A Blog Post That Meant a Lot To Me

I have more than one blog posts that meant a lot to me.  I am here on EC since October 2013, but I have been blogging for 3-4 years.  Prior to joining EC I was posting my written work on Culture Page of another platform.  (It isn’t active any more).  The blogs that meant to me a lot I also posted here on EC. I will mention here one:

It is my blog “The Café” (meant to me a lot)

I had a friend RC (short of her name).  She told her story that she loved a man who at later stage left giving her a baby boy.  I asked her why would she lost her senses in his love and didn’t realize his dishonesty.  She didn’t reply.

Later on I wrote the ‘The Café” (http://www.myenglishclub.com/profiles/blogs/the-cafe) 

A line from it is:

“I had an eye to eye contact, I was shuddered to ……………..”

Another line:

‘Before leaving, she once again turned and looked at me.  I again felt an electrical shock.”

After reading my blog RC sent me a message:

“You see MI that was my condition when I saw that man, there was a feeling of electrical shock which shuddered me when I came ‘eye to eye contact” with him, I lost my senses………………………………..”

Then I realized how some situation and circumstances impact a person, and his/her entire life changed.

RC’s life time experience which she shared with me made this blog “meant to me a lot”.

Making friends through Blogging:

Making friendship in virtual world is easy and difficult both, but you can’t be sure how long it lasts, because this relationship is made behind the curtain of electrons, you still can’t be sure of the personality of the member on cam, you simply see the appearance. Friendship if made between two persons having the same frequency, the same interests, the same hobbies, like singing, dancing, and other supports, this friendship last long (may be forever or may turn in true love). But it is not easy for everyone to be a singer, a dancer, a musician, but there is a thing which is within the reach of everyone, and it is BLOGGING (writing), because everyone has emotions, observations, opinions, thoughts experiences and everyone knows WORDS (no matter how limited they are), so everyone can write (blog), just needs a push. And who is better than a friend to give encouragement to a friend.

So when we have a start and blog our thoughts, there are number of members who also have emotions, observations, opinions, thoughts, experiences. They may be familiar with better words then we are, so they can suggest us new ways of using such words in the light of their comments. When we have continuous comments on our blogs we will become familiar with those members and come in to communication again and again, and whoever are called ‘friends” more than these co-bloggers? And of course with whom we are in incessant touch they are our friends.

I have observed that relationship in mere chatting doesn't last long, besides some female members have had bad experiences. But this is not possible in blogging and/or commenting on blogs. Yes, some light discussion of course gets started and so the seed of friendship become a plant or a strong tree with the passage of time. So my friends get motivated and start blogging to make friends because ‘Making friends through blogging” is lot easier.

Why Blogging in a Community is better than Blogging Alone:

To discuss this topic I would like to invite you to read my blog on the topic “Why Blogging is Useful for English Learners” wherein I have discussed that a writer’s (blogger’s) first wish is to be read, read by maximum readers so that he would be able to get their comments, to improve how to use the vocabulary, and later on make a place in the world of literature. In my opinion blogging is the priority after making a habit of reading. A dancer if dance alone, a singer if sings in a solitude how can they be going to be known in the mass and improve without having any admiration or critical comments. There is a saying, that if the peacock dance in the jungle, no matter how beautifully it dances, but who sees it dancing.

In the same way if a blogger keeps his/her work concealed in a diary, or blog alone how he is going to know what he has written is up to the mark. Blogging in a Community gives us opportunity to become a part of the ‘community’ thereby avail the chance to increase our social circle, make relationships enjoy the company of like-mind friends. Being in a community gives a chance of self-exposure, to know and to be known. I am fond of reading. It gives me energy, if you go through the blogs posted after Tara’s this challenge, you will find amazingly nice blogs, alive, and you will feel each and every word breathes and a has heartbeat. Imagine if these blogs are not posted, would we be able to enjoy reading them, feeling them? No, it wouldn't be possible and it might be a loss to the blogger, being unnoticed. So blogging in a Community is better than blogging alone.

