The Dancing Girl!

They both were the attraction of the entertainment at the beach.  No sooner the couple appeared on the beach than the boy started playing on his mandolin, the spectators started gathering around them in the circle and when the girl started to dance the crowd got thicker and thicker.  All the crowd tried to get closer to the circle except those who were late to join.  The boy played a tune on his mandolin to which rhythm the girl’s feet moved, so moved her entire body and the hands waved in the air.  She used to move everywhere in the circle wherever she sees the spectator waving money to catch her attention.  She danced to that person the guy drowned seeing her beauty didn’t know when the note from his hand gone in to her pocket. The crowed enjoyed her dance, besides they also wanted to hear her singing, they expected her singing would also be beautiful like her dancing.  When the performance was finished they both left the place hand in hand.  It looked as if they love each other very much.

The beach seemed over crowed while she danced, in fact, apart from this attraction, people felt not much attraction there on the beach.  She was a very good and beautiful dancer, there may be others, but most of them can’t even sing let alone dance.

It was a pleasant day, the beach was once again full of the holidayers.  They saw very surprisingly, the dancing girl appeared alone, not to mention the cloud of sadness on her beautiful face and the shadow of gloom in the eyes.

They started to get close to her, but she didn’t speak, she was sitting on the pavement, looking very dejected.  The spectators were staring at her as well as expecting to see her dance. She stood up as she was in trance, and set her body in the dancing position.  She was dancing as her beloved was playing on his mandolin in her mind.  To the utter astonishment of the spectators this time she was singing besides dancing:

O’my beloved where’ve you disappeared?

When I woke up that day you were not beside me.

You were gone leaving no sign for me.

I have been waiting for you since the day long.

Days passed, nights fallen, but no shadow of your

To sooth my eyes……………my eyes are now fountain

Of my tears I am shedding in your memories.

You are gone and disappeared in the crowd of the big city,

To earn more money………..to be wealthy………..leaving

Me behind as I am nothing now for you. 

I will be lost in the crowd too to look for you

no matter my entire life is  lost.

She was dancing faster and faster, spinning on her beautiful feet, the beautiful paziab (Anklets) in her feet were tinkling even faster raising the heartbeat of the entire crowd watching her dance as well as singing from the bottom of her heart to the nook of the hearts of the listeners.

I will be lost in the crowd too to look for you

No matter my entire life is lost,

No matter my entire life is lost,

No matter my entire life is lost,

Repeating this she stopped at once, there was silence the pin drop silence, the dance and the song stopped. The crowd felt as their hearts stopped, too with her dance. Then her feet moved to go out of the crowded circle.  The circular wall of the crowd split to give her way.  She kept moving, humming

“I  lost too………………I will be lost too.      

She was moving out of the sight of the beholders and far away the sun was also hiding down behind the horizon, as if it also find unbearable to watch her going to lost in the crowd where her beloved lost, too to earn more money……...to become rich.

Love…………………”Self-sacrifice for the sake of beloved”

Hard to believe, hunn, but it is true.  If you give it just a stressed thought you will find the truth, that there is always an act of love behind each and every act of self-sacrifice, and the highest attribution of ‘love’………..self-sacrifice is FANA FILLALLAH, to finish own-self for the sake of love for Allah, (this is another branch of Sufisim).

Self-sacrifice is the noblest trait in human character.  Giving up of one’s own interests for the sake of others glorifies man.  When a man falls in love, and if he has the interest to get something in return, it is not love, it is expectation without knowing what the other guy is up to, whether he/she thinks in the same way or not.  This knits the net of doubt whether there is any love or not.  Parents sacrifice their comforts for the same of their children, because they love their children, without having expectations from them.  (especially in these days, where they know that the kids will become independent as soon as they reach their adulthood), but still they love the kids, and put their own interest aside…………only for they love them. 

Soldiers sacrifice themselves for their country, patriots and reformer sacrifice themselves for freedom and truth, because they love their country, the freedom and the ‘truth’.   Otherwise there would have been discomfort, utter chaos which would make peace and progress impossible, but the love of country and nation makes it possible.

