The no show and profound life lessons

So do I dare apologize? The thing is I had a hard week, I know that's hardly an excuse to be going back on my word but I feel a halfhearted attempt at a conversation is worse than a no show. So, apologies but no promises, not until the end of May, for the exams are around the corner and so are a few deadline at work. So my appearances might not find a regular pattern, though I do hope that when I do show up around here, I come up with something meaningful.

So for today's story, I was in class the other day, we're discussing "Death of a Salesman" these days and its indeed a tragedy. The life of an ordinary man often is. While discussing the play a memory took over, a memory that had not been remembered for a long time.
Back in school days, (I used to be in the afternoon shift, I wonder if that's where I get my "lazy brain" attitude?) and in the evening, sitting in my van I used to se an old uncle drive by in a cherry red RX8. He had white hair and a beard, always had a polo shirt and Rays on. The kids all around me used to giggle and point, point at the really old man driving the RX8. Me? I used to wonder how long and hard that old man would have had to work to own that car. So I was happy for him, genuinely happy that he had the pleasure of enjoying that cherry red RX8 that probably had worked years for.
The point I'm trying to make is that many of us spend our lives striving for goals that we later realize we are too old for. So this post is a shout out, to all the people out there that dared to achieve those goals and enjoy them, for they deserve it.
And to all my younger pals, stop the giggling and pointing, they didn't have it easy like we do, they worked hard for what they have.

That's it for today, I had other things to share but the mood has taken a sudden dip vuz of unforseen circumstances so gotta go.
Ta!

Dissapearing acts and enlightening conversations

Okay so yeah, I know I should drop the disappearing acts, I promised myself consistency when I started this, I need to go ahead and prove to myself that I am capable of it. So here's to trying to be consistent. But I hope the narrative that follows is worth the wait.

Yesterday I met a sweet man, on our way out of the university we take a rickshaw to the gate, what with the heat wave, we an barely keep our eyes open let alone walk to the gate. So we did, Samar and I, we took a rickshaw to the gate, it was an old man, we got in and said "Baba Sheik Zaid jana hai" he looked a little confused so I pointed in the general direction ad said "Udhr walay gate" he replied "Aao betho" we did and he took us to the gate. All the way we gushed at his cuteness, you see me and my friends have this thing, we love really old people. Once we got off and paid him I was about to walk away when he said "Beta shair (sheher) nai jatay?" I replied, " Jana tau Saddar hai baba par mehnga buhat perhayga" I usually take a bus home on Fridays when I don't have to go to work. Then I saw the look on his face, I was about to say, kia laingay when he said "Mai 200 me layjaoonga" I did not have the heart to say no so I just said "Acha sai hai chalet hain" and got back into the rickshaw. Once outside he said, "Beta bura na mano tau do sawaariyan rastay ki aur bithalun? 20 20 rupay hongay, mera b kharch nikaljayga." Now, I am a weird person, with personal space issues, I usually say no immediately, but to him, I couldn't. So I let him, he got two girls to ride with us till Sabzi Mandi, I resented their presence all the way, when they got off they said "Thank you baba!" and he replied, "Beta, shuqria mera nai, in ka kero, yeh mana kerdaiti tau mai kese leta sawaari, hum dono ka bhala kea inho ne." They turned to me and said "Shuqria aapka" I could barely mumble "Koi baat nai" and then we left, a while later the babaji said "Mai roz 11 bajay nikal jata hu university se, aaj larkay agayay, shagird hain mere, mai ne sikhaya hai dhanda unhe, baten kertay kertay waqt ka hi ni pata chala, zahir hai kabhi kabhi tau miltay hain, phir baten b buhat hoti hain kernay ko. Phir tum aai tau pata ni kia aai dimagh me k is beti se puch loon, ho sakta hai jana ho isay usi tarf, tau puch lea, ab dekho mera kharch nikal gaya, patrol (petrol) p chalata hu gaari k awaaz na keray, mehnga perhta hai par sawaari ko sakoon tau milta hai. beta sakoon sab kuch hai, who na ho tau sab bekaar." I kept listening and saying  "ji" at regular intervals, lost in my own thought, wondering how much of a sacrifice he must be making just so people could travel in relative peace. I don't know why, but I managed to take a picture of him, maybe I knew this would be a story worth telling.I kept thinking until it was time to get off, he couldn't take me home as he had to go to garden, where he lived. I didn't mind being dropped off at Saddar on the way, I didn't tell him that I had to go farther, I wanted to return him the favor, give him relative peace, let him get home, be safe, rest a little. "Buhat shuqria baba" I said and got off, walking away before I took the next rickshaw home. That man, that wise old man taught me a  valuable life lesson, "Sukoon sab kuch hota hai beta, who na ho tau sab kuch bekaar"

There isn't much I could add to this, so, stay safe.
Ta!