How blogging has changed my life:

Before I came to know how to blog (writing on a website forum), I was in a complete suffocation, and surprisingly I didn't know the reason of all the burden I had on my heart.   Because of such faded nature, I didn't have confidence in myself and always shied out where I was needed to speak or express.  I didn't have many friends.  And whenever or whatever company I had, I simply sat quiet listening to others and not responding.  Then I became a hermit.   In such a fit of dejection, one day very unintentionally I wrote some lines, then I read them.  It worked as a spark enlightening the darkness of my personality.  After that there was no break.  Of course sometimes the mind blocks, and mood gets off, in such situations I do not write.  But then it starts again.  With the passage of time and with writing (Blogging) my personality changed, I got confidence.  Now I do not feel any hesitation to participating in discussion.  I am now counted in smart people (at least mentally, if not in appearance), I know when I have to smile, and when to laugh, (Prior I kept expressionless).  I now know how and when I have to prompt.  Believe me when I read Tara’s this challenge I have written extempore five topics (including this one) in a go.  I am not boasting, I am just inviting my fellow members to come forward and start blogging without any hesitation.   Whatever I am now is because of blogging (writing for the public on forum especially on EC, here on EC my score of blogging long gone over 110 just within a period of one year.

WHY ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS SHOULD BLOG?

A teacher is a guide, a mentor and an ideal for students.   Language learners always expect to have some new words, new lines, new thoughts and new ideas from their mentor.  They have an unexpressed attachment with their teacher and expect that their problem will be solved by him or her in a jiffy.  And sure a good teacher knows all this, so she leaves no stone unturned to provide all the knowledge to the students. 

English language, especially because of its international demand and the only available source of communication, needs priorities from the teacher as well as from the learners.  Blogging on a forum (especially on EC, because of its popularity) is the key for all those who are zealous to learn the language and adhere to the cause of entering in to the world of knowledge and wisdom through learning language.  It is, therefore, must for English Language teacher/s that they should blog their ideas, observations, opinions and methods for the benefit of the learners.  I myself learn a lot when a senior or a teacher blogs.  I learn how to express an idea in impressive way, how a statement no matter if it is a simple one, is garlanded with the flowers of words to make it an expression and form so that it would become an idea which becomes a permanent part of literature.   This is only possible when English Language Teachers post their blogs 

Why Blogging is Useful for English Learners?

Blogging is said to post (publish) a writer’s own experiences, observations, opinions feelings on a website or in a forum for the benefit of the readers.  A writer’s first wish is to be read, read by maximum readers so that he would be able to get their comments to his benefit, to improve language, vocabulary, and later on make a place in the world of literature. 

In my opinion blogging is the priority after making a habit of reading.  A dancer if dances alone, a singer if sings in solitude, how can they be going to be known to the mass and improve without have any admiration or critical comments. There is a saying, that if the peacock dances in the jungle, no matter how beautifully it dances, but who sees it dancing.  In the same way if a writer or a learner keeps his/her work concealed in a diary, how they are going to know what they have written is up to the mark.  So, blogging is definitely useful for English Learner, no matter how raw a blogger is, but if the first step taken on the blog, there will be flow of thoughts without any blockade.  

If blogging is initiated with courage to request the members for corrections, there will be definitely improvement.  I have been writing since long and received such marvelous comments that they themselves can be categorized as blogs, one or two comments I have blogged here on EC for the interest of readers. So for a learner having comments is a bonus.  We, young or old, most of the time have impulse of emotions in our lives, sad, happy, melancholy, our love affairs, our friendships, hardships, burden on heart, if we paint  our such experiences, observations, opinions feelings on the canvas of EC with the colors of words. We will be going to have the great onlookers in our exhibition hall…..MyEC.

When people move outside of their native country, it is essential to learn the language spoken in the new country,  we are lucky that we do have a universal language, i.e. English.  The world has shrunk and there are now ample opportunities and need for people all over the world to interact with each other.  A language that is suited as a universal language must have a few characteristics; it must be simple and easy to master.  It must be spoken by a lot of people, and finally it must be rich in literature and other books.  We notice that English does have these qualities to more or less degree.  I have observed that English is now very well taken in those countries where in the past it was not taken very cordially.

English is the first language of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and several other countries.  In still more countries………like Malaysia, Pakistan, India Sri Lanka,  Philippines and the South American countries…..English is the second language.

