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		<title>The Student’s Guide To Urdu Poetry</title>
		<link>http://artsyhands.com/2012/07/oh-no-urdu-ghazals/</link>
		<comments>http://artsyhands.com/2012/07/oh-no-urdu-ghazals/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 Jul 2012 15:10:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Black Canary</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Experiences and Views]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://artsyhands.com/?p=3576</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ladies and gentlemen. After four years of Matric and F.A combined, of reading Meer Taqi Meer, Meer Dard, Iqbal, Ghalib, Nasir Kazmi and all sorts of ghazals by other poets, not to mention consistently being told by five different Urdu teacher&#8217;s that the renowned verse; &#160; was written by Iqbal,  although the poet was not [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2>Ladies and gentlemen.</h2>
<p>After four years of Matric and F.A combined, of reading Meer Taqi Meer, Meer Dard, Iqbal, Ghalib, Nasir Kazmi and all sorts of <em>ghazals</em> by other poets, not to mention consistently being told by five different Urdu teacher&#8217;s that the renowned verse;</p>
<p style="text-align: left"><a href="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/sshot-51.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3589" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/sshot-51.png" alt="" width="538" height="121" /></a><em><strong></strong></em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>was written by Iqbal,  although the poet was not Iqbal, but Syed Sadiq Hussain Kazmi. And I should know, because he was my great grandfather.</p>
<h2>Okay, I&#8217;m done bragging now.</h2>
<p>My point is that I had Urdu<em> ghazals</em> drilled into my head for almost four years now and I never understood a word. But now, finally, when my Urdu learning days are over, I suddenly understand what it&#8217;s all about.</p>
<h2><strong><span id="more-3576"></span></strong></h2>
<p>Yes, people! I have finally understood what Ghalib and Mushafi and all the rest go on and on about in their seemingly thought provoking <em>ghazals</em>! You see, what they are pining over is&#8230;.no, not the state of their country. No, not the plight of humanity. No, not the fact that the British had a mighty grip on the sub-continent. (Though, yes, Iqbal did a good job of writing about that <strong>endlessly</strong> in his <em>nazms</em>.)</p>
<h2>Y U NO LIKE ME BACK?</h2>
<p>No, no, no. What Ghalib is most concerned about is that the girl he likes doesn&#8217;t like him back. His <em>mehboob</em>, if you will, ignores Ghalib and so Ghalib is sad.</p>
<p><a href="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/2b1u.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3579 aligncenter" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/2b1u-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="332" height="225" /></a></p>
<p>And it doesn&#8217;t stop there.</p>
<p>No, you see, Ghalib is heartbroken because he is in love with this girl. Why, you may ask? Does she possess cutting and acerbic wit? Is she also a poetess whose poems make Ghalib swoon? No. There are only about three main reasons why any poet falls in love with their mehboob. Yes, I know. I was hoping it might be her personality, her wits and okay, maybe her smile. But the reasons are;</p>
<ol>
<li>The girl&#8217;s eyes.</li>
<li>The girl&#8217;s hair.</li>
<li>That&#8217;s it.</li>
</ol>
<p>I mean, what kind of stupid love is that? If a boy told me he loved me because of my eyes and hair, I&#8217;d ignore him too. And Ghalib wonders why his<em> mehboob</em> doesn&#8217;t want to see him and promises to meet up and never shows.</p>
<h2>The Red Flowers and The Confusion</h2>
<p>Alright, let&#8217;s switch over to Mushafi for a bit. Now, Mushafi is talking about <em>Laala Zaar</em> and no, I thought he was talking about the place in Rawalpindi too but apparently that&#8217;s not it. <em>Laala Zaar</em> means the place with red flowers. Now, you would think that when someone talks about the place with the red flowers, they mean&#8230;the place with the red flowers.</p>
<p><a href="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/red_flowers_garden-wide1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-3597" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/red_flowers_garden-wide1-1024x640.jpg" alt="" width="657" height="270" /></a></p>
<p>But that would be obvious! So now,<em> Laala Zaar</em> becomes the home of the girl he likes and when he says he was unable to obtain a flower from this place, of course he doesn&#8217;t mean flower, he means the girl. Again, with this need to portray women as though they&#8217;re weak and fragile. But anyway. Look, I&#8217;m a straight forward person. I don&#8217;t understand this &#8216;<em>baaton mein baatein</em>&#8216; thing he&#8217;s trying to pull off. If you mean girl, say girl. Don&#8217;t say flower.</p>
<h2>Back to Ghalib!</h2>
<p>Now, Ghalib has been unsuccessful in getting the girl that he likes (I&#8217;m not surprised, frankly. He probably scared her off.) Now, Ghalib is even more sad than when she blew him off. Now, the man is suicidal. So, he asks his friends that when he dies, to not bury him but to throw his body into the ocean so no trace of his existence on this earth remains.</p>
<p>I mean, why are they teaching us this? We&#8217;re teenagers. Are they trying to give some tips to the already over-emotional boys around?</p>
<h2>When All Is Said And Done</h2>
<p>At the end of the day, I&#8217;m not sad about not having to study Urdu ever again, but I will miss the way the Urdu <em>ghazals</em> make sense to me now. Yes, they were terrifying at some points and just plain confusing at others &#8211; but weren&#8217;t the poets themselves mostly confused?</p>
<p>So in this circle of confusion, you find a <em>ghazal</em> or a <em>shair</em> that appeals to you. You can find some reason or wisdom in these old poems.<br />
Or you can be me and write about how overly sentimental all these poets were and how they needed some serious sedatives.</p>
<p>Your choice.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Summer Vacation To-Do List</title>
		<link>http://artsyhands.com/2012/06/summer-vacation-todo-list/</link>
		<comments>http://artsyhands.com/2012/06/summer-vacation-todo-list/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 02 Jun 2012 06:57:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Waisybabu</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Lists]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://artsyhands.com/?p=3561</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I really should be studying right now since my 2nd semester final exams start on Monday, but I’m really just genuinely excited about the 2.5 month summer break that is just 10 days away. So excited, in fact, that I’m going to write down the things I want to do in it. Things that I’ve been wanting [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright" style="background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;" title="3362936729_c84688c8e9_z" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/3362936729_c84688c8e9_z.jpg" alt="3362936729_c84688c8e9_z" width="248" height="186" border="0" /></p>
