The episodes of 'BBC Master Chef Goes Large' ended unceremoniously. Steven Wallis was declared the MC, as he, unexpectedly, performed well in last couple of MC Tests. Hanna (or Anna?) performed splendidly throughout the competition - and she was most likely to win. But as luck would have it - things were on Steven's side - who, once in-pressure cooking test, lost his nerves and started weeping when he had almost spoiled the food while it was to be served in a short while to the guests, a group of legend chefs from different top hotel chains, and John Torode, the host, had to pat his shoulder to convince and encourage him to continue. And at that time i was sure his is not the winner by any chance.

Anyway, finale could have been more ceremonious in terms of declaring second and third position winners despite picking one winner and tossing a glass of wine with him. What i believe is, all three finalists were equally good - they all had demonstrated an exceptional command over cooking under stress, developing flavors, presenting and garnishing well while equally keeping in mind the nutritional values and quantity of the food they were to cook, whether it was a single serving of a three course meal or a two hundred servings of 'pizza' or 'fish & chips' in a school canteen! Their performance was excellent!

The most remarkable comment in all episodes was by John Torode on Hanna's dish, "The idea of Blueberry (pause) Saffron (pause) Duck (Pause) Lavender (Two Pauses) REPHELLS ME! (Repels me)" - though the dish looked quite mouthwatering! These were his comments of approval or rejection and his perfect British accent that made the program really lively!

One of the finalists went to an Indian restaurant to learn Indian cuisine recipes and spices. And funniest for us and tragic for him was, when he, later in MC kitchen, forgot to add salt in his potatoes - a dish that resembled more like Aalo Matar! (Now that really repels!)

-~-

Ending the post with a SMS joke:

A man kiled a deer, cooked it and didn't tell kids what it was. He gave a hint "It's something that your mom calls me!" The son shouted, "Na Khana ... Kutta Hai"

Cheers and have a nice weekend!

The Bus Ticket

A reminder that i was in Lahore on this weekend.

This weekend was quite uncomfortable due to electricity shutdown, which, on Saturday evening, started at 7.10 pm and lasted for twenty-two hours, with only two phases on the meter alive that allowed me to keep only the ‘TV lounge’ meagerly illuminated by two dimly lit hundred watt bulbs – until on Sunday evening, our poor-in-resources wapda arranged a working transformer for replacement.

While I am jotting down these lines, I am continuously bothered by the flies, untiringly buzzing around me, trying to rest on my forearm and knee. And also bothering me is the noise of kids playing cricket in the street, in front of my house – the noise of bouncing the tennis ball off the ground, their bats - as they strike them repeatedly on the hard surface as a part of their habit, and their consistent yelling and shouting out over minor acts of unfair game play. And a next door neighbor, who shares a ‘common wall’ as a mark of separation of two houses, is also bugging me with his loud speech volume and irritating pitch – while he is involved in a ludicrous conversation with a girl of a ‘paindo’ accent younger to him, which, I judged from her voice.

To some amazement, it’s a sort of monologue - the girl is rather listening and not talking much. Imagine – she, twisting her fingers, rolling and unrolling her ‘dupatta’ on her thumb repeatedly, blinking her eyes more than normal without blushing so much - fully aware of her accent (and/or maybe due to her un-brushed teeth!), considers it wise to keep her mouth shut and remain environment friendly in all possible respects.

Meanwhile, my gate knocks. I know, it’ll be a kid on the door, claiming his tennis ball, which crosses our boundary several times in the evening. Sometimes I do respond, but most often I just turn a deaf ear to the ringing door bell. I inform the kid with a diabolic contentment that his ball is not here; it might have fallen through the fence into the basement where I have no access at all. I pick up today’s paper from the garage and return. It is 4.45 pm. Early morning showers had caused a delay in the delivery of newspaper – but it was too late to deliver it in the evening.

There aren’t any signs of electricity despite phone calls to SDO since yesterday, who, on my both calls assured me of his understanding of the problem and the readiness of his workers awaiting the availability of a spare transformer.
Well, electricity has just been restored. I send a sms to say thanks to SDO for bringing the whole area back to life –but he didn’t respond back. May be he had smelled the hidden hypocrisy in my message.

When I started this post I actually wanted to write how troublesome the previous night was. I had kept the doors open in the evening – attracting and inviting the mosquitoes to the lights inside. I only realized this terrible mistake when I hit the sack at 12 in the night.

‘5 balain, 3 runs’, the boys are still shouting. As the new transformer is fixed and set to working, kids in the neighborhood are celebrating and playing again. ‘Jaldi Aao, Jaldi Aao’, I can hear them through the widow and the opened door of side-gallery.

