On "Organ donations"

(I have previously posted on this blog at various occasions advocating the issue. Following is a forwarded message. I am not sure how true is the story but it makes perfect sense).

One of the richest and most powerful men in Brazil, Thane Chiquinho Scarpa, made waves when he announced plans to bury his million-dollar Bentley, so he could drive around his afterlife in style. He received lots of media attention, mostly negative and was severely criticized for the extravagant gesture and wasting of a precious commodity. Why wouldn’t he donate the car to charity? How out of touch with reality is this guy? He still went ahead with the ceremony. But, there’s a twist.

Moments before lowering the car in the ground prepared for the burial of his Bentley,he declared that he wouldn't bury his car and then revealed his genuine motive for the drama: Just to create awareness for organ donation. “People condemn me because I wanted to bury a million dollar Bentley, in fact, most people bury something a lot more valuable than my car,” Scarpa said during a speech at the ceremony. “They bury hearts, livers, lungs, eyes, kidneys. This is absurd. So many people waiting for a transplant and you bury your healthy organs that could save so many lives!”

Think about it.

On "Adam n Eve'

Kehte hain: Saari zindagi mard apni Ma aur aurat apne Baap ki talash main rehti hai

Magar - khud Aurat ke andar ki Ma - aur mard ke andar ka baap - kabhi nahi marta!

Aurat maashuq ho to piyar neechawar kerne ke saath saath possessive ho jaati hai - aur aksar usi aag main apna sab kuch jala leti hai
- Aur -
Mard aashiq ho to saala protective hone ke saath saath haakim ho jaata hai - aur zor na chale to jabar pe utar aata hai

Aik gorkh dhandha

On 'Echo' - Aik choti si khubsurat baat

One Turkish painting

Nothing was accidental when I visited the land of Ustad Rumi! Our flight from Istanbul landed at Kayseri airport very late. It was past 12 midnight. Our Van driver in darkness lost his way and on top of it van breakdown in the middle of nowhere. It was already 3 AM. We decided to sleep in van till dawn. In the morning, we walked to a nearby village. It was a small roadside hotel. Owner fed all 4 of us free knowing we are Pakistanis and are lost. I saw this painting on the wall and it took me over. I stand there looking at it for 5 minutes. As we finished our trip and were back in Istanbul, this painting continues to occupy my mind. As Rumi said: "What you seek is seeking you"! A night before our flight, We decided to take a walk on a small street nearby blue mosque. It was a very small store. It was invisible as the store was down in the basement. I walked down stairs thinking of buying something as a souvenir and saw this painting staring right at my face. I bought it. 

This painting depicts Turkish lifestyle and culture. White and black males talking casually in simple clothing in a store sitting on a carpet, chappal, Tea, Sheesha, a sword, a gun. It is just beautiful!

One ultra-short story

On "Knot theory and intelligent design"

When in microbiology, I was introduced to knot theory, it was a whole new spectrum of the conceptual world. Mathematicians and microbiologists, work together to understand the untieing of the knot of DNA strings, as bacterias are way smarter than humans to tie, untie, cross and uncross DNA strings in a very organised fashion.

Whenever, I think of knot theory and DNA strings, I can not stop thinking that such an immense work of organised art of knotting at microcellular level can't be an accident. The probability of  creation as an intelligent design is way higher than an accident of fusion.

As Muzaffar Warsi famously said : koi to hai jo nizame hasti chala raha hai

In case, if you are interested in fourth dimension and knot theory etc., watch the following presentation of Mathematician-comedian Matt Parker - 13:30 to 34.30 - His whole book is worth reading.

On "Dish washing" - 2

Previous post here (click)

An email from a friend.

ابا جی سے ملاقات ہوئی. میں نے گزارش کی کہ کچھ 

نصیحت کیجیئے۔

انھوں نے سوال کیا؛ کاکا کبھی برتن دھوئے ہیں ؟

میں ان کے سوال پر حیران ہوا اور جواب دیا کہ جی دھوئے ہیں ۔

پوچھنے لگے کیا سیکھا ؟؟

میں نے کہا اس میں سیکھنے والی کیا بات ہے ؟

وہ مسکرائے اور کہنے لگے؛ برتن کو باہر سے کم اور اندرسے زیادہ دھونا پڑتا ہے...

On - Hijab, Fashion and 'Issues'

(one pretty judgmental conversation with a Hijabi woman)

"Kese pata chaley Larki ne Hijab apni convication se pehnaa hai? ya phir aaj kal ka fashion/pressure hai? ya andar koi 'issue'/'conflict' chal raha hai?

