It IS a small world.
My friend Nobia, who I know for around 6-7, maybe 8, years now? And who I met on the internet, Very, randomly? And have never even ever met in real life, yet?
She introduced me to this other girl, in Karachi, named Rida Kokab, a few years ago. If I try to remember, I'd say it was approximately 3 or 4 years ago.
Well, funny story.
See, Rida Kokab, in karachi, randomly, found my blog on the internet and started reading. Then, she created her own blog, and claims to be inspired by me (how friggin cool is that?!).
Then, she finally left me a comment after a lot of posts, and I decided to talk to her and see who she is. Believe it or not, I just had a gut feeling that I had met her before, or knew her somehow. And I did!!
So, so far in life, I've 'inspired' three people to write blogs =D how awesome is that?
Rida Kokab's blog, which she doesn't want to be published here, actually even starts out by thanking me, and her second post is on a theory made by yours truly =D How frigging cool is that, too??
So You're Welcome, Rida, and Thanks because you've made my day. =)
Oh, and I'd like to beg anyone else that regularly reads my blog, to please, please leave a comment. I love finding out about readers!!
Nov 30, 2008
Nov 23, 2008
Ego, Grandiosity, Self Esteem? Anyone?
I was just taking a shower when I got this thought.
Here are the 'web-definitions' for Ego, Grandiosity, and Self Esteem:
Ego: an inflated feeling of pride in your superiority to others.
Grandiosity: An inflated appraisal of one's worth, power knowledge, importance, or identity.
Self Esteem: Self-esteem is the confidence and satisfaction a person has in him/herself.
Was going to try to prove a point, but due to the definition of Grandiosity, that point has been rendered pointless.
However, I would like to conclude with telling everyone, that you shouldn't take my healthy attitude towards myself, and my good self-esteem as Ego.
But you know what, whatever, go ahead and take it as whatever you want!
Here are the 'web-definitions' for Ego, Grandiosity, and Self Esteem:
Ego: an inflated feeling of pride in your superiority to others.
Grandiosity: An inflated appraisal of one's worth, power knowledge, importance, or identity.
Self Esteem: Self-esteem is the confidence and satisfaction a person has in him/herself.
Was going to try to prove a point, but due to the definition of Grandiosity, that point has been rendered pointless.
However, I would like to conclude with telling everyone, that you shouldn't take my healthy attitude towards myself, and my good self-esteem as Ego.
But you know what, whatever, go ahead and take it as whatever you want!
Nov 21, 2008
Not getting what we want, are we?
People are always complaining. And the following question always, comes up:
"Why can't we just get what we want?"
But I have a different approach to the answer. I think we DO get what we want. All the time. See, I like to think of LIFE, mine, as my own creation. I'm not talking about the creating or being created part, I'm talking about the part that comes after actually been created.
The part we all are living at the moment.
See, the concept of You Reap What You Sow has been worn out, and people don't even listen or think about that anymore. It's like the stars. You know they're there, but who gives a crap anymore?
Let me explain to you my theory. See, whatever our life is, it's ALL because of us. All of it. And even if some things were/are uncontrollable, they're for our own greater good, even if we can't see it. But in a way or two, everything IS actually being controlled by us. And if you don't think that way, you need to see a shrink about self-esteem issues.
Let me tell you a story. In high school, I used to flunk tests all the time, and I used to get bad grades for that. Why did I get bad grades? Because I didn't study for those tests. And so in a way, I was getting everything I actually wanted for myself, because I just wasn't thinking about the process that comes in between "Wanting" and "Getting". Did I want bad grades? I would think not. But what was I doing about NOT wanting bad grades?
Why do all popular religions insist that we're all equal? We are, really. All of us. And we all have to go through the same test, even it's a little different in nature and comes at a different period, but think of it as a video game with only one difficulty setting. We're all going to go through the same levels, but at our own pace, right?
And if you think you're not in control, and everything is going as fate planned it, then why do you call it YOUR life? Stop owning it completely, then. Abandon it. Call it someone else's.
If you are calling it your life, then learn the rules of owning things. Starting right now, preferably.
I believe people get what they want BUT in their unconscious state of mind.
~~
Life is complicated though ... all around me people are wondering why things aren't going 'their' way ... and what they need to do, to be 'happy'.
And being who I am, I just love helping people, and going through my handbook of theories over and over again, but as soon as the sun comes out again, surely the brain goes back to questioning ... And I'm not saying questioning is wrong, but at least keep an open mind to noticing the answers, people?
See, the problem is, whenever I actually help someone, something they always say, gets to me. Be it about Relationships, or anything else. I'm left questioning myself, after practically answering their paper for them.
And it's kind of sad, really, when you're left alone at the end of the day with only a blog to talk to.
M'hm.. Is this what I want?
"Why can't we just get what we want?"
But I have a different approach to the answer. I think we DO get what we want. All the time. See, I like to think of LIFE, mine, as my own creation. I'm not talking about the creating or being created part, I'm talking about the part that comes after actually been created.
The part we all are living at the moment.
See, the concept of You Reap What You Sow has been worn out, and people don't even listen or think about that anymore. It's like the stars. You know they're there, but who gives a crap anymore?
