Raging Menace of “Routes”

The ones who know English but are not familiar with the situation in Pakistan will never ever be able to come up with the definition of this word “route” that is currently being used all around the country (and especially Rawalpindi and Islamabad).

“Route” is basically the hold up of traffic. The conditions that turn the hold up into a “route” are as follows. It is initiated by the police as well as the military police personnel. It can also be initiated by police of any other military discipline too. The traffic must consist of the vehicles of commoners. To qualify as a commoner, the following traits are required:

• One does not belong to the Army.
• One is not any kind of minister of the ruling party of the country.

Note: There could be a few more traits but can’t think of any right now.

So there you have it; the perfect setup for the hold up. Any time a non-commoner (be very clear that this is NOT you) wants to commute, the rest of the traffic commotion is brought to a halt.

To actually put this into action (by obviously killing the rest of the action) several methods can be used. The police personnel can come in the middle of the road and stop all traffic with a wave of their hands. Or they could block the road altogether with police vans and/or bikes. For extreme measures, huge crates and even trucks may also be used as road blocks.

Once this is done everybody waits for the royal carriage to arrive, carrying his and her highnesses. The “carriage” will generally be a state-of-the-art car with tinted glasses and bearing a flag of some kind. It could also have some stars as well but that is only if the royals belong to the Army.

The hold up may last from minutes up to hours. It starts with a little jumble of cars, getting in line one after the other with some cars trying to squeeze their way in through the small gaps in between other cars (which is very annoying). The longer the hold up lasts, the bigger the vehicle mess gets. When the hold up is finally over, the vehicles rush forward, just like gushing water coming out of a broken dam. That gushing water usually causes floods as it breaks out of the defined banks. This congregation of vehicles, on the other hand, causes everything to choke as it already exists in every nook and corner within and outside the defined boundary of the banks (read roads).

Traffic of all roads literally comes face to face once the road blocks are removed. It then takes a lot of patience (not to mention time) to get the entangled vehicles released and let loose on the roads. All this while, from the start of the “route” till the time one’s vehicle is freed from the clutches of the traffic jam, one tends to “curse” (and a LOT). Road rage rises to unexpected levels. Barrels and barrels of fuel get burnt during the idling activity. Horns are honked and voices are raised. All of this presents a scene as if hell was let loose. Just as one gets out of this mess, ones comes to peace with the rest of the surroundings. All kind of noise dramatically changes to serenity and tranquility.

I wonder when will we get rid of this menace of “routes” that will allow us to drive in a serene and tranquil way on regular basis. I guess I already know the answer. It is “probably never”. And with this answer I pray that may Allah help us all “commoners”. Ameen.

Year 2009 Coming to an End

The year 2009 is about to end in a few days. When it started I had no idea that it would pass so quickly. But just as the previous years, it did.

I have had years that held some misfortunes for me (and in which I was the cause of misfortune for others). But each time, by the grace of Allah Almighty I had recovered fabulously (and perhaps so did my victims). This year didn’t serve up any major setbacks. It was pretty calm on the calamity side. On the other hand, it did bring to me some wonderful things. And for each and every blessing of Allah I am thankful from the depths of my heart. Really. :-)

I made new friends, learnt new stuff at work, got a year older and stepped into a new decade of my life. All this is little stuff, but come to thing of it, it is the real great stuff. Big things seldom happen and rarely matter so much as the little everyday stuff.

Since this is the end of the year, I am once again motivated to ponder over the past happenings of this year. Would be looking to find out what good did I do and what bad; did I achieve anything or was the year completely fruitless; did I do anything new or was the whole year a repetition of a monotonous routine. Endless questions are popping up like bubbles on a bubble wrap sheet, waiting to be popped.

This is a dangerous exercise as I usually always end up with all the negative answers. I would conclude that the year was good as a whole but there were no significant achievements or good deeds. There were no misfortunes per se but there were no landmarks or significant endeavors either. Sometimes it seems like a useless exercise that apparently brings less joy than apprehension.