Finishing own-self for the sake of love of Allah, exalts man and in return he gets the ‘nearness’ of the ‘Esteemed Beloved”.    Means to get glorification in every aspect of life is to ‘finish own-self’.

The seed is sown in the ground, but unless it loses itself the crop will not grow.  A seed is glorified in the shape of crop when it finishes itself.  In the same way from one act of sacrifice (love) spring peace, happiness and harmony.

So my friends do fall in love, but to give, not to take…………….you will find the sweet fragrance of life……………the true love.

Parents:

It is essential for the children to obey their parents, being the most experienced guides, and the best well-wishers that they (children) can have.  They always support them, they sacrifice their own comforts for their children’s sake, they love them as no one else can, and they are the greatest blessing which the kids can have.  In return, it is, therefore, the duty of the children that they revere them, to obey them and to make them happy.  The parents have no object in view in advising the kids but to their own future well being.  When they correct their faults by gentle hints, by persuasion or even by rebuke or castigation, they have the best of motives.  Being unripe kids do not understand the consequences of their actions, therefore, liable to mistake, and it is only their (parents’) kind guidance, which keeps them on the right track.   

It is, therefore, incumbent upon the young men to place implicit faith in their parents and to obey them in all matters, except where they try to get them diverted from the right path.  A grown up young man, who is able to think for himself should follow his conscience in matters in which he happens to think differently in the light as given by Allah and His Prophet, (may peace and mercy of Allah be upon Him).  But, it must be borne in mind that ‘love’ of parents for their children can never be repaid, but with ‘love and respect’ in return.  Therefore, it is obligatory to every child that never ever, by thought, word or action they should cause them any bitterness or disappointment, especially in old age.

“………….Your lord has enjoined you to worship none but Him, and to show kindness to your parents.  If either or both of them attain old age with you, show them no sign of impatience, nor rebuke them; but speak to them kind words.  Treat them with humility and tenderness and say: ‘Lord, be merciful to them as they nursed me when I was an infant’.”

Al Qura’an (17.22)

The Red Bangles”

 “Ok here we are, you go there while I park somewhere.”  He dropped her and drove the car to the parking area.

She walked slowly towards the ocean, staring at the huge waves.  Then she abruptly stopped!  There he was sitting near the wall built for the viewer separating the ocean from the road.  She was looking at him, she felt that he just appeared from the thin air, because the place was empty a moment earlier.  May be it was her illusion.  But he was right there as was sitting there to sell bangles. 

“Oi Irfan don’t run so fast I can’t catch up with you.  She was panting, he laughed at her.  “Come and get me otherwise I will disappear.”  They both still were in their teens.  She sat down on the ground, and made her face like wanted to cry, he saw her and ran towards her.  He sat near encircling her in  arms and got closed to his vast chest hugging tight. 

‘Never ever try to tease me. ‘   She tilted her head on his shoulder as wanted to rest there for her entire life. 

‘What are you looking at in the sky?” She asked. 

“Just that airplane, but I can’t see it clearly, my eyes seems not focusing on it.  I think I have some problem in my eyes.”  

‘Why don’t you go to an ophthalmic consultant?” 

“You are right, I should see the doctor, but for this I will have to go to the city, because there is no such doctor here.”

“Oh look that bangles vendor, come get me red bangles, I love red bangles, I want to wear them.” 

“Right now I don’t have money, but I promise one day I will get you red bangles.’

“Promise?”  “Yes, sure promise.”

That was the last time she saw him.  Then he disappeared, and never came to see her, neither he sent any message, just some information from the neighbors that his family went to the city, because he was having some problems in his eyes.

How much tears she shed in missing him, during all the years, when finally her parents got her married, which she didn't resist, because there were no signs of him.

And now he was sitting right there before her, he seemed to selling bangles because the boxes of bangles were spread before him.  He was sitting quietly and seemed to looking in the air, or seeing nothing.

She walked towards him as someone’s moving in trance.   As she got near him, his body moved as if coming out of sleep.

“Mam I have beautiful bangles, red bangles for you,” he took a packet out from his bag, because there were no red bangles lying before him. 

