Shawshank Redemption - making OJ from lemons

Somebody posted this quote on facebook: "When life gives you lemons, make orange juice and leave the world wondering how the hell you did it" (Anonymous, I guess)

This is such an important art in life as how to turn the tides. Thousands of pages can be written on this and like all humans I have been in those situations too. But what always remained stuck to my brain and this quote reminded me, one of the all time Hollywood classic: "The Shawshank Redemption" (here). I don't have to write review of this movie as so much written on it. I never met a single soul who has not liked this movie. Theme of the movie is very simple that: "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." or as better described by someone as - "how characters can be free, even in prison, or unfree, even in freedom, based on one's outlook in life" Or as 'Red' says in the movie: "some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright"!

Tim Robbins will always be remembered for playing "Andy", a professional banker who gets falsely convicted of murdering his wife and her lover but with keeping hope alive, f***ing guards and warden brains, patience and good friendships finds his way out from one of the most notorious prison of country with 370,000 dollars in pocket! (and revenge too).

On Architecture

"We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us." ~ Winston Churchill

Emotional drain and Sulah-e-Hudaibiyah

"Why you paid so much to get out of your business deal. It was ridiculous and stupid for you to do an out-of-court settlement. You would have surely done better with a court decision".

"Looking back, yes, you are right, but I was emotionally sooooo drained. I know I was right and would have won in court, but I just could not take it anymore. I was confused about what to do. One day to relieve my stress, I went to 'Barnes and Noble' .....And I randomly picked a book on Islamic history. I am not a very Muslim person and have reservations about Islam. In any case, I randomly start reading the chapter on "sulah e hudaibiyah." It was an eye-opener. Mohammad's people were sure to win that battle. Everyone put voted to fight and go to war. It is said that his most trusted men, Ali and Umar, were not happy with the settlement idea either. The book says this was the only time they were against the prophet's wishes in history. But Mohammad felt the emotional upheaval and drain on his side, and he did not want a 'win' at the cost of an emotional storm amid anger and a mindset of revenge and ego. He went for settlement which was perceived as giving up. But Allah labeled it "Fateh Mubin," Later, history knows how Mecca fell to Mohammad without a drop of blood. Emotional calm was a better choice than apparent loss. Do I make sense to you?"

*

Navroz

"Kiya saari zindagi ka hasil bus yahi aik sabaq hai"

"Baba lokaN! Baat to bohat sidhi hai ke sach ke raste pe chal magar is se bara koi amal nahi, koi maujiza nahi. Aik umar bhi kum hai. Apne raaste pe nazar rakh aur chup chap chala chal. Aas paas - khandan, dostoN, khel tamashoN ka - bara mela laga hai baba lokaN - magar sachhai ka noor isi andhere ki bheer se guzar ke chamkta hai. Bus aik lakeer hai. Ye tere man chale ka sauda hai ke idhar hoja ya bus udhar reh aur bheer main gum hoja."

(Adapted from Ashfaq Ahmad's - Man chale ka sauda)

Aik aur Khawab - and Fortune Cookie

So I guess I didn't learned my lesson from previous incident ( last post) as I was suppose to and continued my sinful journey.

Jub parson shaam main apni 'resha-dewanioN' ke baad ghar wapas aaya to aik taraf khud pe ghin aa rahi thi ke - 'Babu ye kiya kaam kiya?' - to dusri taraf neend ka zahan pe poori tarah galba tha. Khawab main kiya dekhta hun ke - main pahari ilaqon main gaari dora raha hun - aur phir aik charhaii pe aake meri gaari phans jaati hai. Main poora zor lagata hun ke gaari aage barhe magar siwaye engine ki awaz ke kuch nahi hota - aur phir aik dum ghup andhera cha jaata hai - na koi awaz na kuch - bus qabar ki gharioN se ameeq khamosh andhera. Aesi khamoshi jis main sab kuch tham giya ho. Na to gaari ulatti hai aur na kuch sujhai deta hai - bus aik kaali raat se ziyada kaala andhera. Main kehta hun "Oh, God!" aur haat aage barha ke gaari ke ignition ko tatol ke chabi ghumata hun. Gaari chal parhti hai aur andhera gaaib ho jaata hai!

Us andhere ki dhashat is qadar thi ke main aadhi raat ko uth betha.