But it is not completely futile. It does bring one great thing to me and that is the will and pledge to do better in the next year. Even if I feel that I have not achieved much, I still always have the hope that I will do it in the coming time, in the next year. I fully understand that death is inevitable and nobody knows when it will come. Still, moving on to the next calendar year draws a lot of positive energy.

Right now I am just praying that may Allah enable me to use this positive energy positively to achieve something positive. :-)

PS: I never ever do it, but I wonder if I should come up with a list of New Year resolutions this year. *wink*

I Think: Taking for Granted Vs. Gratitude

When life serves up heaps of goodies, you are more likely to take those for granted rather than show gratitude for them.

I Think: Beauty of Later

The beauty of “later” is in knowing that you know you can "still" get back to it.

Be Awkward to Find the Best

Yesterday was Saturday. While it is usually a holiday for me, I had to go to office in order to complete some unfinished urgent tasks. Getting out of bed and going to office on the weakened was off course very hard. But once I got out of the house I felt much more comfortable. The roads were emptier and less noisy. I enjoyed that. Even though the roads were empty, I was not motivated one bit to increase my speed. I slowly trundled along the path I follow to office every day.

When I reached there and went inside, the emptiness of the work area made me sad for a bit. I once again felt a kind of torture, coming to the office on a holiday when all the rest were resting at home. Then I sat on my seat and started working. And guess what! I actually enjoyed that serene and calm atmosphere. People were not standing around me, all tugging me in their own directions. There were no line-ups of requests of tasks to be done "urgently".

There was no noise around. Lights were dim, the cloudy weather was lovely, and my music played in my ears while I calmly worked at my task with concentration. I wouldn't say the trip was totally successful. I was not able to complete my planned task 100%. But then I never seem to manage it whether a holiday or a work day. A tiny bit of work is always left to be dealt with “later”.

Looking at the day in regular way would reveal that there were two bad things with it. First I had to go to office on a holiday and second I could not finish my work. But looking at all this with a different angle simply changes the whole perspective. Ugliness turns into beauty. Sadness turns into happiness and contentment. Resentment changes to warmth and affection.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened but it still taught me a valuable lesson, yet again. Never stop and accept the things as they seem. Never make decisions or develop feelings on face-value. Always look at things, people, feelings and associations from all awkward and impossible angles to find the best in them.

Sunset and Kites

Yesterday i was sitting in my office in the room that we call the "large conference room". The place is just like any other room in the office. There is just one difference. The windows there do not have any blinds or curtains. This enables a clear view of the outside. My place was facing those blinds-less windows. I was in the middle of a training session and was paying full attention to it. Suddenly my eyes caught the glimpse of the yellow sun, shining a little above some clouds. The orange light of the sun was so mesmerizing and hypnotizing that i just could not take my eyes off it. Although the motion was not clearly visible, it was visible enough. While i was looking, the sun first tucked itself behind the clouds and then completely hid. I waited a while for it to come out of the other side. When it didn't i knew it was time for the sun to sleep. :-)

Then i shifted my gaze and fixed it on the kites that were flying right outside the window. I knew soon it would be dark and the kite fliers would have to go home. I just quickly filled my eyes and imagination with the golden drops of the sun and then the free flying kites. Then i came back from that magical world to the reality and concentrated some more on the training session.

Wish i can see that sunset some time again soon. Better still it would be great if i can photograph it or make a video.

Writer's Block

Even though i like to write but I was never much of a writer (still am not). I guess i was always more of a story teller (my siblings and a few younger cousins would agree). I do have some of my own made up stories to tell. But i am suffering from a bad case of "writer's block". I think of a cool thing to write about and till the time i get round to putting it in type, i lose all the magic. I wonder how it can be cured. Maybe i need to read other people's literary work in order to get inspiration. Or maybe i need to look back at my life and dig out interesting incidents that i might be able to turn into interesting tales. Whatever needs to be done, needs to be done right away. Desperate measures need to be called for. I really do not want to lose this tiny little flare that i have in me to write. ;-)

Finally!

After so many days i have finally been able to access blogger.com from home. I wonder what my ISP is up to.