<p>I really should be studying right now since my 2nd semester final exams start on Monday, but I’m really just <em>genuinely</em> excited about the 2.5 month summer break that is just 10 days away.</p>
<p>So excited, in fact, that I’m going to write down the things I want to do in it. Things that I’ve been wanting to do all these months but couldn’t due to lack of <em>extended periods of free time</em>.</p>
<h2><span id="more-3561"></span></h2>
<p>Here goes nothing!</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Learn <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_X5uR7VC4M&amp;list=PLD19BCF9D57320E03&amp;index=1&amp;feature=plpp_video" target="_blank">how to use Photoshop</a></strong>. My target skill level should be high enough so that I don’t have to bug other people to make simple images for me.</li>
<li><strong>Read </strong>the following books:
<ul>
<li>The Hobbit</li>
<li>The Great Gatsby</li>
<li>Any one of these Stephen King novels: <em>The Long Walk</em>, <em>Misery, IT, The Stand</em></li>
<li>One Hundred Years of Solitude</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Watch</strong> a new movie every night. Not just any movie, but a movie that moves me, makes me think in new ways and changes my perspective about things and life in general. Good examples of this include <em>Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump </em>and<em> Lion King.</em></li>
<li><strong>Take <em><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/dailyprogrammer" target="_blank">r/dailyprogrammer’s</a> </em>programming challenges</strong> regularly to keep my <em>thoray-bauhat </em>programming skills from rusting.</li>
<li><strong>Play </strong>the following games:
<ul>
<li>Uncharted 3</li>
<li>Batman: Arkham City</li>
<li>Mass Effect 3</li>
<li>Gears of War 2/3</li>
<li>Alan Wake</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Exercise</strong> 20 minutes per day every day following <a href="http://lifehacker.com/5909383/a-20-minute+per+day-plan-to-get-in-shape-for-people-too-busy-to-exercise" target="_blank">Lifehacker’s guide</a>.</li>
<li><strong>Visit </strong>the following places:
<ul>
<li>That Shangrila hotel up in Skardu everyone keeps visiting</li>
<li>Androon Lahore, iss baar I’ll check it out sukoon say. Waisay tou hamesha jaldi pari hoti hai. :/</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li> <strong>Try out</strong> <a href="http://www.stevepavlina.com/forums/health-fitness/1638-switching-biphasic-sleeping-start-here.html" target="_blank">Biphasic Sleeping</a></li>
</ol>
<p>The list looks quite daunting at the moment, but I’m determined to cross off these items off it. I don’t want Summer of 2012 to be just another summer where I completely waste time doing nothing of significance.</p>
<p>I will be updating this post every time I finish a task or add/remove one (priorities can change!). If the experience is good, I may just write about it here on artsyHANDS.</p>
<p>What are <em>your</em> plans for the summer?</p>
<p>Related reading: <a href="http://artsyhands.com/my-bucket-list/">My Bucket List</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>How To Ace Pakistan Studies At Matric/FSc Level [COMIC]</title>
		<link>http://artsyhands.com/2011/10/ace-pakistan-studies-matricfsc-level-comic/</link>
		<comments>http://artsyhands.com/2011/10/ace-pakistan-studies-matricfsc-level-comic/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2011 14:42:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Waisybabu</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Experiences and Views]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fsc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[how to prepare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[matric]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pakistan studies]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://artsyhands.com/?p=3527</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I had an interesting wakaeya back when I was in matric. Back when Pakistan Studies was a compulsory subject and I simply loathed it. Partially because our teacher was way too fast at covering the course but mostly because of the way we had to prepare for exams and tests. It really wasn’t all that [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img style="background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; padding-top: 0px; border-width: 0px;" title="304672_205936872804682_205447279520308_578655_136911938_n" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/304672_205936872804682_205447279520308_578655_136911938_n.jpg" alt="304672_205936872804682_205447279520308_578655_136911938_n" width="590" height="492" border="0" />I had an interesting <em>wakaeya</em> back when I was in matric. Back when Pakistan Studies was a compulsory subject and I simply <em>loathed</em> it. Partially because our teacher was way too fast at covering the course but mostly because of the way we had to prepare for exams and tests.</p>
<h2><span id="more-3527"></span></h2>
<p>It really wasn’t all <em>that </em>bad now that I, as a university-going student, think about it… but back then, when I had five other subjects to work on and limited time, memorizing <em>all</em> fourteen points of Quaid-e-Azam and <em>all</em> dozen or so “salient features” of not one but <em>three</em> separate constitutions (1956, 1962 and 1973) did not seem like a pleasant idea at all.</p>
<p>One day, me and my good friend Faseeh were out cycling around our cantonment when I realized that we had a big, <em>big</em> test on <em>Constitutions of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan </em>the next day and I wasn’t prepared at all for it. I asked Faseeh how to prepare said chapter in one hour and this is what he replied:</p>
<p><img style="background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; padding-top: 0px; border-width: 0px;" title="download" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/download.png" alt="download" width="550" height="619" border="0" /></p>
<p>Whao indeed.</p>
<p>It did actually help me. The points about &#8220;rights of minorities&#8221; and &#8220;equality for all&#8221; and &#8220;no nepotism&#8221; were not forgotten after this little event.</p>
<p>You can <a href="http://twitter.com/waisybabu" target="_blank">follow the writer</a> on Twitter, join our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/artsyHANDS" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> or subscribe to our <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/artsyhands" target="_blank">RSS feed</a>/<a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=artsyhands" target="_blank">email feed</a> to stay updated! Be sure to read our <a href="http://artsyhands.com/must-read-posts/" target="_blank">Must Read Posts</a><em>!</em></p>
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		<title>Pages From My Journal: iDream About Steve Jobs</title>
		<link>http://artsyhands.com/2011/10/pages-journal-idream-steve-jobs/</link>