Let me explain to you my theory. See, whatever our life is, it's ALL because of us. All of it. And even if some things were/are uncontrollable, they're for our own greater good, even if we can't see it. But in a way or two, everything IS actually being controlled by us. And if you don't think that way, you need to see a shrink about self-esteem issues.
Let me tell you a story. In high school, I used to flunk tests all the time, and I used to get bad grades for that. Why did I get bad grades? Because I didn't study for those tests. And so in a way, I was getting everything I actually wanted for myself, because I just wasn't thinking about the process that comes in between "Wanting" and "Getting". Did I want bad grades? I would think not. But what was I doing about NOT wanting bad grades?
Why do all popular religions insist that we're all equal? We are, really. All of us. And we all have to go through the same test, even it's a little different in nature and comes at a different period, but think of it as a video game with only one difficulty setting. We're all going to go through the same levels, but at our own pace, right?
And if you think you're not in control, and everything is going as fate planned it, then why do you call it YOUR life? Stop owning it completely, then. Abandon it. Call it someone else's.
If you are calling it your life, then learn the rules of owning things. Starting right now, preferably.
I believe people get what they want BUT in their unconscious state of mind.
~~
Life is complicated though ... all around me people are wondering why things aren't going 'their' way ... and what they need to do, to be 'happy'.
And being who I am, I just love helping people, and going through my handbook of theories over and over again, but as soon as the sun comes out again, surely the brain goes back to questioning ... And I'm not saying questioning is wrong, but at least keep an open mind to noticing the answers, people?
See, the problem is, whenever I actually help someone, something they always say, gets to me. Be it about Relationships, or anything else. I'm left questioning myself, after practically answering their paper for them.
And it's kind of sad, really, when you're left alone at the end of the day with only a blog to talk to.
M'hm.. Is this what I want?
Nov 20, 2008
Join The Copyfight.
A post from the good people over at Isohunt.com:
--
Join the Copyfight!
Posted by IH on Nov. 9
Since I've been sued by both the MPAA (Hollywood) and threatened by the CRIA (Canadian recording industry), I've talked about what's been happening with our cases. Our CRIA case has also recently received mainstream press attention by the Canadian Press and Globe & Mail. But the question is why? Why do they insist on suing their own customers? Why do they sue search engines like us, who make the internet more useful for everyone?
The problem lies in something fundamentally broken with the copyright system. A choice quote from Cory Doctorow's article on the "copyfight":
When the head of the MPAA has to admit to copying the film that criticizes the very industry he represents, an industry group of lobbyists and litigators against such copying, it highlights an important fact beyond the obvious hypocrisy. The internet has completely changed the economics of sharing. When sharing equals copying on the internet and the direct cost of that sharing is effectively $0 (it doesn't cost you anything to share videos on Youtube or BitTorrent), it makes copyright infringement so easy that even Dan Glickman can do it. So easy that a mom like Stephanie Lenz can do it when she posted a video of her 13-month-old son dancing to Prince's music. And I mean no disrespect to them.
This is an age of rampant sharing and remixing, and if you can make the connection between sharing and culture as Doctorow has, you will see this war between rightsholders and consumers will never end and the rightsholders will never win. The band Girl Talk and Lessig and James Boyle and Terry McBride of Nettwerk and isoHunt all echo a common point: Remixing and sharing is good for culture, suing consumers and technologists who enable sharing is destructive for everyone. The internet is a more efficient information machine than the printing press or VCR ever was, and also a whole different animal. It's time the content industries learn to put it to better use as well, by discarding past notions of how business is done based on an economy of scarcity. In Star Trek, currency becomes irrelevant with virtually unlimited "copying" of physical objects with the Replicator. The internet is the Replicator of information. When a 13-month-old dances to Prince's music, copyright infringement is nowhere near his consciousness. It's an endorsement that he likes it, pure and simple.
I've said a number of times that I'm not against copyright, but copyright does need significant reform in the internet age. If all this rampant copying on BitTorrent and the internet has not made a dent in Hollywood's record earnings, why can't we all just get along without rabid lawsuits? Why can't they see that sharing and remixing is a human urge for culture, and when we share and remixes art, it's not a liability but an endorsement for the artist or author or producer?
When the majority of society has no ethical conviction of wrongdoing when they violate copyright law, it's not society that's wrong, it's the law. Because no one can really own ideas. Newton once said, "If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of Giants." It's how the arts and sciences progresses. We share, we inspire and we remix.
If you want to join the copyfight, simply share your thoughts by replying, share this post with your friends, and join isoHunt's Facebook group. With our pending lawsuit against the CRIA in our home country, we may need your voice real soon, especially if you are Canadian. For more on Copyfight and where the word came from, go here.
Update: Since this post is all about warm fuzzy sharing, I shared this post on Torrentfreak as a guest columnist. This post, along with everything I write on isoHunt.com, are published under the CC BY-SA license. Share on!
Update 2: For a book author's perspective, a most interesting response and discussion
regarding my post on the Copyfight. ( Edit by SecretSquirrel: Having spoken to Rachel Caine via telephone, she echoed the sentiments on her livejournal. Please do give her posting a read, she makes some good points.)
