You are the reason I am. You are all my reasons. - A beautiful mind

As a newly married couple when you say this to each other, I dont think its amazing. The first few months after you get married are supposed to be the best, right. Everything is new and shiny, life sunny and beautiful, him/her wonderful and bewitching. So obviously you'll be feeling it and declaring your new-found love to each other as often as you can.

I dont think it classifies as extraordinary when you say this to the person you've been married to for the last 60 or so years. At that age, when you look back, you'll be able to forgive a lot that happened, look past a lot that happened, and love him/her for a whole lot that happened. At that age, he/she will be what your life is about after the kids have moved out, gotten married and forgotten to call on your birthday, when in the real sense, your life starts revolving around this one person (cuz frankly no one else is there). Naturally you will feel all the love there is for this one person you've spent your life with.

When you have spent long 25-30 years with the same person and you're still in for another 30 years or so, when you've gone through or are going through all the mid-life crises that are there, when dropping estrogen levels is just one reason for the raging tempers and irritability, when every female other than your own wife may hold more appeal, when you might regret the decision of marrying the person you did marry, when you might not be able to recognize them anymore, when you might wonder where he/she has disappeared, when careers become frustrating, when despite that work place seems a get-away from the daily drudgery of family life, when you look around the dinner table and secretly wonder sometimes what would life have been like had you made some different choices, when nothing is going the way you had planned it thirty years ago, when you couldn't care less about anything happening around you…

When all that is happening and you can still wake up in the morning, look at the person sleeping next to you, and say, “You are the reason I am, you are all my reasons” and really mean it… I think that is when it becomes truly remarkable.

Blog quake day

18 days have passed since the massive earth quake hit Southeast Asia. 18 days have passed since almost 79,000 people died and a few million became homeless. 18 days have passed since a whole nation was torn by grief. However, no amount of time that passes will erase the effects of this catastrophe from these people's lives. Families ripped apart, children orphaned, sisters with no fathers, brothers or husbands to give them shelter… our people need us.

Please step up to help them. Your aid might not reconstruct the several cities destroyed, but if it even gives one child shelter from the cold through the winter through these coming months, it will be worthwhile.

Some useful websites for making donations are:
UNICEF
Oxfam
International Red Cross
Hidaya Foundation
UK Based CharitiesInternational aid agenciesMensa Pakistan Disaster Relief FundSA Tribune: Sending donations if you live abroadLahore University of Management Sciences' Charity Drive

Donations can be deposited in any branch of UBL in Pakistan giving following details.
Account Title MKRF - Pakistan Earthquake Relief Fund
Bank Name: United Bank Limited
Account No. 0102598-5
Branch Code 1234
Branch Name Al-Rehman Branch
Branch Address I. I. Chundrigar Road, Karachi , Pakistan

For international telegraphic transfer from any bank abroad also indicate
Swift Code U N I L P K KA


Contact information for Edhi foundation:
Karachi - 021-2201261
Lahore - 042 - 5414211
Islamabad - 051 - 2827844
Multan - 061 - 4583906 / 4549938
Quetta - 081 - 2830832 / 2830861

By check:
Edhi Foundation of Pakistan:
USA Edhi International Foundation
42-07 National street
Corona, New York, 11368
Tel: (718)(639-5120)Fax:(718)(335-1978)


And if you cant help in any other way, simply click your mouse & help a Pakistani child through
The Child Site, and Click for Charity. Bookmark these pages & click to support as often as you can.


Today, as Allah tests those earthquake victims in this hardship, He also tests us, the luckier lot, who are sitting comfortably in the warmth of our homes, the only connection with the earthquake being through TV images.
As sure as the Day of Judgment is, we will all stand before Him as He will ask us, “what did you do when I was hungry in the form of that child, when I was cold in the form of that woman, when I was suffering in the form of that man? Why didn't you come ahead to help Me with all that I have blessed you with?”


Please… please make a difference while you still can.

blog quake day!

Earthquake victims. 

What we do today will count. Our choices will count. If we decide to watch the news, look at the people who have died or suffered, and remain unaffected, that will count. If we decide to open our pockets and our bank accounts for these people, that will count. If we open our hearts to these people, that desicion will also count. Not for anybody else. But between us and Allah, these desicions will count.

Please Help!

Even blogging isnt taking my mind off this whole earthquake thing. We've started collecting money in our university for the relief fund. Lets hope we can help in some way.