		<comments>http://artsyhands.com/2011/10/pages-journal-idream-steve-jobs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:20:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Waisybabu</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Experiences and Views]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://artsyhands.com/?p=3502</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Koi haal nahee hai mera. An entire journal post dedicated to just another quirky dream! Wah Awais, wah! Thankfully, this &#8216;quirky&#8217; dream was a short one, so penning it down shouldn&#8217;t be too time-consuming (unlike other dreams which span different continents and eras of time)&#8230; &#8211; Note: Posts titled “Pages From My Journal” have been [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Steve-Jobs_1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3504" title="Steve-Jobs_1" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Steve-Jobs_1.jpg" alt="" width="552" height="480" /></a></p>
<p><em>Koi haal nahee hai mera</em>. An entire journal post dedicated to just another quirky dream! Wah Awais, wah!</p>
<p>Thankfully, this &#8216;quirky&#8217; dream was a short one, so penning it down shouldn&#8217;t be too time-consuming (unlike other dreams which span different continents and eras of time)&#8230;</p>
<h2><span id="more-3502"></span></h2>
<p>&#8211;</p>
<p><em><strong>Note:</strong> Posts titled “Pages From My Journal” have been taken straight from my personal journal. Yes, like all people who grow up to change the world, I keep a journal where I pen down my thoughts… and, as one of my kEwLx classmates would say, &#8220;feEl!nGxx&#8221;. This entry was added on 28th September, 2010 when I was having <a href="http://artsyhands.com/2011/09/one-students-journey-from-a-small-cantt-in-gujrat-district-to-nust-seecs/">major problems deciding on a career path</a>.</em></p>
<p>&#8211;</p>
<h2>The Dream</h2>
<p>Steve and I are sitting next to each other on a table that seems to be taken straight from the Round Table Conferences of 1930-32. He&#8217;s busy talking to someone on his iPhone 4 while I wait for him to end his call.</p>
<p>While waiting for him to end his call, I remember some <em>real-world</em> noise annoyingly waking me up from the dream. Many of my most <em>epic</em> dreams end up like this, one minute I&#8217;m as rich as Bill Gates and the next minute, I&#8217;m in my bed at home, waiting for the alarm to go off so I can go to school.</p>
<p>I wasn&#8217;t going to let my first (and perhaps, only) chance to meet Steve Jobs go away like that. I had to bring something back. I had to ask him <em>that one question</em>, &#8220;What have you learned from life?&#8221;*.</p>
<p>I don&#8217;t know how I managed it, but I did go back in to the <em>dreamworld</em>** after a couple of tosses and turns&#8230;</p>
<p>Steve gets off his call and we start to talk. iDon&#8217;t remember <em>precisely</em> what we talked about, but I believe it was philosophical shit and just about life in general. iDo, however, remember him saying <em>“follow your passion, Awais”</em>.</p>
<p>I <em>know</em> he said that because when I woke up, I really, really felt like writing a post for <a href="http://www.redmondpie.com/author/waisybabu/">Redmond Pie</a> (I <em>love</em> writing for them). A few minutes after waking up, I realized I had completely forgotten to ask him that <em>one question</em>. *sleepy facepalm*</p>
<p>Oh wait. <em>He did answer the question! :&#8217;O</em></p>
<p><em>Follow your passion</em>.<strong>***</strong></p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UF8uR6Z6KLc" frameborder="0" width="480" height="360"></iframe></p>
<h2><strong>Footnote</strong></h2>
<p>*<em>Aap Ne Zindagi Se Kya Seekha</em> is an artsy-fartsy project I&#8217;ve been working on for the past couple of years where I ask senior people what they have learned from life. Their thought-provoking answers are kept in a folder which I regularly revisit every time life hits me in the face with a sandbag. Listening to people who have gone through some <em>major</em> ups and downs help me pick myself up and get back in the race. If enough people push me, I just might make a website out of this.</p>
<p>**Yes, I can do that sort of stuff when it comes to dreams. I&#8217;ve seen <a href="http://artsyhands.com/2009/08/magazine-publication-quaids-dream/">Quaid-e-Azam in one <em>amazing</em> dream</a> too, so you should read that post!</p>
<p>***I did follow my passion after all (sort of). You can read the full story<a href="http://artsyhands.com/2011/09/one-students-journey-from-a-small-cantt-in-gujrat-district-to-nust-seecs/"> here</a>.</p>
<p>You may also like to check out <a href="http://www.redmondpie.com/a-trip-through-the-life-of-steve-jobs-photos/">A Trip Through The Life Of Steve Jobs [PHOTOS] </a> which is an article I wrote yesterday. There are NEVER BEFORE SEEN photos of Steve in there which I&#8217;m sure you&#8217;ll love to see.</p>
<p>You can <a href="http://twitter.com/waisybabu">follow the writer</a> on Twitter, join our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/artsyHANDS">Facebook page</a> or subscribe to our <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/artsyhands">RSS feed</a>/<a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=artsyhands">email feed</a> to stay updated! Be sure to read our <em><a href="http://artsyhands.com/must-read-posts/">Must Read Posts</a>!</em></p>
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		<title>Pages From My Journal: A Tuition A Day, Keeps… The Supplee Away?</title>
		<link>http://artsyhands.com/2011/10/pages-journal-tuition-day-supplee/</link>
		<comments>http://artsyhands.com/2011/10/pages-journal-tuition-day-supplee/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 01 Oct 2011 14:14:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Waisybabu</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Experiences and Views]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://artsyhands.com/?p=3439</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s that time of the year again… winters… teen-teen tuition’ein… staying up late, waking up early… dophahar ko ghar aate saath hee sou jaana.. ek routine set hogaee hai: College. Home. Lunch. Sleep. Up for Physics tuition. Go for Chemistry. Then Math. Home. Chai. A little internetz. Parhai till 2AM. Sleep. Repeat until Finals. I [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><img style="background-image: none; margin: 4px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;" title="Capture" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Capture.png" alt="Capture" width="590" height="391" border="0" /></em></p>
<p>It’s that time of the year again… <em>winters</em>… <em>teen-teen tuition’ein…</em> <em>staying up late</em>, <em>waking up early</em>… <em>dophahar ko ghar aate saath hee sou jaana.. ek routine </em><em>set</em> <em>hogaee hai: </em>College. Home. Lunch. Sleep. Up for Physics tuition. Go for Chemistry. Then Math. Home. Chai. A little <em>internetz</em>. <em>Parhai</em> till 2AM. Sleep. Repeat until Finals.</p>
<p>I feel so productive. Learning something new everyday (at least in subjects which don’t start with a “C” and end with “mistry”). Acing tests like a boss.</p>
<p>I find it strangely.. <em>fun</em>.</p>
<h2><span id="more-3439"></span></h2>
