“Hi Tanisha! How have you been?”, he said in his husky voice.
“I have been good”, she managed to utter out.
“Can we talk?”
“I have office right now”, she said with a slight frown.
“Being your boss’s son, I already asked her and she said you can have your day off.”, he said shrugging his shoulders.
She nodded her [...]

here i sit.. staring at my laptops screen… my mind as blank as the first page of an old book.. as empty as a hollow oak tree.. searching for something… anything.. but unable to find even the faintest wisp of reality…trying again and again.. but no words come out..nothing seems to make sense… not a [...]

By Yasser Latif Hamdani

I first came across Paul Robeson at Rutgers University in the 100th year of his birth. His image was all pervasive for he was possibly the most well known Rutgers College graduate around the world.  The Paul Robeson centre on Busch Campus was dedicated to art, culture and African American fight for equality in America. Robeson was an extraordinary man; an all American Football Player, a concert singer, actor, communist, international citizen. What I later discovered was his intimate connection to the subcontinent through Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India.  The two men had a lot in common including Lady Edwina Mountbatten, that sultry seductress and the wife of the Last Viceroy of India,  who both men had at different times been smitten by.  There was more to it. Nehru the rising star of the non-aligned movement with his own brand of socialism and Paul Robeson the great African American communist were natural allies in a world gone mad. 

In 1958, Nehru came up with the idea of an all India celebration of Paul Robeson. To this end he entrusted M C Chagla, the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court. (Even though Chagla was Jinnah’s most famous associate in law, that is not where the Jinnah connection comes up) to head the celebration committee. This created quite a rift between the US and India which is well documented. America strongly objected what it called the “communist inspired anti-Americanism” of the Indian Government. Later relations between Nehru and Robeson were also estranged when the former dismissed the Communist government of West Bengal.

Now to the Jinnah connection. This review had this very interesting snippet of information that caught my eye:

At the Karachi Club a night later, Ken Mac’s band played a special request by Muhammad Ali Jinnah — Paul Robeson’s ‘The End’, which the Quaid-e-Azam apparently used to hum while visiting his wife’s grave in Mazagaon, Bombay.

I tried then to find the the said song on youtube. It turns out that the song was “the end of perfect day” sung by Paul Robeson.

Paul Robeson sings \”The End of a Perfect Day\”

That Jinnah enjoyed the finer things in life is well known.  His suits, cars, dogs etc are a testament to that. However nothing at all has ever been written about Jinnah’s taste in music.  He was after all an avid theatre goer who enjoyed Shakespeare and Milton in literature.  Yet the caricature of Jinnah that has been created is one of a monosyllabic lawyer engrossed in his law books. This song which he allegedly hummed while visiting his wife’s grave shows an intimate side that has not been revealed before. The lyrics are:

 When you come to the end of a perfect day, 
And you sit alone with your thought, 
While the chimes ring out with a carol gay, 
For the joy that the day has brought, 
Do you think what the end of a perfect day 
Can mean to tired heart, 
When the sun goes down with a flaming ray, 
And the dear hearts have to part? 
Well, this is the end of a perfect day, 
Near the end of a journey, too, 
But it leaves a thought that is big and strong, 
With a wish that is kind and true. 
For mem’ry has painted this perfect day 
With colors that never fade, 
And we find at the end of a perfect day, 
The soul of a friend we’ve made.

Why is it that the wretched state that imposes its ideology on us also tries to stifle any semblance of humanity in our heroes?

Didnt really know any more what to right about when this wish of the utmost significance and relevance was found lying in my comment box by a dear reader Uncle Tom.. I thankyou  for posting it sir. only found it apt to share it with all my friends specially Dev!l, Khanum, Aby, Lev, Shahzeb, Ajayand all others. It only says to the Beloved The Ultimate , that now that I m empty of all that i ever wished for except You, it is only fair that YOU come and take Your seat in my heart as the only Beloved..  http://i.minus.com/irvzVlQfmYNe9.jpg

“Did you get something on Valentine’s Day? Did you receive chocolates, flowers, a heart shaped chocolate red icing cake with a special love message?” Yeah, this is what people who receive gifts ask their friends in an attempt to make them jealous. People who don’t receive (like me) just want to stoop to the ground [...]