--
--
Join the Copyfight!
Posted by IH on Nov. 9
Since I've been sued by both the MPAA (Hollywood) and threatened by the CRIA (Canadian recording industry), I've talked about what's been happening with our cases. Our CRIA case has also recently received mainstream press attention by the Canadian Press and Globe & Mail. But the question is why? Why do they insist on suing their own customers? Why do they sue search engines like us, who make the internet more useful for everyone?
The problem lies in something fundamentally broken with the copyright system. A choice quote from Cory Doctorow's article on the "copyfight":
Quote:
"So the natural inclination of anyone who is struck by a piece of
creative work is to share it. And since "sharing" on the Internet is the same as
"copying," this puts you square in copyright's crosshairs. Everyone copies. Dan
Glickman, the ex-Congressman who now heads up the Motion Picture Association of
America (as pure a copyright maximalist as you could hope to meet) admitted to
copying Kirby Dick's documentary This Film is Not Yet Rated (a scorching critique of the MPAA's
rating system) but excused it because the copy was "in [his] vault." To pretend
that you do not copy is to adopt the twisted hypocrisy of the Victorians who
swore that they never, ever masturbated. Everyone knows that they themselves are
lying, and a large number of us know that everyone else is lying too."
When the head of the MPAA has to admit to copying the film that criticizes the very industry he represents, an industry group of lobbyists and litigators against such copying, it highlights an important fact beyond the obvious hypocrisy. The internet has completely changed the economics of sharing. When sharing equals copying on the internet and the direct cost of that sharing is effectively $0 (it doesn't cost you anything to share videos on Youtube or BitTorrent), it makes copyright infringement so easy that even Dan Glickman can do it. So easy that a mom like Stephanie Lenz can do it when she posted a video of her 13-month-old son dancing to Prince's music. And I mean no disrespect to them.
This is an age of rampant sharing and remixing, and if you can make the connection between sharing and culture as Doctorow has, you will see this war between rightsholders and consumers will never end and the rightsholders will never win. The band Girl Talk and Lessig and James Boyle and Terry McBride of Nettwerk and isoHunt all echo a common point: Remixing and sharing is good for culture, suing consumers and technologists who enable sharing is destructive for everyone. The internet is a more efficient information machine than the printing press or VCR ever was, and also a whole different animal. It's time the content industries learn to put it to better use as well, by discarding past notions of how business is done based on an economy of scarcity. In Star Trek, currency becomes irrelevant with virtually unlimited "copying" of physical objects with the Replicator. The internet is the Replicator of information. When a 13-month-old dances to Prince's music, copyright infringement is nowhere near his consciousness. It's an endorsement that he likes it, pure and simple.
I've said a number of times that I'm not against copyright, but copyright does need significant reform in the internet age. If all this rampant copying on BitTorrent and the internet has not made a dent in Hollywood's record earnings, why can't we all just get along without rabid lawsuits? Why can't they see that sharing and remixing is a human urge for culture, and when we share and remixes art, it's not a liability but an endorsement for the artist or author or producer?
When the majority of society has no ethical conviction of wrongdoing when they violate copyright law, it's not society that's wrong, it's the law. Because no one can really own ideas. Newton once said, "If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of Giants." It's how the arts and sciences progresses. We share, we inspire and we remix.
If you want to join the copyfight, simply share your thoughts by replying, share this post with your friends, and join isoHunt's Facebook group. With our pending lawsuit against the CRIA in our home country, we may need your voice real soon, especially if you are Canadian. For more on Copyfight and where the word came from, go here.
Update: Since this post is all about warm fuzzy sharing, I shared this post on Torrentfreak as a guest columnist. This post, along with everything I write on isoHunt.com, are published under the CC BY-SA license. Share on!
Update 2: For a book author's perspective, a most interesting response and discussion
regarding my post on the Copyfight. ( Edit by SecretSquirrel: Having spoken to Rachel Caine via telephone, she echoed the sentiments on her livejournal. Please do give her posting a read, she makes some good points.)
--
Nov 11, 2008
The Month in Karachi.
The following was all written during my month stay in Karachi. I've included time, and date for your convenience, and mine too. Hope you like.
***
*The music you hear in the tv show "24" when they show that orange digital clock*
The following are the blog posts I wrote while my stay in Karachi. They were jotted down quickly on my laptop because I couldn't find an internet connection on the fly. They are dated, with time.
*The music you hear in the tv show "24" when they show that orange digital clock*
--
October 13th - Monday - 2008
1:47 PM (GMT + 6) - Karachi Time
10:47 PM (GMT + 3) - Riyadh Time
7:47 PM (GMT) - Greenwich Mean Time
Because finding an internet connection is so hard, here in Karachi, I've decided I'm going to write blog posts, in a Text Document, whenever I can find the time (along with Date and Time) and then publish them on the internet after reaching my home in Riyadh.
So, basically, it's almost time to go back home, only a week or so left, and so far in Karachi I have seen a lot of things. Specially things written on walls.. lol, my favorite part of Karachi. You can find so many interesting things, written all over Karachi, it's amazing.