<p><strong>Note:</strong> <em>Posts titled “Pages From My Journal”  have been taken straight from my personal journal. Yes, like all baray-baray-log, I keep a journal where I pen down my thoughts&#8230; and feEl!nGxx. This entry was added on December 2nd, 2010 after my 2nd year Send-Ups (which I barely passed due to reasons that I’d rather not disclose).</em></p>
<h2>My Name Is Bond&#8230; Ionic Bond</h2>
<p>Today was my first day at Chemistry tuition<em>. </em>The teacher told me a week ago that I would be studying with a <em>gurrrll</em> from my batch. I, being the co-education-deprived student that I was, was quite hopeful and, to be frank, had trouble thinking clean thoughts the whole week…</p>
<p>That was until I actually saw the girl. -_-</p>
<p>Anyway, the walk back home from first day at tuition was a <em>mazaydaar </em>one. <em>Khaali sarak</em>. <em>Chamaktay sitaaray</em>. Pocket <em>say <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN1iYFxF0O8">mowseeki ki dhun</a></em>. <em>Thandi-thandi maanind-e-&lt;urdu word for knife&gt;</em> <em>huwaein.</em> It was nice walking alone. Walking under the brilliant stars that we never really give the attention that they deserve.</p>
<p><em>Chal oye philosopher! </em>Go prepare that test on <em>Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry! </em>Prove, once again, that it does not matter how much you’re actually learning… marks, of course, they matter more! After all, these marks will get you into a respectable university, then you’ll automatically land a respectable job and, ultimately, a loving, attractive <em>khatuun</em> will agree to marry you and bear your children.<strong>*</strong></p>
<p><img style="margin: 4px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;" title="Untitled" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Untitled.png" alt="Untitled" width="221" height="480" border="0" /></p>
<p>I wish our education system were more flexible. If it were so, I’d have opted for <em>Intermediate Computer Science </em>(ICS) in HSSC-II instead of Pre-Engineering.</p>
<p>Chemistry is an interesting subject, but the way it is presented in HSSC-II makes me <em>loathe it</em>. There are over 500 chemical reactions in our textbook and we are forced to memorize <em>all </em>of them, physical and chemical conditions included. <em>Kon karay ga yaad yaar</em>!?</p>
<p><em><strong><img style="background-image: none; margin: 4px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; padding-top: 0px; border: 0px;" title="tumblr_lltzgnHi5F1qzib3wo1_400" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/tumblr_lltzgnHi5F1qzib3wo1_400.jpg" alt="tumblr_lltzgnHi5F1qzib3wo1_400" width="240" height="240" align="right" border="0" /></strong></em>(image via <em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurenmarek/3960939739/sizes/z/in/photostream/" target="_blank">laurenmarek</a>)</em></p>
<p><em><strong>*</strong>I absolutely <span style="text-decoration: underline;">hated</span> Chemistry in HSSC-II. That is why the second last paragraph is so bitter in tone. </em></p>
<p><em>All is well that ends well though. I scored 77/100 in Chemistry-II. Not bad!</em></p>
<p><em>Shukar hai I’m <a href="http://artsyhands.com/2011/09/one-students-journey-from-a-small-cantt-in-gujrat-district-to-nust-seecs/" target="_blank">done with it</a>! </em></p>
<p>You can <a href="http://twitter.com/waisybabu">follow the writer</a> on Twitter, join our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/artsyHANDS">Facebook page</a> or subscribe to our <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/artsyhands">RSS feed</a>/<a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=artsyhands">email feed</a> to stay updated! Be sure to read our <em><a href="http://artsyhands.com/must-read-posts/">Must Read Posts</a>!</em></p>
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		<title>One Student’s Journey From a Small Cantt in Gujrat District to NUST-SEECS</title>
		<link>http://artsyhands.com/2011/09/one-students-journey-from-a-small-cantt-in-gujrat-district-to-nust-seecs/</link>
		<comments>http://artsyhands.com/2011/09/one-students-journey-from-a-small-cantt-in-gujrat-district-to-nust-seecs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Sep 2011 12:15:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Waisybabu</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Experiences and Views]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[computer science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nust]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seecs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[software engineering]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://artsyhands.com/?p=3421</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is time. I write this the night before my Orientation Day at NUST-SEECS. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long, long time. The story, my story, from Garrison Academy to National University of Science and Technology’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (kaafi lamba hai ye tou [that’s what she said]) [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img style="background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; padding-top: 0px; border-width: 0px;" title="2011-09-24 13.35.08" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/2011-09-24-13.35.08.jpg" alt="2011-09-24 13.35.08" width="499" height="500" border="0" /></p>
<p>It is time.</p>
<p>I write this the night before my Orientation Day at NUST-SEECS. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long, long time. The story, <em>my</em> story, from Garrison Academy to <em>National University of Science and Technology’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science</em> (kaafi lamba hai ye tou [<em>that’s what she said</em>]) is quite interesting.</p>
<p>It involves crying man-tears up in my bathroom (confused over which career path I should choose), taking evening classes at a entrance test preparation center, studying for 12 hours straight in preparation for the entrance tests, getting into FAST-NU and, finally, getting selected for SEECS.</p>
<p>Read the full story, after the break.</p>
<h2><span id="more-3421"></span></h2>
<p>&#8212;</p>
<p>I won’t get into mundane details about how I prepared for the tests and how I actually did at the tests; that shit is <em>boring</em>. Instead, the primary focus of this post shall be on the juicier bits.</p>
<p>Also, the title of this post is “inspired” by <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/247117/wondrous-feats-one-students-journey-from-small-town-balochistan-to-harvard-university/" target="_blank">this piece</a> from Express Tribune.</p>
<h2>Aap Baray Ho Kar Kya Bano Gay?</h2>
<p><img style="background-image: none; margin: 4px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; padding-top: 0px; border-width: 0px;" title="3idiots" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/3idiots.jpg" alt="3idiots" width="600" height="255" border="0" /></p>
<p>Discussions over which field of engineering I should get into started as early as SSC-II. I always wanted to do something related to computing. I live and breathe computers and have a <em>little</em> experience with programming. Keeping this in mind, the only fields suitable for yours truly were Computer Science or Software Engineering.</p>