    PPMA Circular No. 016/2012 February 10, 2012 To:        All Member Companies of PPMA LETTER FOR THE EMBASSIES Dear Members, As you may already know regarding the unfortunate deaths reported at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology in the past few weeks.  We, the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (PPMA), the representative body of the Pakistan [...]

Free medicine becomes a death sentence. 130 plus deaths. Political mud-slinging. Conspiracy theories. Spurious accusations. Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry in trouble. And now Mubashir Luqman brings a new twist!

-

Not always, what we dream of, comes along with a sense of belonging. And many a times, what we just get, comes with that sense of belonging, ONLY we don’t want to belong there. We want to feel, that sense of belonging, for the dream castle, we have been building for years. But we can’t. We, inadvertently, feel belonged in that shelter, right behind us. But desires don’t concede. Desires want the castle, to live and to surpass all the bystanders. But feelings keep going back to the shelter, to feel the belonging. This mutiny in the realm of heart, is as much horrendous as it sounds chic, in theory. You wish, you could void any of the two contracts, except that you end up breaching both of them.

Your heart yearns for the castle. The castle you fancy throughout your childhood, while playing with your imaginary friends. The castle you envisage during your teenage, when making big plans with your pals. The castle you think about, at night, in your bed and keep thinking about, until you fall in the trap of beauty sleep. The castle, about which you expound in front of others, jestingly but mean it the most secretly. The very castle, where your would-be life is all ha-ha he-he and more awesome than Barney Stinson’s.

And at the same time, heart finds it hard to betray the shelter. That shelter protects you when it starts pouring, and you have no where to lodge because the castle is still under construction. That shelter has always been a source of solace when you get exhausted. That shelter that is the place to unwind yourself when hopes are dashing on the opposite direction. That shelter you have always relied upon–You, subconsciously, believe that it’s-always-gonna-be-there. And you know very well, the treason against the shelter will seize you with a fit of self-odium. You don’t want that.

But you don’t want the shelter either. You want the castle. You just don’t feel you belong there. You think of leaving it unbuilt. But then again, you think perhaps, you will feel you belong there once the castle is built. And the feeling for the shelter, that was there through thick and thin, will erode itself.

There was a day when love meant an open heart, eying and wooing the hearts wild then forgetting all about the flirtatious moments for the joy of moving on and experiencing youth. Then came a time to experience something people state as love no matter if it does not dwell in the heart like that. And then the discovery dawned that there is no such thing as love just infatuations, expectations and vested interests, tall claims, lies and judgements leaving one disillusioned, bereaved and wrecked and incapable of trusting anyone in the name of love. once out of these emotions one still delves in search of something to tame the ravenous longing building deep inside, starved and famished. and i had met self love… could not survive for long for the frivolity of its nature. A person feeding on self love is as lonely as the one who loves a remote, cold beloved.

Had to find an object of love, even worse cast one if there is none. Finally I manged to find one. The One that is bound to be found when all other idols have been broken and illusions shed. It is amazing that He does not ask for a perfect love.. a mean, weak and polluted love is acceptable to Him. He doesn’t want false  or true promises and woos on the part of the lover nor the gifts. neither do the lover is seeking for a morning kiss every time the sun rises on her face, nor is she seeking the epitomized love slogan I-love-you. all the time. This much suffices for her as an assurance from the Beloved that each time she loses faith she can rekindle the spark of love in the dark of hopelessness and be content that she is still able to love Him back because He loves her alright.

Wish——–!

