Here comes the rain

Good news or bad news for Karachi. It has started raining…

and from the looks of it i can imaging that it will be a typical monsoon rain

BBC weather forecast has already warned of three days of heavy showers. So, we must brace ourselves for hard days up ahead with mud, water puddles, reckless drivers splashing water+mud on the pedestrians and me… going to II Chundrigar road where it feels like some lousy mudhole.

 

My computer is at risk too…. and i expect my power supply to blow up as my computer is exposed to the moisture out there. 😦

Time to fall sick

Since I left office this evening, I have been feeling that same old sensation in my eyes and nose that i feel when i am about to fall sick.

Seems like the coming week is going to be a tough one for me. I’d better get some medicine before things get worse…

So, mom is gone… now what ?

 

This evening I waved goodbye to the train that took my mom back to Multan. That brought an end to her a month and a half long visit to Karachi….

Its only been a few hours since she left but i feel lonely already… I know i will have to force myself to get up for office as she won’t be there to call my name when I am sleeping like a drunk.
Have to get back to old routine of eating out in the morning as i don’t have the courage nor the time to make sandwiches in the morning.. (unless my routine gets standardized)

 

… and now the more disturbing part:

Early in the morning, i tried to write a couple of cheques to her but she returned it back to me saying something strange…

‘You need to save it….after all you need to get married’

I was blank… totally blank

‘Haven’t you thought over it…’

‘Umm. No mama!’.

‘You have to!’

during this conversation, i was thinking: "no no no mom! not now … dammit!"

 

So, the bomb has been dropped on my civilian dreams. Its time for damage control. and to make my defenses that impenetrable that no other bombs could infiltrate my dreams unless I want them to… and this is not the time.

A war that will consume everything…

Read this and you’ll know….

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/opinion/15tue4.html?ex=1373860800&en=fbd6a8521276f10d&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Back ?

So, ?

This is just one of the cases (a large number still remains unknown because their victims were not on TV).

I remember a movie called ‘Stop/Loss’ that perhaps covers the same concept (Though, i haven’t been able to see that movie in full)…. Also, this reminds me of ColdPlay’s recent song called ‘Violet Hill’ which presents a lesson to every society that is suffering some loser’s decisions:

When the future’s architectured
By a carnival of idiots on show
You’d better lie low

and

"I don’t want to be a soldier
With the captain of some sinking ship
Would stow far below"

Who wants to fight for a lie?? Who wants to fight for someone who will only stab you in the back?. I am utterly saddened. Perhaps the guy didn’t deserve this but there is always a ‘scapegoat’ for a bigger cause… right ?

I’m home today

I had thought that i would make this month a holiday-free month, but i was wrong 🙂

Today the transporters have called a strike against ever rising prices of fuel and no public transport is available on the street (besides taxis and rickshaws). Yours truly decided to stay home and have some time with my mom who will leave for home this evening.

So, a day ahead of me … and a load of studies to complete…. I’m off to it 🙂

A little vacation away from ‘Iraq’

This is yet another day that i am writing with a blank mind. This blogging blackout has been occurring to me for a long time now. I just don’t feel like writing or blogging at all. No innovating idea comes to my mind (they never crossed my mind earlier either).

Since my deployment to the relatively calm station from the bloody proceedings in Iraq (we have nicknamed our ever going project as ‘Iraq’), i have been sparing lots of time for myself. I run away at precisely 5:00 PM to catch one of the contract buses for my ride home. Though expensive, they drop you at your stop at 6:00 with a whole evening ahead of me… and the evening that i usually waste while I should be studying.   It has been around ten days since I was deputed here but it will be over soon (expected by the end of this month) and then I will be back in Iraq to face the living hell.

I frequently meet my soldiers from project ‘Iraq’ on lunch but here I have old friends to hand out with… Though i can see an end coming to my fun, but as long as I am here, I will have a party 😛

Pakistan vs Afghanistan (on Google Zeitgeist)

 

Google Zeitgeist is an analytical publication of Google that publishes the search patterns of the whole world and countries on yearly and monthly basis.

The search patterns of Two neighboring countries for May 2008 includes the following surprises (nahhhh, that was expected)

(click on the image to see full size)

 

The original source can be found at:

http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/intl-zeitgeist.html

A love story that got violent

A friend of mine started what we normally call a routine forward mail. The probability of getting such a mail into a thread is around 5%. This mail turned out to be a trend setter and helped in imposing a new policy in the office which caused a temporary suspension of email services for the team.

