Guru's World

A night to remember - Bryan Adam's Concert

2006-02-02T14:17:00.000+05:00

One of the most awaited concerts of Pakistan finally happened - Bryan Adams performed live, in Karachi! Any amount of words could not express how wonderful the event was. It was awesome!

Tickets to Rock!

Price: Rs 3,500 each
From: ARY Cash n' Carry

I bought the tickets on the last day as I was not sure about who else was willing to accompany me, so I had to wait till the last hour. The tickets cost Rs 3,500 each (I ended up buying a deal on one ticket, where the ARY folks were offering six months paid Warid postpaid mobile connection for Rs 1,000 extra). I bought the tickets at 2:30 PM on Sunday (on the day of the concert), and I came to know that the gates of the venue will remain open from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm. So I had to hurry!

On my way to the concert!

The venue: Arabian Sea Country Club
Location: Unknown

I had just a vague idea of where the AS Country Club was - somewhere in Defence, near the Golf and Creek Club. Anyhowz, I chose to go there through cab, called up White Radio Cab, and had a cab waiting for me within 10 mins. I left my home at 5:15 pm.

Even the cab booking guys knew about the concert:

Me: Yeah, I need a cab.
Operator: What's the destination?

Me: Arabian Sea Country Club
Operator: Concert mein ja rahay hain?
Me: jee

=D

And while in the cab, I found out that the Club is not in Defence, but in Steel Town. The cab driver down found it out by communicating over the radio at their HQ:

Driver: Sir, which Arabian Sea Club they wanna go to?
Sir: Woh concert hai na ... angraiz aa raha hai jahan pe ... Steel Town mein.

loll

Firefox 1.5 Officially Launched with New Site Design!

2005-11-30T18:06:00.000+05:00

Mozilla has officially launched Firefox 1.5. Finally, after three release candidates we have the final version of Firefox 1.5. And what better way to compliment the event than a brand new site and design @ www.mozilla.com!

I love the new site. It looks cool! Even the FF extensions page https://addons.mozilla.org/?application=firefox is awesome!

Overall, I am upgrading to the new version. Get it!

read more | digg story

Jilawatan - Call's debut album

2005-11-14T08:46:00.000+05:00

Call, the rock/alternative rock band of Pakistan, is ready to hit the market with their debut album titled Jilawatan.

The album is being released nation-wide (in Pakistan) by BMN Records. Cassettes and CDs will be available on the 20th November. No information has been provided for any International release yet.

Album Launch Event

The album launch event is scheduled for 19th November, one day prior to the album release. The launch event will take place in Lahore, and following are the details:

The Venue will be Alhamra, The Mall, Hall Number 1

For Tickets and Further Information please contact
0300 4507357 or 0333 4237530

New Video

A new vdo will also hit the channels on their album launch - "Sab Bulla Kai" is the song, which will be directed by Sohail Javed, who already has many good vdos to his credit. So looking forward to the vdo as well, which is set to hit on the music channels on 25th November!

You can check out their website @ http://www.thebandcall.com.

Waiting anxiously for their album! ROCK ON CALL!!

Vdo :: Sali by Shehzad Roy

2005-09-06T20:01:00.000+05:00

No no, we are not talking about Shehzad Roy's 'sali' (sister-in-law), but rather about his new song titled Sali.

The Roy boy is back after a gap of over three years. A lot of things happened while he was away. First, Ali Zafar took over Roy's crown as the solo Pop icon of Pakistan. Following that, Atif dethroned Ali Zafar and is now crowned as the king of solo Pop in Pakistan. So while the cat (Shehzad Roy) was away, the mice (Ali Zafar and Atif) played, and took over as well.

So what Roy boy has come up with this time? Judging from the song and video of Sali, we are going to witness a rejuvinated Shehzad Roy, all ready to claim his throne back.

Sali is a hip and masti number. But what does the word - Sali - itself mean? Sali is a slang, kind of a gaali (swearing) here in the subcontinent. The word actually means sister-in-law. Roy claims that he has not used it as a slang, and that sali refers to the theme/story in the video - he's calling someone's actual sister-in-law in the video as sali. So is he trying to say that he wrote that song based on the video (that is, the video/story was made first and THEN he penned the lyrics)? But surely that's not the case. The story of the video was created as such, so as to i) make 'sali' appear as referring to a relationship, ii) to avoid censorship of his song, iii) AND to avoid ruining Roy boy's goody good image into a bad boy. But the hidden truth definitely is that sali is uttered as a slang.

Coming to the video, it's not much to write home about, except for Shehzad Roy himself. Roy has acted pretty well. He is looking quite young (younger than before), with short hair. Different style. Looking good. Danced well. Performed well. It won't be a surprise if girls tear off posters of the Atifs and the Zafars from their rooms and adorn Shehzad Roy once again.

I won't dare compare him to Ali Zafar coz Shehzad has been here since 10 years. But yes, his antics - his style and appearance - does appear to reflect that of Ali Zafar (a la Rangeen). Nonetheless, Shehzad has got his own style, and he even looks and performs better than Ali Zafar (in my opinion).