“Please wear these in my wrist.”  She was shaking badly with emotions, and tears were falling from her beautiful eyes rolling down on her blushed cheeks.   Her delicate lips were trembling.  He wore the red bangles through her supple wrist.  When it was over, she wanted to say something, she wanted to ask where he had been, and how much she waited for him.  But then within glimpse of an eye he vanished, gone before her widely opened eyes, she was shocked and panicked.

She wanted to cry out, as her husband reached there and got worried seeing her so frustrated.

“What happened Wajiha, what’s wrong?  Why are you so upset?”

She was crying badly, her entire body was shaking.  “He was just here, he gave me these red bangles!”

“But my dear, here is nobody, the place is empty! It may be your illusion, you think too much.”  “I am not exaggerating! It is not any illusion or any hallucination!!  See I am wearing red bangles.  Where these have come from?” 

When they both were talking, a vendor from the near came towards them,

 “Mam there was no vendors, the place is vacant since the bangles vendor died who used to sit here, and he never sold bangles, but kept them as he was waiting for some special customer.  He was a blind young boy, very beautiful and handsome.  He just used to sit here.  One day I heard that he had died.  Since then this place is empty, and no other vendor sat here.  I was seeing you with surprise staring that empty place as if you were talking to someone.”

She heard the vendor’s story, and began to weep even more.  Her husband got her in to his arms and tried to sooth her.

“He just came down from heaven to fulfill his promise, to give me these “Red Bangles!  Believe me he was just there, came down from heaven…………….”  Her husband nodded in affirmation and they both moved towards their car.

Here I am on the motivation of Expector's Blog Challenge: discourse markers

“Be Cheerful and Help Others to be Cheerful”.

It is a holy thing to discover life, a happy thing and the world, a place of joy. It may be considered that much of religion and philosophy have been so gloomy with their miserable fanaticism and persecutions and their grim theories of sin and atonement through asceticism, so in result it may be assumed that happy is the man who can ignore them and snatch a joyful moment. But it should also be kept in mind that boundaries so erected by religion and of course sometimes by philosophies if overpassed, causes pernicious impacts on joyful life turns them in to miseries.

Anyway, life is full of joys for those who are with right and sensible mind. Misery there is in the world, no doubt; but it is of man’s making, and if given sensible and sincere effort, a large part of it can be removed.

In brief life is commonly divided in three stages of senses in a man’s life (when I am writing ‘man’ I mean both genders).

Firstly, in childhood one has innocent mirth, play, carefree, unworried life, love of parents, a world in which doubt, suspicions of good or bad deeds do not exist. One has fairy-tales to hear and beautiful dreams to dream. One has a taste that can gulp lumps of sugar and all manner of things ripe or unripe.

Secondly, youth is the period of health, of ambitions and love. There are joys of sincerity and unsuspecting trust. There is the joy of possessing physical strength and warmth in blood. There is love and the joy of courtship and flirtation. Ambitions, when one indulges to exalted hopes and works for them, keep one happy so long as one is active.

And thirdly, the old age brings respect, wisdom and calm. One is looked up to for one’s experience by younger people. The love of children, the old, happy memories of one’s youth. Calm and soberness.

The world is full of beautiful sights, the sun, the moon, the stars, sunsets, waterfalls, mountains, valleys, deserts, flowers, greeneries, beautiful animals, lovely women, innocent children. Everything is beautiful in it and loveable. It is almost a wonder how man has succeeded in making himself miserable in spite of so many pleasing things being here.

Actually, troubles of life are of a transitory nature. The best happiness lies in honesty and being helpful. Idle or clever people are seldom happy. One should bear trouble and pain, for when they are over, no bitterness is left. Life is too precious to be wasted in fretting and fuming. So “be cheerful and help others to be cheerful”.

He was a Hijdra (ہجڑا) (a transvestite).  His name was Raja.  I always found him sitting or dancing under an oak tree.  It seemed to be his living place.  There was a rag folded with a pillow lying on one side of the tree, and a Pitcher with the water on the other side.  Most of the time he used to hum while dancing,

 “I am the lover of my beloved, I am the lover of my beloved, one day I will visit Him.” 