The night was worst, most of the time I kept scratching my face, arms, and feet. Around 2 am, I decided to drag the ‘char-pie’ into the garage. Had I hardly laid the ‘khais’ over it, it started to downpour all at once that I feared it would not be safe to sleep there. I pulled back - and do remember it rained continually till 6 am. A phone call woke me up at 10.30 am. Now it’s 5.30 pm, weekend is almost over. Nothing much to mention except that tomorrow is Monday. I have to calendar clothes, complete some paper work and type this post for publishing with some necessary editing.

--
Reading Now: Putli Peking Ki by Mustansar Hussain Tarar. Read it's review here.

Things i normally do these days:

1) Make plans and/or timetables
2) Then a few more plans to execute the already queued.
3) Read Light Within, Crazed and Bi-Conditional. The loyal Blogspot users like me.
4) Think that i should read Hunch Back of Notre Dame, but i can't - i worry about point 1.
5) Often forget to take tea when it's hot and then pour the remaining quarter cup, cold like water, in my stomach in a single go.
6) Procrastinate
7) Play NFS UG1 and Copter.
8) Regret on an old issue over and over.
9) Normally watch Dirty Jobs, Master Chef, Extreme Engineering and News (a recent interest) and abnormally watch Local Dramas.
10) Wait for a Rainy Day.
11) Forward cell phone messages which i normally don't.
12) Believe that my cell phone is far behind in the race of latest gadgets.
13) Know the importance of getting up early in the morning and reaching office in time.

water park - lahore

Despite my all headache-triggering efforts it is not working out for me. In depth analysis is neither required nor would it yield any benefit in terms of getting an instant solution – In reality things are not always a pack of ‘Knoor kay Instant Noodles’ and ‘K&N kay Bun Kabab’ ads that are seldom aired on TV channels these days while most of the time slot is given to an intolerable ‘her cheez Mezan main achi lagti hai’ cooking oil add – you zap through the channels once again after watching a five-minutes-drama-episode between a series of ads and several sponsored time checks like Mobilink ka Time check, Kala Kola ka Time check, Tapal Danedar ka … blah - And you continue until electricity shutdowns for next one hour and sometimes for fifty-five minutes acutely just like 1699.00 Rupees tag on shoes.

Offices are not blue on Mondays only. Sometimes whole week is like that. Putting my full-hearted efforts which then underwent transition from a half-hearted to a head-smashing-into-wall feeling I almost gave up. A red tape as per tradition. Let us start with one of the many novels I have saved in my hard drive and GBs of songs I seldom listen to and a tin of chilled Cola. Lunch, post-lunch break, tea, biscuits - so many things. Let’s recall the old times, recall the mistakes and admit that these were mistakes indeed ...

Blog Chain

Have you ever met a blogger who rather than adding links in the sidebar due to his sluggishness follows a chain of links from one blog to another to reach to a certain blog by recalling his memory? If 'No' then you are on the right page! Ladies and Gentlemen meet the legend:Green Head! And a simple chain would be like:

www.asma.eomag.com --> UTP --> http://www.umarpirzada.com --> Ghazal.

How does it feel to search for the old blogs once you used to enjoy reading?

Somewhat nostalgic.

Radom Images

Drawn by Aks on my facebook wall
months ago ...


I* Got married a few days ago.

Simple chocolate cake

Office Tales

I’ll depart at nine tonight. Where? It shouldn’t be a question. Since morning, at office, I am distracted and absolutely reluctant to think about work. And I am playing a flash game ‘Copter’. Believe me, I have found it very addictive after ‘crazy taxi’ on mind jolt games. I drop the choppers and get new ones without saying ‘Bring me a new chopper.’ – do you remember Swat Kats? I hope so! :-D

Twenty two minutes to off. I have a firm belief that black sheep have installed key loggers on the PCs dedicated for web surfing. So, here I am - just taking a risk to publish.

Yesterday, I was given a slight hint that this year they want me to appear in GRE. Last year, on their demand, I had to take TOEFL :-). This time, preparation on such a short notice is difficult. I, too, have given them a slight hint. - Not possible. :-D

Next update tomorrow. Rahay Naam Allah ka!

My father remained in CCU for three days after he fainted with heavy sweating on last Saturday. He was discharged from hospital on Thursday. The doctor suspected it was minor heart attack but even in three days of observation they didn't find any of its symptoms again except in the first couple of ECGs and a cardiac test which i think had fake readings by the lab wala, and of course on the instructions of doctor. Today we have an taken appointment from another doctor. Lets see what does he say. I hope it is not a cardiac problem.