Pakoora Platter

I didn’t realize that time flew so quickly. Seems only yesterday when the month of Ramzan started and now it is about to end. I have had several goodies on sehri and aftari during this month but my most favourite is something from aftari time. It is my mother’s “Pakoora Platter”. I am thankful to her that she spends so much time in this hot weather in the kitchen to make all these yummy pakooray, and then I am so happy she comes up with something so marvelous to eat.

Just a glance at the platter and my mouth starts watering generously. I can spot a whole variety in there that includes potatoe, onion, green chilies, egg plant and sometimes boiled egg too. First filling my plate with at least 2-3 from the different types from the platter is real fun. And then taking a bite out of each and every variety of the pakoora is just so heavenly.

Ammi will keep making this platter off an on after Ramzan too, but not that frequently. I am sure going to miss this when Ramzan is finally over. But I will hang in there as I know that next year Ramzan will come again and I will get to see the delicious pakoora platter yet again Insha Allah.

Hope you all had a great Ramzan, just like me! :-)

I Think: Cluttered Brain Can Think Too

Sometimes you think best when you have a lot on your mind and your brain is practically cluttered. You may not think of a best solution for any problem that is bothering you at the time. But you might think up some words of wisdom related to any other aspect of life. Happens to me and am sure it does happen to you too. :-)

Do What Makes You Happy

I am a person who has diversified interests in life. I like to write/blog, I like to take pictures, I like to do origami. These are just a few of the things that I like doing. But then I look around and see people who are much more talented in this stuff than I am. I see there are better more dedicated bloggers, such talented amateur photographers (let alone the professional ones) and very creative paper folders. When I see such a plethora of talent all around me and not within me has a strange kind of effect on me. I do feel motivated to do better and get lots of inspirations but at the same time I get kind of discouraged. I start feeling that in this ocean of talent I am nothing more than a mere spec. I start thinking that when people can do such great work, and I can’t do anything to match it, then why bother doing all this. I feel like just letting go of things and looking for other interests where perhaps I could excel as well.

But even after thinking such negatives I still never completely give up on my interests. Just one thought negates all the rest and keeps me going. This inner voice tells me that I am doing all this not to join a competition or to win a prize but for my own happiness. This lifts all burdens from my heart and I start feeling as light as a feather. This is not an excuse for not trying harder to achieve excellence. It truly is a true thought that I do stuff that pleases me.

I believe that this thing actually is the one that matters the most. You should always do what makes you happy and content. If you excel in that then it is an added pleasure. But on the very basic note, whatever you do, you should be doing it only because it makes you happy.

If you don’t already do it, do give it a try and see the effect it has on you. I am pretty sure it is going to be all positive with not even a dash of negative-ness.

Note: Please refrain from displeasing, teasing and even enraging others while doing stuff for your own happiness. :-)

Twitter on Maintenance :-P

I wanted to "tweet" a lot today as i have not done so in a long time. But Twitter is down for maintenance. :-P Why did it have to happen to me. And that too when i was all alone and longed for company, any kind, even if it was one sided and online. As one of my pals puts it "why me". :-) hehe

Alone at My Work Place

I reached my office around 8:45am. Today is not a regular work day so there was a chance that the office would not be open at that time. I was reassured by my manager the previous day that the office boy has been assigned the duty to open the office but i was still apprehensive. Thank God i was and that made me ask for a key. That key helped me a lot when i reached the office only to find all doors locked. ;-)

Now i am inside. Since i am alone here and can't be on the look out on all areas of the office i have locked the office from inside. Ok well i have done it for my own security as well since i am alone and don't want any encounter with any shabby character. ;-) I have posted a note outside that the office is open and the door can be unlocked if it is knocked or a call is made.

Now i am waiting to see who will arrive next. The suspense is killing me! *giggles*

Bucket Full of Sunshine

Bucket Full of Sunshine Originally uploaded by Monazza aka Titlee

Last weekend i had gone to Lahore. It was really hot there but it was still fun as i got to see many new things. Those were minor things but very new for me. One such thing i saw was on my way back to Rawalpindi from there.

