Spring

Prayers of Prisoners

دنیا کی رونقوں سے اکتاگیا ہوں یارب۔۔۔ ساری رونقیں جعلی ۔۔۔ ساری کامیابیاں نقلی ۔۔۔ زبردستی کی یا پھر غفلت کی مسکراہٹیں۔۔۔ گھروں کے قیدی۔۔۔  قیدمیں تفریح کا سامان۔۔۔ موسیقی, کھیل تماشے۔۔۔  بے رنگ, بے مزہ زندگی۔۔۔

Life is a prison.  A beautiful prison equipped with all kind of entertainment; music, theater, games, sports, wine....

So soon came to know the reality of life, tasteless and colorless.  Every moment waiting for a new comedy, new melody, new drama, new action, new adventure.  People keep coming up with new varieties to entertain fellow-prisoners.  What a baseless life we spend!

I am sorry Allah (SWT)!  For being such a loser.  I couldn't bring pleasure to Your world, to the ones who needed it.

I ask You to help Pakistani troops guarding Pakistani borders.  I ask You to help the righteous ones protecting Pakistan.  I ask You to aid those who are on the right path.  I ask You to weaken those harming Pakistan.  Ameen!

Beauty and Books

This is the place in APWA college, where I sat the other day under this tree and started reading a book.  They have build these wells on both sides of this vast sandy field in the middle.  All around are the buildings with classes and faculty rooms.  It isn't like an educational place should be but I enjoyed being there for two reasons.  First, because the premises was less crowded with people.  Second, as the students are settled in their classes and the mothers find their corners, it became a quiet place.  Feeling winter breeze under the sunlight, listening to the birds, a hen and a cat and a puppy playing there.  It was awesome.  
As I was busy reading the book, I noticed the crows crowing in crowd above my head.  I looked up and spotted a nest.  I tried to ignore them but they kept calling their fellows around.  I had to move to the next well and in five minutes they all dispersed accept for the one that owned the nest.  

Today, I saw this puppy following girls for food.  She is so thin that anyone can count her ribs.  I fed her with qeema roll.  I divided it into three pieces so she can eat them easily.  She ate them one by one and went to sleep, which didn't last for long.  She had to wake up because of the girls coming out of the classrooms talking loud.  

The college is under construction.  I wish if they can cover the field with grass and grow flowers along the boundary wall all around.  That would save the furniture, floor and students from getting dusty especially on windy days.  There is a lot of empty space where they can build landscapes or shaded areas where girls can enjoy their break time and can literally think of something beautiful.  I wonder why our students don't demand it from the authorities.  

This is the canteen where I bought the rolls.  It is big from inside but not that shiny as it is supposed to be.  I never appreciate these kind of advertisement (of Pepsi, Coke or other products) in an educational environment.  

In government colleges, students should not be allowed to eat outside the canteen area.  They should not keep dogs, cats and chicken there too because they don't belong there.  

Government colleges and schools are very spacious.  They occupy thousands of yards.  They can build at least two studio apartment or proper room with their own bathrooms, somewhere in the corner for guards and gardeners furnished with necessary items, such as bed, table, chair, closet, book shelves etc.  At least they would have a comfortable place of their own to sleep well. 

The Kingdom of Light

How can I deny great favors of Yours,

I would never try,

How can I forget when my soul implores,

You respond to my cry.

I must admit, and this is the reality,

I've come a long way, 

through Your bliss and conformity,

and I desire to stay.

But now when I see closing my eyes,

the Light at the end of the universe,

the sign of Your Kingdom to rise,

I'm pulled down by a curse.

The curse of my fear of losing Your path,

the curse of my actions, 

the curse of my words, the curse of my wrath,

they all beat my passion.

Is there a possibility if I go back to my trials,

without any fear of profit or gain,

 But this time, I don't want to lose the ties,

neither Your Love and Mercy again.