So, hold on tight and see how things twist in a thread:

Original Mail as sent by Mr. A:

THE NEWS…………December 08, 07
This is a story of a young college girl who passed away last month in
LAHORE. Her name was SAMIA. She was hit by a truck. She was working in a call center. She had a boy friend named AHMED. Both of them were true lovers. They always talked on the phone. You used to be never found without her without hand phone. In fact she also changed her cell connection from Ufone to Mobillink, so that both of them can be on the same network, and save on the cost.
She used to spend half of the day talking with Ahmed. Samia’s family
knew about their relationship. Ahmed was very close to Samia’s family
as well. (Just imagine their love). Before she passed away she always
told her friends ‘If I pass away Please buried me with my hand phone’
she also said the same thing to her Parents.
After her death, people couldn’t carry her body, A lot of them tried
to do so But still cant everybody had tried to carry the body, the
results were the Same. Eventually, they called a person known to one of their neighbors, who can speak with the soul of dead person and who was a friend of her father. He took a stick and started speaking to himself slowly.
After a few minutes, he said ‘this girl misses something here.’ Then
her Friends told that person about her intentions to buried her with
her phone. He then opened the grave box and place her phone and sim card inside the casket. After that they tried to carry the body. It was then moved easily And they then carried her into the van. All of us were shocked. Samia’s parents did not inform Ahmed that Samia had passed away.
After 2 weeks Ahmed called Samia’s mom….. Ahmed:….’Aunty, I’m
coming home today. Cook something nice for me. Don’t tell Samia that I’m coming home today, I want to surprise her.’ Her mother
replied….. ‘You come home first; I want to tell you something very
important.’ After he came, they told him the truth about Samia. Ahmed thinks that they were playing a fool. He was laughing and said ‘don’t try to fool me – tell Samia to come out, I have a gift for her.
Please stop this Nonsense’.
Then they show him the original death certificate to him. They gave
him proof to make him believe. (Ahmed started to sweat) He said…
‘It’s not true. We spoke yesterday. She still calls me. Ahmed was
shaking. Suddenly, Ahmed’s phone rang. ‘See this is from Samia, see
this….’ He showed the phone to Samia’s family. All of them told him
to answer. He talked using the loudspeaker mode. All of them heard
his conversation.
Loud and clear, no cross lines, no humming. It is the actual voice of
Samia & there is no way others could use her sim Card since it is
nailed inside the coffin. They were so shocked and asked for the same person’s (Who can speak with the soul of deal persons) help again. He brought his Master to solve this matter.
He & his master worked for 5 hours. Then they discovered one thing
which really shocked them…
.
.
Mobilink has the best coverage. ‘Where ever you go, our network
follows!!!’
Don’t shout at me I am also looking for the person who has sent me
this mail….so what you can do.. enjoy…like i enjoyed. HAHAHAHAHA

The mail was forwarded to around 2 dozen people and one of them (Lets call him Mr. X) replied back to all the recipients with the following text:

2 old. I have read it long ago

This action compelled Mr. Y to write:

Inference:

Mobilink cheats to charge their customers by hook or by crook

So ensure the person being called is Alive by making a PTCL call first.

Soon followed by a response from Mr. Z:

haha:

Mobilink – The telecom provider from HELL

-Aur sunao

Now, the story takes a turn when Mr. W jumps in but not alone… he adds Mr. V in this thread who works at Mobilink.

Many people say it May be link , that’s actually true !

What so you have say about  MAY BE LINK  <ORIGINAL NAME OF Mr. V> ?

Mr. V, definitely annoyed by all this bullshit against his company, replied with:

Dear <ORIGINAL NAME OF Mr. Y>  , Salam , how are you hope fi9 , firstly if you believe in these types of mails or stories then I think you are living in a fairy world , and if you believe PTCL services are better then MOBILINK then please  put your cell phone in garbage or switch your network to any other network you trust.