Wish it ensues

In soul’s porthole

With rhythm of silence

And in bosom of heart

A calm serene heat

In crystal glass of heart

There be dewy grass

Heart’s thirst of thy fount be

In breaths coming to and fro

Just your fragrance be

To get you, be my wish again

Wish it ensues

Wish it ensues

composed by Ahmar Hasan Ahmar

translated by Tanveer Rauf

By Jehan Naseem

At the end of every year or the beginning of a new one, a very dear friend of mine and I repeat the same words, “God-willing, this will be our year,” to give each other a gentle yet positive push looking forward to the New Year ahead.

For some 2011 was a great year, as opposed to the preceding years which seemed far more devastating.  However, for others it had its ups and downs. Last year, I had witnessed many jumps and dips for my loved ones and myself.  It had extreme turbulences which seemed more life changing without any boundaries.

From the many lessons that I had to learn last year, the most important one for me was that to learn to deal with the root of a particular problem, in order to allow change to occur in a healthy fashion. We all know that the severe modification in the socio-economic political level affects all of us.  However, they also create internal conflicts on a personal level, by riling up a rouse or allow us to progress.  The previous year seemed no different from the preceding years in terms of the level of abruptness we all have seen.  These changes made purposely or unplanned seemed to have a different alteration on the train of thought on the large masses.  To me, this abruptness caused a visible shift in the paradigm and on a one-on-one basis.

The appearance of the shift was more apparent to me after witnessing something either devastating or extraordinary where humanity has been replaced by sensationalism. The base of the situation suggested becomes baseless, but very carefully camouflaged with morals. I wonder though, do the players at play ever realize that morals without logic are just that, baseless?  That the gaming preludes to the actualization of fear?  Fear, that makes us question our abilities rather than the choices we make?

There are many types of people in this world, some are the players and others are the ones that get played.  However, there are even those who are well aware that they are getting played yet choose to do nothing and at the same there are those will go to many levels to help themselves.  It is difficult to give the whole blame to the ones that ignited the gaming ploy, since there are so many out there who have seen and heard the truth and choose to do nothing.  I know the truth can be relative to most.  However, that can change if there is evidence and logic supporting it.  Taking out only the negative aspect of what is evident (that to only out of arrogance and pride), just so your own side can be supported isn’t self-righteous, but unfortunately puerile.  Not admitting to what is wrong around you is creating a toxic environment.  A right can not be made with two wrongs, just the way you can’t sensationalize something that isn’t there and throw the victimization card to the party in front of you.

Unfortunately, I have seen this happen many times.  I’ve seen religion, class, creed, ethnic backgrounds and race being slandered in acts of self-righteousness.  I would be defecated on in the middle of these acts, since there were directionless and attacked mostly everyone.  2011 year in particular seemed to be much rougher when it came to slandering or the glorified form of it called “sensationalism”.  A friend of mine said to me that to him, “even sensationalism was a form of fundamentalism.”  I couldn’t have said it any better.

Everything that I have stated affected me on a personal basis.  It decreased my tolerance level and increased my despair.  Oddly to say most of those around me would agree.

In 2011 I seemed to witness a re-run of emotions crashing into people like a terrible freak accident.  People that I know lost their loved ones in blasts and accidents or barely escaping them. They had been lied to out of omission leading to worsen the situation.  Someone would throw the victimization card at them (“you don’t know what I’m going through”) without being informed of what was going on.  Many have had their heart-broken in countless ways.  I have seen and experienced being spoken down to just for being individuals without disrespect and when standing up for yourself you get labeled (for a foul mood or just a terrible person).

However, every negative has a positive.  I saw many positive things come out of these scenarios as well.  I saw people becoming stronger after losing a loved one or barely escaping an accident/blast.  They became smarter after their right being held from them and developed the strength to fight for it.  Instead of allowing themselves to be played by a victim, they became martyr on their own.  Those who had broken hearts, allowed their own to have more surface area.  I chose and watched people standing up for themselves without worrying about being labeled, because those whom actually care without being fickle will never label you.