Ami always says that in Allah's 99 names, He has 98 names that depict beauty and mercy while there is only one name that says Al-Jabbar. And still Allah is Arrehman Arraheem, His love and mercy are no doubt greater than His anger. I pray for the maghfirat of the people who died. I pray that Allah makes it easy for the victims to get through this ordeal. I pray for our nation to have the strength to overcome this catastrophe. I pray.

I found some extremely useful info on Saba's blog:

Donate to Pakistan's Earthquake Relief Fund:
All Mobilink users: contribute Rs. 10 +tax to the Mobilink Earthquake Relief Fund by sending a blank SMS to 180.

Donations can be deposited in any branch of UBL in Pakistan giving following details.
Account Title MKRF - Pakistan Earthquake Relief Fund
Bank Name: United Bank Limited
Account No. 0102598-5
Branch Code 1234
Branch Name Al-Rehman Branch
Branch Address I. I. Chundrigar Road, Karachi , Pakistan
For international telegraphic transfer from any bank abroad also indicate
Swift Code U N I L P K KA

To contribute via PayPal - click here: Help Pakistan

Contact the following organizations:
Edhi Foundation
Karachi - 021-2201261
Lahore - 042 - 5414211
Islamabad - 051 - 2827844
Multan - 061 - 4583906 / 4549938
Quetta - 081 - 2830832 / 2830861

Fatamid Foundation
Dr. Sagher - 021-2225285 / 0300 - 9210647

Ansar Burney Welfare Trust
Sarim Burney - 0300 - 8243459 / 0301 - 8243459

Rotaract Club 3270
Lahore:
Natash Ali Mian - 0300 - 9464209
Farooq Abdul Qadir - 0333 - 4227114
Karachi:
Ali Hafeez - 0333 - 2298048

National Academy of Youth Trust
Mrs. Samina - 0333 - 3114726

Khidmat - e - Khalq Foundation
Karachi - 021 - 6328464

Al Khidmat Foundation
Lahore - 042 - 5433038
Islamabad - 051 - 2277343 / 2877933

Some useful websites are:
Unicef
International Red Cross
UK Based Charities
International aid agencies
Mensa Pakistan Disaster Relief Fund
SA Tribune: Sending donations if you live abroad
Lahore University of Management Sciences' Charity Drive

The Karachi Metblog and Lahore Metblog are posting news updates and details of charity drives constantly.

From Baraka's blog:

Online donations:

UNICEF

Oxfam

International Red Cross

Hidaya Foundation

By check:

Edhi Foundation of Pakistan:

USA Edhi International Foundation

42-07 National street

Corona, New York, 11368

Tel: (718)(639-5120)Fax:(718)(335-1978)

Pakistan Embassy in Washington DC:

Please make checks payable to the 'President’s Relief Fund' and mail to:

Embassy of Pakistan,

3517 International Court,

NW, Washington, DC 20008

From BBCD's blog:

Already on the Ground: Oxfam - Accept Online Donations

Islamic Relief - Accept Online Donations

Muslim Hands - Accept Online Donations

Unicef - Accept Online Donations.

Edhi Foundation - Post Cheques onlys

---President's relief Fund, just deposit your donations in any National Bank branch all over Pakistan. For further information, call the Prime Minister's Relief Cell at 051-9213891 or 051-9222999---

You can also send in donations through Mir Khalil Ur Rehman Foundation (http://www.mkrf.org). It’s the charity organization of largest News Paper Group in Pakistan (Jang Group: http://www.jang.com.pk)

Donations can be deposited in any branch of UBL in Pakistan giving following details.

Account Title MKRF - Pakistan Earthquake Relief Fund

Bank Name United Bank Limited

Account No. 0102598-5

Branch Code 1234

Branch Name Al-Rehman Branch

Branch Address I. I. Chundrigar Road, Karachi , Pakistan

For international telegraphic transfer from any bank abroad also indicate

Swift Code U N I L P K KA

***Thanks to Saba, Baraka and BBCD. If i find out some other info, ill post that too. Please help in any way you can.

(My views are not to offend anyone, they are just that, my faith. My views. )

A 7.6 magnitude earth quake hit Pakistan, India and Afghanistan this morning at 8:52 am. The death toll is almost 3,000 now, with even more casualties. Authorities fear that the number may be more than this. The greatest loss of lives has been in Kashmir, almost 1,600. 200+ men of our army have also died. There are 400 students being feared dead. There is an apartment building Margalla towers in Islamabad that has fallen down and people are stuck underneath the debris, some dead, some still alive.