The video is directed by the Ahsan-Amena duo. Javed Shaikh is also there, playing an important role.

And the song ... it's a hit already!

The album is also out! It's called Buri Baat Hai. Released by Sadaf Stereo in Pakistan. Finally, the barren land of Paki Pop is again bearing fruit after a long dry spell (bcoz of the raids on Audio/CD/DVD companies here).

Video Rating Below Average (5.5 out of 10)

Song Rating Good (7 out of 10)

Great Logos

2005-08-22T04:34:00.000+05:00

In my zeal to find great (website) designs and anything pleasing to the eye, I came across Miš i Pile a small logo designing firm from Croatia. Small is an under-statement for this design firm, headed by two people (spouses), specially after looking at their portfolio of 200+ superbly designed logos. Each logo distinctive from the rest, and each one logolicious.

Designing a logo is certainly a tough job. One requires not only a creative mind, but also the ability to get inspired. I mostly tend to play with fonts whenever I try to create a logo. Nonetheless, one does need a graphical representation (an icon of sorts) in a logo to depict the whole concept of your product or brand in one single element.

Here are some logos of Miš i Pile that I am showcasing here:

Love that combination of fonts - such contrast.

Very nicely designed. A ruby colored sky with
stars and a moon ... looking marvellous.

Oh this one has a guru, may be I can get some inspiration
from this one for my own logo.

Another diamond design, and again it's the font that is having
such an effect, with that perfectly placed diamond.

Nice, simple, and getting the message across very well.

The coolest thing about this logo is that the clock is showing
24 past 7, depicting 24/7.

A logo for a night club - funky, trendy, colorful.

Seems like the title logo of a sci-fi movie.

University. Students. Community. A logo to represent that all.

So any ideas for how should I go about designing my logo for Guru's World? Any ideas? Inspirations?

Jashn-e-Azadi Mubarak

2005-08-14T21:36:00.000+05:00

Happy Independence Day everyone :). Here are some images that I took on 13th and 14th of August.

The Spirit of Freedom

2005-08-14T21:30:00.000+05:00

It's such a nice feeling to see everyone being so patriotic, from the little kids, who put up a small flag on their bicycle, to the fruit selling carts, and the best of cars, decorated with a Pakistani flag.

Buildings decorated with lights. Houses and flats decorated with flags of all sizes.

And then finally at night, as August 13th changes to August 14th, it's gathering time for the Karachittes at Seaview. Hundreds of thousands of people rush to the seaview to celebrate Jashn-e-Azadi.

However, the bikes, and the bike riders, are a total nuisance and they do nothing but create immense noise pollution (as they take the silencers out of their bikes), and the way they drive - wrecklessly.

But overall, the night is filled with josh, excitement and patriotic fervour.

Video of Ali Zafar's 'Aik Pal'

2005-08-04T19:14:00.000+05:00

What comes to mind when someone mentions Ali Zafar? Channo ... disco ... fun ... dance ... masti ... shugal ... upbeat and funny style videos ... and anything to do with excitement and fun ... right? Well then get ready for a different offering by Ali this time.

Aik Pal.

It's a short song ... of less than 3 minutes, and is one of the slow and emotional numbers from his album Huqa Pani. And rather than going for any veteran director, this time Ali tried his own hand at direction ... and he did a pretty nice job at it.

After making his name in painting, modelling, acting and singing, Ali is now set for achieving excellence in direction as well. The video is nothing magnificient, but it's creative and puts the message across well. Ali has acted pretty well too, specially in that crying scene (which are said to be real tears ... they sure must be, afterall he's a good actor).

One thing that has been criticized (and also appreciated) is Ali's shirtlessness. Yes, he is topless, and he sure has been working out with that body. For some, looking at Ali shirtless would be ooh la la, while for others, it will be indecent. And then, many conservative families in Pakistan won't allow their teenage girls to watch a jawaan shirtless munda on TV, and even the girls themselves might feel like changing the channel.

However, it's not much of an issue. The video is watchable and Ali has acted well and is looking good too. The video, nonetheless, could have been much better.

Rating: Somewhat Good

Planet X

2005-07-31T14:17:00.000+05:00

Seems like we have found another neighbour in our solar system. A planet (or so they say) beyond and bigger than Pluto has been discovered by American scientists. However, this yet unnamed planet is still not confirmed as a planet of our neighbourhood.

Larger than Pluto and far beyond its orbit, shining so brightly an amateur stargazer could have spotted it years ago, there is a 10th planet, astronomers announced late Friday. Calling the still-unnamed world a planet likely will stir intense debate among some astronomers who argue that even tiny Pluto would not be called a planet were it discovered today.

Microsoft Windows Vista - The Official Name for Longhorn

2005-07-24T02:32:00.000+05:00

The next slated release of Windows, popularly known by the code-name Longhorn, has finally been given an official launch name by Microsoft - Vista!

