Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Dear Scarlett
I came across this new item on Dawn a little while ago
Scarlett Johansson visits poor in India NEW DELHI, Feb 22 (AFP) Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson is in India visiting projects to help the country's poor, the international aid agency Oxfam said Thursday. The actress arrived in the country Monday and met children in slums and schools in New Delhi, an Oxfam spokeswoman said.
Suddenly parts of Junoon's song Pehli Lagaan (from Talash) started playing in my head:
Mein yahan tum wahan
Buss yaadein reh gai
Keh Saka Jo na Mein
Woh Batain reh gai
Jagnay Kay Liey
Buss Raatein Reh Gai
Rastay Hai Waheen
Dooriyan Bur Gai
Chairti hain mujhay
Meri Tunhaiyaan
HAHAHAHA - I need to get a life.
Scarlett Johansson visits poor in India NEW DELHI, Feb 22 (AFP) Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson is in India visiting projects to help the country's poor, the international aid agency Oxfam said Thursday. The actress arrived in the country Monday and met children in slums and schools in New Delhi, an Oxfam spokeswoman said.
Suddenly parts of Junoon's song Pehli Lagaan (from Talash) started playing in my head:
Mein yahan tum wahan
Buss yaadein reh gai
Keh Saka Jo na Mein
Woh Batain reh gai
Jagnay Kay Liey
Buss Raatein Reh Gai
Rastay Hai Waheen
Dooriyan Bur Gai
Chairti hain mujhay
Meri Tunhaiyaan
HAHAHAHA - I need to get a life.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
A Daring Wanderer
I was barely a teenager when I was introduced to the Spartans and the Greeks and how they fought the world. It was then that I learned the phrase "O Tolmon Nika", which translated to english means Who Dares Wins. It became a bit of a catch phrase for me that I freely dropped at every opportunity I got in my early teenage days.
While growing up in Bahadurabad and playing cricket matches at the Cocun Ground whenever we'd run into a tough spot Id my tell my team "remember boys, O Tolmon Nika." I remember Farrukh, my teams front line bowler, asking me what it meant and I saw his eyes gleam with hope when I told him the meaning. Hence, O Tolmon Nika, sort of became our teams unofficial tag line.
The best thing about that age is the lack of inhibition in friendships. We never cared that Iftikhar, our teams wicket keeper and opening batsmen was an Afghan refugee whose family lived and worked at the neighbours house. To us Ifti was akin to Shahid Afridi, yet a bit more reliable. Anyone who has played Cocun knows that its not the easiest of parks to hit a ball out of. Yet Ifti would go up to bat with his red and blue woven afghani cap on his head, the shalwar raised up and tucked in at the waist and would slam ball after ball after ball out of Cocun. I never expected him to remember the phrase or the meaning of O Tolmon Nika. But one day after a critical match in the mohalla league I joked with Ifti about his sparkling innings that would put Aamir Sohail to shame (Sohail was my favuorite Pakistani opener) and Ifti turned around to me and said "O Tolmon Nikkay". I laughed real hard and I said "Ifti its Nika not Nikkay. Nikkay means young one in Punjabi" and he said "I am Younger than you so nikkay for me" and we went laughing and cracking jokes all the way home.
Roughly a year after that my family moved to another neighbourhood and its been about fifteen years since I met Ifti. A few years back I ran into the folks whose house his family used to live in. I inquired if they knew what Ifti was up to. They told me he had done his BComm (Bachelors of Commerce) in Karachi and the they had heard that he had recently gotten a clerical job at some factory.
I was very pleased to hear that, Iftis family was not very well to do. That added to the fact that they were in a country that wasnt their homeland would have certainly made it more difficult. A number of refugees from Afghanistan had chosen to join the labour force at an early age and skipped schooling altogether. But it seemed Ifti had fought the odds. When I saw todays blog word, I somehow got reminded of Ifti. He dared to make a life from him and I hope he did well. I wonder if he still remembers the team, our matches at Cocun or O Tolmon Nika.
While growing up in Bahadurabad and playing cricket matches at the Cocun Ground whenever we'd run into a tough spot Id my tell my team "remember boys, O Tolmon Nika." I remember Farrukh, my teams front line bowler, asking me what it meant and I saw his eyes gleam with hope when I told him the meaning. Hence, O Tolmon Nika, sort of became our teams unofficial tag line.
The best thing about that age is the lack of inhibition in friendships. We never cared that Iftikhar, our teams wicket keeper and opening batsmen was an Afghan refugee whose family lived and worked at the neighbours house. To us Ifti was akin to Shahid Afridi, yet a bit more reliable. Anyone who has played Cocun knows that its not the easiest of parks to hit a ball out of. Yet Ifti would go up to bat with his red and blue woven afghani cap on his head, the shalwar raised up and tucked in at the waist and would slam ball after ball after ball out of Cocun. I never expected him to remember the phrase or the meaning of O Tolmon Nika. But one day after a critical match in the mohalla league I joked with Ifti about his sparkling innings that would put Aamir Sohail to shame (Sohail was my favuorite Pakistani opener) and Ifti turned around to me and said "O Tolmon Nikkay". I laughed real hard and I said "Ifti its Nika not Nikkay. Nikkay means young one in Punjabi" and he said "I am Younger than you so nikkay for me" and we went laughing and cracking jokes all the way home.