Strange People

That lady at the college told me a strange story about Rabia Basri.  It was a small book cost Rs.100.  Rabia Basri was born in a very poor family.  One day when they had no food at all and no oil to lit the lamp, her parents made dua to Allah.  The same night, father saw Prophet (pbuh) in his dream.  The Prophet asked him to go to the king and tell him that the Prophet is waiting for the gift of durood he reads everyday.  The father woke up in the morning and decided to go to the king.  He said what Prophet (pbuh) told him in his dream.  The king confessed that he reads a tasbeeh of durood and forgot last night.  He felt sad and embarrassed, he asked his treasury to distribute charity among the poors.  He also presented ashafiyan (gold coins) to the fahter.  Rabia Basri grew up to be a scholar and a pious lady, she spent her life in misery for the love of God.  She hanged the white cloth of kafn on her wall so she would remember the death.  Hasan Basri, a man from same town, fell in love with her and sent his proposal many times.  She refused for the love of Allah.  One day she found him on the beach. Hasan took out his prayer rug from his arms and threw it on the water and offered her to pray with him on water.  She immediately took out her prayer rug from her arms and threw it in the air and said, "Hasan what you did can be done by a fish and what I did, even a fly can do this trick, it all happens by the will of God".  Someone at her death bed asked her about her last wish, she said that she wants to eat a fresh date.  While the man was confused a bird flies over and drops a fresh piece of date.  Rabia didn't eat that because she doubted if it was from a halal source or haram.
Then she quoted a scholar, he said that when God created everything, nothing happened but when God created mothers, everything in the universe came to a pause for a little while.  So when children go out for anything or on any mission, they should put their hands under their mother's right foot to get the blessings.
 

Paper Day

Got tired!  My daughter had her first paper today.  It was supposed to be the second paper as given in the schedule but the first paper was canceled due to law and order issue in KU.   I had to sit outside for three hours on the cold marble stairs.  There were no wooden seats available.  The college, APWA, is a place big enough to build a castle.  Unfortunately, it was giving a look of a ruined village on the back side.  The front side is also deserted in the middle.  There was no shade, no seats for visitors.  Anyway, as my daughter was finally settled in a room, I chose to sit outside her room on the stairs, took out the book and started reading.  Other mothers were scattered around on the stairs and the round marble fence around the trees.  After one and a half hour, a lady requested me to move and let her sit at the corner so she can lean on the wall and can read Qur'an.  So I moved.  At around 4 o'clock, she asked me the time.  I said it's four and noticed that she wanted to talk to me.  We had a nice conversation till quarter past five.  All the time she looked depressed and had a sad smile on her face.

During our conversation I came to know that she is from India but at the end I realized that she belonged to India.  Twenty years of living in Pakistan couldn't wipe off the good old days from her mind, nor caused the change in accent.  She thinks that she is alone in 20 million Karachiites.  "Meray susral to aisi hi hay", she said  that with a rude face expressions.  Her entire family lives in India and she got married to a Pakistani man so she had to come here.  "Apni currency to gir gai hay na", she said and I nodded in yes without knowing that the word 'apni' was used for her motherland.  She clarified, "phelay theek tha, abhi wahan jaao to nuqsaan hay, wo log idhar aaen to faida". 

"Meray bhai to abhi train say gai hain, main do martaba gai plane say", she seemed like pouring out the as many words as she can in a short period of time.  "yahan teachers' kay training kiyon nahi kartay, India main to teachers ko training detay hain, itna acha system hay, sub bachay bhi phartay hain", she kept glorifying her lost soil for several minutes. 

"Meri beti boli kay Science pharna hay, phir main nay is ko madrassah Bannat main dala, abhi bolti hay Mamma meray ko Science nai pharna, main Allah ki ho ker rahna chahti hoon.  Wo aalma kay short course kay second year main hay aur main first year main", she went on and I didn't want to interrupt her.  I wanted her to let out her true feelings.  May be after that she would stop complaining about us.  May be now she would change her mind about Pakis being rude.  She gave me her phone number and address and asked me to visit her as she lived at near distance from our residence. She was a talented woman with many plus points. 

I wanted to ask her many things but I didn't.  Such as why doesn't she blame her parents or siblings for selecting a Paki for her to marry?  Why is she so depressed and sad with the life in Pak?  Do in-laws in India behave differently than in Pakistan?  How does she explain the life in Pakistan to her family?  Is life in her home-town is really that peaceful and pleasant that she couldn't accept Pak as her homeland, after 22 years?  When Pakis go abroad, they don't waste a second in declaring the new land as their final destiny, they own wholeheartedly.  I want to give her some time to relax.  I am thinking about visiting her or invite her to my place.  Then may be I will let myself out on this issue.  I know she won't understand and that will be another break up.  Who cares!