Subah uth ke apne Allah se phir muaafi maangi. Dil ko qarar tha ke - Rab bara karim hai. Socha bus ab 'van-vaas' lo aur chale chalo.

In the evening I went to a Chinese restaurant- and let me tell you I have superstition of believing in fortune cookies. Strangely after food they didn't bring my fortune cookie which I always look for. I asked for it. Waitress smiled and brought my fortune cookie. It said: "Don't forget, you are always on our minds"!

Jub tuk poori tarah toba na ker lun ye saale mere Munkir Nakir meri jaan nahi chorain ge!

Woh 2 Khawab

(A true incident from my life when one fine morning we exchanged our dreams. It took a while for me to connect the dots - and without any exaggeration).

Tum mujh se aksar poochti ho na ke: "kiya yeh sach hai ke insaanoN ko sachhe khawab aate hain?"

Tumhe yaad hai us raat tum aur main akele the. Hame koi nahi dekh raha tha siwaye hamare apne rab ke. Main azal ka - zaat ka - kamina kambakht mara - tumhare saath hum-bistar hona chahta tha. Tumhare dil main bhi shewani (lustful) khawishoN ka aik samandar thaaiN thaaiN maar raha tha. Hum dono ko rokne wala koi nahi tha magar tum ne apne Allah ko yaad kiya aur mujhe dusre kamre main bhej diya. Kiya us raat tumhe ye khawab nahi aaya tha ke tum Hajj ki saadat ko ja rahi ho aur apna hijab dhundh rahi ho? Tumhare amal ka tumhare Allah ki taraf se ye jawab tha. Tum ne khud ko zina se roka aur apne Allah ke hadood ki paasdari ki to us ne ghar bethe Calgary ki sard raatoN main tumhe Hajj ke sawab ata ker diya!

Mera rab bara karim hai - woh apne bande ka koi amal jane nahi deta.
 
Aur usi raat yaad hai tumhe mera khawab!
 
"Main aik lambi kaali motor main sawar ho ker kisi taqreeb main paunchta hun. Wahan meri gaari ka darwaza khol ker mujeh nokar chakar 'red carpet welcome' dete hain (that red carpet is shaped like human vagina!). Magar mere dil main aik ajeeb khauf hai. Andar paunch ke pata lagta hai ke ye meri hi aakhri rasoomat ki taqreeb hai" - Is khawab se meri aankh khul gai thi. Ye mere Allah ki mujeh meri niyyat ki tambeeh thi magar mujh na-aqal main kub itni samjh thi ke ye sab samjh pata.
 
Tumhari duaoN mai bara asar hoga. Ab jub tum namaz ke liye betho to meri bhi magfirat maang lena!

Life of Pi

I was recently introduced to this novel - "Life of Pi". This book has made a lot of waves since its publication in 2001 and it is said that previous attempts to make movie on this book have been failed but in 2012 it will be released as a movie casting Irfan Khan and Tabu.

Book is written by a Spain born Canadian author Yann Martel. I think its more like a mystical tale than a philosophical tale. Even the name of its central character Pi carries the mystical meaning. Pi is a one infinite constant numerical of a circle. It signifies that we are mortal immortal! As Ghalib said: Hota hai nihaN gird maiN sehra mere hote

Plot of the story revolves around a 16 year old south Indian boy Pi Patel. He is a son of a zookeeper and due to financial hardship his family decides to migrate to Canada. They make deal with various zoos in North America to sell their animals and are carrying with them in a Japanese vessel. Ship meets an accident and sinks in Pacific ocean leaving Pi Patel, a Zebra, a Hyena, a Bengal Tiger (named Richard Parker) and an orangutan in a lifeboat. While animals kill each other - Pi Patel is left with Richard Parker. Bulk of the book describes the interaction and survival of Pi Patel and Richard Parker.

This is to note that tiger has been named Richard Parker due to historical reason of names of victims who have been cannibalized during previous ships' castaway accounts.

Finally, they get rescued at one of Mexico's shore. Climax of the novel comes when Pi Patel tells another parallel story to Japanese officials who are investigating the reasons of ship wreck. It is the place where reader get completely taken over with surprise about the theme of book and reader realizes that he may have to read the whole book again.

