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

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?

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? :/

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.

Randomly Tired II / Culinary Endeavours

I made biryani and badam ki kheer just now even though I still havta complete that report. Ma needed a helping hand so all reports were forgotten.

My head hurts from staring at the screen (I was working in the afternoon on that very same report) as do my shoulders. I want to sleep. My bed with it’s cuddly blanket looks so inviting…

On a positive note, I am glad I am helping so many people with their trousseau issues. Expats find me very knowledgable and creative Maybe the opportunity is ripe for opening an E-Commerce jahez business targeted to expats. If only IBA allows!

On second thought, that bed is irresistible. Maybe a tenny weeny nap wouldn’t hurt

Shabba Khair!