Like, a few days ago I saw a car, which had a weird sticker at the back windshield. It said "Why so?" in urdu. And it made me think ... why so what? What does that even mean?
Other than that, it's funny how roaming around karachi can be so tense when you know you have cash, and the cell phone you bought a week before flying to karachi.
But on the other hand, that made me carry only around a 100 rupees (which is roughly 10 riyals) and I left everything else at home. It was eerily satisfying ... travelling around with nothing but 100 rupees, I felt like I had nothing to worry about ... Just how I usually feel when I'm in Riyadh, but in Karachi it was different, it was something new.
I'm going to end this post right here, because as we speak, I'm sitting at an Aunt's house (where I'm spending the night) and people are talking all around me ... Talking about what? My aunt's son can't decide whether he wants to go into medicine or become a traditional doctor ... or something along those lines anyway, I lost them a lot of statements ago ... Anyhow, more news as it happens. =)
- Daanish.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 18th - Saturday - 2008
5:32 PM (GMT + 6) - Karachi Time
2:32 PM (GMT + 3) - Riyadh Time
11:32 PM (GMT) - Greenwich Mean Time
The fun thing about Karachi is, when you want to kill time, you can go out for a stroll, without a specific route. That's just what I did right now, I went out, went to this shop (where one Marlboro Lights costs just 5 rupees) and then took a long walk around the block. Rikshaw drivers and random people stared, but I guess that's what they do. I started thinking about how it's been a month in Karachi already, and it only feels like a week. Then I started thinking about how much more hectic life is going to be when I get back to Riyadh, where my I-20 waits for me, and I have to jump right in and apply for an American Visa. I had a 7up bottle in my hand, which I was "saving" from last night (it seems like such a tough job, trying to get out 25 rupees to pay for a bottle of 7up. And 25 rupees seems like a lot of notes, just for a 7up bottle). When I was done with my stroll, and got back home, I noticed Fido Dido laying in a hammock, besides the large white "7up" and a bubble under his head said "Fiker na kar, aish kar" ... to my surprise, I read the whole urdu sentence in one go, and understood it, but then I turned the bottle around to find the english version of Fido's bubble, which said "Don't Worry, be Happy" ... and I said to myself; "Ironic, that's what I've been doing all this while, and it's working!"
Still have a long day ahead of me, and to tell you the truth, I'm not looking forward to it, I want to go back home already! I miss all of YOU. I've lost touch with my alter-ego, the one that sits behind a computer all day long 'socializing' and I miss it.
Oh well, only a few more days left ... I'm not going to open up the calender and look up exactly how many days, but should be roughly 5 more days.
Wonder how everyone else's life is right now ... hmmm ...
- Daanish.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 20th - Monday - 2008
4:44 AM (GMT + 6) - Karachi Time
1:44 AM (GMT + 3) - Riyadh Time
I was laying on this thing called a 'takhat' ... practically a bed-type thing made out of wood ... and I was laying there with my uncle discussing music. My uncle, a professional drummer in Pakistan who has practically played with almost all the musicians in pakistan, no matter what genre' and has met almost everyone in the pakistan entertainment industry (vjs, directors, actors, singers, etc) was telling me about how Jazz music actually started. My month in Karachi was mostly spent with my uncle, and he told me all about his struggles in the music industry, how he started out playing in his backyard when the rest of his family kept trying to make him sell his drumkit, and how he went on to play with Sajjad Ali, Hadiqa Kiyani, Junaid Jamshed, and finally Mizraab. And how he has co-directed so many of the music videos seen on tv but never really got the critical acclaim he should've ... yes, I've showed off all I could, now let me get back on what I was saying. From there, the conversation went on to the stars and the universe, and the moon, and the skies, and everything-psychadelic. I noticed the Orion's belt (three closely positioned stars all aligned together) and I was looking around at the rest of the stars, when I noticed not just one but 4 shooting stars. Yes, 4 shooting stars. I wondered if I could make 4 wishes then, and I made them for everyone I could think of ... with Coldplay playing in the back of my head, and Steve Vai's For the Love of God somehow mixing in, I noticed how beautiful it was, to just lay under the sky, with the wind blowing, and clouds forming out of nowhere moving around the peaceful sky.
Even the stars, I noticed, are so different in their own ways. Some brighter than the others, some flickering because of clouds moving over them, and some positioned so beautifully, you can just stare at them forever...
Life is so beautiful, calm, pretty, mind-boggling, peaceful, satisfying here, that I feel like just staying here in this state-of-living forever ........ or actually, until I get bored of this too ......
I've met so many different people, my way of thinking has altered without me actually even knowing, or feeling it ... it's amazing. I've realized there's so many more things to learn, so many more things to see ... it's like a bag of toys, with so many different things in it, that you can put your hand in it and keep on grabbing things and bringing them out ... and in the same manner, so many things to appreciate in life ...
