AWWW!! I love Ramzan!!! (Scroll down for an awesome video!!)

Okay so I have mentioned Ramazan in my earlier posts as well!! But those of you who still aren't fimiliar with the concept here is what it is!!

In the holy month of Ramazan muslims fast from dawn to dusk, they pray to God and spent the month doing things that please God!

If you're still not familiar with Muslim tradition of fasting, lemme explain. We get up before dawn and eat a little before the morning prayer, this time is known as Sehri time and food for this purpose is Sehri (just like breakfast).From then onwards we don't eat or drink anything and stay hungry until the dusk! Once the dusk prayers are called out we break our fasts. This time of the day when we break our fasts is known as Iftar time and the food prepared for this purpose is called Iftar (click here to see how it looks like). Our religion gives us this concept, so that we learn patience and we experience what the poor and hungry experience everyday. In the Muslim calender, the month is called Ramazan when we fast for 30 days and then once Ramadan is over we celebrate Eid, a festival for those who have fasted and prayed to Allah.

Now Ramadan is like a culture; and in every different part of the world it is celebrated in a seperate manner!! Here in Pakistan, arrival of Ramazan is pretty tangible!! The Mosques (the place where we worship) are all lighted up! Bakeries are filled with Ramazan food!!! The T.V blares out commercials, which are all related to Ramazan!! And it is all really nice!!! I love Ramazans!!! :)

I am soo busy these days, I hardly get time to blog! After Sehri I get ready for college and when I come back from college, I am sooo darn tired; I go to sleep!! I get up, help my mom in preparing Iftar, and by the time I am over with all this, it's nine and I have to do my home work!!! So right now I am missing out on my Iftar to write all this, I didn't get much time to eat either!! :(

Well here is a commercial of a local milk brand, which shows the Ramazan culture at its best! It's on the TV all the time!! Well here goes, a video is better than a thousan pictures and a billion words!!!

Some better days, came my way!

22 August 2009

Okay so the last time I wrote I was feeling really glum!!! And I was hating junior year, a lot of people in junior year and all my teachers!!!

But today sitting here in front of my mom's PC (my laptop was attacked by virues last night, nothing is left in it! *another story*) enjoying a beautiful Saturday morning, looking back at my last two days, I'll have to say that junior year has finally started to work for me!!

Let's start with Thursday! I was actually sick and tired of my junior year 'cos nothing seemed to be working; so before getting ready for my college, I prayed to God in my morning namaz (muslim prayer), for a good day, in fact 'pleaded for a good day' is a better way to put it!!! I was sick of bad days, sick of feeling low all the time!!

God listened to me and gave me that!!! And I am soo thankful to Him for giving me something I call a good day, a sign that junior year is not that bad after all! Every morning I reach school early and as I have no one to talk to I read a book till the bell rings!! I love Karachi mornings and the weather here is perfect these days! Very light rain and and no sun!! Really pleasant! Here in Karachi, this happens rarely!!

So I got off my van and headed for a bench in the caffeteria, my usual routine! Ready to face the monotony of the day as it unfurls!! But hey, what do we have here??? A guy, say Mr. S, who goes in my van and is also in my class came my way and was all like: "Do you know how complex numbers work?" (Now if you read my previous post you'll know that guys and girls in my grade don't mingle much! So this was the first guy I was talking too in three weeks!)

And I was all like: "Ahan!" We had a Math test that day!

So then he was like: "Could you explain them to me??"

And I was like sure!

So we sat down and I explained him the whole thing! And I did a good job! I am not that bad in maths you know!! Secondly I was kinda happy that I have finally broken the ice with someone 'cos as I mentioned previously, I didn't like a lot of people in my class and I thought I would never fit in!! And yeah I am sooo awfully thankful to all the people who left advices on my last post!! It really helped!! :)

So when the bell rang we made our way to our class, discussing studies!! 'Cos I don't like going all random when I talk to someone for the first time! I stick with one thing, I am sure both of us can talk about freely! Apparently he was of the same idea!

Then came the second ice breaker! I sat besides this guy, who is a real cell phone addict and I had heard some really stupid things about him, let's call him Mr.M! So I didn't like him! A wrong presumption! Then we eventually started talking and it turned out he wasn't that bad!! :)

Then came Friday! I didn't know what to expect!!! I got off my van and made my way to a bench in caffeteria (as usual) when Mr.S came to me and asked me about some class project!! I think that was just an excuse! :P Then we talked about music and he made fun of me when I stated that I am a major Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brother fan!! I mean I don't understand why people don't like the Jonas Brothers! They absolutely rock! And Shelly on 'that girl blogs' agrees with me!