"Jis Hijab ke saath chehrey pe itminaan, batoN main Therao aur lehje main sukoon na ho, samjh lo baat kuch aur hai".

"Desi Parents"

(Following was shared as discussion turned towards "success vs happiness" as goal of parenting)

"I was a typical hovering desi mother. I loved to brag on facebook and home parties about my children's achievements. 100 percent scores, music class, gym class, spelling bees, history projects, science fairs, state tests and all those competitions were must for my children to participate and win. Hell NO to Public schools!!!!!! They were not allowed to think lesser than Harvard, MIT, Stanford or McGill.

It was one regular afternoon. My son didn't come back from school!!!

He was in ninth grade by that time. When he didn't come home in the private ride we hired for him, I called his cell phone. It was off. I called his friends and classmates. He was in school until last minute - but didn't get into the van. I drove to school. It was 5 PM. The school was empty. He was quietly sitting on the side of a bench. As soon as I tapped on his shoulder, he saw me and screamed with fear. He was shaking. He started running as fast as he can from me. Not mentioning the whole drama, he was afraid as he didn't have A grade in his Art class. We came home quietly.

On that day, I canceled my facebook account".


. 

A quote

It is both a blessing and a curse to feel everything so very deeply. ~ David Jones

On "Being Disrespectful"

The moment you get disrespectful to people, you become irrelevant to them.

On 'Taste Buds'

I was once told by a dietician that it takes 3 weeks for taste buds to develop any specific taste alike tea without sugar!

The Missing Goat

 It all started one lazy Sunday afternoon in a small town near Toronto in Canada.

Two school-going friends had a crazy idea. They rounded up three goats from the neighborhood and painted the number 1, 2 and 4 on their sides. That night they let the goats loose inside their school building. The next morning, when the authorities entered the school, they could smell something was wrong. They soon saw goat droppings on the stairs and near the entrance and realized that some goats had entered the building. A search was immediately launched and very soon, the three goats were found.

But the authorities were worried, where was goat No. 3? They spent the rest of the day looking for goat No.3. Gradually there was panic and frustration. The school declared classes off for the students for the rest of the day. The teachers, helpers, guards, canteen staffs, boys were all busy looking for the goat No. 3, which, of course, was never found. Simply because it did not exist.

Those among us who in spite of having a good life are always feeling a "lack of fulfilment" are actually looking for the elusive, missing, non-existent goat No.3.

Stop worrying about goat No.3.

On "One Nightmare"

(us ne mujh se poocha)

"Kiya tumhare saath kabhi aesa huwa hai ke - tumhari aankh is baat se khul gai ho - ke tumhari saans miloN bhagne ke baad ki tarah phooli ho, dil ki dharkan 200 fi minute ho aur ulcer ki takleef apni shiddat se urooj pe ho - aur ye aehsaas ho ke - tumhari mohabbat kisi aur ki aagosh main bethi hai"

Gareebi Hispatal

Ye barsoN pehle ka qissa hai, shayed ab bhi wahan aese hi hota hoga

Pakistan main 'house Job' khatam kerne ke baad main ne aik 'private hospital' main sham ki naukri ker li. Hospital Karachi ke mehnge ilaqe Clifton main tha.

Hospital ki peechli taraf, shuru main Western/American tarz pe aik 'Public bathroom' banane ka irada tha jis ki construction ke baad, use istimaal kerne ka irada tark ker diya gaya tha.

Har Jumme ki shaam main notice kerta ke, andoorne-Sindh se bus bhar ke log aate - wahan aik chota sa 'hispatal' lagta (Baad main pata laga woh Gareebi Hispatal ke naam se mashoor ho gaya hai). Wahan 2 din un logon ka chota mota ilaj hota aur itwaar ki shaam bus wapas chal deti. Choti moti 'dispensary' type ka ilaj to theek tha magar us waqt mera matha thanka jab pata laga wahan 'cataract', I n D, D n C, appendix, sutures aur 'tubal ligation' etc. ka bhi kaam hota hai! 

Main ne hospital ke owner se zikar kiya to us ne mujeh bataya - bus yun samjho un logon pe ilaqe ki 'party' aur police ka haat hai! hum kuch nahi ker sakte. 