Roughly a year after that my family moved to another neighbourhood and its been about fifteen years since I met Ifti. A few years back I ran into the folks whose house his family used to live in. I inquired if they knew what Ifti was up to. They told me he had done his BComm (Bachelors of Commerce) in Karachi and the they had heard that he had recently gotten a clerical job at some factory.
I was very pleased to hear that, Iftis family was not very well to do. That added to the fact that they were in a country that wasnt their homeland would have certainly made it more difficult. A number of refugees from Afghanistan had chosen to join the labour force at an early age and skipped schooling altogether. But it seemed Ifti had fought the odds. When I saw todays blog word, I somehow got reminded of Ifti. He dared to make a life from him and I hope he did well. I wonder if he still remembers the team, our matches at Cocun or O Tolmon Nika.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Killing Time
Awful awful monday. For some reason, couldnt sleep too well and the got hit with a bad case of monday blues. In such an environment procrastination fosters and while going through Waking Life I came across across a little online app that lets you create your own South Park characters. What more could I have asked for.
So heres what I came up with.
This is what Id look like if I were in a south park episode. Notice the eye brows and till last friday my hair were pretty much the same.
This, as I elaborated to Hira, was what I felt like after a night sleeplessness.
So heres what I came up with.
This is what Id look like if I were in a south park episode. Notice the eye brows and till last friday my hair were pretty much the same.
This, as I elaborated to Hira, was what I felt like after a night sleeplessness.
This one was made with Zain in mind. Zain is a co-worker who is obssesed with Batman, to the level he attributes his short sightedness to his bat like qualities, as in blind like a bat (Yes, I work with loosers, but blame HR for it.). 
I passed some of this work over to Adnan who insisted that I make a South Park character based on him. What came out was my best South Park character to date, introducing Addy in South Park (it looks a lot like Adnan in real life)
After many trashed attempts, I decided to make a dying crusader flying through sky. Hence, the picture below
After running out of other ideas, I wondered what a young slash (of the GnR fame) would look like if he were blonde and on south park. 
I dont know why I put the soccer ball in there, but I did and could'nt get rid of it. So I decided to leave it there. So all these creations, a little bit of work and finally this post has brought the day to an end. I hope you enjoyed the fruits of my procrastination.
Till the next case of it.
Cheers
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Friday, February 16, 2007
Cant Get Enough
Well it's late, and I want love
Love that's gonna break me in two
Don't hang me up in your doorway
Don't hang me up like you do
Love that's gonna break me in two
Don't hang me up in your doorway
Don't hang me up like you do
--Cant Get Enough of Your Love, Bad Compnay
Thursday, February 15, 2007
A Wandering "Story"
Another excerpt from my own collection for you to enjoy.
Shireen: So, what’s your story?
Hasan: Do I need one?
Shireen: No body needs a story, they are a part of at least one.
Hasan: Really, how many stories are you a part of?
Shireen: That’s up to your imagination, how many stories do you want me to be a part of?
Hasan: Did you just come on to me!
Shireen: So you imagine things as well.
Hasan: Come on, you just hit on me.
Shireen: Goodness Mr, Akbar, dignified women like myself don’t act in such a manner. I was merely proving my point
Hasan: That being?
Shireen: That every person is a part of a story, the only limit to their roles is the imagination of those who conceive the plot.
Hasan: And you assume that I have a conceived a plot in my head that involves you?
Shireen: Certainly, I know I have one that involves you.
Hasan: Is that so, pray do tell.
Shireen: Its still in the making. This is the first time we have met each other, the story starts today, the first words are being written as we speak. It will be a while before even the first chapter is ready.
Hasan: and I am assuming I play myself in the story
Shireen: Well yourself, at this point, is a stranger who decided strike up a conversation with the first woman you found approachable at this party and now you are wondering if that was such a good idea
Hasan: You sure are something
Shireen: Thanks for the euphemism Mr, Akbar. I always wanted to be “something”.
Hasan: Are you always like this, you know, edgy
Shireen: No, certain people bring it out in me. I am generally considered great company
Hasan: Not in my story
Shireen: and that brings around full circle
Hasan: It does.
Shireen: So lets start again, What is your story?
Shireen: So, what’s your story?
Hasan: Do I need one?
Shireen: No body needs a story, they are a part of at least one.
Hasan: Really, how many stories are you a part of?
Shireen: That’s up to your imagination, how many stories do you want me to be a part of?
Hasan: Did you just come on to me!
Shireen: So you imagine things as well.
Hasan: Come on, you just hit on me.
Shireen: Goodness Mr, Akbar, dignified women like myself don’t act in such a manner. I was merely proving my point
Hasan: That being?
Shireen: That every person is a part of a story, the only limit to their roles is the imagination of those who conceive the plot.
Hasan: And you assume that I have a conceived a plot in my head that involves you?
Shireen: Certainly, I know I have one that involves you.
Hasan: Is that so, pray do tell.
Shireen: Its still in the making. This is the first time we have met each other, the story starts today, the first words are being written as we speak. It will be a while before even the first chapter is ready.
Hasan: and I am assuming I play myself in the story
Shireen: Well yourself, at this point, is a stranger who decided strike up a conversation with the first woman you found approachable at this party and now you are wondering if that was such a good idea
Hasan: You sure are something
Shireen: Thanks for the euphemism Mr, Akbar. I always wanted to be “something”.
Hasan: Are you always like this, you know, edgy
Shireen: No, certain people bring it out in me. I am generally considered great company
Hasan: Not in my story
Shireen: and that brings around full circle
Hasan: It does.
Shireen: So lets start again, What is your story?
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