- Daanish.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 21st - Tuesday - 2008
4:44 AM (GMT + 6) - Karachi Time
1:44 AM (GMT + 3) - Riyadh Time
Was laying down looking at the stars again yesterday, when I saw two shooting stars! It was amazing .. I was thinking about the whole concept of life, and I said to myself, I wonder if I'll see a shooting star again ... Then I made a wish, I asked to see a shooting star. And in like, 2 minutes, a bright light ran across the sky. I couldn't believe it at first, and then I made the same wish again. And there it was. A second shooting star, within a minute. I was speechless.
I went to AAG Tv's office yesterday. Aag is a channel run by GEO in Karachi, and if you're in pakistan and don't know what AAG or GEO is, I'll be surprised. Met the Graphic Designers that work for the channel, Senior Producers, Cheif Editors, and many more big-wigs working for television. It was wonderful, the atmosphere at the work-place was almost hard to believe. And how down-to-earth everyone was, was surprising too, but I guess that's because they all knew my Uncle that took me there to begin with.
I found out around an hour or two ago that my stay in Pakistan has been extended. My flight back home was supposed to be in 2 or 3 days, but now I'm here for another week. October 28th, to be exact. Niice.
I think I'll go out for another stroll and maybe have a smoke. Hope everyone and everything connected to me in the circle of life is doing ok =)
- Daanish.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 24th - Friday - 2008
6:04 PM (GMT + 6) - Karachi Time
3:04 PM (GMT + 3) - Riyadh Time
I woke up at around 4, today. Last night is pretty much a daze, because I was out partying with my uncle who I've been staying with for quite some time now. What did I do when I was out? I can't really ellaborate on that due to security purposes, but I can tell you that it was tiring.
Stayed up all night talking about guitar riffs, and the past and the future. Saw six shooting stars yesterday!! And since we were in a daze, we saw a bright white pigeon fly across the sky and mistook it for a shooting star, twice. A pigeon flying alone across the sky at around 3 or 4 in the morning, do you believe that? But six shooting stars in one night. That was something, really. And one of them didn't even have the properties of a regular shooting stars. It didn't have a white bright tail or anything, it looked like the whole star was falling instead. A bright round circle shaped star just falling down from the sky and then disappearing.
Last night I also thought up a theory. I've sucessfuly compared Guitar Solos to Shooting Stars. Becuase sometimes when they're at the peak of their beauty, the just abrubtly cease to exist, and you're like "awwwww man". And they leave behind this silhoutte of a trail in your head, that leaves you in a daze. Touche'.
My day has just started and I have to decide on what I have to do next, so I'm going to stop this one right here. Updates as they happen =) hope you're taking care.
- Daanish.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 25th - Saturday - 2008
7:55 PM (GMT + 6) - Karachi Time
4:55 PM (GMT + 3) - Riyadh Time
I've just been informed that my flight is at 7:15 in the morning, on the 28th. Which means I'll have to sleep away the 27th, then leave for the airport late at night. It also means, that, I only have 2 more nights left in Karachi. One that is going to be over in a few hours, and one whole day and night tomorrow. And that's it. In this time that I have left in Karachi, I have some more shopping left that I need to take care of, I have to pack all my things again, and make sure I'm not forgetting anything at one of the many places I've spent nights at.
In addition to that, I've also been informed that the flight back to Riyadh is connected via a flight to Abu Dhabi first. And I will have to spend around 7 hours in Abu Dhabi Airport ... just like last year. And only because there were no other flights back to Riyadh, this was the only flight we could get since we extended our stay a week. Just bloody great. Do you have any idea, how jet-lagged, tired, and frustrated those 7 hours are going to be? I do. Really, really, really.
If I have any juice in my laptop when I'm at the airport, I'll write a post then too, and maybe you'll get a better idea of how it feels.
If I have any time before that, to write blog posts, I'll do that too.
Have Fun, world.
- Daanish.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 28th - Tuesday - 2008
7:30 PM (GMT + 6) - Karachi Time
4:30 PM (GMT + 3) - Riyadh Time
I'm sitting at the karachi airport right now, really, really tired/sleepy/about to fall unconciounce and I'm waiting for the damn plane to be fit for passengers. I mean, come on, I've been waiting for more than 2 hours now. And to top it all off, I have a 7 hour stay in friggin Abu Dhabi. Do you believe that? 7 friggin hours. ..
Daa.nish.Arif
.
***
My laptop's battery died at the Abu Dhabi airport, unfortunately. And I was too tired to plug the charger in the socket. So I just bought a pack of Dunhill Blues and spent my 7 hours in the Airport's smoking lounge. Aah, nirvana.
***
*The music you hear in the tv show "24" when they show that orange digital clock*
The following are the blog posts I wrote while my stay in Karachi. They were jotted down quickly on my laptop because I couldn't find an internet connection on the fly. They are dated, with time.
*The music you hear in the tv show "24" when they show that orange digital clock*
--
October 13th - Monday - 2008
1:47 PM (GMT + 6) - Karachi Time
10:47 PM (GMT + 3) - Riyadh Time
7:47 PM (GMT) - Greenwich Mean Time
Because finding an internet connection is so hard, here in Karachi, I've decided I'm going to write blog posts, in a Text Document, whenever I can find the time (along with Date and Time) and then publish them on the internet after reaching my home in Riyadh.