Aik din main 'Gareebi Hispatal' ke andar chala gaya - ab muamla ajeeb ulaT tha- Safaai suthraii bhi achhi thi - 'dispensary', pharmacy aur hone wale operation - aese hi safaii se hote the - jo kisi aur hospital main hote hain. Ye sare kaam kerne wale doctor nahi bulke dusre hispataloN ke compounder, OT technicians ya midwives hoti thin. Allah jhoot na bulwaye: ye sab apna kaam doctoroN jesi maharat se hi ker rahe the.

Main baRa satpataya 

Usi hospital ka aik technician nazar aaya to main ne use rok ke poocha - ye kiya maajra hai?  

Us ne mujh se kaha: "Doctor sahab! jo kaam aap log 2000 rupe main kerte hain, hum 200 rupe main ker dete hain, Dawaian aur supplies sarkari hospital se aa jaati hain - bus ji sab ka bhala ho raha hai"

"Magar ye to galat hai" - Main ne kaha

Us ne gusse se mujeh kaha: "Aap ko kiya lagta hai? sarkari hospitals main doctors ke naam pe unke ye saare kaam kaun kerta hai? - hum tecnicians hi kerte hain -  aap logoN ne gareeb aadmi ke liye is mulk main koi kasar choRi hi nahi. Hukumat ko awam se dilchaspi nahi. Private hospitals ko gareeboN se nahi - Sahab! jo chal raha hai , chalne dain, Aap to sirf paise kamate hain, hum paise bhi kama rahe hain aur gareeboN ki duain bhi"

BarsoN baad bhi mujeh  pata nahi - ke - gurbat ke saaye main woh kaam theek tha - ya galat? 

Shayed zindagi yunhi 'gray zones' main chala kerti hai !!! 

Bazgasht

Insaan ki zindagi main aane waale kuch waqiaat ki bazgasht is qadar shadeed aur ameeq (strong and profound) hoti hai ke us ki dhamak (vibration) - aane wale waqiye se bohat pehle hi insaan ko apne hisaar main le leti hain. 

Urdu ke chand intahaii khubsurat jumloN main se aik Shafiqur-Rehman ne likha tha ke: "Agar yahi hona tha to mere dil ki wirani ne mujeh pehle hi se kiun na bata diya".

Jamni Rang ka Phool

(Whenever I get the chance, I ask elderly people lessons they learned in life 

- ke is kaainaat ki sab se baRi kitab insaan khud hai)

"Main aur meri biwi saari zindagi choti choti baat pe laRte rahe. Choti choti laRaion ne diloN main woh shigaf daal diye ke bas rishte ki aik boseeda deewar hi reh gai. Aur phir aik din aesa huwa ke woh aik dum se mar gai. Us din mujeh apne rishte ka shiddat se aehsaas hua. Jin bachhon ke sath main ne biwi se bachne ke liye har lamha guzara, ab woh apni zindagioN main masroof the. Arizona ke 'red mountains' ki agosh main main ne biwi ki aik khubsurat qabar banwaa di. Uske jaane ke baad baar baar ye baat chubhti rahi ke sabar aur durguzar ko kiya huwa tha? Shayed mian biwi ke rishte main aik baar "power rope" chal paRe to mushkil se hi khencha taani khatam hoti hai. 

Arizona ke 'Native Indians' kehte hain 'Hum sab hawa main uRti khaak se ziyada kuch nahi'. Main jab pehli baar apni biwi ki qabar pe fatihaa paRhne gaya to pakki qabar ke sarahne aik ghere jaamni (dark purple) rang ka phool, gaz bhar lambi akeli shakh ke bilkul ooper khil aaya tha. Waqt mile to kisi din maloom kerna ke is ka kiya matlab hota hai*. Mere baRe bhai kehte the: ' Jeeta woh nahi jo aage nikal gaya bulke woh jo ziyada der TheRa raha'. RishtoN main bhi bus aese hi hai. Jo darguzar ker gaya, TheR gaya - woh jeet gaya. Barson pehle is zameen pe aik daana shaks guzra tha jo kehta tha: 

sab kahan kuch lala-o-gul mein numayan ho gain
khak mein kiya suratein hongi, ke pinhan ho gain'


* Purple flower means: to tell your loved one that he or she is still the King or Queen of your heart.

Old Age and Perdes

"I think we killed our father. My father was one heck of a happy man in Pakistan. He was in a plumbing and gas contractor company all his life. He enjoyed his naukri with colleagues he worked with. Besides co-workers, he had one best friend all his life with whom he shared everything.

