Sorry but YOU ARE REJECTED!

Ever got rejected? Well join the club! SO, what was your rejection story? Got rejected after a job interview? Had your affections rebuffed by a potential lover? Did someone reject your merchandise after viewing? Were you refused entry into another country?....BINGO! I recently got rejected for that very thing :p My visa application for UK got rejected and somehow the reason for the rejection has left me writhing in fury and indignation!!! The UK border agency officials thought I was unable to prove my ties to my beloved Paki-land....hence they thought it very likely that I will beg for asylum once I entered the UK...seriously folks...Do we look that desperate??
At first I was mad and upset but then I decided I should get to the bottom of this and so I started digging around. I asked many people and browsed around only to discover that the past acts and events of Pakistanis has certainly marred our overall image and people in the UK have developed a stereotype about us that eventually anybody who tries to get a visa will disappear into thin air once on UK soil or will try something illegal. But is that fair? I provided all proper supporting documents, paid a hefty amount of money for visa application processing and in the end I got a slap in the face by being told that I am under suspicion that I may not be going to UK for the reason or duration stated....Hell lo!?! I could have been asked for further proof or documentation before being rejected so callously :( The officials did not even try to hear my side of the story and did not even give me the right to appeal against the decision and very blatantly told me to apply again and try to address the allegations against me with proof. So did I apply again? No! Not because I was guilty...but because I can't afford to spend another big sum of money and then again be rejected for some petty reason.
This made me realise that being rejected is no doubt a serious blow to anyone's confidence and self-respect. I have started understanding how it feels to prepare so hard for a job interview...go through lenthy selection sessions and tests...be filled with anticipation and hope and then get the door slammed in your face because you just didn't fit the bill. I feel a certain attachment to the one who goes to a person with their heart pinned to their sleeve...singing ballads of love and watching with bated breath and a starry gaze only to discover that your just not meant to be..
But don't worry if you didn't get this job...you are probably gonna find a better one that you always dreamt about. So what if the guy or girl didn't want your love? There is someone out there for you...with whom you will feel complete. Everything works out for the best they say...and it does! 

Electricty..oh electricity...

When the world seems dark and desolate....when the calm of the night is shattered by the whirring of machines...when you cannot find solace for hours...you know it is time...time to test all your patience and forbearance capacities...time to create a fan out of every available book or newspaper or in other words..time for the regular electricity load shedding :p Time flies by these days but the hour without electricity stretches to infinity. Small wonder that the load shedding timings have started increasing with the approach of summers! It is going to be epic, battling mosquitoes and tolerating the heat, while sitting in the dark. Those of you who do not posses a UPS, converter or electric power generator, my heart goes out to you.

It was a very big news last year that there was a power outage in North America that caused consternation among people and the loss of millions of dollars in revenues. The duration of that power failure was probably a week. So what about us??? We have to endure daily power outages that last from 8 hours to 14 hours in the big cities, while the towns and villages have to survive on just a few hours of electricity each day. The situation of commerce in our country is such that many factories have been driven out of business due to the power shortage and many have relocated to other countries (taking with them whatever slim employment opportunities they provided)! Our business areas are roaring with the deafening sound of generators during peak activity hours and the costs of using the generators has to be silently cut from the profit margin or passed on to the customer. Our offices are giving lower output due to inavailability of power for computers, internet, printers and other office mashines. Our educational institutions are facing hurdles in utilizing supporting multimedias and projectors for educational purposes. In short every activity that is of benefit to the economy of our country and necessary for progress depends on electricity and without electricity we are going in the backward direction.

When the public makes noise over their predicament, they are told the power production plants cannot meet the population's ever-increasing electricy demands, but somehow nothing besides small talk is done. No corrective measures are taken and the dependance on hydro-electric power and fossil fuels for power generation is seemingly not enough. Maybe a new alternative like solar energy needs to be explored because we do have a never ending supply of sunlight :p Some of our helpful neighbours have offered to sell us electricity at subsidized rates but that sounds like a national insult to our rulers I guess because neither of those lucrative offers has been accepted :( electricity oh electricity..wish you were here!