<p>My parents and my <em>g</em>-parents, of course, suggested going for Electrical Engineering since it has the highest scoring requirements (from which, it was incorrectly concluded that it has the best after-graduation <em>job scene</em>). Other fields, such as Accounting &amp; Finance, Chartered Accountancy and even Mass Communication were considered but ultimately struck off the list.</p>
<p>This confusion, of whether I should go ahead with my parents’ choice or go for CS/SE, was unusually stressful for me. There were days and nights where I’d silently cry man-tears since, well, I just couldn’t make my mind up. I had the academic record that was needed to be an Electrical Engineer, but had no real interest in it. Computer Science, on the other hand, would, I thought back then, be riskier because it has less “scope” in Pakistan (this turned out to be false; there’s plenty of scope <span style="text-decoration: underline;">if</span> you’re skilled).</p>
<p>Computer Science has never been considered a good field in Pakistan. One of the prime reasons for this is that it has one of the lowest merits in universities like GIKI, NUST, UET so it is automatically assumed that students who go for CS are those who couldn’t get into any other <em>higher-merit waali</em> field (I have found this assumption to be mostly true, sadly).</p>
<p>Still, after a lot of convincing and some pretty heavy research, I finally managed to convince my father. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to do it, thanks to considerable help from friends and older relatives. CS/SE has plenty of scope: it is a <em>skill-dependent </em>field, where employers tend to  focus on your skills, rather than the university from which you graduated.</p>
<p><strong>Matric-FSc waalay read this: </strong>Choosing which field to get into can be very difficult. If you’re in Matric or have just started FSc, visit the websites of different national universities to see what programs they offer and see if anything ‘clicks’ with you. Take your time, look around different blogs, ask people older than you, shortlist the programs you like and, once it is decided, work your butt off so you can get into a good university which offers said program.</p>
<h2>Life In The FAST Lane</h2>
<p><img style="background-image: none; margin: 4px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; padding-top: 0px; border-width: 0px;" title="323375_10150803838760557_533855556_20999370_1150098599_o" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/323375_10150803838760557_533855556_20999370_1150098599_o.jpg" alt="323375_10150803838760557_533855556_20999370_1150098599_o" width="600" height="338" border="0" /></p>
<p>I was selected for BS(CS) at FAST on July 23rd. Classes started on August 8th. <em>Ramzan k din thay</em>, so getting through the 7-hour day felt quite difficult at the beginning, but I made friends pretty quickly and, as such, time <em>kaafi aasaani say pass hojaata tha</em>.</p>
<p>I was sent to Section B, where I met plenty of great people: I would particularly like to mention Qabas, Raees, Saad, Shaan and Zeeshan. Despite thinking <em>k hamari class farigh si hogi </em>and that I’d find no one who I’d able to share interests with, I found folks like Sachal (he likes hacking Android smartphones), Saad (writes dukhi English poems) and Maria (writes great anecdotal articles, one of her posts was published <a href="http://artsyhands.com/2011/09/children/" target="_blank">here</a>).</p>
<p>As you all know, NUST’s Entrance Test for Engg/CS students was leaked out and so they decided to take it all over again. Because of this, I spent a whole month at FAST (instead of, you know, a week or two MAX). This turned out to be a very good thing as I got a <em>taste</em> of the semester system (which is <em>radically</em> different from the annual system) and had the experience of, what is often called, <em>life in the FAST lane. </em></p>
<p>The teaching<em> ishtyle</em> at FAST was quite different. There was a pretty strong focus on building concepts which, honestly speaking, I wasn’t <em>all that</em> used to in FSc. Students’ knowledge was heavily tested by putting them in different scenarios, out of which they could only pass if they had <em>solid</em> concepts.</p>
<h2>I R NUSTIAN</h2>
<p><img style="background-image: none; margin: 4px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; padding-top: 0px; border-width: 0px;" title="309463_10150293855183948_376208683947_7729532_3578542_n" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/309463_10150293855183948_376208683947_7729532_3578542_n.jpg" alt="309463_10150293855183948_376208683947_7729532_3578542_n" width="600" height="300" border="0" /></p>
<p>I was selected for NUST on August 29th. There was a minor screw up, sadly, as I was selected for Computer Engg. at EME and <em>not</em> Software Engg. at SEECS. The reason behind this was how I, back in May, selected CE-EME as my first program preference because back then, I had this plan to go for EME’s <em>legendary</em> CE program.</p>
<p>Thankfully, after a little guidance from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/irnustian" target="_blank">I R NUSTIAN</a>, Muneeb Khan and <a href="http://twitter.com/irtezaubaid" target="_blank">Irteza Ubaid</a>, Baba and I went straight to the Registrar the next working day to get my preferences changed. He wasn’t too hopeful about it, saying <em>keh janaab,</em> you got your first preference and that NUST’s “computers” won’t entertain your request to go for 2nd preference.</p>
<p>The next seven or so days proved to be quite difficult for me. The thought that those five seconds that I took to choose CE-EME would potentially change where I spend my next four years disturbed me deeply. <em>Bhai sad-sad sa hogaya tha</em>. As a consequence, my first sessional at FAST didn’t go well (yes, I like playing the blame-game <img src='http://artsyhands.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif' alt=':P' class='wp-smiley' /> ).</p>
<h2>The Moment</h2>
<p>Still, <em>Allah ka shukar hai k</em>, against all sorts of odds, I was selected for Software Engineering at NUST-SEECS in the 2nd list that was published on September 13th.</p>
<p>I remember the exact moment: I was hanging out with my chuddi-buddy <em>Mujtaba </em>at Gelato Affair when I received a text message from fellow NUST hopeful and my 6th-7th ka dost <em>Ahmad </em>which read,<em> “</em>start jumping up and down <img src='http://artsyhands.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif' alt=':P' class='wp-smiley' /> ” and another one, “Check NUST result”.</p>
<p>I did actually start jumping up and down… like a little girl. Mujtaba was the only person around me at that moment, so I picked the bastard up and started shouting, “YES YES YES, HOGAYA MUJTABA. HOGAYA. I GOT INTO SEECS!!” while he said, <em>“Put me down kameenay, log dekh rahay hain</em>”.</p>
<p>Awwwkwwwarrrrd.</p>
<p>After spending a week down in depths of despair, I got what I wanted. It was the happiest moment of my life.</p>
<h2>Choosing NUST over FAST</h2>
<p><img style="background-image: none; margin: 4px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; padding-top: 0px; border-width: 0px;" title="5991282390_5e59f8af89_z" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/5991282390_5e59f8af89_z.jpg" alt="5991282390_5e59f8af89_z" width="600" height="399" border="0" /></p>