After being continuously delayed, it is now due in 2006, with the first Beta projected to be released 3rd August, targeted at developers and IT professionals.

This is the marketing tagline for Vista:

Clear, Confident, Connected: Bringing clarity to your world.

The new name 'Vista' doesn't appear to have had any good impression on people, judging by the posts at Neowin. Yet, it appears nice to me, and refreshing, specially after witnessing some of the wallpapers.

Links

Irtiqa III video by EP

2005-07-19T11:32:00.000+05:00

Entity Paradigm, EP for short, spurs out another offbeat video of another of their offbeat songs; Irtiqa III it is this time.

The video has a good concept, however the direction, by Xulfi, is not crisp and leaves a lot to be desired. The song itself is ranked quite high by some people (most EP fans), but when it comes to me Irtiqa III just doesn't click. It has too much of shouting! And whatever happened to the notion of melody!

The video features a person (or is the main character that toy bunny?) who is surrounded by lies, in the form of propaganda from the media (newspapers), and the military, the politicians, the mullahs, the philosophers trying to mould his mind and thoughts.

And in the end he breaks free of it, depicted through a similar visual as that of their website -- the guy holding hands up as the pigeon breaks free from somewhere.

All in all it's a different, albeit mediocre, video. It doesn't have a lasting value ... it will be off the channels soon. So catch it ASAP, currently Exclusively only on The Musik!

Rating: Above Average

Standing burnt and barren

2005-06-03T15:28:00.000+05:00

The KFC where people used to have a good time together eating out, now stands devastated.

This act of vandalism by the people resulted in an irrecoverable loss of 6 lives - 6 people burned alive inside the KFC. Those people, whoever burned the KFC and the vehicles on the streets, are the murderers of those 6 innocent people!

Not a place for eating out anymore. Now acting more like a symbol of the stupidity and jaahil-ness of the people.

The plants lying thrashed outside the KFC.

This used to be the dining area, at the ground floor. I myself had visited it quite a number of times.

The stairs inside the KFC, leading to the first floor ... a memorable place for me.

KFC (II)

2005-06-03T15:26:00.000+05:00

The Aga Khan Laboratory/Pharmacy

2005-06-03T15:24:00.000+05:00

It was not just the KFC, but also the Aga Khan University (AKU) Laboratory and Pharmacy, which was burned and destroyed!

Now this can't be the work of normal people ... the average public, who go about their daily life without interferring in other people's business.

There must have been so many reports - blood reports, urine reports, and what not - in there. These tests and reports are costly, and someone might be needing the urgently. For somone, it might be a matter of life and death. The lab was totally burnt from the inside. And so was the pharmacy.

The people who were responsible for such pathetic acts should be defaced in the public. Tie them up on the main intersections of the city!

Nothing left of the PSO station

2005-06-03T15:22:00.000+05:00

The PSO pump was turned into ruins by the mob. This station was sitauted right adjusant to the KFC, and just a little away from the mosque where the actual blast took place.

A man looking at the remains of the petrol pump. Nothing left.

Petrol pumps and cars ... lived together, burned together.

Full tank?

A yellow cab and a pick up - what was the fault of these cars and their owners?

The remains

2005-06-03T15:20:00.000+05:00

People visiting the destroyed petrol pump to witness the monstrosity of the people themselves.

The cash looted ... the papers burnt ... nothing remains.

So how much are you selling it for? Can I go for a trial?

Destroyed ... completely.

Oh ... let me clean up my sandals on a burned vehicle ... I may not get such an opportunity again.

A cap that is usually worn for namaz/salaat, lying on the hood of the burnt yellow cab.

Aaah I am gonna get my car serviced, to make it clean and shiny.

A lubricants truck, carrying petroleum products at the back.

Not able to Shell itself

2005-06-03T15:18:00.000+05:00

The Shell petrol pump being one of the two petrol pumps that were burned down, adjusant to the KFC and the mosque where the blast happened. The Shell station was not in such dire condition as that of the PSO, but still, it tasted fire too.

The police guards

2005-06-03T15:16:00.000+05:00

The police are standing guard at the mosque where the suicide bombing took place, in which one police officer was also killed trying to stop the suicide bomber from getting into the mosque. Two of the assiliants were killed - one blasted himself, the other was shot down - while one was injured and captured alive by the police.

Thanks to the police for such bravery and for risking their own lives for saving the innocent people, and may Allah grant the deceased policeman a place in Heaven. Ameen.

More carnage

2005-06-03T15:00:00.000+05:00

Almost all the shops on that road (of the mosque and KFC) were vandalised and burned. Is this the work of the public? NO! Can the public burn and destroy their own property and vehicles? Not at all!

It was planned and schemed by the harbingers of terror.

I talked to a couple of people who had shops in that area, and one of them said that he was praying in the same mosque where the blast happened, and when he came out, the mob was thrashing his shop.

A cycle shop.

A pay phone.

Debris being cleared from the road, where the vehicles burned last night.