The Rickshaw Wala Uncle

 

And so another work week ends

First of all, sorry about the two day disappearance, I vowed to myself that I won't let these happen, but they did. The two days were mostly uneventful, did meet a great woman on Tuesday though, Samar Hussein. You'll learn more about her in the feature that'd appear in my magazine soon!
Apart from that my days were irksome and tiresome. I had a few outbursts, nothing seriously damaging though.
Now for today's thing, I'm having my first ever sleepover, as in I've literally never stayed over at anyone's place without my mum, ever! Talk about being the baby of the family.
By baby I mean the youngest, not the most pampered, make no mistake! My family doesn't do pampered. They do "work cuz you need to learn" and "you're the youngest so go fetch" and then when you ask to go out with friends they do "You're too young". So yeah you're old enough to do stuff, unless you're asking to do fun stuff in which case you're too young! Always.
I thank God for the fact that I'm treated that way most of the time though, it saves me from a lot of trouble. At work though I love the fact that I have a bit of authority, it helps a bit, even surprises me sometime. I'm literally surprised when stuff is done sometimes simply cuz I asked for it, but it's fun indeed.

Apart from that it's all good, expect a long nice blog tomorrow, for now, I gotta sleep.
 Ta!h

Humph Grump Grump

Okay so I'm in a Monday mood, I have been, all day. I've tried snapping out of it a number of times and failed, mostly ended up simply "snapping", sometimes at people really care about. I'm sorry for that, I know it's none of their fault, it's just my mood. Usually I try and find a way to fix it or to excuse myself from society, which is the safer option. The problem today, however, was that I wanted company today, I wanted it but I didn't want it, get it? 

You probably don't, neither do I really, I am mostly just pretending to know what's up with me so that I could sufficiently make up excuses for my behaviour. I guess what I'm trying to do here is say I'm sorry, to everyone who has put up with me despite my utter rudeness! 

That said, I'd like to say a little thank you prayer  for the fact that I have such crazy people in my life who are there, no matter what, people who don't pick and choose, they just accept me as I am and stick around! Thank you, for being here through thick and thin!

I guess this is all I have for today, hoping for better spirits tomorrow!

Ta!

The love of language and other thoughts

Have you ever fallen in love with a word? Loved the sound of it so much, you simply started finding ways to use it in conversation, it happens with me a lot. It doesn't even have to be a fancy word, it just has to be a word that sounds pretty to me, I mean how pretty is the word tweak? I wanted to "tweak" my presentation. I want to "tweak" the recipe a bit. Enunciate, another word I love I know a weird choice but I just love the sound of it, "Enunciate your words"

My sister walked into the room as I was typing this so I took her input and she loves the sound of the word "doodle", it is a very cute word indeed, I like the sound of it too, its warm.

Then there are those words that are enchanting within themselves, words like "Enchanting", see what I did there? Enthralled, a friend says is an amazing word. My personal favorite is betrothed, it is so much more regal so say "My betrothed" rather than "My fiancée".

Its not even just English, I used to love saying "matala abr'alood hai" (the atmosphere is humid) as a kid, I used to hear the announcers at PTV News say it a lot. The best part is I didn't even know what matala or abr'alood is I just loved the sound of the words. I love words like, unsiyat, rafaqat, kashf, tanhaai, zarafat, taaluq, balooghat... Yes, yes! I know I got carried away, I just love words. There are even some names that just make me smile, that always did, you see those names that youlisten to and in your head you say "Apni aulaad ka rakhu gi yeh naam", now I don't know if that's just a me thing or just a woman thing or everyone does it. So back to the names, Eemaan, I just adore the name, Kaashif, Jaffer, Sanober, Aamna, Abdullah, Zaeem, Sarah, I just love the sound of these names and many others. Now I know what people who, might, hypothetically, be reading this would be saying, no I don't plan to have as many children as the number of names mentioned, these are just names I love. Oh and while we are on the topic of names, I have got to thank my parents for taking the time out and giving me an unusual name, Hurmat, I love hearing the sound of it. So there's that, my love of language, explained, now to the other stuff.