<p align="center"><em>SEECS at Night (via <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bibrak/5991282390/sizes/z/in/photostream/" target="_blank">Bibrak Qamar</a>)</em></p>
<p>Choosing between a university <span style="text-decoration: underline;">known</span> for its Computer Science program and a university which is still <em>relatively</em> new to the Computer Science / Software Engineering game <em>but</em> is <span style="text-decoration: underline;">ranked</span> in the top 300 Engineering &amp; IT universities <em>worldwide </em>wasn’t the easiest decision to make. Both universities had their set of pros and cons… I just had to choose the set which suited <em>me.</em></p>
<p>I eventually went for NUST. Besides having plenty of personal reasons for this, just <em>way too many</em> people both in the industry and in higher academic positions suggested I go for SEECS. Some of these people include: a PhD (CS) student in Stanford (who did SE from NUST-MCS), an MBA student from University of Toronto (who did CS from FAST), a Nuclear Physicist who once served as Rector GIKI, friends who are themselves doing BS(CS) from national universities and a handful of folks who actually work in the industry.</p>
<p>I start my four years in NUST-SEECS’ Software Engineering program this Monday. I’ve already made friends with a couple of seniors who, I hope, will save me from being ragged like I was in FAST (where, on my first day, I was asked to pole-dance in front of three senior ladies).</p>
<p>There’s a lot to look forward to in life. And that is as good as it gets. Shukar Alhamdulillah.</p>
<p><strong><em>Reader Discussion</em></strong><em>: If you&#8217;ve already decided on a field, it would be great if you&#8217;d tell us how you made up your mind. Looking forward to your comments! (Also, be sure to click on the &#8217;like&#8217; button if you found this article interesting) :)</em></p>
<p>You may also like to check out:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong><strong><a href="http://artsyhands.com/must-read-posts/">List of Must-Read Posts</a></strong></strong></li>
<li><a href="http://artsyhands.com/2010/02/3-idiots-child-birth-pregnancy-scene/" target="_blank">Of Child-Birth And Pre-Adolescents</a><strong></strong><strong></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://artsyhands.com/2009/08/exact-translation-star-drama-titles/" target="_blank">Dope Translation of Star Plus Drama Titles</a></strong><strong></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="../2009/08/magazine-publication-quaids-dream/">Us Magazine Publication! “A Quaid’s Dream”</a></strong></li>
<li><a title="Permanent Link: My First Bike Ride – And How It Ended Up Being A Scene From A Jason Bourne Flick" href="http://artsyhands.com/2009/12/bike-ride-ended-scene-jason-bourne-flick/" rel="bookmark"><strong>My First Bike Ride – And How It Ended Up Being A Scene From A Jason Bourne Flick</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>You can <a href="http://twitter.com/waisybabu">follow the writer</a> on Twitter, join our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/artsyHANDS">Facebook page</a> or subscribe to our <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/artsyhands">RSS feed</a>/<a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=artsyhands">email feed</a> to stay updated! Be sure to read our <em><a href="http://artsyhands.com/must-read-posts/" target="_blank">Must Read Posts</a>!</em></p>
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		<title>Q&amp;A Session with Problogger Saad Hamid</title>
		<link>http://artsyhands.com/2011/09/qa-session-with-problogger-saad-hamid/</link>
		<comments>http://artsyhands.com/2011/09/qa-session-with-problogger-saad-hamid/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 17 Sep 2011 06:59:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Waisybabu</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Experiences and Views]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[interview]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iPhoneism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Saad Hamid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sizlopedia]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://waisybabu.wordpress.com/?p=528</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Saad Hamid is one of the pioneer professional bloggers of Pakistan. He started blogging at the ripe age of 19 at Sizlopedia.com, was the youngest blogger in Pakistan of his time (I believe I currently hold this title ) and currently runs iPhoneism.com along with Adnan Farooqui. He graduated from Bahria University last year, where he did Bachelors [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/223885_10150396420442222_511107221_10777277_4744418_n.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-3390" title="Saad Hamid" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/223885_10150396420442222_511107221_10777277_4744418_n-227x300.jpg" alt="Saad Hamid" width="161" height="239" /></a>Saad Hamid is one of the pioneer professional bloggers of Pakistan. He started blogging at the ripe age of 19 at Sizlopedia.com<strong>, </strong>was the youngest blogger in Pakistan of his time (I believe I currently hold this title <img src='http://artsyhands.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif' alt=':P' class='wp-smiley' /> ) and currently runs iPhoneism.com along with Adnan Farooqui. He graduated from Bahria University last year, where he did Bachelors in Telecommunication Engineering and is currently working at Mobilink.</p>
<p>I spoke with Saad on how he started blogging, the difficulties he faced, the mistakes that he made, what keeps him blogging and what advice would he give to young bloggers.</p>
<p>Read the interview, after the break.</p>
<p><span id="more-528"></span></p>
<p><strong>NOTE: </strong>This <em>timeless</em> interview was taken back in early 2009 when I used to blog on waisybabu.wordpress.com and Saad used to blog on Sizlopedia. A lot has changed since then, I&#8217;ve become a writer on <a href="http://www.redmondpie.com/author/waisybabu/">Redmond Pie</a> (alongside maintaining artsy) and Saad works at Mobilink as a <em>Digital Media Executive</em>.</p>
<h2>The Interview</h2>
<p><strong>Awais: What inspired you to enter the (as it is known) <em>blogosphere? </em>And what were some of the hurdles that you had to face at the start?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Saad:</strong> I started blogging back in early 2007. Back then, I lacked awareness; it is owing much to my own research and knowledge that has helped me throughout my journey.</p>
<p>I faced a lot of difficulties in the start. Asking my father to get me a credit card was &#8211; without a shade of doubt &#8211; the giant standing between me and blogging. That was the only way for me to register a domain.</p>
<p>Apart from that, there was the hurdle that no one was there to guide or help me. I had to do it all by myself. But I would say it was constructive in a sense as doing it all by myself has helped me learn a lot.</p>