About an hour and a half had passed since the Daewo had taken off and we were on the motorway. I was on the window seat and had put Ammi on the isle one. There was still light outside so i was looking out, as far as i could see through the dirty window. Suddenly something yellow, that was far off, caught my eyes. Those were yellow fields. Not too many but spread on quite a large area.

The first thing that came to my mind was that "It can't be 'sarsoon' (mustard)". As the bus approached those yellow fields my suspicion turned to reality. It was truly NOT "sarsoon".

Those were fields of sunflowers. I was amazed at the sight and was spellbound. I had seen sunflower plants here and there before, even up to 30 or 40. But never in my life i had seen a field full of sunflowers with my own eyes. It was fascinating!

I wished the bus could stop and i could stamp the beautiful view onto my eyes, mind, heart and soul. If that wasn't possible i wanted to take a few photos to keep reminding me of the mesmerizing view. But i knew that was not possible.

I made a plan that if i ever get a chance, i will take my own car on the motorway, up to that point and take pictures, as many as i can. I am not sure when will i be able to do this, but at least i have a plan and can work towards it.

I wish i could share that view with you all, but i have is a picture of these handful of sunflowers, my bucket full of sunshine. :-)

Say Aah!

Here Goes the Bee Originally uploaded by Monazza aka Titlee

The nasturtium said aah and the bee glided in. Thank God nasturtiums are not insectivorous, otherwise the bee would have had it for sure. ;-)

Silver Strands

While brushing my locks in the morning I discovered a silver strand among them. It was like finding a hidden treasure. I don’t have many on my head so any time I spot one, I feel really excited. I can't however pin what the excitement is about. Usually people feel bad, sad or scared that they have probably started to age and the presence of white hair is a confirmation. But I on the other hand am always delighted at the sighting. Though I am not sure that I would let them be when the presence of these silver strands becomes significant and more noticeable. Only time will tell I guess. Till then I’ll enjoy my moments of merriment.

Very Random at 3:00 a.m.

Its 3:00 am in the morning/night and i am wide awake. I tried to fall sleep but couldn't do it. So after twisting and turning i turned to my "oxygen", that is Internet. I've played a few games of "Dominoes" on Yahoo Games. It was great fun since i love the game and got the chance to play it after a really long time.

Some acquaintances are there on my MSN but no family members or pals are online. But then if they were here, at this unearthly hour, they would also have been sharing my dilemma of sleeplessness. I wouldn't have bugged them by asking "what are you doing here?". Because i would be doing the same. ;-)

I also found a cool track and was able to download it too. Have listened to it twice. Am planning to try to get some shut eye right after the track ends for the third time.

I have been blogging less and less for the past few months. I wonder what's up with me. I also wonder if any of my "readers" are missing me. ;-) hehe Well if anybody is missing me please know that i am missing you too. Honest! I am just turning into as bigger pile of lazy bones and nothing else is the matter. I think i am dehydrated. Oh well i'll have to drink more water to see if my hypothesis is correct or wrong.

My track just started for the third time. Woo hoo! Great song i must say. Nice, mellow and melodious, kind of lovey dovey. Well i'll lift the veil of mystery and tell you which one it is. It is called "Pyar Ki Dastan" from the Indian movie "Luck By Chance". (Yes i am guilty of listening to tracks from Indian movies. Yes i am a patriotic Pakistani too.) If anyone wants to download, they can do from the web site http://www.songs.pk.

A little while ago my DSL got disconnected. I felt as if i was left alone to count stars since i was unable to sleep. But then the DSL light stabilized after blinking a bit. And then appeared the Internet light on my Aztech modem. It filled my heart with joy.

I think the randomness is getting so random that it is getting out of hand and must be making you dizzy. My track just ended. I would like to listen to it one last time while i pack up stuff, spell check the blog and sign out of my accounts online. You all have a nice day ahead. Will catch ya all soon. Ya soon. I know the meaning of soon. :-P Don't make fun!