When he sang, he pointed out to the shrine (the grave of the saint) nearby and then to the sky.  The passersby used to throw coins when they found him dancing and passed away.  It was all he got for living.  He was alone.  I never saw him with anyone, but himself. He was very handsome, long tresses, which waved when he jerked his head while dancing.  When I passed by him he used to smile and with it he saluted me.   I never talked with him neither he did, just looked at me with a smile.

It was the weekend, I decided to pay a visit to the saint’s grave.  When I reached it I found Raja sweeping in the court of the shrine.  When he saw me, he quickly came up to me and said, “See saabji, when I dance people give me money but when I give the service to the saaen (he meant the saint) no body gives me money."

“Shall I give you?”

“No, one day someone will come and give me what I want, then I will request you to do some work for me.  That time has not come yet.”

I just smiled and went away after paying the homage to the saint.  Then I didn’t remember him, neither did I pass by him.  Some time later, he came into my mind, I stood up at once, feeling as he was remembering me, too.  I also had to visit the saint.  When I reached his place he stood up seeing me and said, “Where have you been saabji, haven't seen you for long!” 

“I was busy!”

“Now the time has come saabji, you have to do some work for me.”  Saying that he took some money out of his pocket and handed me, “Saabji will you give this sawa rupia (one rupee and a quarter) to saaen.”

“What do you mean by "give him"?  He is sleeping in his grave, how can I give him any money? I can just drop in the box put in the shrine for this purpose, and why don’t you go yourself to give?”

“I am not Pak (chaste) yet, when my gift is accepted I will definitely visit him.”

“Ok whatever you say.”  He was looking very happy.

I went on to the Mazaar (shrine).  First I decided to pay my homage to the saint.  By chance I was alone there, when I got near the grave, all of a sudden the grave split opened and a hand raised out of it,  “Raja has sent a gift for me”

I got frightened and dumbfound.  I just stretched out my trembling hand and put the money into the hand.  The hand disappeared and the grave once again got closed as if there had been no opening at all. 

I was terrified and ran out of the Mazaar.  I ran back to Raja and when I reached there I saw the people who gathered around his place and he was lying on the floor covered with his rag.

“What has happened? I asked the people standing there.

“No idea,”  said one of the men, “He just got mad, laughing and dancing, saying, my gift has been accepted my gift, has been accepted time's to go ,  time has come to go then he lay down and covered himself with that rag.  Since then he has been lying there.”

I came closer to where he was lying, and removed the rag from his face.  I got shocked, he was dead. 

I could not hold my tears.  He was a true lover and his beloved allowed him to be together in the heaven by accepting his gift a part of his pure earning.

Blessing doesn’t see the actor, but the action and the intention.  Who acts is of no difference.

Basic Idea Adopted.

Sometimes back there was a hot news on our local TV channels that I girl from China met on internet with a boy in Pakistan and fell in love with him.  She was so deep in love with him that she even came to Pakistan to meet the boy.  What happened to her love this is another story, it however reminded me that I have a blog in my safe of memory which I reproduce below for the reading interest of my EC friends:

Love………thy name ‘strange’

No doubt that love from this far apart and without having any hope to meet or be in touch beyond all the existing barriers, is considered from any common view as madness.  No one even can imagine that it may be happening on this earth away from out of all Shakespearean stories.  It may be understandable if it is from a male end, but it is not digested if it is happening
from a female’s end.  She is in love in such a way, so is considered not an ordinary person.  She is beyond all common level of a woman.  I, till at this moment, keep asking myself, “WHAT DOES SHE SEES IN ME THAT COULD NOT STOP HERSELF FROM LOVING ME IN SUCH A WAY, WHERE WE ARE PUT IN VERY PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES.  It is rather impossible for any soul rather a woman living so far away in such different environment and social background pervaded by relations of her own, and beyond all these obstacles her love glows with all human energies.  Love………thy name ‘strange ’.

 This is in response to Danny's "Writing Challenge: Using Phrasal Verbs" 

to call up - to phone;

to call on - to visit a person;

to call off - to cancel;

to call for - to  come somewhere in order to get someone or something;

to call down - to reprimand, to scould;

to stick to - to adhere/glue to smith/smbd;

to stick around - to be somewhere around, not far;

to break off - to put the end to the relationship;

to break loose - to escape from usual responsibilities and to start doing some unexpected things.