Praise be to my Lord!

O Lord! The Master of all grace and dignity, please tell me, 

Am I different or indifferent as people say? 

Have people fallen into jealousy, with this land of courtesy?

I get confused finding myself alive everyday, happy and healthy, 

Am I still good to deliver something to humanity?

Or just counting my days till I melt to the bottom like a candle,

as things have gotten out of control, seem impossible to handle,

Alas! I've lost a lot, perhaps lost all or may be nothing at all,

 may be more barren days and lonely nights,

a lot more silence than verbal fights,

but nothing I do complain about,

only if You are still watching over me and love me,

Thank You my Lord! for all Your favours.

Surah An-Noor/The Light

35. Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah guides whom He wills to His Light: Allah sets forth Parables for men: and Allah knows all things.

36. (Lit is such a Light) in houses, which Allah hath permitted to be raised to honour; for the celebration, in them, of His name: In them is He glorified in the mornings and in the evenings, (again and again),-

37. By men whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the Remembrance of Allah, nor from regular Prayer, nor from the practice of regular Charity: Their (only) fear is for the Day when hearts and eyes will be transformed (in a world wholly new),-

38. That Allah may reward them according to the best of their deeds, and add even more for them out of His Grace: for Allah provides for those whom He wills, without measure.

39. But the Unbelievers,- their deeds are like a mirage in sandy deserts, which the man parched with thirst mistakes for water; until when he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing: But he finds Allah (ever) with him, and Allah will pay him his account: and Allah is swift in taking account.

40. Or (the Unbelievers' state) is like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with billow topped by billow, topped by (dark) clouds: depths of darkness, one above another: if a man stretches out his hands, he can hardly see it! for any to whom Allah giveth not light, there is no light!

41. Don't you see that it is Allah Whose praises all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate, and the birds (of the air) with wings outspread? Each one knows its own (mode of) prayer and praise. And Allah knows well all that they do.

42. Yea, to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; and to Allah is the final goal (of all).

43. Don't you see that Allah makes the clouds move gently, then joins them together, then makes them into a heap? - then wilt thou see rain issue forth from their midst. And He sends down from the sky mountain masses (of clouds) wherein is hail: He strikes therewith whom He pleases and He turns it away from whom He pleases, the vivid flash of His lightning well-nigh blinds the sight.

44. It is Allah Who alternates the Night and the Day: verily in these things is an instructive example for those who have vision!

45. And Allah has created every animal from water: of them there are some that creep on their bellies; some that walk on two legs; and some that walk on four. Allah creates what He wills for verily Allah has power over all things.

46. We have indeed sent down signs that make things manifest: and Allah guides whom He wills to a way that is straight.

Green Worm on a Red Mat

I found this worm crawling on the floor in the morning.  It must have come out of the peas that I put on the counter last night.  My daughter followed it and took some shots.  They weren't clear.  On the door mat it felt the presence of my daughter so near that it curled to pretend dead.

It moved after a while to check if the coast is clear.  Then it continued towards the door.

Cats are Cats...

So this is our cat, the unwanted one.  It was after Ramadan, she showed up at the door at the time of Maghrib (sunset).  We were breaking our fast as she meowed for food.  My daughter gave her a piece of chicken and that's it.  We thought that she's gonna come and go like other cats but no.  She forced us to accept her as our pet.  
Our neighbours, especially women, I don't know for what reason, are afraid of cats.  They had an objection.  Building kids used to kick her.  
But it's better now.  My cursing and yelling and shouting have made them tolerant towards this shoni-shani creature of God.  They have started giving her a little respect.  The neighbours living upstairs are better than others.  They now let her go inside their house and let her play with their three year old daughter. 
And from where I picked that word 'shoni-shani'.  Baba used this term for every infant, even for me.