You should come and see what has happened to me since you struck me out of your life.  If you come you should bring all your courage to see me.  It shouldn’t be nice at all.  Friends say one should have a hard heart to bear this pain. I did have a broken heart.  I should have been careful and didn’t trust you while you declared your love in the first place.  I should have closed my heart, but unluckily I didn’t do any such thing.  I shouldn’t have bought your story and be in myself.  But I melted, which I shouldn’t be in the first place.

Listen, I believe in your love, I know you love me, but I do not have any trust in the attack of changing time. So if it happens to hate me, and the delicate petals of my heart become thorns to you, then do not remember the time we passed together, because the poison of memories does not allow the wounds to heal. Never hate those chats we did sit together for hours, because the chats are the innocent link between two hearts, if my love is not of any worth to you, these chats are not responsible for this, they were innocent talks, you just hate me, not the circumstances we went through.

A para from my own blog.

ROSE

The rose is rightly called "The Queen of Flowers". It is pretty to look at.  It is very sweet to smell. It's many kinds and colours.  It is used for making garlands and bouquets.  The nature has created this beautiful flower with thorn to protect from the unorthodox pluckers.  Anyway, some pluckers, however, call the courage to  pluck the roses with care, so that they may run their flower shops.  Rose water and gulqund (rose petals are mixed with honey) are used in medicine. The Atr (perfume) of rose was invented by the queen Nur Jehan.  Rose plant is nearly four feet high.

HABITS

I have only one habit (maybe more) but the only talk about habit I have is READING.  Yes, I read and read and read.  So because of this habit I now have confidence to write.  I rarely feel hard to write.  I at least try to write whatever thought comes to my mind.  I am not claiming that I write very good.  The good thing which comforts me is that I find it easy (mostly) words coming to the paper (electronically or in ink) from mind through pen.(keyboard).  So reading and more and more reading is the source to steer your mind to make you able to write.  So let's start reading folks.

MOON

Moon the disc that all the lovers like to stare at, especially when the beloved is not near. When she is with him, he tries to convince her that she is more beautiful than the moon, rather the moon has borrowed the beauty from her. Those were our ancestors who tried to get on moon by holding each other's tail to make a ladder and then fell into the lake to hold the moon. Ah, so moon fooled them too. When I was a kid I used to insist my mom to get me the moon so I would play with it and she always promised me that when I would get older to a young man, she would give me a moon in the name of a wife. So I got happy on that promise of my mom. Moon has so many parts in our life, some are so closed that our life is incomplete without moon or at least stories of love.

Last week I went to the books market to buy some books. I bought Jameel-Uddin-Aali's "Aadmi". I already have his "Urmghan-e-Aali". I also bought Dan Brown's Inferno in spite I have already read this book. I already have his "Deception Point" Angels and Demons, The Digital Fortress, The Davinci Code (Special illustrated Collector’s Edition), Lost Symbol. I already have the seven books of Harry Potter though this fancy seems to be for children, but it has fascinated the grownups, too. I am very fond of books and reading. I am a habitual reader.

Since my early school days I have always loved and enjoyed reading books. I vividly remember the time of my school days when I would very earnestly buy story books of fairy tales from one of the roadside book vendors, who used to sell books near our house. Prior to my school age I used to ask my mother to read story for me. My mother had only the basic knowledge of reciting Holy Quraan. She also could read small books in our native language. Once she asked me why I would not learn how to read if I was so interested in stories. Then she taught how to read Urdu, which I learned prior to going school.

Reading books has always fascinated me and given me enormous satisfaction. With the passage of time this book reading habit of mine has grown stronger and stronger with the desire to read more and more whatever comes to my hand, even the scrap of papers, as I enjoy reading books the way I used to enjoy them in my childhood. I had never found a best friend more than books. They always communicated with me and I never find any difficulty to comprehend them.

Books are the best source of learning; they polish and build up one's personality and slowly and gradually they work as a mechanism process of building confidence, and eventually the reader learns the way of dealing with people.