I called her up.  There was no response, so I called on her.  I found her busy with her work and she didn’t seem to call her business off although I personally visited her.  Instead she called a cab and left me dumbfounded.  I called myself down, why I visited her, to see her indifferent attitude.  I still wanted to stick to our friendship, whereas she will be sticking somewhere, god only knows with whom.  Should I break off the relationship?  I am sure she is eager to get rid of me and to stick around waiting to see my reaction.

This is in response to Tanya's New Writing Challenge: "TO BE UP TO"

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Hi Honey! 

Please understand, I am what I am, I can’t change myself in spite of trying  to be up to the mark.  I know I am different, but you should realize it, too.  Believe me I am always up to high doh when you ask me to be up to quality, to your standards.  How can I be up to date if I have risen on the street? I am simple and easy going. I can’t be up to any bad.  Of course I have never been in the red, my life position is very clear. I do not gamble, I do not drink, I have never been up to neck in debt.  I live for what I earn from my music___One day I may be up to the mark, to your standards.   I will wait, can you?

This is in response to Expector's 

Blog Challenge: have something up your sleeve

It is extremely difficult to get the picture of what is happening around the world.  The onlooker just see the superficial  hustles and bustles occur around and start talking, or put the blame of the happening on certain section of the society instead of thinking about the circumstances which cause the occurring.  It may be possible that the incident in itself has something up its sleeve.  There may be some ulterior motives.  May the motive is not the incident but the intended reaction.  

Taking the opportunity of Seeker June Activities of writing I would like to revie one of my blog here about our different dishes:

Time Management, seems important as it is one of the topics, but so far as I am concerned I am not a student any more nor do I belong to the higher or highest management of an organization.  Time management is important rather essential for a student to which his studies must have his/her priority, and they all are attracted towards extracurricular activities.  So they need ‘time management’.  

On the other hand there are the categories of the people like high profile management, who have lots of works to do at the same time so they make their secretaries to ‘manager their time' for them, then accordingly they follow their schedule.

Now come the people belonging to the mass of middle class and middle management i.e. like me.  So they do not have their own time management except to report on duty on time mostly at 9:00 a.m. and stay to work till 5:00 p.m. The other end of time mostly not in their own hand, because if bosses ask, they would have to stay after 5:00 p.m. too.  Our time depends on the work/s assigned to us. First come first serve, or otherwise what bosses ask.  But there is rather a difficult situation if an employee like me is responsible to carry out works for more than one boss.  In this case an employee should be well experienced and well aware of the seniority of the bosses in the first place, second, he should be capable to assess the importance of the work thereby decide the priority, and thirdly he should be so confident in his work that he puts the priority on the work by himself. 

For example, I will definitely give the first priority to the chairman and or director’s work, then to M.D. and then to other and I will clearly let them know the priorities I am going to follow.  Against any senior one the lower one will have to agree with my schedule.

This is the ‘Time Management’ I follow not for myself, but for the sake of job assigned to me. 

This is 2-4:

June 2, 2016

To

The Commissioner,

Queens Road,

Karachi.

Dear Sir,

Subject: FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION TOWARDS THE POLLUTION IN THE CITY

 As you know that within past two decades the city population has increased tremendously so as the number of vehicles of public and private transportation.   These vehicles especially public buses are emitting heavy thick black smoke which is increasing air pollution up to the dangerous mark.  The tree in the city have now been turned black being covered with dust and vehicles smoke.  I usually travel in the public busses, and because of the heavy traffic jamming, all the atmosphere fills with gases and smokes, which is causing lung diseases.

To get rid of this pollution the government should have to make plans.  First of all iodine free fuel be introduced to be used in the vehicles.  For small car and autos Hybrid cars and autos be put on the road, which will help in decreasing air pollution.

Garbage collection system in the city is not very effective.  It should be made on regular basis.  Industries should be made responsible not to throw their waste in open.  There should be appropriate system to throw the waste of industries safely.

I hope, Sir, that my above concerns would meet your prior attention, and appropriate measures would be taken to eradicate this nuisance from the city.