So, basically, it's almost time to go back home, only a week or so left, and so far in Karachi I have seen a lot of things. Specially things written on walls.. lol, my favorite part of Karachi. You can find so many interesting things, written all over Karachi, it's amazing.
Like, a few days ago I saw a car, which had a weird sticker at the back windshield. It said "Why so?" in urdu. And it made me think ... why so what? What does that even mean?
Other than that, it's funny how roaming around karachi can be so tense when you know you have cash, and the cell phone you bought a week before flying to karachi.
But on the other hand, that made me carry only around a 100 rupees (which is roughly 10 riyals) and I left everything else at home. It was eerily satisfying ... travelling around with nothing but 100 rupees, I felt like I had nothing to worry about ... Just how I usually feel when I'm in Riyadh, but in Karachi it was different, it was something new.
I'm going to end this post right here, because as we speak, I'm sitting at an Aunt's house (where I'm spending the night) and people are talking all around me ... Talking about what? My aunt's son can't decide whether he wants to go into medicine or become a traditional doctor ... or something along those lines anyway, I lost them a lot of statements ago ... Anyhow, more news as it happens. =)
- Daanish.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 18th - Saturday - 2008
5:32 PM (GMT + 6) - Karachi Time
2:32 PM (GMT + 3) - Riyadh Time
11:32 PM (GMT) - Greenwich Mean Time
The fun thing about Karachi is, when you want to kill time, you can go out for a stroll, without a specific route. That's just what I did right now, I went out, went to this shop (where one Marlboro Lights costs just 5 rupees) and then took a long walk around the block. Rikshaw drivers and random people stared, but I guess that's what they do. I started thinking about how it's been a month in Karachi already, and it only feels like a week. Then I started thinking about how much more hectic life is going to be when I get back to Riyadh, where my I-20 waits for me, and I have to jump right in and apply for an American Visa. I had a 7up bottle in my hand, which I was "saving" from last night (it seems like such a tough job, trying to get out 25 rupees to pay for a bottle of 7up. And 25 rupees seems like a lot of notes, just for a 7up bottle). When I was done with my stroll, and got back home, I noticed Fido Dido laying in a hammock, besides the large white "7up" and a bubble under his head said "Fiker na kar, aish kar" ... to my surprise, I read the whole urdu sentence in one go, and understood it, but then I turned the bottle around to find the english version of Fido's bubble, which said "Don't Worry, be Happy" ... and I said to myself; "Ironic, that's what I've been doing all this while, and it's working!"
Still have a long day ahead of me, and to tell you the truth, I'm not looking forward to it, I want to go back home already! I miss all of YOU. I've lost touch with my alter-ego, the one that sits behind a computer all day long 'socializing' and I miss it.
Oh well, only a few more days left ... I'm not going to open up the calender and look up exactly how many days, but should be roughly 5 more days.
Wonder how everyone else's life is right now ... hmmm ...
- Daanish.
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October 20th - Monday - 2008
4:44 AM (GMT + 6) - Karachi Time
1:44 AM (GMT + 3) - Riyadh Time
I was laying on this thing called a 'takhat' ... practically a bed-type thing made out of wood ... and I was laying there with my uncle discussing music. My uncle, a professional drummer in Pakistan who has practically played with almost all the musicians in pakistan, no matter what genre' and has met almost everyone in the pakistan entertainment industry (vjs, directors, actors, singers, etc) was telling me about how Jazz music actually started. My month in Karachi was mostly spent with my uncle, and he told me all about his struggles in the music industry, how he started out playing in his backyard when the rest of his family kept trying to make him sell his drumkit, and how he went on to play with Sajjad Ali, Hadiqa Kiyani, Junaid Jamshed, and finally Mizraab. And how he has co-directed so many of the music videos seen on tv but never really got the critical acclaim he should've ... yes, I've showed off all I could, now let me get back on what I was saying. From there, the conversation went on to the stars and the universe, and the moon, and the skies, and everything-psychadelic. I noticed the Orion's belt (three closely positioned stars all aligned together) and I was looking around at the rest of the stars, when I noticed not just one but 4 shooting stars. Yes, 4 shooting stars. I wondered if I could make 4 wishes then, and I made them for everyone I could think of ... with Coldplay playing in the back of my head, and Steve Vai's For the Love of God somehow mixing in, I noticed how beautiful it was, to just lay under the sky, with the wind blowing, and clouds forming out of nowhere moving around the peaceful sky.
Even the stars, I noticed, are so different in their own ways. Some brighter than the others, some flickering because of clouds moving over them, and some positioned so beautifully, you can just stare at them forever...
Life is so beautiful, calm, pretty, mind-boggling, peaceful, satisfying here, that I feel like just staying here in this state-of-living forever ........ or actually, until I get bored of this too ......
I've met so many different people, my way of thinking has altered without me actually even knowing, or feeling it ... it's amazing. I've realized there's so many more things to learn, so many more things to see ... it's like a bag of toys, with so many different things in it, that you can put your hand in it and keep on grabbing things and bringing them out ... and in the same manner, so many things to appreciate in life ...
- Daanish.