From a Disgruntled Fat Lady

There comes a time in your life when stepping on the weighing scale takes guts :p This sort of thing is happening to me these days, as I'm drawing closer to my thirties and honestly I'm freaking out! I've always been the sort of person who lives to eat and somehow it never did matter what I ate. But lately the weighing scale seems to creak and groan ominously when I step on it, scaring me that it might burst open and spew out its springs and gears like in cartoons...So now I gotta be cautious about the calories, do some serious workouts and cut down on the carbs blah blah blah...That sort of takes out the fun from life-atleast my life!
I know that obesity is the start of many health issues but gaining a few extra kilos should not be such a problem..right? Wrong!! It has now become a taboo to sport an extra inch of belly fat or have love handles that need handling :p Staying rake-thin is now becoming a norm and most of the women I see around me are either on a strict diet or are burning yoga mats in some gym. Not that I'm against physical fitness but what bothers me is the obsession with wafer-like bodies. Exercising has never harmed anyone and it's good to be active but has anyone ever pondered over the fact that excessive dieting not only leads to dramatic deficiencies in the body but also leads to dark circles under the eyes, hair fall and gastro-intestinal malfunctions. Dieting can become nasty if basic requirements of the body are not kept in mind.
So why the obsession? The answer can be found when you look at the average model or actress draped in a clinging dress that shows off her perfect hour-glass figure. The charm words like sexy, beautiful and attractive are attached to these images and when you are fed these images at a frequency higher than that of sound...you can bet that your mind will pursue the wafer-thin body with an obsession. The trouble with these perfect bodies is that behind the camera so much effort has gone into them. We are not told about the surgeries and liposuctions that these women undergo; we do not know what is their exercise routine or diet plan and neither do we know the amount of photoshop and airbrushing effects that have gone into sculpting that killer physique! And don't forget the efforts of the makeup artists and personal stylists who make them look gorgeous because trust me you wouldn't recognise them without the makeup :p
So next time you look in the mirror, don't try to find a likeness to a celebrity but feel good about yourself. You don't have to be like an actress to be called beautiful, nor do you need to resemble a skinny model to be considered sexy. You are great just the way you are because you are special in your own way :)

Ever wondered WHY?

There is so much to do and there is very little time...I'm sure this feeling swamps your mind at one point or the other. The fast pace of life does leave one dazed and  defeated sometimes. It would be a good idea to slow down a bit and try to live one day at a time. Too much planning can become a hazard, so just relax and let things unravel on their own sometimes. Try to absorb your surroundings and maybe you will stumble upon something you have never noticed before. Try to reflect on all the wonders you see and contemplate. Have you ever wondered why do babies smile in their sleep? Have you ever wondered why birds sing  to welcome the morning? Have you ever wondered why do animals have more harmony in their groups as compared to humans? Have you ever wondered why there is no money in a poor man's account but he sleeps sounder than a rich man? Have you ever wondered why the arrival of spring is marked by green sprouts bursting from seemingly dead boughs? Have you ever wondered why a rainbow marks the end of a storm?

If you have ever wondered, then you will know that putting aside all your worries and forgetting all your troubles will give you a reason to smile in your sleep. You will discover that having money is not a guaarantee of peace of mind and it only serves to generate more needs that demand more money and more of your time. You will realize that morning is the time to start afresh and an opportunity to undo yesterday's mistakes and to celebrate another day. You will feel that a loss is not the end of the world and every bad event is followed by something good. You will find that forgiving and forgetting will enable you to harmonize better with your fellow beings and will take you above judgement and doubt. You will attain a new sense of hope and never give up on things that apear to be inert. You will conclude that there really is no need to go through life at break neck speed and it is best that you keep it simple and keep it positive! Because life is what you choose to make it.

The Monster that is MEDIA

While watching one of the news channels on cable television, I recalled a quotation from my years in college, which aptly sums up my feelings about today's media. The quotation was like: "In a world of hair trigger balances, no communication, lack of communication or miscommunication can lead to disaster." Everyday we are treated to copious amounts of information that may or may not be of any value to us. Sensational news flashes and alerts seem to be all the rage these days! I recall that day when it was announced on the news channels that the current Prime Minister of Pakistan, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, is to be arrested on orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Afterwards a whirlwind of speculations was generated and many discussions were held between high profile politicians to see what will be the outcome of the entire episode, which later turned out to be a misinterpretation of the order issued by the Chief Justice...amazing!! The whole day was wasted on a news that was not even real! And yet we trust these news channels to bring us the hard facts...is it our failing or do we have no other option?

Lots of people spend the entire evening cooped up in front of the television watching the talk shows and discussions that are about current affairs or most of the female population watches the Indian, Pakistani or Turkish (Urdu Translation) dramas. I have tried watching news shows only to end up with a bad headache and a feeling of extreme dismay...they never have anything good to tell you!! On the other hand watching any kind of drama makes me wonder whether there is any other topic in this wide world besides about fashion conscious, modern women struggling to carve a niche for themselves in a society hell bent on destroying them? Seriously what happend to the humourous twist of things?? The most touted story usually has a physically and mentally abused heroine, who pitifully bears every torture and cries her eyes out from time to time. The endings are slight variations of the basic story but are ever so predictable. Maybe it is an addiction that drags people to spend so much time in front of the tube rather than having a good time with friends and family.