And i am searching for a violin ring tone - i don't know the name but somebody told me it was Radio break violin or Record break violin. It was actually a background music i listened to on FM100. Please leave the link if you know which ring tone it is.

I have many things in my mind but only a limited set of words. Three years ago i was at my best. Though i had it,s slight realization but actually i took it all wrong. I made some decisions on my own and forgot that it is the supreme power of Allah Almighty that decides everything and i don't have anything in my hand. Now that i want to stay at home it is not possible. I have to go. I won't say it's a crisis or a worst situation. But there is a feeling that my heart can go bang. Silent and empty minded - this is what i am now.

Khair, yesterday i was thinking that people on blogs don't do anything positive or practical except criticizing the political and socioeconomic crisis in the country. They make forums, initiate discussions and request people to paste tags on their blogs to demonstrate a protest. And that's it. Is this of any use?

What crap i had been writing in my previous post ... whoof ... there are signs that things will get better. Another chance ... Let us see. A positive change or another dip or nothing ... praying and waiting. But the thing is i will stick to this blog ... though i am simply publishing crap here but it doesn't matter. Nobody is reading.

must change the blog skin. will find a site and switch to something classic. was listening to bunny a while ago. may be these are the vital signs. a step towards life and change. but again it is all conditional. a few more ifs and thens.

Maloom nahi yah aazmaish kab khatam ho gi --- abhi kuch dair pehlay mujay asiay laga kah shaed mera dil is boj ore gham say phat jaey --- Allah na karay kah is kay baad bhi mujay kisi ore aazmaish say guzarna paray --- Laikin kuch gair-unjan say khoof is bay tarah mujay pareshan keay daytay hain kah unka bayan na mumkin --- In waswason kay darmeyan yon akalay baithna parashani ko mazed do-chand keay dayta hay --- Andayshay hain kah barhay chalay jatay hain --- yon na ho jaey --- woon na ho jaey --- dil ajaeb tarah pareshan hay --- andayshon ko zuban per latay hoay darta hoon --- kah Khudanakhoasata --- dil per is boj ko kab tak bardasht karon? Ujab baychaini hay --- Ab mazed kuch bhi bura sunny ki himat nahi --- Allah karin kah is mushkil waqt ka jald ikhtatam ho --- ore mayri aazmaish jald khairat say unjam ko pohunchay.

ps: ab mayray aasaab taqreban jawab day chukay hain --- 1.5 saal aasab ko tornay phorany k liyay koi kam ursa nahi hota --- in sab haalaat ka zamadaar kon hay? Is sawal ka sahi jawab mayray pass nahi hai --- ore shaed kabhi ho bhi na --- kia pata main khod hee??? aj 1.5 saal baad khala main takti howi mujay apni in ankhon main nami bohat kuch jitati howi mahsos hoti hai --- is baat ka saboot hai kah bas --- ab mazed ki taab nahi muj main --- tot phot chuka hoon --- mazed nahi sah sakon ga ---

Ah ... the last 1.5 years ...

Perhaps one and a half year long period of difficulties is about to end. Things are shaping up - but until yesterday i was feeling almost completely shattered. These waves of depression squeeze every drop of life from the body and leave you with a pale face, sunken eyes, gray and dry hair ... And sometimes you skip your meals .... sit silently and forlornly without uttering a single word in whole twenty-four hours .... uncomfortable and partially sleepless slumbers ... periodic cycles of diversion towards religion or totally away from it .... the waves of depression which normally don't ebb off - where only a few waves are enough to shatter the already weak castles. Many things like these ... hard to explain and hardest to bear and survive through them. May be tomorrow is a better day for me. I can pray only.

HOPE

Worst

When all this will end i don't have any idea but so far this surely is the worst.

Sunday Morning

The day quite kicked off quite early despite the fact i hit the sack after 5 am. Could be the longest day in past several months.

Skipped office and had been to Dentist in the evening today. It was a ten minutes scaling session only. "You must use braces, it's cheap and costs sixteen thousand only - ten thousand advance fee and remaining amount in monthly installments which would be deducted from your salary", she told me as she picked up a needle from a stainless steel box. I lifted my head from big green chair i was almost lying on and looked backwards where she was standing and without showing any interest i told her that this piece of advice was never given to me before. Perhaps my answer or tone had annoyed her a bit.

It was the equipment in the clinic that impressed me more than her skills as a good surgeon. After the treatment she wasn't much interested in answering a couple questions regarding my problem and told me to be patient and wait till next scaling session. Earlier she had suggested braces as an ultimate solution. May be this was the reason for her lack of concern.

