Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Back Again

Its not a good sign when one blog reads Back and Back Again in a space of just a handful of posts, that said, I have a dam good reason to have been negligent towards the content of my online sanctuary of blurbs and babbles. You see Lappy, my dear old laptop since 2003, passed away roughly two months ago. The pain was unbelievable, the poor soul had a serious issue with its display and the cost of repair was just a wee bit shy of a new machine. It took me all this time to pull the plug on lappy and find a suitable replacement for it. After having flirted with the notion of replacing Lappy the Laptop with an oh so pretty iMac, I finally found a worthy succesor to Lappy in another Toshiba notebook. Hence the coronation of Lappy The Second took place my at its throne, my study table, just last weekend. And after going through the initial orientation, I took the time out today to log on to the katha of my life and blab out all that had been in store for the last little while.
So as I listen to a new band from Lahore called Overload, I think of all that I wanted to scream and wail about over the past months. The Karachi bombings, the hoard of friends deciding to tie their knot this summer, my job that gets suckier by the minute or that pretty persian girl at my gym who makes me weak in the knees, all topics that although improtant, have lost their moment of glory. Enough has been said about the bombings, marriage is generally inevitable, my job is a lost cause much like the persian bombshell who would continue to be my inspiration to go to the gym where I would occasionaly run into her by the water fountain or the treadmills just to exchange a brief "Hey, how are you!".
One thing that has got me super pumped though is my soon to happen trip to Karachi. Yeah, C'Mon! As Kay once said and her picto-blog things - Karachi My High, Karachi My Low, To Karachi I Must Go. Everytime I think about that trip I have a smile from ear to ear. Its been three years since I left Karachi, and much like cigarettes, I went cold turkey on the place. Havent been there since 2003 and word has it that city has gone through some major social, cultural and economic changes as well. I heard story about there being Pizza Hut on Zam Zama that has valet parking and a dress code - for crying out loud - what in devils name is happening there. its stuff like this thats got me on the edge to check out my beloved city.
Its going to be funny to be a guest in your own home. Ever since the folks decided to board that flight to NY, I dont really have a house in the only place that I can call home. But its time like these when good old friends give you that "hum hain na yaar" wali line. So I have been cordially invited and agreed to crash with my buddies Kabeer and Kiran. I wish they would have named their son with a K as well, then I would have called them KKK or simply the Klan. However they decided to name their son Basim. With all due respect to all the Basims of the world and the parents of all those Basims, it isnt the coolest name out there. Like a resume with Basim on it would likely be overlooked. It doesnt really scream, you would want to know me but is more like a me too name. I have had this conversation with KK and they werent too thrilled about my observation and blatant expression of displeasure with the said name. Ah well, not my child - so cheerios to Basim, may you not hate your folks for that name. I look forward to frolicking with the little bugger when I am home.
On another note, the time away from Lappy made me realize how much time, the computer and internet suck out of ones life. Its amazing how much time I had to do things like read, write and most of all watch boat loads of movie. I even got lucky when I found a great deal ona DVD box set of all Oliver Stone movies ever made (except Alexander) at HMV. I mean $50 for 14 classics is a serious steal.
I had a blast watching Doors and Wall Street and Platoon and the first Oliver Stone movie I had seen in my O Levels, Natural Born Killers. I recall an incident surrounding that movie that involved shaving my head with a few friends, however thats better left for another post. While on movies, a few wicked foreign movies that deserve a mention are The Battle for Algiers - a 60s BW French film about the fall of Algiers during Operation Champagne, The Leopard - another 60s flick staring Burt Lancaster about the life of an Italian nobleman at the time of revolution, Run Lola Run a twisted german movie about a girl who needs to make a 100K in 1 hour and the spanish movie Sex and Lucia which although a bit graphic, tells a beautiful story of an unusual love triangle. All these are must see movies.
So that is what yours truly was primarily upto all this while ago. It feels good to be muttering into cyberspace once again. I think of it as my shrink that doesnt charge a dime and that thought in itself sets the mind at ease.
So with that peaceful thought and a commitment from myself and Lappy the Second to be more frequent on this channel, I bid you all adieu - live long and prosper in all that you do or want do!

And Then She Left

I wrote this ages ago and for some reason that I cant think of, I never hit the "publish post" button on this one. Better late than never eh!

A ray light, just shining bright
headed my way, lighting the path
that lead to the smile the lips had forgotten

Her eyes, with their quiet smiles
and her lips that sealed and concealed
the emotions that had been stirring in our heads

Just gave it away, gave it all away
the reason, the sense, the need
for her to be with me, for I to be We

Just when I thought that the light would spread
to the nook and crannies and dark alleys of life
she blinked her eyes and maybe changed her mind

And Then She Left

I still remember those silent moments
where hands clasped hands and we breathed as one
staring deep into each others eyes talking in the language of silence

I recall the times when a chat lasted for hours
and sitting down for a talk meant dedicating a day
when even the snap of fingers had a meaning

and I cant seem to forget those moments
where words fell on deaf ears, when all the voice
and all the noise, made no sense at all

all the blanks, the commas and the exclamations
just took the shape of a period, a full stop in true meaning
then the silence spoke again and this time it wept

And Then She Left