The theme of the book is that - irrespective of any religion we all have our outer selves and our inner selves (which reminded me of Allama Iqbal's concept of Khudi). It is an art to survive with our wild wild carnivorous inner (tiger) and to live with it in a symbiotic relationship without killing each other till we find rescue from this ocean of life. Not only it is necessary to survive and live with our inner self but to learn the art to master this 450 pound Bengal tiger.

Other details provided in novel (juziaat) about survival and animals' instincts are worth reading. I am sure, you will like this book.

Last Option (A Short Film)

I found following film pretty interesting.

Juwa! - Dr. Jamal ki Kahani

Dr. Jamal ne mujeh chothi jamat (4th grade) main tuition parhaya. Hamare hi mohalle main rehte the. Shuru se hi aik raub-o-dabdabe wali shakhsiyat thi unki. Jub un ka 'medical school' main dakhila huwa to unke walid ne bari mithayian taqseem ki. Hum subah school ke liye nikalte to Dr. Jamal aik garoor se khare hoke apni medical school ki bus ka intazar kiya kerte. Poore mohalle ko aehsas dilate ke ab woh 'dactar' banne ja rahe hain. Aur jis din woh 'dactar' bane - unke abba ne pehle se barh ke mithai banti. KhusroN ka khub raqs huwa, kaale baqron ka sadqa bata aur langar taqssem huwa. Unho ne civil hospital main 'house job' shuru ki. Saare mohalle ka muft ilaj kerte. Phir 'surgery ward' main RMO (Registered Medical Officer) ho gaye. Main ne kai logoN ki muft 'sargeriyaN' kerwai..Unki 'personality' main aik naya dabdaba aa gaya tha. Mujhe unka takkabur kubhi bura na laga bulke un pe piyar aata tha. Woh mujhe daantte to main hans deta. Zindagi ka phaiyya yunhi chalta raha. Main khud 'medical school' paunch gaya aur Allah hi janta hai haste khelte woh din bhi aa gaya jub MBBS ki degree hatoN main saj gai. Main America aane laga to mujeh bohat mana kerte rahe magar meri la-ubali tabiyat ko ghar wale na baandh sake, Dr. Jamal kiya rokte!

Jub kubhi Pakistan jata Dr. Jamal se mulaqat hoti. Unki practice khub chalti thi. Mujhe apni gaari driver de dete. Khub piyar se rakhte. Har sham kisi fancy restaurant main khana khilate.... Aur phir main ne Pakistan jana band ker diya. Dr. Jamal se bhi mulaqataiN khatam hui. Barson beet gaye.

Ye zindagi saali bari kutti cheez hai!

November 2008 ki sardiaN thiN. Main Toronto main kisi 'medical conference' main gaya huwa tha ke mere cell phone pe Dr. Jamal ka phone aaya. Keh rahe the bohat pareshan hun. Pakistan se raat-o-raat farar huwa hun, California main huN aur foran 2000 dollar ki zaroorat hai. Main ne intazam kerwa diya. Wapas paunch ke unse guftagu hui to Pata laga - 3 baras pehle unhe Juwa kehlne ka 'addiction' lag giya! (Ji! Pakistan ki elite society main sab kuch hota hai). Kehne lage harami juwarioN ne pehle khud jeetwa jeetwa ke ye marz barhaya aur jub adat pakki ho gayi to sab kuch loot liya! ye halaat huwe ke lakhon nahi, 2 karor rupe ke maqrooz ho gaye! Qarz-khuwaoN ne dhamkiaN dena shuru ki ke tumhari betioN ko utha ke le jaayaiN ge to biwi bachhoN ko kisi rishtedar ke ghar chupaya aur USA aa gaye...

Mujh se jo ban saka main ne kiya! Main ne unse khub muft kam kerwaaye the. Mera purana qarz tha! yahi soch ke main ne kisi desi clinic pe job kerwa di. H-1 visa ho gaya. Biwi bacche bhi America aa gaye. Unki begum ne koi odd job shuru ker di. BetiaN bhi yahan school main set ho gaiN. Jub aakhri dafa main Dr. Jamal se mila to unhoN ne kaha: "Allah ke fazal se jo khoya us se behtar halat hone lage hain!" Main ne kaha: "Sir! bus ab aahista aahista Pakistan main logoN ka qarz utar phenkiye. Aap ke liye residency to mumkin nahi magar part time surgical assistant ka course ker lijye. Inshallah Allah khair kare ga".....I thought this story had a happy ending.