Something very small starts these train wreck of psychological emotions, which were created by situations that have occurred.  These small elements have been composed into something bigger than they are supposed to be.  For example; the cause behind a terrorist attack may be small, but when it is made into something bigger it literally kills.  You can see the application of it on a personal basis.  When something devastating does happen a part of you dies.  However, even if a part of you dies it is just so that you can be re-born once again.

Even though 2011 was the year of change, hopefully 2012 will be that of change filled with peace of mind and heart.

Happy New Year everyone and God Bless!

 Green Tea

Reasons Why every one Should Drink 

Green Tea

Green tea is a very popular drink worldwide because of its immeasurably powerful health benefits. 
Here Are The 25 Reasons Why You Should Start Drinking Green Tea Right Now:

Green Tea and Cancer

Green tea helps reduce the risk of cancer. 
The antioxidant in green tea is 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times better than vitamin E. 

 Green Tea and Heart Disease

Green tea helps prevent heart disease and stroke by lowering the level of cholesterol. 

 Green Tea and Anti-Aging

Green tea helps you fight against aging and promotes longevity.

 Green Tea and Weight Loss

Green tea helps with your body weight loss. 

 It can help you burn up to 70 calories in just one day. 
That translates to 7 pounds in one year.

Green Tea and Skin 

Green tea also helps fight against skin cancer. 

 Green Tea and Arthritis

Green tea can help prevent and reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. 

Green Tea and Bones 

If you drink green tea every day, this will help you preserve your bone density. 

 Green Tea and Cholesterol

Green tea can help lower cholesterol level. 

 Green Tea and Diabetes

Green tea improves lipid and glucose metabolisms, prevents sharp increases in blood sugar level, and balances your metabolism rate. 

Green Tea and Parkinson’s

Green tea helps boost your memory. 

Antioxidants in green tea helps prevent against cell damage in the brain, which could cause Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Green Tea and Liver Disease

Green tea destroys harmful free radicals in fatty livers. 

 Green Tea and High Blood Pressure

Green tea helps prevent high blood pressure. 

 Green Tea and Food Poisoning

Catechin found in green tea can kill bacteria which causing food poisoning and kills the toxins produced by those bacteria. 

 Green Tea and Blood Sugar

 Green tea helps lower your blood sugar level. 

Green Tea and Immunity

 Green tea help boost your immune system, making your health stronger in fighting against infections. 

 Green Tea and Cold and Flu

Green tea prevents you from getting a cold or flu. 
Vitamin C in green tea helps you treat the flu and the common cold. 

Green Tea and Asthma

 Green tea relaxes the muscles which support the bronchial tubes, reducing the  severity of asthma. 

Green Tea and Ear Infection

Green tea helps with ear infection problem. 
For natural ear cleaning, soak a cotton ball in green tea and clean the infected ear. 

Green Tea and Tooth Decay

Green tea destroys bacteria and viruses that cause many dental diseases. 
It also slows the growth of bacteria which leads to bad breath.

 Green Tea and Stress

Green tea helps relieve stress and anxiety. 

 Green Tea and Allergies

EGCG found in green tea relieves allergies. 

Green Tea and HIV

Scientists in Japan have found that EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) ingreen tea can stop HIV from binding to healthy immune cells. 
What this means is that green tea can help stop the HIV virus from 

Related Articles

• TEDxAnarkali – Revitalizing the cultural heritage
• Arfa Kareem – May this nation do not forget you
• Dengue Facts
• Redefining Identity: something that we need
• DigiMARK2011 – Pakistan’s First Digital Media Summit

hollow embrace and a hollow hope

something that my soul did grope

after that it had lost all bliss

reminiscing the fading morning kiss..

and a hand thus stoned as it clinched your touch

and a heart going cold having housed pain much

in the shallow sunlight who can find a sultry shadow

and shelter a bemused heart in a maze of inane credo 

a heart that seeks fire, a heart that never rests

a heart that loathes to die, failing its own death

a shuddering wish lurks in the crater of despair

the flame of love was kindled to light the heart’s lair

it will keep on tearing the veils until it finds you there..