Dear <ORIGINAL NAME OF Mr. W>-

If it’s MAY BE LINK then you is also advised to switch your network why are you still using MOBILINK? I guess you are using MOBILINK because 90% of the corporate sector of PAKISTAN uses MOBILINK services, and you think that using MOBILINK services is status symbol rite? Come on <ORIGINAL NAME OF Mr. W> broad up your thinking "Aisi choti sooch ab to chor do yaar"

Dear <ORIGINAL NAME OF Mr. Z>-

Salam, how are you dude? MOBILINK is market leaders and champions, and FYI champions always faces hurdles in getting success after and after, but they can’t be stopped by these small things or thinking, be practical dude, "Aur Sunao"

Anyways this was only a funny reply no hard feelings dudes, Please do remember me in your prayers.

 

Now, Mr. W thought this to be a disgrace of himself and replied back to the whole thread with:

Bas kar da <ORIGINAL NAME OF Mr. V>  , When your were in <NAME OF OUR COMPANY> , you use to talk abt <NAME OF OUR COMPANY> the same way , so stop taking side of Companies which are killing you day by day , they have taken away your and mine sleep’s forever hehe !

System Engineer <ORIGINAL NAME OF Mr. V>, shabash Mobilink ka antenna pa sa birds ka nest khatam karoo to shyad signals full aynga 😛

Aur sunao…………… ! how is work man , kabhe ghaltee sa mil bhe lia karo.

While this chit chat was going on …. two ladies thought of a prank, and issued an email to Mr. X (who replied with the first comments). The comments were offensive. I don’t have the exact wording as they were sent only to Mr. X, it contained something like:

Tumhen koi kaam shaam nahi hai ?
<OUR PRODUCT NAME> ko dubona hai kia ?
Faltoo baithay ho ?
Idher aao to batati hoon….

Obviously, if you receive a comment from someone whom you dont even know, you will get furious and Mr. X decided to include the manager into this matter.  Mr. Manager (who obviously was kept away from the whole thread) got more furious on seeing this and called for an urgent meeting. In that meeting he lashed away at everyone and roared and roared and roared… He asked that he had ordered the network department to keep a tight surveillance on our mails and any such inconsistency will be logged and be dealt strictly with. 

Thus, a casual mail that started with a small love story ended with the bombing by the USA (the Manager) on poor japanese (thats us)

The Royal feast (on my wallet)

Last weekend was very eventful. In the afternoon we friends had a blast at the cinema (I have already mentioned it in my previous post).

The proceedings of the event mentioned here follows just after the cinema party.

As soon i reached home, i was informed that the whole family is going to the newly opened buffet place (whose name which i later discovered as ‘Shan-e-Mughalia’). I reluctantly said yes as it had been quite a while that my mom was visiting and i should have taken her to some place.

11 of us got in three cars (don’t ask me how) and started for the above mentioned place (whose whereabouts were not even confirmed). We somehow spotted the entry gate just on the back side of Millennium Mall (former Drive-in Cinema) and thus started a royal dinner that will remain etched in my memory for quite some time.

A brick road followed the entry gate and we traveled alongside a brick wall which was illuminated with various small light bulbs. Soon afterwards, we turned a corner and here we were in front of the entrance. We parked our car (valet parking is available) and reserved our seats. The reception area was not much depicting the original theme of the restaurant but as we entered the main lawn, I nearly froze in awe.

The lawn was HUGEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Yeah, HUGEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. It was all open, so lush green…. the tables were arranged in a little distance with special Takhts scattered randomly. The guards were dressed like royal guards. In the center was a pretty well organized buffet section where chefs were busy cooking meals (the entrance proclaimed 72 dishes). A significant section of the area was left alone with walking tracks, benches and lush green grass beds.

We got busy as soon as we sat on the table. everyone running/wandering around to grab the best morsel. yours truly was also among the contenders. fried chicken, prawns, fish, chinese, beef, mutton, this junk, that junk… i gulped it all. burp. Then I took a walk in the vacant lawns to digest some of the eaten junk and checked out a few hotties along the way 😉

The fun continued with a second round of serving but soon subsided as my capacity of eating has really degraded over the years. The once ‘king of buffets’ is just a lame eater, nothing more.

Now, the tough part… the bill… out of the 11 people, yours truly was designated to pay for seven of them :(… the total bill was 7800 (including tips) and each person’s share was 710. (the entrance claimed it to be 650 but with drinks etc it gets 690).

Though expensive for me, it still gave me the opportunity to visit a great place. I don’t expect to go there in a long time (unless its free) so the memories are likely to remain there for the time to come. Its a must see place for people (especially for families who want to spend a peaceful evening somewhere).

I would love to get my hands on that food again. 🙂