hai, we can't go in normal way' Then he concluded his lecture way before time.
On my way back home the roads were deserted although, it were the rush hours and usually it takes my about 40 minutes to travel 12 kilometers. I must have reached back in half the time. There was harsh wind blowing which caused the leaves from the trees to fall down all along the Mall and Canal Road. It was cloudy. Water in the canal was stagnant; it flows otherwise. I felt they were all protesting. Pathetic fallacy? Is it just me?
A friend broke the news to us in the university. We showed the obvious reaction. With this attack on Sri Lankan players I thought the sports in Pakistan are over too. First they tried to bring an end to cultural activities by attacking the Arts Festival.
The only autopsy labs in Lahore are in our university, King Edward Medical University. All bodies are brought there. When we heard that they had brought the bodies of the Liberty carnage victims, we ran off to see them. There were six Edhi ambulances parked in the garage of Forensic Department, one body each. I stood there for a long time. There were people, two groups. One, the relatives and colleagues of the deceased, crying, shrieking, in deep shock. If I could understand one word that they were uttering, that was ALLAH. The other was the spectator group, not crying apparently, but their faces showed what they felt. From a few of them I could hear the word 'India'. Then there were the passers by who came, saw and went indifferently, again apparently. Some were coming back from Al-Karim Bakery; eating sandwiches and patties and drinking juices and I was like 'WTF, can't they just stop eating for a while, at least when they are passing by the ambulances? Can't they just stop there for a while and show that they feel, that they care, that they are human beings too? Can't they stand there and offer Fatiha, console the crying and show some solidarity? Can't they stop laughing for a while?' Or was it just me? Do I feel too much? Some people would say, 'kya hai yaar, roz hi to hota hai ye sab kuch, theek hai jo hona tha ho gaya, kya karain ab, move on.' I made this little over there
One of my friend's eyes welled up, I saw our Forensic demonstrator crying. Then I heard the siren of another ambulance and I thought, 'Oh no, another.' A guy asked a policeman who survived, 'None of the attackers were killed?' He replied, 'It takes a little while to load the rifles, we didn't even have time for that.' But I salute those martyrs who, as soon as they heard the firing, came out of their vans and surrounded the bus which was carrying the Sri Lankan players. This is exemplary braveness. I saw their blood, dripping from the edges of the ambulances and on the stretcher, gore, which had now become semi solid, black. Only if I could preserve it, the blood of the martyrs.
Later, Dr. Sajid was taking our class in his office. His cell rang. I could tell that someone just told him what had happened. He said after hanging up,
'Congratulations, Sri Lankan team has been attacked.'
'Yeah, we know Sir'
'Kitnay afsoos ki baat hai, agar ab bhi government na bolay to lanat hai in pe'
'Exactly Sir, this is so clear who has done it'
'Khair dafa karo, lets get back to the topic, so pyogenic meningitis has an acute history of headache, fever and vomiting while the history of tuberculous meningitis extends over weeks and months....you know Pakistan ke mukaddar main foj hi likhi hai, we can't go in normal way' Then he concluded his lecture way before time.
On my way back home the roads were deserted although, it were the rush hours and usually it takes my about 40 minutes to travel 12 kilometers. I must have reached back in half the time. There was harsh wind blowing which caused the leaves from the trees to fall down all along the Mall and Canal Road. It was cloudy. Water in the canal was stagnant; it flows otherwise. I felt they were all protesting. Pathetic fallacy? Is it just me?
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Desi drums
This may sound funny to many (read Pakistanis) but err...I've now got a tabla. It's my friend's. I'll return it when the obsession gets off. The tabla itself looks funny. Two drums, lying there peacefully, quiet. It's just a matter of playing them, when they start speaking and laughing and crying. They create the environment, they set the mood and they are unlimited; you can't say you've learnt it all. Little did Amir Khusro know what a universe he has created, when he invented tabla in the thirteenth century. Music doesn't end.
Like any other instrument it's difficult, requires a hell of practice. I tried playing dadra and teen taal. Different areas on the same drum produce different sounds when struck with different intensity and different pressure. I know five sounds of the smaller one and about six of the larger, there must be so many others and the combination even greater. Mastering the sounds is different than mastering the rhythm. One may be a good player but may not have a good sense of rhythm.
