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!

Have you ever really loved a woman?

This is a heart breakingly sweet melody by Bryan Adams that transports you into another world. The kinda world where knights in shining armour exist; true love is still an alive and throbbing force. And where a man can tenderly look into the eyes of his woman and see the future, not the present’s lust.

Is there such love today?

I quote:

To really love a woman
To understand her – you gotta know it deep inside
Hear every thought – see every dream
N’ give her wings – when she wants to fly
Then when you find yourself lyin’ helpless in her arms
You know you really love a woman

When you love a woman you tell her
that she’s really wanted
When you love a woman you tell her that she’s the one
she needs somebody to tell her
that it’s gonna last forever
So tell me have you ever really
- really really ever loved a woman?

To really love a woman
Let her hold you -
til ya know how she needs to be touched
You’ve gotta breathe her – really taste her
Til you can feel her in your blood
N’ when you can see your unborn children in her eyes
You know you really love a woman

When you love a woman
you tell her that she’s really wanted
When you love a woman you tell her that she’s the one
she needs somebody to tell her
that you’ll always be together
So tell me have you ever really -
really really ever loved a woman?

You got to give her some faith – hold her tight
A little tenderness – gotta treat her right
She will be there for you, takin’ good care of you
Ya really gotta love your woman…

Then when you find yourself lyin’ helpless in her arms
You know you really love a woman
When you love a woman you tell her
that she’s really wanted
When you love a woman you tell her that she’s the one
she needs somebody to tell her
that it’s gonna last forever
So tell me have you ever really
- really really ever loved a woman?

Just tell me have you ever really,
really, really, ever loved a woman? You got to tell me
Just tell me have you ever really,
really, really, ever loved a woman?

Unquote.

Why then should a woman settle for a poor and even worse, temporary imitation of the real thing?

As an after thought/Privacy Issues

I was cleaning my room but my mind was still on this blog. And I realized that:

1. This blog is getting too nerdy. It’s not like parhai is the only thing happening in my life. It’s not even that important!

2. I am getting too personal. Why should I share teeny weeny details of my life with you?

I have this mental block that no one reads my blog so I can pour my heart out. But thats not true! My blog stats are a testimony to this…

It’s like inviting people to invade your privacy.

Another thing: So many people search for Samar Irshad on search engines, it’s freaky. They also do it with weird combos like Samar night and Samar virus. I wonder what that means? :/

Time Wasting

I shouldn’t be writing this. I know I will anyways.

I finished the data base. So many records, my hands hurt. I just got off the phone from a bandi who has the most awesome stuff. I’ve enlisted her products too. Obviously it’ll mean more work and changes to existing work but in view of the larger good I don’t care.

Unfortuntley my PC is infected with a psycho virus. Every time I google, a message pops up “Your search engine has been hijacked” and the results become porn sites. Normal websites now take me to porn sites too. It seems the virus is intent upon educating me!

I sat down to install windows again but the thought of reinstalling all my programs makes me shudder. I think I’ll do it tomorrow. Maybe I’ll keep putting it off till my PC completely goes down :/

Alhumdulillah my Change Management presentation went well. For once Sir Moinuddin A. Khan had no criticisms. At least in public that is. He later told me that my voice is too soft. What can I do? All my life in my singing choir I was taught to not be shrill. Make your voice blend with the piano. Don’t go against the music. I always had the mic anyway.

Alhumdulillah I got good marks in E-banking too. InshAllah if I am able to give a burst of energy at the end a good gpa may be possible. But then IBA teachers always spring last minute surprises

I’s 12:37 A.M, a full moon night. I still have to:
- Clean my room. I promised mom and don’t want her to be disappointed in the morning.
- Study accounts. I have a nasty feeling that a quiz is impending.
- Work on the website. That project deadline is definately impending

The light keeps flickering and the fan becomes alternatively slow and fast. Please don’t let there be a power breakdown!

While the power is still merciful, I’ll give my room a shot…

It’s gonna be a long night.

A labour of Love

Here’s my ode to Karachi, my Beauty and my Beast…

Please click below to download my essay
karachi-beauty-and-the-beast

Do comment!

……

I am crying right now.

This girl who had cancelled her 2 stalls the night before the bake sale told me that it was my fault that the bake sale didn’t happen. That people could come up to me and blame me for it. That it was a problem in my administration.

And later on that the most she could do was forgive me.

So what if I’ve been workin so hard for it for a month? So what if she wouldn’t receive my calls or answer my messages? So what if my grades are slipping and I willingly sacrificed them so I could give a better event and more charity?

So what? The bake sale didn’t happen and thats all people know.

And now there’s nothing left. Just the wound of words and my tears as they fall.

Unexpected gems

You some times come across hidden gems in the most unexpected of places.

Right now was I researched the growing of wheat, I found this beautiful quote:

“Never doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light”.
- Michelle Terrill

The nouns of the day

Beautiful. Appreciation. Success.
Rotten. Unfairness. Sadistic.
Mortification. Disillusionment. Don’t carishness.
Pain. Tiredness. Failure.

A hat trick of tiredness!

My hands hurt permanently.

I’ve finally completed the report and it’s only 11:32 P.M. Alhumdulillah! I also found time to get a new dress for the bake sale, an excellent bargain! It’s a chellow and red chunri with cute gotta, matching desi shoes plus a red paranda. It’ll look like a village belle has ventured into IBA from the fields

Speaking of which, the mayoon pic Jess took is causing ripples on fb. Random people are wishing me a happy married life. Friends are callin up to ask if I’ve suddenly taken the plunge. They tell me I’ll make a beautiful bride.

My comments: It sure is fun gettin all dolled up BUt that is certainly not a good enough to reason to get married!

I pray we don’t havta present tomorrow. But with E-comm project coming up maybe it’s better to get rid of this one asap.

Btw I have a new phone which sucks. I can’t get used to the hard keys after my old softie ones.

Old is gold after all. Some times familiarity can be so reassuring!