Pechle hafte mujhe Dr. Jamal ka phone aaya ke: "I need 3000 dollars urgent!". Mera matha thanka. Main ne unki begum ko phone kiya to woh bilak bilak ke rone lagiN. UnhoN ne bataya - jese hi halat thore theek huwe hain - Dr. Jamal ne yahan casino ke chakkar kaatne shuru ker diye hain!  Main chup raha. Mere voicemail pe Dr. Jamal ke kai messages hain!

Qudrat kub baar baar moqa deti hai?

Respect

"Is Respect a right or a privilege?"
"Once you lose it, it becomes a privilege".

To Be With Her!

So I read this new novel from American-Pakistani author Syed Afzal Haider - "To Be With Her".

From 'creative writing' standard and in comparing it to other authors in same genre like Rohintan Mistry, Jhumpa Lahiri, Arundhta Roy, Mohsin Hamid, Moazzam Sheikh, Khaled Hosseini etc., this novel is far less to reach any standard - But still I think it is an essential read for FOBs like me as it deals with psychological dilemma presented to people like me who travel to 'perdes'. For me it was interesting for 2 reasons as central plot evolves in Karachi and Chicago and these are the two same cities I spend good time of my life so all the streets and train stations described seems to me like its my own story. Also in fact, it appears to be a semi-autobiography of author himself.

Story revolves around a central character by the name of Ramzan Pervez Malik who migrates with his family in 1947 from India to Karachi at tender age of 8. He is perfect hero type boy who is good in studies, plays perfect cricket and romantic at heart. He falls in love with a girl from an elite class. Similar desi movie kind storyline where 'zalim samaj' comes in between but they both vow to marry once he returns from USA after studies. Hero's travel to USA via ship line has been described very eloquently as well as his culture shock in USA has been described very finely. So he fall in love again to an American girl named Sabina. At the end he returns to Karachi to tell his parents about his new love. Leila let her go and he returns to USA to live happily ever after with Sabina.

I loved some bitter, harsh and crude sarcasm about both cultures - written in a very pungent way. At many places I could not stop laughing. But novel become a drag with long lengthy and never ending love letters of romantic characters. Also, novel is full with over reporting of Hollywood movies.

Theme of novel can be concise in these words: "..........and I 've already left home more than once. I'm always going to be half empty. The change, the exile, my action, is not an isolated happening; it has affected every facet of my existence.......(and)...It is strange to be a stranger in your own land...(and)....I recall the story of a King who died in exile. He willed that his body be cremated but that his heart be removed from his body and returned for burial in the land of his birth......"

Barney's Version

So as per my psychological dyslexia I went to see this off beat new movie "Barney's Version" based on novel of Canadian author Mordecai Richler. It's a painfully monotonous movie but there is a reason why this movie made so many nominations (in for Oscar too).

Its all about idiosyncrasies of life. When you are a Jew and you have a different name. And when you are young and you marry a neurotic person against advises of all friends or if your family make you marry a rich person (a JAP in movie) so you can take off in your career. And as you crave all your life for a loving spouse, later you end up screwing your own long happy marriage because of your jealousy. When your one kid turn around and tell you what a loser you are - but your other kid love you despite knowing all your flaws. How sometime small events make you happy and you jump in bed with joy. How you carry blame for someone's death which is not your fault. How events of life turn you into a "jhakki" and blunt person! When you love your own father (played by Dustin Hoffman) despite him being all dysfuntional and you stand up to protect his respect. Instead of crying on his death you smile as he lived like a king! When like a regular Canadian you are addicted to hockey and worry about score even on your wedding day. Its a story of a man who smokes cigar, drinks hard and gets strike with a disease. At the end you realize that no life is regular. We all have our own shares of good and bad. Eventually you fall in love with central character Barney. So message is to love life and fellow humans knowing we all have our own idiosyncrasies.

Ye mere aur aap jese 'regular' (aam) insaanoN ki kahani hai.