Thanking you,

Yours truly,

MISHAIKH

Healthy Habit:

You may be thinking that I’m going to discuss about some exercises, eating diet food etc.  But No, I am going to let you all know How I keep maintain ‘prays’.  Being a Muslim I/we have to observe 5 essential (Fardh) prays in a day (24 hours).

I am not an orthodox (though I most of the time express to observe religious obligations ethics and norms as much as we can, at least to get adhered to our Allah).

Let’s take first essential prayer of Fajr.  This is very difficult for us almost all Muslims, in spite the Mozzen (caller) says in Adhan “Prayer is better than the sleep”, we keep sleeping, very few of us go to mosque to offer Salah (prayer). Anyway, I, for this prayer wake up these days at 4 a.m.  After having done some necessary washing I recite Holy Qura’a (sometime with understanding sometimes just recite, but take a cursory look at the translations too). Then I go down to mosque for fajr prayer with aggregation (Jama’at).

Second Prayer is Dohar time of which starts around 12:30 in summer, but because I am at that time at my work place so I go down at 1:00 p.m. (this is our lunch and pray break), and offer prayer in the mosque.

Third Prayer is Asr, time of which starts at 5:30 in summer, I offer this prayer on way back to home from work.

Forth Prayer is Maghrib it’s time starts just after sunset (around 7:17 pm in summer), For this prayer and for Last (5^th) Prayer Isha I some time go to mosque, or some time offer at home (alone), though if an essential prayer is offered alone it bears lesser blessings (sawab) than if offered in mosque with aggregation.

For every Prayer we have to have some ritual washings – Wadhoo (ablution). There is a saying that if a person lives near a river and he washes himself five times a day, will there be any dirt remain on his body? Of course NO.  In the same way if a person offers at least his/her essential prayers (with concentration to Allah), there will not be any worldly filth remain on his soul.  

So, isn’t this a healthy habit which I do have.  During all these prayers there always includes my one request to Allah, “May He Please give me Once In my life time just few seconds where there is NO WORLDLY THING BETWEEN me and HIM, just once! 

This is too on the motivation of Seeker: 1-2

True Friendship

For various moral, psychological and social reasons, people need good company and close friendship. The type of friends you have, often indicate the type of person you are. 'Show me your friends and I will tell you what you are,' says the well-known proverb.

Friendship is always made on the basis of similar frequencies. It usually based on give n take equally, but when it become for a person just to give and does not expect, then it become close-friendship and when complete selflessness becomes the part of friendship then it become love (Ishq). This is a true friendship. A true friend always seeks welfare of friend and always there to help.

The noble Prophet (peace be upon him) pointed to the value of good company when he said that it is better to be alone than in the company of the wicked, and it is better to be in the company of the good than to be alone. Good company can be a great source of help and support in leading a virtuous life, while bad company can lead to sin and ruin.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was once asked: "Who is the person that can be the best friend?" "He who helps you when you remember God, and he who reminds you when you forget Him," the Prophet replied.

Then he was asked, "And which friend is the worst?" "He who does not help you when you remember God and does not remind you of God when you forget," he replied.

Then he was again asked, "Who is the best among people?" He replied, "He who when you look at him, you remember God."

When Zaid ibn Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him), the servant of Muhammad, was killed at the battle of Mutah, the Prophet said:

"Zaid strove in the path of God sincerely as he should. Today he has met his Lord, and he is serene."

Thereafter, Zaid's daughter found the Prophet weeping over the dead body of her father and said: "What do I see?" The noble Prophet (peace be upon him), with tears in his eyes, said: "A friend is weeping for his friend."

Through such actions and sentiments, the Prophet showed his gentleness and true human friendship and brotherhood.

This is on the advice of Seeker:

My choice is 2-2

Pollution

As industry has expanded, factories have emitted more and more toxic effluents into the air. Number of vehicles have reached up to saturation level in all the cities of all the countries in the world. Also, as in other developing countries, the number of vehicles in Pakistan has swelled in recent years--from 680,000 in 1980 to 5 million in 2003.  Conservation Strategy Report claims that the average vehicle in the third world countries emits 25 times as much carbon dioxide as the average U.S. vehicle, as well as 20 times as many hydrocarbons and more than 3.5 times as many nitrous oxides in grams per kilometer.