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October 21st - Tuesday - 2008
4:44 AM (GMT + 6) - Karachi Time
1:44 AM (GMT + 3) - Riyadh Time
Was laying down looking at the stars again yesterday, when I saw two shooting stars! It was amazing .. I was thinking about the whole concept of life, and I said to myself, I wonder if I'll see a shooting star again ... Then I made a wish, I asked to see a shooting star. And in like, 2 minutes, a bright light ran across the sky. I couldn't believe it at first, and then I made the same wish again. And there it was. A second shooting star, within a minute. I was speechless.
I went to AAG Tv's office yesterday. Aag is a channel run by GEO in Karachi, and if you're in pakistan and don't know what AAG or GEO is, I'll be surprised. Met the Graphic Designers that work for the channel, Senior Producers, Cheif Editors, and many more big-wigs working for television. It was wonderful, the atmosphere at the work-place was almost hard to believe. And how down-to-earth everyone was, was surprising too, but I guess that's because they all knew my Uncle that took me there to begin with.
I found out around an hour or two ago that my stay in Pakistan has been extended. My flight back home was supposed to be in 2 or 3 days, but now I'm here for another week. October 28th, to be exact. Niice.
I think I'll go out for another stroll and maybe have a smoke. Hope everyone and everything connected to me in the circle of life is doing ok =)
- Daanish.
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October 24th - Friday - 2008
6:04 PM (GMT + 6) - Karachi Time
3:04 PM (GMT + 3) - Riyadh Time
I woke up at around 4, today. Last night is pretty much a daze, because I was out partying with my uncle who I've been staying with for quite some time now. What did I do when I was out? I can't really ellaborate on that due to security purposes, but I can tell you that it was tiring.
Stayed up all night talking about guitar riffs, and the past and the future. Saw six shooting stars yesterday!! And since we were in a daze, we saw a bright white pigeon fly across the sky and mistook it for a shooting star, twice. A pigeon flying alone across the sky at around 3 or 4 in the morning, do you believe that? But six shooting stars in one night. That was something, really. And one of them didn't even have the properties of a regular shooting stars. It didn't have a white bright tail or anything, it looked like the whole star was falling instead. A bright round circle shaped star just falling down from the sky and then disappearing.
Last night I also thought up a theory. I've sucessfuly compared Guitar Solos to Shooting Stars. Becuase sometimes when they're at the peak of their beauty, the just abrubtly cease to exist, and you're like "awwwww man". And they leave behind this silhoutte of a trail in your head, that leaves you in a daze. Touche'.
My day has just started and I have to decide on what I have to do next, so I'm going to stop this one right here. Updates as they happen =) hope you're taking care.
- Daanish.
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October 25th - Saturday - 2008
7:55 PM (GMT + 6) - Karachi Time
4:55 PM (GMT + 3) - Riyadh Time
I've just been informed that my flight is at 7:15 in the morning, on the 28th. Which means I'll have to sleep away the 27th, then leave for the airport late at night. It also means, that, I only have 2 more nights left in Karachi. One that is going to be over in a few hours, and one whole day and night tomorrow. And that's it. In this time that I have left in Karachi, I have some more shopping left that I need to take care of, I have to pack all my things again, and make sure I'm not forgetting anything at one of the many places I've spent nights at.
In addition to that, I've also been informed that the flight back to Riyadh is connected via a flight to Abu Dhabi first. And I will have to spend around 7 hours in Abu Dhabi Airport ... just like last year. And only because there were no other flights back to Riyadh, this was the only flight we could get since we extended our stay a week. Just bloody great. Do you have any idea, how jet-lagged, tired, and frustrated those 7 hours are going to be? I do. Really, really, really.
If I have any juice in my laptop when I'm at the airport, I'll write a post then too, and maybe you'll get a better idea of how it feels.
If I have any time before that, to write blog posts, I'll do that too.
Have Fun, world.
- Daanish.
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October 28th - Tuesday - 2008
7:30 PM (GMT + 6) - Karachi Time
4:30 PM (GMT + 3) - Riyadh Time
I'm sitting at the karachi airport right now, really, really tired/sleepy/about to fall unconciounce and I'm waiting for the damn plane to be fit for passengers. I mean, come on, I've been waiting for more than 2 hours now. And to top it all off, I have a 7 hour stay in friggin Abu Dhabi. Do you believe that? 7 friggin hours. ..
Daa.nish.Arif
.
***
My laptop's battery died at the Abu Dhabi airport, unfortunately. And I was too tired to plug the charger in the socket. So I just bought a pack of Dunhill Blues and spent my 7 hours in the Airport's smoking lounge. Aah, nirvana.
Nov 10, 2008
Cannot think of an appropriate title.
I was watching American History X and there is this scene where in prison, Derek, our protagonist, conversates with another convict. And the guy gives Derek a little piece of prison wisdom.
He says, don't ever argue with your girlfriend when she comes to meet you during Prison Meeting. Because, then you'll spend all the time while she's gone wondering if she's getting it on with some other guy, having agressive sex, because she's mad at you.
And I've realized, long distance relationships can be like that too sometimes, to some extent of course. But whatever, experiences differ.