Food Exchange

I like my neighbours.  From time to time they send me food.  Actually we have a kind of a silent contract.  I send them Chinese or pastas and they send me traditional food especially the one which I am not good at.  Such as biryani (the most famous dish of Karachi), koftay (meat ball curry) and other complicated dishes.  So when I send them my experimented food combination, they send me something in return.  
This Eid-ul-Adha (Muslim's festival), five of my neighbours sent me meat (both goat and cow, which I don't eat and pass it to the needy ones).  I don't do sacrifice so I sent them Chinese rice and sauce and tandoori chicken curry.  Then in re-return, I received pulao (rice and meat cooked in broth), kebob, biryani.  One of them, as they have a tradition of not returning the pots empty, filled them with these peanuts, walnut and almonds. 

Food, food, fooD....

My daughter is out with her friends for lunch.  So I was thinking that what should I do.  The place becomes so quiet in her absence, she is talkative and keeps me busy all the time.  And when she is not home, I eat a lot...anything.  I think first I should finish my corn and then write.

 
Okay, done with eating.
This is a katora, a traditional bowl.  It's made of steel.  I bought it after I broke my nikki-cup.  I have done enough damage in kitchen so I thought that this time I should buy something that I can't break easily.  Also because Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) suggested to drink water in a container wide open.  It's good.  Water tastes different in it.  

 . 

Okay, she just called that she is gonna take another hour.  It's already four.  She left at 2:30.  Actually she is on treat and she loves dinning out, trying new food.  No, it's not that far.  It's Dolmen Mall in North Nazimabad.  She is familiar with the place because we usually go there for shopping and window shopping.  The top floor has food and playing area for children.  I wish I can play those games too, again.  
You know, long time ago, I thought that I will have my own model town.  Yeah, the real one.  And in there, I will build the most common shops.  Like stationary/book store, butcher shop, poultry shop, milk shop, tailor, dupatta and laces shop, dyer's shop, embroider shop, vegetable and fruit shop, a general store, a little space for sugarcane juice, a tandoor, a coffee house etc.  Why?  So I can have neat and clean place to shop.  I will run them all by myself.  I will park my car far from the shopping area so it doesn't hurt the customers, yep, all of them is me.  


Oooops! it's already Asr time.  I was just thinking that why can't all the azan callers call azan at the same time.  I mean all the roosters announce the dawn at the same time.  What do you think, do they care?  No, not the roosters, they maulvis.


And for Baqra Eid, people should slaughter their animals in empty plots or barren parks or may be the community centers.  This way people will not have to wait for the butchers and it will be easy for the city government to clean the mess after slaughtering.  I don't participate in this, simply because I can't handle all this.  Unless the whole process gets organized. 
Though there is a fatwa that single woman can make sacrifice for Eid Al-Adha if she is independent.
They must be kidding,  I mean, a single woman is allowed to wander around to buy the animal, then arrange the butcher and manage to distribute the meat and skin.  But she just can't go for a walk, sit in a coffee shop (which I don't see any) and read a book or just enjoy coffee and muffin or bagel or donuts or croissant or hot chocolate.  

 No really, sometimes I wish if there is a coffee shop at the corner of my street with few trees and plants around, a big fish tank with colourful sea creatures in it, ..................
And just finished the spaghetti, yayyyyyy!  What's for dinner?  hehe, daal roti with cucumbers and carrots.
Annnnnnnd, I just got a phone call from my daughter, she is on her way home.  I like her being so informative.  When she is out, she keeps informing me about her hourly progress.  And the moment she will enter the door, she will say it out loud, "you didn't prepare the tea for me, what were you doing all that time, fat old lady".
So I better go and make tea for her or may be coffee.




 

Friday Prayers

I wish the growth rate of my hair can beat the population rate of Pakistan.  You know, born more-die less... matlab ugain ziyada, jahrain kam.... laikin itna nahi kay head chota per jaye.

Fasting beside Ramadan caused meat-shedding and loosened the clothes.  My daughter said that my clothes are getting bigger.  I said no beta, it's me jo chand ki tarah ghatti barhti rehti hoon.  I wish if I can continue this till next Ramadan.

I feel sorry for her.  She is sick for last two days, sleeps during the day, wakes up at night.  I guess some sort of virus or may be she is just tired.  So I promised her dining out this weekend.  That's my best activity to keep me fresh.