Mozart effect might be controversial but I'm sure I'll discover a rhythm therapy.
Like any other instrument it's difficult, requires a hell of practice. I tried playing dadra and teen taal. Different areas on the same drum produce different sounds when struck with different intensity and different pressure. I know five sounds of the smaller one and about six of the larger, there must be so many others and the combination even greater. Mastering the sounds is different than mastering the rhythm. One may be a good player but may not have a good sense of rhythm.
Mozart effect might be controversial but I'm sure I'll discover a rhythm therapy.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Reasons to be proud of
*Lahore Grammar School (LGS) has won the Asian Regional Space Settlement Design Competition 2009 organized by NASA in India. The team comprised of two Indian schools too. They brought home a trophy which has an actual meteorite fixed in it. Wow! Congratulations LGS. Thank you for making us proud. (Source: Dawn)
*A Pakistani student, one Saad Waqar, has set a world record by securing highest marks in maths and physics in A-level exams. (Source: Nawa-e-waqt)
*Ali Moeen Nawazish of Rawalpindi has brought worldwide recognition to Pakistan by blazing his way into the Guinness Book of World Records, clearing 23 A-Level subjects and securing A Grade in 21 of them. The previous record was 13. (Read more and on Wikipedia)
Congratulations and thank you all! :-)
*A Pakistani student, one Saad Waqar, has set a world record by securing highest marks in maths and physics in A-level exams. (Source: Nawa-e-waqt)
*Ali Moeen Nawazish of Rawalpindi has brought worldwide recognition to Pakistan by blazing his way into the Guinness Book of World Records, clearing 23 A-Level subjects and securing A Grade in 21 of them. The previous record was 13. (Read more and on Wikipedia)
Congratulations and thank you all! :-)
One day prep
People keep on studying it the whole year; we took the B.Sc. English exam with a preparation of just one day, like we had done that with Pak-studies and Islamiat. Two days at the most. Twenty utterly boring stories (with a few exceptions) were not easy to swallow. I did not even read all. Luckily all four questions were from stories I had read. The examination center was this Ch. Rehmat Ali School, which reminded me of my own school. A little boy actually asked one of my friends, 'Bhai aap konsi class main hain?.' The grounds were much bigger than ours at KE. The school was much cleaner too. There weren't any open gutters or pigeons' shits or dogs, cats or donkeys.
Before the exam commenced we were out there in the ground chatting and laughing loudly while other candidates were busy, their heads buried in the books, trying to grasp some more at the eleventh hour. When we were at our seats, before the distribution of question papers, I saw a guy from AIMC reciting some verses, eyes tightly closed, eyebrows frowned. I thought, 'Man...he's serious'. After a little while, a man, must be in his late thirties, entered the room. We thought he must be an invigilator. But he came forward and occupied an empty seat. He was a candidate. My friend whispered, 'Inko ab yaad aya hai.' Our real invigilator was a fat old man, thick stubble on his face and looked fed up of his life. After distributing the papers, he sat on a chair, supported his head against the wall and closed his eyes. I can't tell if he actually went to sleep.
Before the exam commenced we were out there in the ground chatting and laughing loudly while other candidates were busy, their heads buried in the books, trying to grasp some more at the eleventh hour. When we were at our seats, before the distribution of question papers, I saw a guy from AIMC reciting some verses, eyes tightly closed, eyebrows frowned. I thought, 'Man...he's serious'. After a little while, a man, must be in his late thirties, entered the room. We thought he must be an invigilator. But he came forward and occupied an empty seat. He was a candidate. My friend whispered, 'Inko ab yaad aya hai.' Our real invigilator was a fat old man, thick stubble on his face and looked fed up of his life. After distributing the papers, he sat on a chair, supported his head against the wall and closed his eyes. I can't tell if he actually went to sleep.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Bravo T's
Plain White T's have impressed me. Lol. For one reason, their two songs I heard, were easy to play on the guitar, for another, they were just awesome. I can't decide if Hey there Delilah is better or this 1234. Latter's video is better for sure.