I've noticed how guys like to think that Pink is a gay color.
I bet that was all planned by the females. This way, only they get to wear pink, and it seperates them from us. Now, most guys have gone against colors like purple, and pink, and even orange, red and yellow. Why? Because according to them, it's gay.
Oh, come on. If God made that color, than why not take them in along with all the colors? Imagine the world if it didn't have those colors. That would be very, very dull.
Do you see females saying, Oh I can't wear blue because it's so manly? No. They get to wear black, blue, gray AND orange, red, yellow, purple, you name it. Then why are guys only wearing dark colors, afraid of being called a homo?
Seriously, if some people prefer the same sex orientation, that's their own preference. And you can't tell if a guy is straight or not, just by the threads he's wearing. You can have a guy wearing a brown armani suit, and you wouldn't be able to tell what he likes in bed.
You could have a guy wearing a light blue t-shirt and yellow and orange wristbands, and see females wooving all around him. Now THAT is what I'd prefer. Because it works. It's called being metrosexual or some shit, and if it's working for me, why should I complain? lol.
Aah, that's it for life for now. I wrote a few blog posts while I was in karachi, am too lazy to put them up here, but soon, hopefully. They're on my laptop, so I'll try to come on from there and just post them a.s.a.p.
Take care, world.
He says, don't ever argue with your girlfriend when she comes to meet you during Prison Meeting. Because, then you'll spend all the time while she's gone wondering if she's getting it on with some other guy, having agressive sex, because she's mad at you.
And I've realized, long distance relationships can be like that too sometimes, to some extent of course. But whatever, experiences differ.
I've noticed how guys like to think that Pink is a gay color.
I bet that was all planned by the females. This way, only they get to wear pink, and it seperates them from us. Now, most guys have gone against colors like purple, and pink, and even orange, red and yellow. Why? Because according to them, it's gay.
Oh, come on. If God made that color, than why not take them in along with all the colors? Imagine the world if it didn't have those colors. That would be very, very dull.
Do you see females saying, Oh I can't wear blue because it's so manly? No. They get to wear black, blue, gray AND orange, red, yellow, purple, you name it. Then why are guys only wearing dark colors, afraid of being called a homo?
Seriously, if some people prefer the same sex orientation, that's their own preference. And you can't tell if a guy is straight or not, just by the threads he's wearing. You can have a guy wearing a brown armani suit, and you wouldn't be able to tell what he likes in bed.
You could have a guy wearing a light blue t-shirt and yellow and orange wristbands, and see females wooving all around him. Now THAT is what I'd prefer. Because it works. It's called being metrosexual or some shit, and if it's working for me, why should I complain? lol.
Aah, that's it for life for now. I wrote a few blog posts while I was in karachi, am too lazy to put them up here, but soon, hopefully. They're on my laptop, so I'll try to come on from there and just post them a.s.a.p.
Take care, world.
Nov 4, 2008
April.
Skin color as peachy as peaches can be. Orange, red, and yellow never worked so well before.
I would wish for a thousand suns to come together all at once, to bring light into this winter. To bring sunshine, maybe. To bring pies, maybe. To bring mocha...
**
Seasons have never yet made me wonder,
how time can be so perfectly described
by words and terms, all self - created
yet we named names, till April arrived.
The flowers all bloom, and the sun shines around,
still we try to take cover from the wind, that is now
Shelter and protect, but we're touched with this bond
April was good to us, and we did not respond
I'm so lonely, but it's good, in a long time I haven't felt
Still so shaken and excited, I can't wait to meet you there
Months have come and months have went
April, I can't wait to meet your stare
I would cherish, and hold, hoping not to break our mold
I would let go, I would let loose, I would create words of gold
I could pray, I could wish, I could want to create our world
But this time isn't telling me how my April will unfold.
Snow no longer falls, April, mountains no longer shine
Eagles no longer soar the skies, time is no longer fine
This is where you come in, sweetheart, and claim to be mine
I wouldn't have asked if it wasn't to be, April, now is the time.
**
I'm looking for Yellow.
I'm looking for April.
I would wish for a thousand suns to come together all at once, to bring light into this winter. To bring sunshine, maybe. To bring pies, maybe. To bring mocha...
**
Seasons have never yet made me wonder,
how time can be so perfectly described
by words and terms, all self - created
yet we named names, till April arrived.
The flowers all bloom, and the sun shines around,
still we try to take cover from the wind, that is now
Shelter and protect, but we're touched with this bond
April was good to us, and we did not respond
I'm so lonely, but it's good, in a long time I haven't felt
Still so shaken and excited, I can't wait to meet you there
Months have come and months have went
April, I can't wait to meet your stare
I would cherish, and hold, hoping not to break our mold
I would let go, I would let loose, I would create words of gold
I could pray, I could wish, I could want to create our world
But this time isn't telling me how my April will unfold.
Snow no longer falls, April, mountains no longer shine
Eagles no longer soar the skies, time is no longer fine
This is where you come in, sweetheart, and claim to be mine
I wouldn't have asked if it wasn't to be, April, now is the time.
**
I'm looking for Yellow.
I'm looking for April.
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