Ciao :-)

Swings

Swings Originally uploaded by Monazza aka Titlee

Whenever i look at any swings in a park or get a chance to swing on them (which is rarely), i always remember the good old times. The times when me (Aunty) and my good pal (Beta) used to swing on these together. The thrill of swinging on a swing combined with having a pal on the one beside me always used to be marvelous. It was pure and simple joy, nice and innocent fun. We don't get to do that anymore, but the memories are still fresh in my mind. I hope we can do this some day again, and soon.

Dedication: This post is dedicated to my pal Attiya. :-)

Do Not Litter on the Highway

Do Not Litter on the Highway Originally uploaded by Monazza aka Titlee

This looks like an effort by the National Highway Authority (NHA) to spread awareness to the masses about not littering. ;-) And this signboard was there before the Earth Day this year. Can we assume that the NHA is already aware of the need to preserve and conserve as far as Earth is concerned?

Who Celebrated Earth Day? (April 22, 2009)

Last week on the same day (Wednesday) on April 22, 2009, it was Earth Day. A day to appreciate the environment on Earth. Also a day to think of ways to conserve and preserve everything on the Earth related to nature and the environment.

I for one spent that day just like any other day. I did not waste any water while brushing my teeth. I switched off all bulbs and electrical appliances while leaving a room. I tried not to litter. I didn’t harm any animals or plants (might have killed a few mosquitoes though). I used both sides of the paper while taking my printouts. (I did, however, blog about that day on the very same day, but I am not counting it in right now.)

I did all this that day and do it every other day. I also wish and believe that I will continue to do so in the coming days as well. I might even get better at conserving resources and preserving the environment.

But I am wondering how many people around me (let alone in the whole world) do all this, and do it with a conscious effort. I do not want to boast as I have not done a great thing. I also do not want to preach to anybody to take care of such little stuff. But I do wish that everybody realizes that this is important. Every little action we do, counts. If it is a positive one, we will surely be adding to the preservation efforts of Earth. Our negative actions might not show instant results but they will pile up and add towards the destruction of our planetary environment.

I wish every day was Earth day and was keenly celebrated by all earthlings in a true sense. This Earth is the only Earth we have. So we need to think of it as our very own and protect it.

Facebook Making Me Mad

The cloudy weather is making me glad but the messed up Facebook application is making me mad. grrrrrrr

Turns out i can access all the pages on this application except my own profile page (the page that has the wall). It's been happening since last night. At home i thought it was some Internet problem. But as i am facing the same problem here in office as well i am thinking otherwise. I wonder what could it be. Somebody said it is a bug in Firefox 3 but i am wondering why would the bug attack only the Facebook profile page and prevent it from opening. Till i find a solid answer (or a solution) i will keep my assumptions going. :-P

Hot Sun & Cool Clouds

Today when i came to office it was really hot. The sun was blazing with its full glory and hinting that Summer (read extremely 'hot' season) is just around the corner. But just a little while ago i heard a little thunder-like sound. I ran up to the window and removed the blinds. The sight i found was very pleasing. The scorching heat was gone. Instead a nice sheet of clouds was covering the sky. I am still looking at the clouds, hoping they would spill a little water too. :-)

(Continuously) Changing Life

Things keep on happening around us. If we plan to blog about them and then don't find time, more and more 'incidents' would keep getting piled up. And then there will come a time when the oldest incidents wouldn't remain relevant anymore. The bottom of the pile would start rotting and becoming kind of obsolete. You think for a second that all my intellectual 'dough' is gone, but then you start getting new one. Good thing that things keep happening. Otherwise where would I go and what would i do! ;-)

I Think: Full Stops

Full stops are good. They are supposed to mark the end of a sentence. But i believe that they also mark the beginning of a new one.

Eid e Milad un Nabi: Celebrating Birthday Vs. Following Teachings

Now there is no harm in celebrating the birthday of our beloved prophet Mohammad (SAWW), but i believe that doing only this is not enough. We should also pay attention to what he said and act upon it (at least try to). May Allah enable us to follow our beloved prophet's (SAWW) teachings as well. It would surely make this worldly life better and definitely prepare us fully for the life hereafter.