And many prayers for my parents.  Ya Allah (SWT)! Please keep them healthy and happy, make their life easy for them and forgive their sins and mistakes.  Forgive them if they disobeyed You while they were raising me.  If You think that I have done any good deeds then transfer them into their account because it all happened because of their good training.  Be kind and merciful on them in both worlds.  Ameen!

 یاد بھی ہیں اے منیر اس شام کی تنہائیاں۔۔۔ 

ایک میداں اک درخت اور تو خدا کے سامنے۔۔۔

Picklish

Thanks to National Spices for introducing my favourite vegetable in pickle.  I love it.

MOTHERS...

دور پرے آسماں وچ رب سچےدا ناں۔۔۔ ھیٹاں ایس جہان وچ بس اک ماں ای ماں۔۔۔۔۔۔ 


بہت سال پہلے طارق عزیز نے یہ شعر پڑھا تھا۔۔۔ یقینا انکی والدہ میں کوئی نہ کوئی خاص بات ضرور ہو گی۔۔۔ شاید یہی کہ انھوں نے اپنے بیٹے کو پاکستان سے محبت کرنا سکھایا۔۔۔ شعور دیا تہذیب سکھائی۔۔۔
 
آجکل کی ماؤں اورخواتین کا حشر دیکھتی ہوں تو سوچتی ہوں کہ الله سبحانہ وتعالی کے علاوہ کسی کو سجدہ جائز ہوتا تو امی کو کر لیتی۔۔۔ ماں تو ایک ایسی عورت کا نام ہے جو گھر کو اک نظام دیتی ہے۔۔۔اور گھر کے نظام ہی سے کسی قوم کے عظیم یا ذلیل ہونے کا پتہ چلتا ہے۔۔۔
 
ہم نےآنکھہ کھولتےہی اپنے گھر میں اصول دیکھے۔۔۔ اس وقت برا بھی لگتا تھا۔۔۔ پابندیاں اچھی نہیں لگتیں نا۔۔۔ وقت پہ کھانا۔۔۔ پاؤں اٹھا کر چلو۔۔۔ سپڑ سپڑ کی آواز نہ آئے پیروں سے۔۔۔ منہ بند کرکے کے کھاؤ۔۔۔ باتھہ روم سے ہاتھہ پیر دھو کر نکلنا۔۔۔ رات کو پاؤں دھو کر بسترمیں لیٹنا۔۔۔جلدی سونا۔۔۔ جلدی اٹھنا۔۔۔ اتوار یا چھٹی والے دن بھی کبھی دیر تک نہیں سوئے۔۔۔ ہاتھہ کے ہاتھہ برتن اور کپڑے دھلنا۔۔۔ روزانہ کے علاوہ ہفتہ وار صفائی۔۔۔ہر چیز کی اپنی ایک جگہ تھی چیزیں جہاں سے اٹھاؤ استعمال کے بعد واپس وہیں رکھو۔۔۔ امی کا کہنا تھا صبح اٹھتےہی گھر میں جھاڑو دو تو گھر پہ رونق  بھی آجاتی ہےاورگھر ٹھنڈا رہتا ہے۔۔۔  صاف گھر ہوتا ہے تو فرشتے آتے ہیں اورجہاں دل کرے کھڑے ہو کے نماز پڑھ لو۔۔۔ہمارا چھوٹا سا کچن بھی ڈرائنگ روم کی طرح چمکتا تھا۔۔۔ امی اور ممی تو کہتی تھیں کسی گھر کی لڑکیوں کا سلیقہ دیکھنا ہو تو انکا کچن اور باتھہ روم چیک کرو۔۔۔ کیونکہ ڈرائنگ روم تو سب ہی سجا کر رکھتے ہیں۔۔۔ کسی تقریب یا گھوم پھر کر آتے تھے تو نہانا لازمی ہوتا تھا۔۔۔ سب سے اچھا اور بہترین اصول جو امی اور چھوٹے ماما نے سکھایا تھا وہ یہ تھا کہ گھر جوتوں اورچپلوں کی جگہ نہیں ہوتا۔۔۔ باہر کے جوتوں کی جگہ دروازے کے پاس تھی۔۔۔ باتھہ روم کےچپل الگ تھے۔۔۔
اور شدید کوفت ہوتی ہے یہ دیکھہ کہ لوگ اپنے گھر میں بھی بے دھڑک جوتے لئے پھرتے ہیں۔ وہی چپل باتھہ روم میں اور وہی کچن میں۔۔۔ اور تو اور دوسروں کے گھروں میں بھی منہ اٹھائےبے نتھے بیل کی طرح گھس جاتے ہیں۔۔۔ او بھئی پڑھے لکھے لوگ ہو۔۔۔ ذرا نیچے بھی دیکھہ لوکسی کا فرش صاف پڑاہے۔ ضروری ہے کہ دوسروں گھر کو گندا کر کے ہی دم لو۔۔۔  مہمان بنو عذاب تونہ بنو۔۔۔

