Lack of Words

There is much to say and no words to say it.
My lips are sealed.

Our relationship with Allah

Without Allah, life is not worth living, with Allah, life is worth dying for
- Sheikh Safi Khan

Cortesy: Sabeen Khan, facebbok quote

The Essence of Freedom

Let go.

Let go of the difficulties that are plaguing you. Release the pain. Don’t you know that you are Allah’s creation and that He takes care of all that He creates? Who feeds the insects you stamp on or the multitudes of fish thriving in the sea?

Your troubles are not just your own, Allah sees them, He will resolve them.

“And Allah is sufficient for His creatures wants and needs.”

Be free.

“And I entrust my affairs to Allah. Verily Allah is the All-Seer of (His) slaves.”

- Surah Al-Ghafir (the Forgiver) Ayah 44

(Un)coveted

It’s nice being coveted by companies if not by people. The battlefield had been occupied by Engro, Pfizer, Berkshire Medical Centre and Access consulting. Yesterday, Telenor too joined the fray. Pfizer had the record for calling less than 2 hours after the interview. However they delayed it by minutes and Engro emerged victorious.

Not that I am complaining. Engro’s CSR internship is very close to my heart and well aligned with my life goals. I just hope they let me off for 2 weeks so I can have a quick jaunt in the US.

I make it sound as though I am some prized possession many contestants are vying for.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

I am just so TIRED…

In memory of Hashir Muneer

I was seeing his pictures yesterday. He looked so happy frolicking with his brother smiling straight at the camera as if to say, “Life’s good”. How then could the LUMS administration drive him to suicide?

Universities should nurture the budding talent of tomorrow much less prompt them to kill themselves.

They pride themselves for the amount of pressure they put on their students, calling it a CHALLENGING environment. Is it really productive to knowledge to over burden students to the breaking point - and beyond?

I fear IBA is going the LUMS way too. I remember my pals who were dropped by IBA in the first semester, shattered is too soft a word for what they felt. Luckily they had family support and other options.

But what happens if you’re dropped in your last semester? What resort do you then have? Isn’t it cruel that you suddenly snatch a student’s degree right when the destination is no near? Such a sever punishment for a few marks less (In IBA’s case they’ve dropped students in their 7th and 8th semester because their GPA fell below 2.0)

IBA and LUMS both believe in some cruel policies that are counter productive to education in the long run. If a student was good enough to make it to the eight semester, some leverage does not mean lowering your standards. All it entails is a little consideration for the future leaders of tomorrow.

“IBA - Leadership and ideas for tomorrow”.
Please don’t let there be no tomorrow!

All’s not right with the World

A massive earthquake has struck China killing thousands of people. Hundreds of school children are still buried beneath the rubble and are crying out for help. About 1 in 10 residents of Beichuan are either killed or injured. This is the 9th quake seen in the world since 2001.

Wheat prices are at an all time high. Economics fails to explain this phenomena because this year saw a bumper crop. Also demand for wheat fell all over the world. If supply is greater than demand, how can prices rise? How can there logically be a shortage of wheat? In Pakistan, you can blame it on smuggling and hording. But what about surplus economies like USA? Why are they facing wheat shortages?

Rice prices are increasing. Again supply is greater than demand, there was an excess of rice production this year like that of wheat. Yet our people are going hungry.

Where has the food of the world suddenly vanished?

Oil prices are steadily climbing. There seems to be an infinite ceiling. Today it is $128/barrel. By the end of the year forecasts say that oil prices will cross the $200 mark.

Some days back one of our countrymen went to purchase food for his family. He came back empty handed, he could not purchase anything. Consequently he committed suicide.

Suicide rates are now increasing even in the Muslim countries. A blanket of despair has fallen over the world.

Hatred is on the rise. There has been a 40% increase in xenophobia since 9/11. 2 days back a mob attacked a group of immigrants in South Africa with stones, whips and guns. Last month immigrant settlements were set on fire. Hate groups are rapidly sprouting up, exacberated by twisted leaders and world injustice.

My questions:

Where are we headed?
and -
Is there any linkage between these disturbing events?

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Typical Mommy Behaviour

She yells at you, “Samar! Clean your room. Clean your cupboard. Clean the house. Pick up a mop and start cleaning every thing in sight!”

She makes you feel like an inconsequential loser. “Acha you got an A? Then why is your GPA still below 3.5?”

You make some thing for her, she forgets it pretty soon. “Mamma! Don’t I make good Biryani?” Reply: “You make Biryani? When?” :/

And yet if ever you venture into the drawing room, you’ll see all your shields prominently displayed with not a spec of dust on them.

It’s then that you realize how proud of you she really is

Mommykins! I love you! *hugs and kisses*

IBA’s Business Plan Contest - Shadidresses.com

Alhumdulillah I got Third prize in IBA’s Business Plan Contest I am so happy I could dance with joy!

I am the only one from CCS to get a prize even though it was a BITS-organized event. Also I am the only one for whose presentation comments, a particular judge did not use the word “CRAP”

I presented the idea of Shadidresses.com, an online boutique that provides exquisite dresses for all shadi-related events from the mangni to the valima in a 6 weeks time window. We foresee profits of Rs. 1,867,000 in the first year with an ROI of 126.65%

Seems unrealistic? I’ve done it for the last 5 years with great success!

Click below to download my presentation:

shadidresses

Dental Ordeals

In her 3rd trimester my mom suddenly got dangerously high blood pressure. For that she had to take medicines that are not to be taken during pregnancy and can have harmful effects on the baby…

The result: My mom survived. I was born pre-term and had dental caries. My front teeth were black and broken, reminiscent of some ugly monster you see in the movies. My smiles were painful episodes for those around me

The solution was pretty obvious. The teeth just had to be removed, all 4 of em. Try explaining that to a five year old. I would start bawling my head off if the topic was even mentioned. My gentle dentist, himself a father, proposed putting me under general anesthesia and then pulling ‘em out. But that would have been dangerous for a little girl.

A big bad dentist came to the rescue. He was made of stern stuff and looked the part. One glimpse at him made the tears go leaking. But my father was adamant that the ordeal had to be done. He escaped to his clinic to flee my piteous screams.

I was strapped to a huge chair with lots of ugly equipment. I was wailing at the top of my voice in a feeble effort to make my father come back. Bereft of abba, ammi and the security that I had always known, I cried and cried till I could cry no more.

As the dentist made howling noises pretending to be a werewolf, I could only hiccup. All the tears had dried up.

I got 2 injections in my jaws that day. All 4 teeth was pulled out leaving big gaps behind. Before I had an ugly smile. Now I had a toothless smile.
Guiltily my father returned when the deed had been done. I was in too much pain to even rebuke him.

Abba bought me a Jans broast which I couldn’t eat (had no teeth). However just looking at it cheered me up considerably

We waited with bated breath to see how my permanent teeth would turn out. They came out just fine, not a spec of caries in them.

Today when I smile no one grimaces. Alls well that ends well!