Many environmentalists say that poor fuel quality is also to blame for a country's serious air pollution problems. Fuel consumption rose four fold and gasoline continues to contain high levels of lead and sulfur.

The government's 1995 Clean Fuel Initiative was largely ineffective, and now authorities are looking at the possibility of using alternative fuels for vehicles. As of 2001, 200,000 cars were fitted to use compressed natural gas (CNG) which pollutes less than gasoline. The government has also set up 150 CNG fueling stations around the country, and is looking into converting diesel vehicles to CNG as well. Pakistan has investigated converting rickshaws to CNG through a pilot project with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Preliminary results suggest that converting rickshaws to CNG would bring considerable cost-savings for rickshaw owners and environmental benefits throughout Pakistan. Unfortunately, outside funding would be required to expand the program as the capital investment to convert rickshaws to CNG is beyond the reach of most rickshaw owners.

Air Pollution

The level of air pollution in Pakistan's two largest cities, Karachi and Lahore, is estimated to be 20 times higher than World Health Organization standards, and continuing to rise. Islamabad, the capital, is perpetually smothered by a thick cloud of smog that hides views of the Margalla Hills that tower over the city's tree-lined streets.

As industry has expanded, factories have emitted more and more toxic effluents into the air. Also, as in other developing countries, the number of vehicles in Pakistan has swelled in recent years--from 680,000 in 1980 to 5 million in 2003. The 1992 National Conservation Strategy Report claims that the average Pakistani vehicle emits 25 times as much carbon dioxide as the average U.S. vehicle, as well as 20 times as many hydrocarbons and more than 3.5 times as many nitrous oxides in grams per kilometer.

Cars are the leading source of air pollution that adversely affects Pakistan's economy and population. Economic damages from urban air pollution are estimated at about $370 million, with 6.4 million people hospitalized annually for air-pollution-related illnesses. A recent advertisement placed by the government in a newspaper warned, "Take care of your tune-ups before the poison in the air takes care of you."

Many Pakistani environmentalists say that poor fuel quality is also to blame for the country's serious air pollution problems. Fuel consumption rose by 188% in Pakistan from 1980 to 1998, and gasoline continues to contain high levels of lead and sulfur. Unleaded gasoline was introduced in 2001, but many vehicles in Pakistan's major cities still use leaded gasoline. Various grades of gasoline sold contain about 350 mg/liter of lead--in comparison, leaded gasoline in other countries usually contains no more than 150 mg/liter. Dr. Asif Qayyum Qureshi, a research fellow at SDPI, claimed that the problem of air pollution largely could be solved if the government were to tighten its lax fuel quality standards.

The government's 1995 Clean Fuel Initiative was largely ineffective, and now authorities are looking at the possibility of using alternative fuels for vehicles. As of 2001, 200,000 cars were fitted to use compressed natural gas (CNG) which pollutes less than gasoline. The government has also set up 150 CNG fueling stations around the country, and is looking into converting diesel vehicles to CNG as well. Pakistan has investigated converting rickshaws to CNG through a pilot project with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Preliminary results suggest that converting rickshaws to CNG would bring considerable cost-savings for rickshaw owners and environmental benefits throughout Pakistan. Unfortunately, outside funding would be required to expand the program as the capital investment to convert rickshaws to CNG is beyond the reach of most rickshaw owners.

ann remarked on my comment to her blog 'alphabets' like this:

QUOTE

Hi Mishaikh, your alphabet includes so many words I don't know. Do you want a writing challenge? kindly write a paragraph containing all the word in your list (if you please). I think this writing challenge is so hard.