First, my brother moved to Canada, followed by my sister and me. We sponsored our parents. My father never wanted to leave Pakistan, but at our mother's and our insistence, he gave up. But mentally, he never left Pakistan. He was destroyed by losing his work and his only friend. Over time Papa became more and more somnolent. He can be quiet without a single word for hours. He didn't want to do anything. We tried to get him to involved in dawats, parties, and community events, but he would not talk to any person sitting next to him, even as a courtesy. In the beginning, it was tolerable as he enjoyed grandkids, but as kids got more involved in their lives, he lost all interest in life as he had nothing to look forward to each morning. He stopped going to my brother's or sister's place. In the beginning, he enjoyed News from back home, but they didn't do any good as most News were depressing. He became more and more homebound in the severe, harsh cold weather of Canada, and his diabetes went out of control. His arthritis starts acting up. He started getting angry at himself since his body was not functioning well. He starts popping more and more pills.

We thought of sending him back to Pakistan, but if he goes to Pakistan, the mother also has to go with him, but she wanted to live here with her kids and grandkids. Also, we always lived in a rental place in Pakistan. We lived on the 4th floor, and last year when we visited, Papa couldn't even climb those stairs. He firmly believed that he came to this state of health because he came to Canada and became home-bound. If he had stayed in Pakistan, he would have been fine. When we went to Pak, only one person met with him - his only friend. Papa was extremely sad that day when his friend left. I considered leaving Papa back in Pakistan, but it was logistically impossible. Coming back, he was a stranger fellow.

One day he got a mini-stroke. He was prescribed a walker by his physical therapist, but he wasn't ready to use his walker though he continues to have attacks of vertigo. It was a massive blow to his ego as all his life, he was never dependent on anything and was never seen as a weak man. We thought he might listen to another man, so we asked my brother to 'talk' with him, but he didn't listen to my brother, and my brother doesn't have that much patience to talk with him over and over for the same reason. He lost his mind when Papa gave rough answers. Mom and I have been so stressed keeping an eye on each of his movements, ke abhi gire abhi gire.

On that day, we had a big argument with Papa. He, in return, decided that he would not eat his lunch. He fell due to hypoglycemic shock and died.

*

Sufi

"Babaji! Asli sufi ki asal pehchaan kiya hai"
"Beta! Asli Sufi woh hota hai jo apna asal chupa ke chalta hai"

"Aik hi Shaks tha Jahan main kiya" / On "Jaun Aelia"

Jaun Aelia sahab (here )se meri aqedadat is liye nahi - kiunke woh bare shayer the - kiunke baRe shayer to aur bhi bohat the. Magar Jaun sahab ne shayeri ko zindagi samjh ke nibahaya. Jo guzaara wahi likha. Kai bare shayer hain, jin se meri mohabbat bohat waliahana hai magar ye bhi sach hai ke - un shayeron ko jahan moqa mila unhoN ne dunyawi zindagi ke maze bhi khub loote..... Kiya Iqbal, kiya Josh, kiya Faiz, Kiya Faraz ... ye sab lafzoN ke jadugar the - magar inhon ne apni shayeri aur duniyadaari ke beech aik lakeer hamesah qaim rakhi - magar urdu shayeri main bohat thoRe naam hain jinhon ne zindagi ki pan-chakki main lamha lamha peeste shayeri ki - un main do baRe naam -Sagar Siddqui aur Jaun Elia hain (yaqeenan aur bhi honge). Jaun Sahab is liye mumtaz hain - kiun ke shayeri ke ilawa, taarikh aur waqiyaat per jo un ki "read" thi - woh "distinct" thi - Aur unki shayeri aesi ke - khud bhi rote hain, aur hume bhi bilak bilak ke rulate hain. Un ka aik shyr to mujhe peechle 2 hafte se aese "haunt" ker raha hai ke bayan se bahir hai. 

یہ مجھے چین کیوں نہیں پڑتا

ایک ہی شخص تھا جہان میں کیا

Poori nazam neeche video per hai, magar kuch aur  ashaar yun hain

عمر گزرے گی امتحان میں کیا
داغ ہی دیں گے مجھ کو دان میں کیا

مری ہر بات بے اثر ہی رہی
نَقص ہے کچھ مرے بیان میں کیا

مجھ کو تو کوئی ٹوکتا بھی نہیں
یہی ہوتا ہے خاندان میں کیا

خود کو دنیا سے مختلف جانا
آگیا تھا مرے گمان میں کیا

ہے نسیمِ بہار گرد آلود
خاک اڑتی ہے اس مکان میں کیا

یوں جو تکتا ہے آسمان کو تُو
کوئی رہتا ہے آسمان میں کیا