 ویسے امی کے پاس ہر مسئلے کا حل موجودہوتا تھا۔۔۔ امی بوریت ہو رہی ہے۔۔۔ جواب ملتاتھا فالتو بیٹھی ہو اسلئے۔ اٹھہ کے کوئی کام کرو بوریت ختم ہو جائیگی۔۔۔ پھر باجی کی مثال ملتی تھی۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ امی آج کھانا اچھا نہیں پکا۔۔۔ جواب آتا تھاابھی تمھیں بھوک نہیں ہے۔ بھوک لگے تب کھانا۔ اچھا لگے گا۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ لوگوں کی برائیاں کرو تو فورا ٹوک دیتی تھیں۔۔۔ تم کوئی اچھی مثال قائم کرکے دکھا دو اور یہ لیکچر ذرا لمبا ہو جاتاتھا۔۔۔ اور جب کچھہ کر دکھانے کی بات کی۔۔۔ آہاہاہا۔۔۔ صحیح کی پڑتی تھیں۔۔۔ یہ معاشرے کی بھلائی کاکام کریں گی ایک گھر تم لوگوں سے سنبھالا نہیں جاتا۔۔۔ کہو تو چیزیں جگہ پررکھی جاتی ہیں۔۔۔ اپنے ہی گھر کا کام کرکے تمھارے ہاتھہ پیروں میں درد شروع ہوجاتے ہیں۔۔۔ دوسروں کے کام کیا کروگے۔۔۔ پہلے گھر سے ثابت کرو کہ کسی قابل ہو۔۔۔۔۔

امی کے اندر بہترین انتظا می صلا حتیں کہاں سے آئیں اس پر آج تک ہمیں بلکہ سبکو حیرت ہوتی ہے۔۔۔ پچپن میں سوچتے تھے ایک ہماری امی ہی کیوں ایسی ہیں سبکی امیاں تو نارمل ہوتی ہیں۔۔۔۔۔۔ اور اب دعا کرتی ہوں کاش ساری مائیں امی جیسی ہو جائیں۔۔۔۔

Pakistani Pencils :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today's Meal

These are potato-kebab (aaloo kay kabab) with egg and salad.  They are easy to make.  Just boil the potatoes, mash them, add leaves of green onion, crumbs of green chillies, coriander leaves, black pepper, red chilly powder (or paprika) and salt.  Make disks, coat them with chicken broast powder and pan fry them in oil. 

And this is one of the most common dish of Pakistan, malika masoor ki daal (the black pulse soup/curry).  This is how I make it.  Soak 'malika masoor' in water and leave it for at least one hour.  Boil the grains adding some red chilly powder and turmeric powder, on a low heat for one hour.  Then add green-onion leaves, coriander leaves, salt, and green chillies and let them cook for five more minutes.  Then in a small pot, fry quarter spoon of cumin seeds in some oil and add them in the mixture.  Mix it well for a minute and served it with white rice, pickle and salad.

My Bucket List

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0825232/plotsummary

Loved this movie of Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, saw last year.  Especially Jack Nicholson (Edward Cole) playing an elite, owning the hospitals but doesn't find a separate room in his own hospital because of the policy.  Here are some lovely quotes from it;

Edward Cole: "Just because I told you my story does not invite you to be part of it."

Carter Chambers: "Forty-five years goes by pretty fast.