UNQUOTE

I have bidden to that. and here is my bid:

I was sitting on the mat in my gallery fixed on joists, of my house made of bamboo near the dam, facing the chalk white horizon where an airplane was moving to somewhere.  My harmonium was lying near me.  My heart beat was accelerating hearing the sound of old escalator in the shopping mall though it was quite a distance from my house.  When the sky turned ink blue, I went downstairs, which landed in the kitchen.  I plugged the opal (milky white) kettle to make a cup of coffee for myself. I opened the packet (tetra pack) of milk and poured in to my cup through a net (I do not use strainer). I opened the tin of frozen beef parches of which I made a sandwich after having fried them in my zinc color fry pan. My quartz watch gave me a buzzer, telling me that it’s time to go out.  I looked at the yoke shaped wall clock to ascertain the time.  Yes it was accurate.  I opened my stationery drawer, took out some money, put some water in to vase of money plant, picked my umbrella, came out, got on my wagon to go to Xenolith Railway Station, (It was so named because it had been built near rocky mountain).

THE SKY IS THE LIMIT

Words embroidered on the blank paper sprinkling from the fountain of brain, conscious and subconscious turn in to the reflections of thoughts, for thoughts, ‘the sky is the limit’ they are infinite.  So you can say a writer can write whatever he wants and or talk about anything he likes.  So as the aspect of life ‘love’ talking, speaking, writing about love is limitless provided one has sensitive mind and touchy heart.  Nobody can deny they do not like this side of life and has no liking to feel or hear about it. 

I feel most of the time easy to talk about ‘love’ in all forms, I mostly say, even the ‘hate’ is another form of love. Because love is caring, and you can’t hate your rival without having any care in your heart.  I have most of the time remarked that I always talk about ‘love’ tell me what else is there except ‘love’ or without love. 

It may be said “there are also other problems in life besides love” (Translated from Urdu).  Yes, there are other works a person has to do in his life.  I still say do whatever you want to do in your life (practical or otherwise), your devotion to your work, any work is related to your LOVE for the job (in either form).  So what if I talk about love?  I really love to talk about ‘love’.

Sometimes my mind (thought) are blocked and I feel very hard to get the flow and be able to write.  I feel that there is a heavy burden on my mind and heart, but I do not stop thinking.  I just let my thoughts scroll in my mind, release my nerves.  It continues seem till the end of time, then I begin to see the light at the end of tunnel, the thoughts begin to peep through from the subconscious to conscious and then to spread on the paper through the movement of fingers on the keyboard and there comes the birth of some creation in writing.

It has been created on the inspiration of Expector's discussion blog: The sky's the limit

This is in response to SNR's One more Idiom challenge:

DREAM

Last night I had a nightmare. I saw a girl came floating towards me and hold my arm very firmly. It made my flesh crawl. I got frightened.

“Don’t surf the net – Don’t you ever go in there” She said to me looking direct in to my eyes. But her eyes were not at me at all. She was looking through my eyes.

“Wahy I would not go in there?” I stammered. The situation was really frightening.  I had a lump in my throat.  

“Because there is a soul.  She will overcome you and will kill you.”

The girl whispered. “W what ghost? AAAI am not a coward, after all she is a girl, and may be beautiful too.”

 “Ha Ha Ha! You will see when you go there” The girl laughed hoarsely and vanished saying,

“You ignore my beauty you will miss hers too……….” 

Then my eyes were opened, I had my heart in the right place, though I could not go into the net.

Next time when I dream this I will definitely go in to see her, to see how beautiful she is………………. 

It is in response to Onee's "Challenge in challenge, why not? ^_^" 

I have tried to use the term FREELOADER in my (or human's) usual perspective.

FREELOADER

I didn’t trespass your heart.  You knocked at my door.  I was crystal clear.  You picked the key and opened it without any permission.  I resisted, I tried to push you away.  But then I felt the thawing was in the offing and your love got swiped in to me breaking the ice.  I was shrilled, still not believing. No doubt that love from this far apart and without having any hope to meet or be in touch beyond all the existing barriers is considered from any common view as madness.  No one even can imagine that it may be happening on this earth away from out of all Shakespearian stories.  It was impossible for any soul rather than me to believe. But it was happening.  Time had passed, two years, I let her enjoy the love she claimed.  Then finally the day came which I was afraid of, and I exactly estimated, let her entertain herself. 

We were chatting and there she was:

“Look MI I now have realized that you are not the one whom I was looking for and now I feel that you are just freeloading from the situation.  Just enjoying and loving the love not me.  So I can’t go any further with a freeloader.” 

With that she got DC, leaving me behind, thinking “who was the actual FREELOADER!”