Monday, February 16, 2009
On valentines day
Lutf wo ishq main paye hain keh jee janta hai
Ranj bhi aisay uthaye hain keh jee janta hai
Daagh Dehlvi
Ranj bhi aisay uthaye hain keh jee janta hai
Daagh Dehlvi
Ocean of books
Mom was more excited than me about the book fair. She bought a couple of books, I bought a couple of books and we were the happiest maan-baita on earth. Now that's why I say moms are better than girl friends. There's no 'breaking of heart', no cheating, no dumping, no suffering, no wastage of money and then there is strong, eternal love. :-D
Above: Caligraphy competition for children. (Debris indicates that the book fair is in Pakistan)
Above: People at this stall claimed that these lamps they have are made from material containing salt and 'a chemical' which emits 'waves' when light passes through it. These waves heal the diseases listed, which are almost all. When I asked them what is that special 'chemical', they said we don't know. :-D
Above: Painting competition for children
Above: I left a messege on the board too :-)
After these tiring two hours at the book fair, lunch at the nearest restaurant was inevitable :-)
I would love to go to the book fair again.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
My first prescription
I was happy. I did not write it from my mind; this Associate Professor (AP) had me written it. It was my first prescription in real life. My patient in out patient department was Shazia, young female, a mother of four and a pure, naive, Punjabi speaking house wife. And she was afraid of doctors and diseases, naturally. She had come for burning pain in the epigastrium and as I took her history, she told me all symptoms of reflux esophagitis. I thought this is an easy case and I wont be having any problem presenting it in front of the Associate Professor. But then I did her general physical examination (GPE). Her blood pressure (B.P.) was 180/110 (normal average: 120/80) and her pulse was 106/min (normal average: 72/min) and there was swelling on her face. When I was done, she asked, 'theek hai?' and I saw the fear in her eyes, I said, 'G'. I couldn't tell her that this much blood pressure wasn't theek, I just couldn't. I couldn't figure out why her B.P. was so high, perhaps it was just anxiety. Anyways when I told her that I'm going to present her case to AP in front of whole batch, she got scared like hell. She thought there was some grave problem and started crying. I melted, from head to toe. I felt like patting her and holding her hand. Thank God her husband was there. He condoled her, I condoled her and together we were able to stop her tears. I told her that there is nothing wrong and every patient in OPD is presented in front of AP.
This AP, Dr. Sajid was unusually good. He was supposed to be suffering from initial stages of Professoritis. He wasn't. Therefore he didn't insult me or got mad if i did any mistake in presenting my case. I told him Shazia's B.P. and pulse. He got alarmed. He checked for pitting edema, which I hadn't. It was positive. He knew what it was. He asked her if she had taken any Hakim's medication recently and she said yes. Then Dr. Sajid told us that Hakims usually give steroids or heavy metal salts in their medicines and Shazia was showing symptoms of steroid toxicity. Then he asked me to write omperazole for her reflux oesophagitis (which was her only presenting complain) and prescribe kidney tests to see if the steroids had damaged her kidney.
How a simple GPE changed the course of investigations and treatment. If I had skipped that, we could have sent her home with just omeprazole. (Dr. Sajid would have picked up the mistake of course) I wouldn't forget Shazia's face. I am happy.
This AP, Dr. Sajid was unusually good. He was supposed to be suffering from initial stages of Professoritis. He wasn't. Therefore he didn't insult me or got mad if i did any mistake in presenting my case. I told him Shazia's B.P. and pulse. He got alarmed. He checked for pitting edema, which I hadn't. It was positive. He knew what it was. He asked her if she had taken any Hakim's medication recently and she said yes. Then Dr. Sajid told us that Hakims usually give steroids or heavy metal salts in their medicines and Shazia was showing symptoms of steroid toxicity. Then he asked me to write omperazole for her reflux oesophagitis (which was her only presenting complain) and prescribe kidney tests to see if the steroids had damaged her kidney.
How a simple GPE changed the course of investigations and treatment. If I had skipped that, we could have sent her home with just omeprazole. (Dr. Sajid would have picked up the mistake of course) I wouldn't forget Shazia's face. I am happy.
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