Edward Cole: "Like smoke through a keyhole"

And that's the thing that worries me a lot, about the rest of the life.  I made my bucket list too, quite different from the one in the movie.  Good thing about it is that it fulfills the desires of my predecessors too.  Bad thing is that it has gotten too long.  Nothing new, just many piled up conservative thoughts and old-fashioned ideas, backed up by harsh experience and failed experiments.  It doesn't even exist in the form of a list anymore.  It has become a plot, one with everything in it.  Orphans, poor, children, adults, women, illiterate lot, reading, writing, training, fun, planting, playing, swimming, martial arts, counseling, fashion, singing, dancing...all in a family environment.  I never had this concept of family environment for such a project but like a center or an official premises.  It all started few years ago, more exactly when I visited Sailani/Selani Welfare Center and saw one of their spot near by offering free food to please Allah.  Whenever I pass by that road, I see most of the people who go there to eat are Mashallah, healthy and in a good physical condition.  They don't look like the desperate one who supposed to be there.  I personally think of it as a very harmful trend to promote beggary.  Then when I met Mrs. Perveen of Khana Ghar and found out about the way she is trying to save as many miserable families as she can from starvation, this idea struck to my mind.  While she is working hard to feed with food, why not someone else step forward and provide them with basic quality education and good training.  We can't expect one person to do everything and Mrs. Perveen is doing her best.  Things are done better in collaboration of skills and passion.  It's like somebody is there to take full responsibility to comprise and hold on to a system and a team effort is required with a consistent provision of human resources to achieve the short-term objectives so the process doesn't stop.  Since my project is not supposed to be a charity-based one, I prefer at least a year long stock of basic supplies to be planned and provided in advance.  It is also a great convenience to take into consideration the expected as well as unexpected emergencies and leniency by any means in advance.  A clearly-written record of everything and everyone involved in the project helps to avoid mishandling and misunderstandings.  When to get started, as soon as the things are determined. 
I could have continued if I had my continuity of resources but doesn't matter, still working on it, calmly and patiently.  I have never been disappointed in God, for He is the most powerful and owns all the treasures of the heavens and the earth.


I tried to find out that how many orphanages and charity organizations were founded by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).  So far I know none of them and if there were really none organized by him then certainly he wanted well-off and well-skilled members of the community to coordinate with each other and be responsible for the ones who were deprived of the basic necessities of life.  This is what is called an Islamic or a peaceful society.
Another concept that has developed in me in last couple of years is the one about giving sadiqah.  Leaving behind the true definition and reasons for sadiqah in Islam, in our country, sadiqah is considered a charity that is given to alleviate a curse, to remove the side-effects or after-shocks of our sins or like in Urdu we say, "bala talna".  We usually choose orphanages and people who are already living like a Hell to exchange our balaas.
But what if we change our intentions and start giving gifts to those poor living beings, holding an idea of caring and sharing.  If Allah (SWT) removes sins and eliminates curses in exchange of sadiqaat, just imagine how much would He Almighty be happy with Muslims giving gifts to each other, without any feeling of imposed-favors, show-off and photo sessions.
And why is it like children in living in charities or orphanages have to eat and wear something indecent.  Why can't I just bear them wearing nice stylish clothes as I prefer for my own child?  Why not the same food?  And why do they have to look at me like someone dignified and honored just because I'm able to feed them with few pieces of bread?  Why not like a source form the Lord Almighty who is there to give them a big hand, to enable them to stand on their feet, to lead them towards an independent life and to make believe that God is theirs' too.  And I find it better to stay home than to witness these despicable injustices.
Can't we celebrate the important national and Islamic days like making gift-packs for the one who need them.  Little gift packs of bangles, earrings, a clean, stylish dress, shoes, pencils, pens...or may be a tuition or registration or examination fee or a course book for a student....could be anything.  It was six years ago in Islamabad, on chand-raat, I saw a poor old man holding the hand of his four or five year old daughter.  They were very far from where we were standing and I think that she was asking him to buy her bangles while he obviously couldn't afford them.  Then I added this wish to my list that one day I will buy bangles for all little girls who can't afford them and something for boys too.  Printing part is ahead, unlike last time, I will have to sit with someone who can transcribe the script properly.  Where will I find a person with such a courage?
It's too many things to be done in too little time.

Trans-Parent

This is my chamoola, too much use of the Oxford dictionary a few years got me this gift.  But I can still see far better. 