Have you ever ached for a place you have never been to? Just felt a longing (another word I love), an ache to just go there, be there, experience that place. It's been happening to me a lot these days, I wonder why?

Now for sharing some dread, I hate Mondays, specially because there is bad food for lunch at the cafeteria at work and then there's just the general feeling of hatred towards it because its the day after the weekend.

So the magazine did a story on zoos in Pakistan this week and we got some cute pictures of animals from the Islamabad and Lahore Zoo. I'd like to leave you with one particular picture that I loved so much I asked for a copy of it to keep in my phone.

Photo Credit: Shafiq Malik, Lahore.

This is one of the happiest pictures I have ever come across. A teddy having a bath!

On this, rather cheerful note, I should be off. May your Monday be happy and less stressful than mine. See you guys tomorrow.

Ta!

 

Unicorns farting rainbows...

First of all, HAH! In your face, everyone who thought I won't post tonight, here I am!

Now to my shenanigans, let me tell you an open secret, I'm not an optimist, I'm fully and devoutly a pessimist, which I often try to mask as practicality! I know, makes me feel like a piece of shit too! :P aammmm no, actually it doesn't, I feel quite good about the fact that I know who I am and what I'm like. So then, the question arises, if I'm such a pessimist why do I give people good optimistic advice? Why not lure them into the dark with me?

The simple answer is, I don't want others to suffer, I don't want others to be miserable while they still have a fighting chance, I do it because I wish someone had done it for me! So yes I talk about hope, I talk about everything that's nice and pretty, I talk about "unicorns farting rainbows" a term I invented, which means talk about far fetched happy stuff cuz reality sucks. So yeah, that's that!

 That said, no I don't need a psychiatrist, I'm perfectly sane, I have a sense of humour, I enjoy the good stuff, I bear the bad stuff, the only thing is, I am not under the delusion that if I be happy enough or optimistic enough, the world won't end, that if I do enough good deeds I won't die, nope. I know that whatever I do, there will be disaster, there will be pain, there will be sorrow, because the world is an unfair place, cuz if it wasn't why would we ever strive for heaven?

So yeah maybe I am a realist piece of shit, maybe I'm not, either way, we are all going to die!

That said, laugh while you can, live the life that you have, make plans, watch them fail, then go ahead and make new ones!

What's more? I had a pretty nice day, had a laugh at a few people's expense, not sorry about it cuz they sort of deserved it! Painted some, and read an incredibly funny book, oh and cursed mother nature for her painful message delivery system, the people who know what I'm talking about will get the picture.

That's all for today, until next time, live a little before you die!

Ta!

The Why, What, How, When, Where and Other Irrelevant Questions...

With a brand new career in journalism, (its practically squeaking like new shoes), I suddenly feel the need to find my own voice. With telling tales of so many others around me it feels as if I have started to let myself disappear, blend in the background. I also feel that I am far too young to feel like I'm part of the wallpaper, so this is me giving myself a voice of my own again.

  Do not expect me to impart great wisdom around here, do not even expect me to make sense at all, this place is simply going to be me, in conversation with the world around me, but mostly with myself.

  I know its called "The Newsroom Satire" but its not just about the newsroom, my whole life is a satire, believe me I've lived it for 22 years, I know! Another thing, its not really about the newsroom, I mean yes I work there, so there will be some talk about it but this is not news-centric.

  Also I will probably poke fun at people, I probably will praise people you might hate, I probably will say stuff that everyone else seems to disagree with but its all just my opinion, so keep your pants on, don't complain, if it bothers you too much, don't read it. That said, I mean no harm!

  Now for the other stuff, every once in a while, I will also post product reviews, book reviews, movie reviews, TV show reviews, basically reviews, get the picture, not too frequently but I would. An occasional recipe here and there, sometimes even random pictures. The point is, I intend to share a little bit of my life here each day.

 And yes I tend to ramble and go on and on about stuff, so yeah you gotta' bear with it!

By "you" I mean all the fictional readers that I have in my head, even though I know no one is gonna bother reading this crap.

  Enough rambling for one day I guess, I should be off now, I will be back with more awesomeness...