All those books I have read so far have acted like true friends to me and helped me in nurturing my personality in a positive and strong manner, giving me tremendous confidence and insight into life. Today when I am very much in the midst of practical life I feel proud to call all those books as my true friends and teachers from which I have learnt a lot.

'LOVE',  Strange Thy Name

“What do you think if someone very far away from you, says that she loves you in the very first conversation of her with you like I’m doing now?”

“I guess I shouldn’t believe her, I’d think that she is pulling my leg, I have firm belief that I should not pay any attention to such nonsense.”

“But believe me MI that I am the one who have been chasing you through all your writings, and has reached to the belief that you are the one whom I have been waiting for, you are the one for whom I have love within entire of me deep inside in the hidden part of my heart.”

“I believe you are having fun with me, you know who I am, my age, my marital status it’s all in my profile, and you still believe that I will believe you?’

“Yes I know all this, and gave it a long thought, circumstances are really peculiar, my profile is also obvious, but I do not care about it, because there is no intention to get anything physical gain out of this STRANGE LOVE I have, I have gathered courage, just to express to you and make you to believe, that on this globe, in the yonder part of land, there is a girl, who loves a man beyond her reach, but isn’t this a strange world, isn’t life plays unbelievable games with us beyond beliefs?”

That was where I was left having no guts to believe what she just said, but I felt beyond beliefs on the contrary that the tears were rolling down from her eyes to her cheeks while she was opening her heart.

HOW I LEARNED READING:

Prior to my school age I used to ask my mother to read story books for me. My mother had just the basic knowledge of reciting Holy Quraan, she also could read small books in our native language. Once she asked me why I would not learn how to read if I was so interested in stories. Then she taught how to read Urdu, which I learned prior to going school. My mother bought the very first book of learning Urdu Alphabets, their combination in twos or more letters to make words. My mother, like I said could only able to recite the Qura’an, and the alphabets (letters) of Urdu are mostly similar to the Arabic Alphabets. So with the help of her Qura’an reciting knowledge she taught me the alphabets and their combination to make words, and then sentences. My mother, may Allah bless her soul and keep her in the highest place in heaven, in spite she herself not able to read and write properly, made me read stories by myself. Whatever I am today, in respect of reading and writing has been because of the foundation laid by her. I have tears of respect in my eyes while I am remember her in these words.

Have been in love or not

Hey hello, where have you been? It's been long time since I saw you last, I have been looking for you, I was worried much, you neither replied my messages, been sent to you on your cell and by messages. I feel that you have been trying to run away from me.
No, this is not the case, I have never been thinking to run away from you but I just wanted a break, to assess our relationship.

So, what has come out? Am I in or out? Have you been feeling better now, or is the confusion persisted?

I have been thinking since I left you last, and I came up to the decision that we can go on as friends, and nothing more. I do not think about you as my boyfriend or more.

You decided so and didn’t think about me what I feel. Has there been no value of my emotions in your eyes? You initiated all this and when I am deep in love with you, it has been cooking in your mind that I have been nothing in your life but a mere friend.

Listen to me; I have been trying to figure it out for hours and hours. It is true I initiated it, I have been concentrating on my studies, and you have always been there before my eyes, this was having an inverse impact on my studies. So I decided to stay away from you.

Okay, will it work if we have a break and stay quiet for a while.

Yes, it is, that’s what I have been trying to convey to you.

I had been hoping to have her back, but she never turned up. 

I didn't know when I fell for her, but it was when I saw her in her office drowned in some thoughts, then I wished that she was thinking about me. It wasn't long before I was head over heels in love with her. I went to her table and ‘ahmmed” to get her out of thoughts. She raised her eyes, which shone over me. “What can I do for you?” She asked with. There was a slight curve on her lips, which reminded me of rose petals. I told her that I did not have any business with her, I just saw her from the glass wall and I did not know how my steps took me to her.

We became friends out of nothing. We spent a lot of time together and got along lovingly. After having passed a good part of my life I knew she was the one, and I was sure…….pretty sure, she knew I was the one, too because, one night while she was too closed to me, I popped up the question, which made her blush with joy and the following year we got hitched or you can say we tied the knot.