 


That was my favorite nikki-cup which got accidentally broken by me few weeks ago.  I liked it because it was good for drinking in three sips like it is said in sunnah.  

Curry in Hurry

And this is the delicious, also the nutritious loki-tinda-chicken curry.  I thought that let see how would it taste putting two vegetables together so I added tinda with loki.  My daughter liked it and we ate it with white rice.  It wasn't spicy at all so I had to take small hot green peppers with it.

Accidentally sweetish

My first sweet dish, I named it mango-jello-custard.  I made the vanilla custard, added the strawberry jelly and mango chunks and spread some mango shakes on it.  It tasted good.












My daughter didn't taste it, as always she was scared of my food experiments, so I will have to finish it all by myself.  Good Luck to me!

Purple and Voilet

Falsay (the small berries) and Jamun (in English may be grewia and jambling or jamblang), I like their colour than their taste. 

sea gifted me...

abra cadabra....

I'm tired bhai....thanks to my daughter for these cheese balls and chicken cutles....now I'm going to make tea for both of us.....need a project for summer to work on....please Allah subhanau wa Ta'alaa! help me....

Health is the best Wealth

I have always been very impressed with my parents' diet, especially my dad's.  The first thing he does after making wudu (ablution) in the morning, drinks a full glass of water (never drinks cold water for he thinks that gives joints' problem).  Then he eats a good breakfast right after Salatul-Fajr (the morning prayer before sunset) which mostly consists of egg fried in butter, mixed with turmeric powder, black pepper, salt and green chillies with a slice and a cup of tea.....skips lunch and then eats his dinner after Salatul-Maghrib (the evening prayer right after sunset) followed by a cup of tea.  Seventy five percent he is vegetarian, mostly eats meat in form of curry, doesn't like too much sweet and loves hot and spicy food.  He quit paan thirty years ago and cigarette about twenty five years ago on his own will.  This is how he checks his will power, by giving up things on his own.   

All his life, he never sat under the fan while sweating, a strict no to an air-conditioner because he thinks AC is the cause of most of the diseases, especially arthritis.  In fact, he is against most of the new inventions for they are useless and a waste of time.   
He thinks he is eighty-five, I say seventy-five but really, he is active like he is in his forties or fifties.  He walks fast and straight, does all his work by himself including washing clothes.  Never asks anyone for even a glass of water.  Always busy in thinking about something. 
He believes more on home-remedies than doctors and for that reason he never fell in a habit of visiting doctors or hospitals.  His health advices to us are usually as follows:

- you want to get rid of arthritis and joint problems, drink normal water, say bye bye to air-conditioner and let sweat get dried naturally.
- for sinus, add black pepper powder or ginger pieces and salt in warm water and drink it. 
- for sore throat, gargle early morning and in the night with salt in warm water.
- drink turmeric powder and raw egg in milk to make bones strong.
- carrots and karaila (bitter melon) are good for eye-sight.
- beet and all the squash-like vegetables are good for cleaning blood.
- drink lemonade or carrie (baby mango) juice to cool down in hot summer.
- chew a piece of garlic to reduce fat
- take cumin seed in yogurt to cure constipation or water boiled with mint leaves and fennel seed (also used in hot day to cool down)
- sit in sunlight to get rid of muscle-ache, it provides natural heat 
- walk as much as possible, do your work your own, early rise and early to bed, don't eat frozen or canned food, never drink water right after entering the house especially if you are panting,

He is like Quaid-e-Azam, the skinniest, the healthiest and the energetic one.  May God always keep my parents happy and healthy, the way they are now.  Ameen!
And I like his favourite couplet, "tang-dasti agar chay ho ghalib, tandrusti hazar naimat hay"...meaning Health is the best Wealth.

Our Traditional Food

After a long time last week, we ate daal poori, one of the most famous snack of Pakistan.  Daal is the bean curry on right and poori is the small, round, disk like bread.




After 28 years, I ate these "bakharkhanis".  As I investigated, the shop I remembered from my childhood, in the market, situated a little far from our house was closed long ago.  Now they come in smaller size and with sugar on it while these particular one aren't sweet and have flaky layers like pastries.  I was looking for them for a long time and found them surprisingly next to the post office about two kilometer far from where we live now.  Thanks to God.