Trailer here

Nasoor

(Posted as described by the person. Probably one of the most painful post I ever blogged)

Ye 1985 ke zamana hoga.  Hum log Karachi ke ilaqe sadar main rehte the. Hamare paros main aik bohat hi kattar mazhabi family abad thi. Saum-o-Salat ke poore paband. Ghar main Ma beti, 2 bhai aur un ke waalid the. Ma aur beti poora burqa pehnti. Hamara ghar chor ke larki ko ziyada bahir nikalne ki ijazat na thi.  Larki ke dono bhai Dubai main the. Walid ki bari lambi sufed darhi thi. Ye wahi waqt tha jub General Zia ka Islami nizam poore urooj pe tha. Larki ki umer koi 23-24 baras rahi hogi.

Aik din larki hamare ghar ghabraii hui aai aur us ne hamari amma se kaha ke woh unse koi zaroori baat kerna chahti hai. Usne hamari amma se kaha ke use is mahine mahwari (periods) nahi aayi. Hamari amma ne kaha: "aesa aksar ho jata hai. Ghabrane ki koi baat nahi". 3-4 haftoN baad larki ki amma hamare ghar aai. DonoN ammaiN kafi der apas main 'khusar phusar' karti rahiN. Kuch dinoN baad woh kumba wahaN se kahin aur chala gaya.

Aik din main ne amma ko abba se ye kehte sun liya: "Raat ke andhere main larki ka baap larki ke kamre main aaya jaaya kerta tha!"  Amma ki ye baat jub das baras baad mujeh samajh aai to mere haatoN se chai ki piyali chatak gai!! 

3 S of Life

"If you can fully enjoy 3S - Sex, Sleep and Sugar - in life, assume you are getthing the best in life"

"I will be happy to replace any of these "S" - anytime - with Shopping"!

Glass

"Is glass half full or half empty?'
"I guess glass is too big to be full"

(means lower your expectations - glass will be full)

This was previously posted as blog z-axis

Sawal!

Sawal to bari bewaqoofi ka he magar:
"Kiya aesa ho sakta hai ke insaan ko uske gunhaoN ki saza pehle mil jaaya kerti ho aur woh gunah baad main kiya kerta ho?"

Fun and Junk!

"If we can't have relationship, at least we can have some fun".
"I don't believe in accumulating junk around me".

Bharosa!

Kisi ka bharosa haasil kerna kisi ki mohabbat paane se bara aizaz hai. (George MacDonald)

Riwayat

(I have tendency to collect human stories for long time. Here is one story I collected about 18 years ago. It was written in Urdu. You may not feel anything but this story tear my heart even today. It is a story of a young boy who refused to give bribe of 500 rupees and end up in jail for long time in treason case - a norm in country like Pakistan. All names, characters and situation are true!).

Bhutta village, Kemari (Karachi's slum) ki Zeenat Bai ka 20 saala naujawan larka - Haroon Rasheed - jis ne Atari ki sarhad per (train border between India and Pakistan used by poor people to go to India to meet their family) - "riwayati" 500 rupe ki rishwat custom waloN ko dene se inkaar ker diya. NatijataN custom waloN ne "mulk dushmani" (treason) ka case bana ker use fauj (army) ke hawale ker diya. Dhai mah (2.5 months) baad fauj ne police ke hawale ker diya. - aur larka Jackson, TPX, Mangho-peer aur SITE ke thane phirta raha aur tasshadud (terror) ka neeshna banta raha.

Ma ne Sindh High Court ke Chief Justice se insaaf maanga to police ne chalan bana ker case Speedy Trial Court (Court created by General Zia to lynch political enemies) main daakhil ker diya aur Justice Wajjehuddin Ahmad aur Justice Muhammas Aslam Arain ne case Sindh High Court se khaarij ker diya

Kise wakeel karain, Kis se Munsafi ChahaiN (Faiz)

Kiya alfaz in daagoN ko Dho sakte hain.

Yeh aik Haqiqat

Zindagi main bus aik hi haqiqat atal hai.


"Aik nasal aati hai, dusri nasal ko paida kerti hai, burhi hoti hai aur chali jaati hai".

Is ke ilawa baqi sab khel tamasha, mela, maya aur dil ka behlawa hai!

Baqol Ustad Zauq
Behatar tu hai yahi ke na duniya se dil lage
Par kya karen jo kam na be-dillagi chale