One of the lenses in my spectacles was loose in the frame and it slipped out, fell on the floor and broke into three pieces as soon as i picked them from the front pocket of my shirt while leaving the dentist's room. I felt a little bad while sliding the broken pieces towards the wall with my left shoe and wished i hadn't picked them out that moment. And now my left eye sees a blurry picture as i am wearing the same specs. I'll get them fixed tomorrow. Interestingly, in Lahore it costs only two hundred for a pair of lenses and in Islamabad this price starts from five hundred rupees. The quality of glass is same everywhere whether you buy it for five hundred from Karachi Company or from F10 for one thousand rupees.

And it's chicken curry in dinner tonight. Recently our cook has been changed and the taste of food has improved. I hope this quality and taste will be maintained as he (the cook) is quite
experienced and willing to work properly and stay here for a longer duration.

A Silent Return

My love for blogger will always remain there. After a gap of almost a year on blogspot and a total absence of more than a year has brought me back to blogging- may be this time it's a loyal blogger. (though there were some posts in that silent past). Maybe (Read 'actually') i wanted to avoid mob (a few people) around me. But for how long and who gives a 8888? Right?

GH, this time, is more sensible than he was in his past. He turned 27 this December. 27?? Yes. Wisdom tooth appeared long ago but wisdom and maturity were just following by. They shew their signs a bit late. Apart from it he has grown somewhat more gloomy and silent. Learning process has been stopped. This thing dreaded him so much that he was compelled to jolt his mind again. so here he is ... writing again. He forgot simple 'is, are, am' and even 19x19 was a big ? for him. An obvious downfall and a slow progression towards mental degradation - an ultimate death? And this is his greatest fear these days.

Another change he noticed that now he prefers clean humor. (ah dry throat ... picks up the 1.5 liter bottle of coke filled with water and guzzles). Well i have forgotten what i had had in my mind. Umm ... well ... ok let's start a new story, new paragraph.

Bloggers who inspired me once in the very early days of my blogging - it dates back to 2004, sighs, four years since then, are either not into blogging or have changed their writing styles or have simply said farewell to blogging. I wish some day they restart blogging the way it was.

There were many ups and downs in 2007 - an year of loneliness. My best companion was my PC throughout the year. Financially, it was a perfect year. I made several plans about several things and wasted time properly! 08 will be a year of many good changes, inshaAllah.

Now some goings on of the day: A person from previous company called in and offered me to join again. No doubt it was a lucrative job but then i wanted to move forward rather than taking a step back. Softly and respectfully told him that i was satisfied with my present job - that plain and prompt reply was a bit unexpected for him - and i could image the change in his facial expressions from normal to a slight disbelief. What an opportunity loser i am, he might have been thinking this for next one minute or so.

I don't want to go back and waste my time, life and everything associated. It hurts me - it really does, believe me.

And ten minutes before off time today, in my manager's office, seated in a chair where i was trying to read a letter placed on his table in a stealthy manner while he was on phone waiting for the call to be picked up from the other end, he just noticed my activity and nodded 'yes?' just to tell that i wasn't supposed to read that letter, i felt a bit ashamed of myself. Yes, i wasn't supposed to do that. But sometimes, we do such childish things.

Have an appointment from dentist tomorrow that required me to get blood tests again so that she can use her surgical instruments without any fear that the patient is not a carrier of HIV and Hepatitis. There was an HCV test too, I guess i have produced the correct name.

I've a plenty of work piled up on my office desk which requires a big brain and a plenty of hard work. Sometimes i badly realize that i am back to school again - where we don't have summer or winter vacations and no BATA kay Black school shoes and heavy school bags! But we have books. And pencils - as i still prefer them and feel a certain type of satisfaction when i sharp a pencil and hear the sound of sharpening, its fine and soft round flake that comes off the pencil and an attempt to sharp without segmenting the flake in a single go ... and then blowing away the sharp black filings from the sharpener blade - this habit was so strong that even today i keep it and try to sharp the pencil same way i used to in my childhood where we were forced to write with pencils despite our greatest charm-of-that-time 'fountain pens'.

Time in office hangs. 8 to 4 is dead slow while time from 5 to 9 flies at a very fast pace. I think i will always remain a person who feels difficulty and hates to get up early in the morning no matter how early he sleeps. And i recently came to know that this laziness is also by fate.

Allah Willing, In next posts i will try to share something more from my childhood stories. It is nice way to remember the time that can't be rewound back.

Almost 12 pm on the dial. I must end the post. Although it's a random ending today but i hope in the days to come there will be improvements.