<p><strong>Awais: As you just said that you faced quite a few difficulties on your way up the blogging ladder.. who were some of the people who helped you come to the point you are today?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Saad:</strong> My family, my friends and a couple of bloggers from India. To be more specific, I would like to say that <a href="http://www.google.com/profiles/badar.khushnood"><em>Badar Khushnood</em></a> has been a great help and has helped me in making connections with a lot of other bloggers in Pakistan. I take him as my <em>Guru</em>.</p>
<blockquote><p><em>Be focused and treat all set-backs as steps to another door of success.</em><em><strong> </strong></em></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Awais: How is the blogosphere of 2007 different from today?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Saad: </strong>The blogosphere, as we all know, is a part of the Internet. The standards of the Internet change at a very fast pace which naturally affects the blogosphere.</p>
<p>There is quite a difference between the blogosphere of 2007 and the blogosphere of 2009. The most distinctive difference being the way information is now spread among blogs. Bloggers are more responsible today than they were in the past.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/200251_10150212190622222_511107221_9240866_2025838_n.jpg"><img class="aligncenter" title="Saad Hamid" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/200251_10150212190622222_511107221_9240866_2025838_n.jpg" alt="" width="488" height="346" /></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Awais: Besides the luring smell of money, what keeps you coming back to blogging and maintaining Sizlopedia?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Saad: </strong>Products by Apple and my pure passion for technology.</p>
<p><strong>Awais: Parents tend to worry about what their sons and daughters are doing on the internet. What do your parents say when you tell them you <em>blog?</em></strong></p>
<p><em>Sidenote: My parents were (and are) quite apprehensive about me blogging alongside studies. Thankfully, through experience (and some very close-calls), I now know how to manage time so I can continue blogging as a hobby and maintain studies. You can follow the adventures of yours truly on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/waisybabu">here</a>.</em></p>
<p><strong>Saad:</strong> *Smiles* For all I know, they believe that their son is doing the most brilliant and fun job on the planet.</p>
<blockquote><p><span style="color: #000000;"><em>A blog has the same importance in today’s world as human-messengers in the era of Pharoah.</em></span></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Awais: If you could change one thing about how you handled your &#8220;ladder climbing&#8221; from the start to where you are today, what would it be?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Saad:</strong> I would have made my blog more focused towards a particular subject. Readers tend to consume specific content released on a consistent basis, I wasn&#8217;t up to speed on the specific content bit.</p>
<p>Today, I write about everything from the iPhone, to general software, tips and tricks related to computers, hacks and all things Web and Gadgets-related.</p>
<p><strong>Awais: What advice do you have for a budding blogger such as <em>yours truly</em> and many others who have just set foot in weblogging? </strong></p>
<p><strong>Saad:</strong> Focus on your passion, rather than the money you&#8217;ll make. The revenue is always a by-product of your ability to give in to a particular subject. Concentrate more on information and being creative with it. That is the factor that decides whether your blog will eventually fail or succeed at what it does.</p>
<blockquote><p><em><span>Driving traffic to your blog is no different to standing in middle of a busy street and attracting the crowd from around to watch your show.</span></em></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Awais: What are some of your plans for the future?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Saad:</strong> Right now I am on a hiatus, getting more dissolved into the real world. Have plans to work on amazing new projects in the future (some web related and some non-web related).</p>
<p><strong>Awais: Thank you for your time. *attempts shaking hands*</strong></p>
<p><strong>Saad: *bearhugs*</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>&lt;/interview&gt;</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&#8212;-</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/283390_10150399602607222_511107221_10812961_6170115_n.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3401" title="Saad's Apples" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/283390_10150399602607222_511107221_10812961_6170115_n.jpg" alt="" width="495" height="522" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>As you can see, Mr. Hamid has a bit of an obsession with Apples.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">That last past may not have actually happened, but it was absolutely wonderful interviewing Saad. You can sit down for a couple of minutes around him and learn so much, your brain arteries<strong>*</strong> just might explode and hit the ceiling fan and be chopped into little pieces of minced <em>brain keema.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Wait. That was too graphic.</p>
<p>Anyway, you can learn more about Saad by following him on <a href="http://tw">Twitter</a> or visiting his website <a href="http://sizlopedia.com/">Sizlopedia</a>/<a href="http://iphoneism.com/">iPhoneism</a>.</p>
<p><strong>*</strong><em>mein ne matric mein biology nahee parhee <img src='http://artsyhands.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </em></p>
<p>You may also like to check out:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong><strong><a href="http://artsyhands.com/must-read-posts/">List of Must-Read Posts</a></strong></strong></li>
<li><a href="http://artsyhands.com/2010/02/3-idiots-child-birth-pregnancy-scene/" target="_blank">Of Child-Birth And Pre-Adolescents</a><strong></strong><strong></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://artsyhands.com/2009/08/exact-translation-star-drama-titles/" target="_blank">Dope Translation of Star Plus Drama Titles</a></strong><strong></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="../2009/08/magazine-publication-quaids-dream/">Us Magazine Publication! “A Quaid’s Dream”</a></strong></li>
<li><a title="Permanent Link: My First Bike Ride – And How It Ended Up Being A Scene From A Jason Bourne Flick" href="http://artsyhands.com/2009/12/bike-ride-ended-scene-jason-bourne-flick/" rel="bookmark"><strong>My First Bike Ride – And How It Ended Up Being A Scene From A Jason Bourne Flick</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>You can <a href="http://twitter.com/waisybabu" target="_blank">follow the writer</a> of this post on Twitter, join our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/artsyHANDS" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> or subscribe to our <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/artsyhands" target="_blank">RSS feed</a>/<a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=artsyhands" target="_blank">email feed</a> to stay updated!</p>