I use public busses for transportation. I do not have my own vehicle. I use Coach (a mode of transpiration in our city) to go to my work. We are the only ones who can travel in these coaches. I do not think dwellers other than those in my country have the guts and patience to travel in them. It is very risky traveling in this transport, because there are pickpockets, looters and snatchers. You can’t say when you will be deprived of your cash and valuables by these hoodlums. My job place has been shifted to SITE. Within a period of six months dozens of similar incidents have occurred so far, which includes four of my colleagues who have been deprived of their cash and cell phone at gun point.  Recently one of our directors have been looted on gun point two time in a week. He was in his luxury car.  When I get on these transport, I start to recite prays, because only God can protect us. No civil authorities will come up to our protection, even if we ourselves go to them for help, we will find a stone face – stone heart, (Surprised why? They may have been a part of it and scavenging their share).

“I am a pen, the only source of putting the ideas feelings and emotions mankind has in mind. (Though now most of you may not agree with my claim of being only source, because of the invention of key board), but I consider a key board only a medium which only represent me, I do have the connection of mind with me. How important I am, can be assessed that Allah Almighty sworn by me in the Holy Quran, in Sura Al-Qalam. Why? Only because Allah says that this is the pen which has put all the knowledge and wisdom of the entire universe in the Holy Book Al-Quraan. “
“Yes, I am the one of which poet says that the sound when I run on the paper is actually the sounds of footsteps of my thoughts which are coming out by the medium of me “the pen”. In the primitive, when the first man picked a piece of coal or a chalk stone, to put the images of his thought on the rock, I was born there in this world, otherwise I was there since the beginning of time, where the commandments were written on the Loh-e-Magfooz for the Prophets to come in the world to guide the mankind. So, I can claim to be the source of guidance to the mankind.

With the passage of time my shape and appearance got changed. Sometimes, I am called, pencil, sometimes, fountain pen or sometime ball pen, even some call me brush, but my motive, my aim and my purpose is the same, to spread education, knowledge, wisdom, to make the man aware of the feelings, emotions and thoughts. I have been, and am spreading the flowers of knowledge in the form of poetry and prose. Men like to keep me near their hearts while women keep me in their purses very handy so that whenever I am needed I am there in their easy reach. The riches have me covered in gold and diamonds, while the poor takes me simple. But this doesn’t matter much. In whatever appearance I am, my main purpose is to spread knowledge and I am proud of it.”

I'm the kinda girl who is 'one of the guys' the one who is always there for everyone else when they need, the one who puts others before herself. I'm the kinda girl who would rather be in sweats, big tee's and no makeup at school, but dresses up because it’s what people expect of her. I'm the kinda girl, who regrets little things from the past, like not joining a sports team. I'm the kinda girl who loves her sports, but also loves getting dressed all fancy and acting like a princess. I'm the kinda girl who everyone knows her name, but nobody takes the time to know her. The one everyone sees walking with her one best friend and they all just stare. I'm the kinda girl who can be hurt, but will take time to make someone else happy, even though she can’t make herself. I'm the kinda girl who acts all tough, but is really not as tough as you think. The girl that jokes around, but sometimes likes to be serious. The kind of girl who acts like things don’t bug her or hurt her~

Oh dear,  you might be thinking that I have left you, may be assuming that I am so out of etiquette even didn’t bother to intimate you to abstaining from coming online.  This is not the case.  I fell ill.  Just came back from my family physician.  He suggested that I should tell a loved one about my sickness, and I have no loved ones but you my love, so the first thing I am doing after returning home, sitting before laptop and write to you.  My physician  said it was advisable that I rest at least one week and stay away from any emotional activities so that my heart  could get a rest.  He also advised me to stay away from all work strain.  So dear, I am happy that I will be able to have more time with you than before, (ignoring the advice of not risking the emotional upheaval) because my heart gets out of control when I am near you.  He requested that I eat regularly (which is against the rule of ‘love’), he said, “eat whenever desire, but essentially not to eat ‘sadness’ and be happy.”  And my happiness is to be with you. So I advised myself to keep myself close to you and stop staying away from internet. One thing which I like of my physician that he insisted me to talk about my heart condition with my family, and my family is you because I have no one but you. I wish you were closer and I wish I were healthier.