Mr. S was actualluy all like "Who like the Jonas Brothers??? Nobody does!!"

And I was all like: "So not!! A lot of people like em!!!"

AHAN!! I LOOOOOVE 'EM

*MAJOR FAN!!!*

Then I sat next to Mr. M in the class again and the whole day rolled out very nicely if I ignore the awful tummy ache which at one point almost made me cry!

After my high school was over, I visited my maternal side of the family and spent half of my time there dozing off!!! When I came back home at night I had big plans for the internet but walla: My laptop bailed on me!! And I had to sleep!

And finally I return to my lovely Saturday morning, sitting near a huge window in my mom's room! I have loads of homework waiting for me and I have to study for my Physics test too!! But before I do that I'll just visit some blogs and see what's going on in the blogger world!!! I have loads of comments to return!! And I hate when I don't get time return comments!!

Have a nice weakend y'all!

Khuda Hafiz (it means may God protect you)

P.S: I have Mr. M's and Mr.S's requests waiting on FB! My mom says I should give it a little time I agree!! Feel free to comment, and share any of your juniour year experience!! :)

Feeling glum!!! :(

17 August 2009

Okay, so it is my third week in junior year, and it is not even a teensie weensie bit close to what I expected it to be!!!! I did write in a little about my junior year but here is an explicit describtion of how much junior year actually sucks at this moment!!!!

Let's start with some really general things:

- I go to a co-education college, but the strangest part is that girls in my class don't talk to guys and guys don't talk to girls!!! I mean hello???? What's the point of choosing a co-college when you are sooooo damn shy of talking to guys (goes for girls)!!!! Downright loosers! And I soooo totally am stuck with all such girls that I just couldn't make myself do it either!!! SHIT!! I mean it's good that the girls take notice of the ethical codes we have here, but what's the point in being shy!! UGHHHH!!! MAKES ME SOOOO MAD!

-I don't like a lot of people in my college, I mean this guy today was wearing his pant down so low that his boxers were visible, and it looked soooo gross!!! eeeeewww And my friend and I couldn't help making pukey faces!!! And there is this other guy who seems as if he is drunk on a permanent basis! He even drinks water as if he is taking a swig from a bottle of beer! He laughs, funny and drunk!!! Pathetic!! And let's not forget this another guy who has a really high pitched voice and he is a a text messaging addict! And I don't like such people at all, I mean hello why is is important to inform a thousand others through text even when you breath!!!! With him this seems like a case! The bigger picture I don't like a lot of people in my class!

-A lot of time I get this feeling that people in my class don't get me at all!!! I just don't even have a damn idea of what they think of me or how they really are!!! It takes me such a looooong time to judge how people really are! And I don't like being judgmental or anything but what can I do, I just don't know what to think about them!!! I am sooo stressed!!! :( I really miss my school friend Sarwat, who was sooo good in judging people without being judgmental, and she was always right!! And now I am stuck here without her!!!!

-I don't like any...lemme say it again... ANY.... teacher who teaches me!! I almost passed out in the maths class today, I was sooo dang sleepy and then my friend and I started laughing on really stupid things!!! I mean I was sooo sleepy that I was going bananas, and the same was with my friend!!! So actually I don't like my maths teacher! Secondly, I find it really hard to understand what my english teacher babbles about in the whole period, 'cos I just don't have the super powers to understand a word he says! Thirdly, I hate the jokes that my Physics teacher cracks!! I mean, they are really sarcastic and usually they end up in a sarcastic almost fights between these two students ( they are the only ones who can answer the teacher like that, I mean, I don't think they are familiar with the word respect!) The bigger picture: I don't like my teachers!

-Every morning, I have to fight with the strong urge of staying at home and not going to high school, which seems to have a really huge place to store a lot of things I can not make myself like!!! I hope thing get better! Though there are a few shiny corners; a really nice person, Sakina in my van but I just sit in the van for 15 minutes! There are two really funny guys in my class, but then again, nobody talks!! UGHHH! Even the shiny corners seem blotted!!! *cries*.....*heavy heart*

Anyways let me leave you with some treats I have had in previous days!! Thanks for reading through and sharing my pain and agony!!

Well here they are:

This is called a 'Ras Malai' It is a sweet dish with these soft white things (I don't know what we call them) socked in sweet milk with nut!! LOOOOVE IT!

OMG! I feel like having it right now!

On the left we have 'Samoosas', filled with minced meat, the triangular things! On the right we have 'Jalaybian', fried rings made of flour socked in sugar water!!! SWEET AND STICKY!!!

This is what the real Pakistan is like....my homeland!