As people stagger, trying to cope with the losses of their loved ones or their assets, I pray that Allah gives them strength to overcome this catastrophe and come out of it with stronger faith. The people who died, I pray that Allah unki maghfirat farmaye aur unkey liye agey ka har marhala asaan karey. For the people who are trying to help others in any way they can, small or big, may Allah reward them for this beyond their expectations. I pray that Allah shows us mercy and keep all of us in His refuge from any such further calamities.

I remember reading somewhere in Quran about how Allah's azaab/punishment comes unannounced, comes while we are sleeping or busy with our wordly lives. Sometimes it takes more than a slight nudge to wake up. It takes a tsunami, a flood, an earthquake, a hurricane to wake up. To wake up and realize the finity of this world. To wake up and remember why we were sent here in the first place.

Say, 'He has power to send punishment upon you from above you or from beneath your feet, or to confound you by splitting you into sects and make you taste the violence of one another. See how We expound the various ways that they may understand!" Chapter 6: Verse 65

A prayer can never hurt as long as you understand that you may not get the answer immediately.

(Listening to: Yunhii challa chal rahii at the mo)

R : So are you engaged yet???
Me: Huh?
R: Arent u engaged yet?
Me: R again…. huh???!!!!
R: I was asking cuz ure a pathan and all na… so I thought maybe u wudve gotten engaged by now. So have u gotten engaged???
Me: Oh so thats what you are talking about. Well yes :D, I did get engaged!!! Oh I also got married and have 4 adorable kids…

(Not true... in case you guys were wondering)

Lol… why does that happen??? People assuming that you are engaged just cuz you belong to a specific sect / cast… Ok so I know pathans do marry their girls off early… but seriously… Do you know my dad… im not kidding… do you???!!!!
He is such an adorable baba jaan… but us three sistas and amii have come to a conclusion… he is in denial… us getting married does not come anywhere in his future plans (not that im complaining… lol, loving my freedom, yes I am!!). He is trying very hard to ignore the fact that he has 3 girls that he might have to marry off some day… lol, one day when amii said something to him abt buying gold and stuff for us, he got very very upset, muttered something under his breath and left the room.

Amii, on the other hand, is a totally different story. Last night she told me she has been attending one wedding every week since three months. How she is managing that with her clinic and all is beyond me. Honey has a pretty good theory about that. She thinks amii is trying to make up for all those weddings that she dint go to all these years and is trying to keep her ends neat with people so they will come to our weddings too. According to Amii, she is just evolving into a Social species. After 50 yrs of being a home bug, yeah sure mum, you have me convinced…

Honey putting things into perspective:

“So why do they call Tuna the chicken of the sea? Tuna isn’t chicken, its fish”

“Twenty six twenty fivvvvvvvvvvveeeeee…” (inspired by the Gold Member movie)

“So all she did in the whole movie with her psycho husband is learn how to swim?”

“Tell amii to give instructions to her faithful army as well” (referring to Ami’s servants)

“Kisi din to uski dardhi sey mey latak jaoongi” (angry at Master Ilyas and at Dr. Niaz)

Ajnabii shehr key ajnabii rastey

I couldnt find this piece in Urdu script so tried doing my best with Roman English. Hope its understandable.

Ajnabii shehr key ajnabii rastey
Meri tanhayii par muskaratey rahey
Mey bohat dair tak yunhii chalta raha
Tum bohat dair tak yaad atey rahey

Zehr milta raha, zehr peetey rahey
Roz martey rahey, roz jeetey rahey
Zindagii bi humey azmatii rahi
Aur hum bhi isey aazmate rahey

Zakhm jab bhi koi zehn o dil par laga
Zindagii ki taraf ek dareecha khula
Hum bhi goya kisi saaz key taar hain
Chot khatey rahey, gungunatey rahey

Kal kuch aisa hua, mey bohat thakh gaya
Is liye sun kar bhi un suni kar gaya
Kitni yadon key bhatkey huey karawaan
Dil key zakhmo key dar khat khtaatey rahey

Ajnabii shehr key ajnabii rastey
Meri tanhayii par muskaratey rahey
Mey bohat dair tak yunhii chalta raha
Tum bohat dair tak yaad atey rahey

All things bright and happy....