Media certainly has distorted perceptions and opinions over time..now we all see a conspiracy in everything around us! This is not limited to just news, but the storyline of various dramas has cast a shadow of suspicion and mistrust even on relationships in daily life. Specific relationships are always portrayed negatively in dramas, which makes people believe that anyone in that relationship is bound to have bad intentions and will definitely try to sabotage any happiness they have! Things don't work like that in real life or do they?

Social Injustice

Picture in your mind a scantily clad, barefooted little boy, sifting aimlessly through a garbage dump. Suddenly, he clutches something feverishly, his eyes light up with glee and his muddy face cracks with a smile. What treasure could he have possibly come across in a garbage dump? Quietly, he steals away and concealed from the world he presses to his lips a half-empty juice box, sipping for joy…it is the same juice box, a well dressed boy of his age had tossed away just moments ago…his only concern being that he did not like the flavor of the juice.

Now, what would you name this picture? Let me put it into two words for you…” Social…Injustice”

Building on this analogy, I would like to state that the picture you just sketched in your head is the prevalent condition of Pakistan, the place where the rich only get richer and poor are rapidly losing even their right to live. Sad...but true. The dichotomy of the society into the rich class and the poor class is very evident from where their children get educated, which doctors they consult, which facilities they have access to and how they satiate their appetites. The idyllic environment of the urban and suburban areas and the shambles of the slum areas in every city indicate how deep rooted this class distinction is. The doctrine of democracy that dictates equal rights for all is somehow lost for our society.

I believe social injustice stems from the dysfunctional policies of the Government that cannot provide for the majority of its population. It is only the chosen few who make these policies and they are never the true representatives of the masses...they are just representing themselves and furthering their own interests at the expense of their voters, who believe all the crap that is served to them at the time of elections.The trouble does not end here because the impact of social injustice is very far reaching and very deadly. It is this social injustice that lowers a man to the dredges of becoming a suicide bomber. That carves a young man’s destiny into a terrorist’s mould. That drags an innocent child to a so-called religious madrassa spewing evil and hatred. That fuels the flames of extremism and religious fundamentalism. That puts an end to an egalitarian society and paves the way for violence and destruction…it is this very social injustice that lies at the core of the crisis in our country.

One fine day...

On a fine day like today, I decided to get some fresh air and some supplies from the local market. So I started out on foot, with a spring in my step and cheerful rhythm in my heart. As I rounded the corner of the street, I heard the screech of tires and suddenly a car drove very close to me. I turned around to find myself the object of scrutiny of the occupants of the car, who were three teenage boys. I regarded them with disdain for driving so carelessly and in turn I was awarded with boyish grins and nods and then the car drove off.

My, my...the encounter left me with mixed feelings. I thought I was old enough not to be swayed by such unwanted attention but frankly speaking I was oozing with self satisfaction at having brought a car full of teenage boys to a screeching halt! That does not happen everyday ;) Though I am sure I would not have received such warm acknowledgement had I been carrying my five month old daughter!

However, this incident did lead me to ponder over what really goes through the minds of today's youth. They have their fancy cars to drive, smart phones to flash, cool friends to hang around with, " romantic involvements" to cope with, use the internet for whatever purpose imaginable and find the time to throw in some educational endeavors. I am tempted to say that they have plenty on their plate but what troubles me is that in all these activities they have forgotten to find the true purpose of their lives. They do not know where they are headed nor do they care. Is it entirely their fault or is it their parents' fault who did not upkeep the bygone tradition of passing the wisdom from generation to generation. The wisdom of the ages is lost for today's youth and they are bogged down in frivolous activities that have rendered their senses numb.  

The country that this young generation has inherited needs an extreme makeover in not just politics but social, moral and religious issues. The country lies in tatters due to internal destabilization and external intrusion. It is always argued that this country needs strong leadership but my question is, "does this country have the appropriate followers?". When the populace is united and is ready to work together for its own good, then the much needed "strong leadership" emerges from within them. But where is the unity and where is the common goal? These are the people who can easily be led astray since they themselves are not sure which direction they  have to follow. They don't even care what the world's coming to, as long as they get to update their status on facebook!  The condition of today's youth leaves much to be longed for...