14 August 2009

Okay so today is a really sepcial day for this Pakistani girl!!! IT'S THE INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!! Yeah-hay! So I decided that today I am going to dedicate my writing to my country, the beauty and magic that it hides! I have collected some really breadth taking pictures from my dad's friend, Zaidi Uncle, who is a really good photographer! His pictures are magic!!!! I wish I was somewhere near that! *sigh* :( Please respect his hard work and don't try to claim property over any of these pictures!

But before that just this little thing I am dying to share ( and show off!!! :P) I had my graduation day this Wednesday, and we had the City Mayor as our chief guest!! IT WAS SOOOOOOO AWESOME!! But the best part is yet to come! I bagged the 7th position in my Matriculation exams, in the WHOLE PAKISTAN!!! EEEEEEEEP! Now this is something I can show off about my entire life!!! Though I wouldn't, I don't like showing off!! I am soooo thankful to the Almighty for bestowing me with such honour!!! :) (I dont think I am really good at not talking about my self!! This Pakistani girl is a hell fo a talker!!)

Enough of that here are the pictures!!

A beautiful sight in Skurdu!

Mahudand

A lake surrounded by mountains!

Another sight in Mahudand! BEA-U-TI-FUL!

A breadth-taking sight in Skurdu!!!


Mangrove forests in Pakistan!



A bridge over the furious river!!!


Another lake sight in Skurdo!

Notice the reflection in water!!



A seven hundred year old mosque, near Skurdo



Notice the beautiful carvings!



Lake sight in Skurdo



Malamjaba, these rocks are ancient!


The tomb of the Quaid Mohammad Ali Jinnah, founder of the nation, in Karachi!



The world's biggest mosque: Shah Faisal Mosque, in Islamabad


The Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, built in 1673 by the Moghal emperor Aurengzeb!

Please do leave in comments, and tell me which one is your favourite picture!!

Sorry that I missed out on sooo many days!

Well so as I have missed out on such a lot, cos the stupid junior year has begun!!!! ughhhh!!! I have loads of homework and no time to write in!!! Sooooo sorry people! Here are some pictures regarding my days!!

A dinner at our place on 8th august! The Pakistani way!


We call this 'nihari' , it's dangerously oily and meaty! COW MEAT!! My dad loves it and my grand dad too, almost everyone in Pakistani does! We eat it with a bread type thing called roti!
I am nihari hater!!!

The broast my mom prepared, stuffed with rice!!! MMMMMmmmm!


My cousin gave me this as a gift for my result!!! What's in it???????


A box of Belgian chocolates!!! I am loving it!!!

So, I hope you like my little effort I call a post these days!
Bye!

Another Award..from the girl who is unfimiliar with boredom!

8 August 2009

So let me just update you on my day before I get all award-y! Today we had this get together at our family, for my paternal cousin who recently got married! So I had a lot of fun, viewed some old family photo albums and laughed a lot! The past is always FUNNY!

Okay so here goes: (again!)

The rules are very simple:

1. Write a few lines on how happy you are.
2. Write down who all tagged you for this award and who they are.
3. Write down how many people you want to give this award and who they are.

Here is the award!

Now let's begin with how happy I am!

If I have to put this into words as to how happy I am, I will say that my happiness is just like the sky! It is vast, sometimes it gets covered with dark clouds but most of the times it is covered in sunshine!

I would like to thank the totally fabulus chiq Sue, for tagging me in this award!!! I am sooo thankful to her for finding my blog to be cool enough!

I would like to pass this award to:

Alicia

Mathew Harrison

The read head riter

Thanks again, Sue!

And I fasted!

7 August 2009

Okay, so I had already stated in the previous post that I'll be fasting on this day and so I actually did fast! Please read the previous post (last paragraph) to get an idea what I mean by fasting. So anyways, I spent the day in praying 'cos that's what fasting is about and also on the internet (I seriously can't live without it) and I slept a little! At dusk I broke my fast and my mom had prepared all these wonderful things for the Iftar!!! Mmmmm..mm!

The off-white bowl contains Dahi Baray, which is a spicy combination of yogurt and fried things known as barays! The plates contain Paqooras (fried oninions and patatoes covered in some kind of flour!), Samoosas and egg rolls!

In the jug with a bow (my mom loves going all pretty) we have plum juice! In the big blue bowl we have chic peas, sweet and sour! In the light purple bowl we have a fruit chat, a combination of many fruits with sugar, pepper and lemon juice!

Now this people is pure Pakistani cuisine! And I can honestly say that there is nothing in this world like this!!! I absolutely heart it!!! And trust me ate like hell, and was almost about to burst!!!

P.S: Forgive me for giving such incomplete descriptions about the food! I am not in to cooking at all! I am just into eating!! hehe! :P