It takes a lot to standup to someone. It takes even more when that someone is yourself. I think it takes everything in you to face the demons that inhabit the dark recesses of your mind and soul. To say enough. I wont have anymore of this. Im tired and Im sick of you telling me what to do and how to feel. I wont. Ive had enough.
To Faith: Saw a brilliant side of you today... after months of the despair you went through, i loved the way you emerged from it. Here's to conquering your past and your demons and to letting go.

On a brighter and happier note, one of my closest friends got married today, or is in the middle of the process of getting married right now. The depressing thing being i couldnt go back to my hometown where the ceremony is being held, cuz of stupid exams and tests (who told me to get into medicine in the first place :O see how i am paying) But hopefully her wedding will be a lovely ceremony. I hope my cynicism as regards to relationships doesnt rub off on her. I hope the man she is marrying turns out to be worth all her love and worthy of being with the wonderful person that she is. I hope they live happily ever after and have adorable children and grand children and a wonderfully wonderful life together.... :D

Happy Married Life, both of You!!!!

(God i hate not being there :( ... )

Peter Pan turned 21!

Dad thinks Im Peter Pan. He doesnt accept the fact that Im growing up. Every year he asks me on my birthday, how old did my princess turn today… 18?? Every year I correct him and every year he refuses to believe me.
So I tried very hard yet again, two days ago, to convince my dad I had turned 21. No luck. He still thinks Im 18.
**Sigh** I’ll just take it positively and be flattered…

I remember being thirteen. I was in 8th grade. I couldnt wait to grow up. I had so many dreams, so much ambition, so much to do in life. Be all that I wanted to be. 8 years down the line, I see myself a somewhat different person. I wish I could go back to 3rd grade where my friends took my brand new oil pastels to make me birthday cards. I wish I could go back to 6th grade where my best friend gave me her own Barbie on my birthday cuz I had liked the doll so much. I wish I could go back to 8th grade where I was oh-so-damn-lucky according to all the other girls cuz one of the most popular guys in school liked me. I wish I could go back to 9th grade where we were the coolest group of girls in class cuz we played basketball better than the guys. I wish I could go back to 10th grade where being someone's best friend meant being loyal like a dog to them cuz we didnt know any other way to be. I wish I could go back to my A-levels where fun and laughter revealed its true glory.

8 years down the line, I think I'd like to go back. Find myself again. Find all that I lost. My trust and faith in people. Cuz growing up meant having many definitions redefined. Finding out that beauty is really skin-deep and that no one will look beyond your appearance to find out who you really are. That when people say trust me you shouldnt really take their word for it, you should always leave room for doubt. Finding out that what people say and what people mean are two very different things. That friends will talk about you behind your back, be very spiteful and mean and then expect a sorry to smooth things over. That the people you trust the most are actually the people that will break that trust. Finding out that how far you would go for a friend and how far they would go for you are again two very different things. That even after you give everything you have loved to somebody else, you'll still remain misunderstood.

But all is not dark and dreary. Birthdays are a good reminder of all that really matters in life.

Ami who’s birthday call was late cuz she had been praying for me earlier.
Sisters who get me a birthday cake of my choice even if they make me cut it at 11:20 pm instead of at midnight. Sisters who whine about the stupidity of what I ask for as a birthday gift but still get it for me. Sisters who complain that they are low on cash and bloody tired but still take me out for lunch. Sisters who make being away from my parents a lot easier on me.
Friends who get me a surprise birthday cake even if they arent really good at being sneaky. Friends who remember the shoes I had liked in a shop two months ago and give it to me on my birthday. Friends who start calling and smsing me from three days beforehand, reminding me about my upcoming birthday (as if i could forget :P).
People who dont really know me all that well but still sms to say happy birthday at 12. People who I think wouldve forgotten about me by now, smsing at 12 . People I cant even imagine wishing me calling me up at 12.

Yesterday one of my friends asked me, how does it feel growing up.
Somehow I feel a bit wiser. I learnt birthdays arent really about cakes, and the candles and the parties and the gifts. All these people who care enough to remember my birthday, and the health and happiness Allah has blessed me with… that is what birthdays are really about.

Happy Turning 21!!