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		<title>To The Children We Once Were, And Always Will Be :)</title>
		<link>http://artsyhands.com/2011/09/children/</link>
		<comments>http://artsyhands.com/2011/09/children/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 10 Sep 2011 14:58:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>MariaAltaf</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Experiences and Views]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://artsyhands.com/?p=3355</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A really funny thing happened today. My brother Ahmed, aged 6, was in my room. All of us had changed into our night suits. I was putting on Mehndi on my little cousin&#8217;s hand and Ahmed was in the room with us, drinking water from his mug. Drinking water from his mug felt quite peculiar [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/164142_1642336091359_1025528244_31724675_201761_a.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-3370" title="164142_1642336091359_1025528244_31724675_201761_a" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/164142_1642336091359_1025528244_31724675_201761_a.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="240" /></a>A really funny thing happened today.</p>
<p>My brother <em>Ahmed, </em>aged 6, was in my room. All of us had changed into our night suits. I was putting on <em>Mehndi</em> on my little cousin&#8217;s hand and Ahmed was in the room with us, drinking water from his mug. Drinking water from his mug felt quite peculiar to me, normally he would use your average transparent glass through which, well, you could see what was being drunk. Nonetheless, I asked him what was drinking:</p>
<p><em>Ahmed</em>: Nothing, just water!</p>
<p><em>Me</em>: Kahan se liya?</p>
<p>Ahmed: Fridge say, yaaar.</p>
<p>Me: OKAY. *eyes suspiciously*</p>
<p>After our conversation ended, I continued <em>mehndi-o-fying</em> my little cousin only to stop suddenly in my track when I realized that there was Sprite® (A big attraction for Ahmed) in the fridge!</p>
<p>Read the rest of the amusing story of childhood innocence, after the break!</p>
<h2><span id="more-3355"></span></h2>
<h2>The Secret is Out</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/264598_2027461839262_1025528244_32237844_5689508_a.jpg"><img class="aligncenter" title="264598_2027461839262_1025528244_32237844_5689508_a" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/264598_2027461839262_1025528244_32237844_5689508_a-e1315665240245.jpg" alt="" width="340" height="250" /></a></p>
<p>I don&#8217;t know but, as I was looking down at the mehndi, I caught Ahmed glancing into his glass and smiling to himself from the corner of my eye. You really can&#8217;t hide things from your elder sister <img src='http://artsyhands.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>A few minutes later, he goes out of our room to put his glass back. He left the door open so I hear him laughing to himself in the lounge. Now when he comes back, I again the see the very <em>indifferent</em> casual look on his face which would suggest, to other people, that everything was normal and this is all routine.</p>
<p><em>Me:</em> Why were you laughing when you went outside?</p>
<p><em>Ahmed:</em> *passes that <em>I-think-she-knows </em>look* <em>Paani bauhat acha tha&#8230;</em></p>
<p>It was all but confirmed at this point that my kid brother was actually drinking Sprite® instead of H2O. A couple of seconds later, Ahmed goes <em>&#8220;BUURRRRrrrp!&#8221;</em> and <em>boom!</em> The secret is out!</p>
<p>We all start laughing like maniacs, I&#8217;d even say we were <em>&#8220;ROFLing&#8221; or &#8220;Rolling on the floor, laughing&#8221;</em>. After all, the master secret was out! Ahmed was particularly happy that he managed to keep a secret for so long.</p>
<h2>Happy, Innocent Children</h2>
<p><a href="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/girl_happy_drawing_medium.jpeg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3372" title="girl_happy_drawing_medium" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/girl_happy_drawing_medium.jpeg" alt="" width="180" height="240" /></a></p>
<p>The thing that amused me the most about this was how little children can be so, so very happy and get excited over the littlest of things in life. It makes me wonder how we &#8220;grown-ups&#8221; were like back in the old days; <em>choti choti</em> sharartein here and there and we would be happy all day long. Little innocent gossips, chit chat, getting scolded at times from parents&#8230; life back then was pretty, pretty awesome.</p>
<p>This article is dedicated to all those people who were with me when I was that <em>teeny tinny </em>girl, to all those people with which I&#8217;ve had the honor of playing <em>oonch-neech</em>, to those with which I&#8217;d have little water fights at chutti time, to those I used sit with in congested van on trips&#8230; those ice cream parties, birthday parties&#8230; to all those people with whom I have shared moments from my early childhoold and now meet each other as grown-ups. Just so you know, I LOVE YOU!</p>
<h2>Finding That Silver Lining</h2>
<p><a href="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/3557524554_0c4d2416ac.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3377" title="3557524554_0c4d2416ac" src="http://artsyhands.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/3557524554_0c4d2416ac.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /></a></p>
<p>We <del>should</del> must fund something for us to smile about, each and everyday of our lives. Find happiness in the people and things that surround you. Find that <em>silver lining</em> and live life to the fullest!</p>
<p><em>Every man dies. Not every man really lives.</em></p>
<p><em>~William Wallace</em></p>
<p>You may also like to check out:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong><strong><a href="http://artsyhands.com/2010/02/3-idiots-child-birth-pregnancy-scene/">Of Child-Birth And Pre-Adolescents</a></strong></strong><strong></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="../2009/08/exact-translation-star-drama-titles/">Dope Translation of Star Plus Drama Titles</a></strong><strong></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="../2009/08/magazine-publication-quaids-dream/">Us Magazine Publication! “A Quaid’s Dream”</a></strong></li>
<li><a title="Permanent Link: My First Bike Ride – And How It Ended Up Being A Scene From A Jason Bourne Flick" href="http://artsyhands.com/2009/12/bike-ride-ended-scene-jason-bourne-flick/" rel="bookmark"><strong>My First Bike Ride – And How It Ended Up Being A Scene From A Jason Bourne Flick</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>You can <a href="http://twitter.com/waisybabu" target="_blank">follow us</a> on Twitter, join our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/artsyHANDS" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> or subscribe to our <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/artsyhands" target="_blank">RSS feed</a>/<a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=artsyhands" target="_blank">email feed</a> to stay updated!</p>
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