Eid e Milad un Nabi 2009

Today was 12 Rabi ul Awwal, 1430 hijri. The birthday of our beloved prophet Mohammad (SAWW). It is the same day he passed away too. I have not seen it, but heard it that once there was a time when this day was celebrated in grief since our prophet Mohammad (SAWW) had passed away on this day. Then the times changed and people started celebrating it as a happy day since a heavenly light touched this universe an this day and our prophet Mohammad (SAWW) was born. I sure like the current times when we joyfully celebrate this day as Hazrat Mohammad's (SAWW) birthday. I hope we and our future generations keep on celebrating this day as "Eid e Milad un Nabi" for all the times to come.

my Flickr Kahani

New things keep happening in one's life as well as net life. The newest in my net life is the display of scenes captured in my camera on Flickr. I had always been interested in taking pictures but the camera at hand never used to be as faithful as i wanted it to be. Some times the megapixels wouldn't be up to the mark. Other times the battery would run out before i could blink my eyes. So it was pretty annoying. But now equipped with a camera with good specifications and long battery power i am slowly unleashing the 'photographer' in me. I don't know if i am taking 'good' pictures or 'bad' ones, but i am just taking pictures. I am really loving it (even thought of taking it up as a profession but then changed my mind). I recommend it to you all to give it a try some time. :-)

PS: My absence from Blogger was not because of Flickr. ;-) hehe

Assumptions

Are assumptions good or bad? What kind of assumptions are good and which are bad? Maybe assumptions about events is good and about people, their behaviors and characteristics is bad. I for one do not like things to be assumed about me. Like i do not want people to think i nail-bite because i am in a continuous tension (though some of the times i sure am). Or i do not want people to think i am confident because i have been abroad.

I think i myself am guilty of assuming stuff about others. But i am always ready to hear their version and replace mine with theirs instantly in my mind. I give at least that to myself. STill whatever be, i feel that we (including myself) should not make assumptions about people's behaviors. It is far better to ask them directly that what is bothering them than to "assume" on your own.

Assumptions may or may not turn out to be true. If true, those would be a benefit. But if false, then those can be harmful as well. I am trying not to assume too much about anything, be it people, work or future events. I am trying to remain calm while life treats me with a variety of delicacies and serves up lovely surprises at each turn of my life. :-)

Pretty Roses

I have been taking pictures of roses off and on. Thought since i have not been adding any 'words' to this blog of mine lately, i better add some visuals. Take a look and tell me if you think the roses are pretty:

The Pink Twins - A Snail's Resting Place
(Look closely between the petals of the one on the right.)

A Not-So-Perfect Rose - Still Looking Lovely

5000 Hits!

I was delighted today when my visit to my blog increased the hit count to 5000. Woo hoo! :-D


PS: I wanted the total page views to be 10,000 too but no worries if the number is not of my choice right now. It is getting there. ;-)

Gakhar Plaza: Through The Eyes of a Camera

The last time i saw Gakhar Plaza, after it burnt down, it was about a month ago. That time half of the building has collapsed but the other burnt half was still standing tall. Here is how it looked like:

Gakhar Plaza - From Afar

Gakhar Plaza - A Closeup

Now i have heard that the whole building has been demolished. I have not seen the new sight yet but would like to do so in near future.

Gakhar Plaza: The Falling Building

The next day we heard that Ghakhar Plaza building has collapsed. The news channels were also airing videos of the collapse of a part of the building. The sight was sad indeed. After been standing there for so many years, catering to the needs of so many shopkeepers along with the customers' and bringing joy to many people the building met a sad fate. It fell to the ground.

Filler: Shocking Stats!

It is really shocking that i haven't

- blogged on 'Meree Kahani' for 18 days
- blogged on 'Islamabad Metblog' for 34 days
- blogged on ICMMI for 63 days
- twittered for 111 days

What kind of a net animal am i? I am not happy with these stats at all. I need to take strict measures in order to get back in the groove. Am on it already, i guess. :-D

PS: I wonder how many more times would i miss the 'tide' and get out of the 'loop'. I wonder how many more times would i need amends to get back.