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The Random Talk thread [Read ground rules in post #1]

Are you guys living the life that you've always wanted to live and have dreamed about or you people are living life imposed upon you guys?

At point of life where you people are today, You wanted to be here from age of 16-19?
 
I kept my first fast at age six,only kept some fasts in Ramadan uptill age 9,when I kept 15.I kept all 30 at age 10.I'm 17 now.

I have kept all fasts in Ramadan since then until this year where I had to leave 2 because of illness.

I didn't know about the stunted growth fact,but all my family members are average in height and I am taller than everyone.I'm almost 6 feet tall.


Alhamdoulillah. There are always outliers. Analysis does not rely on outliers.


I know a very good looking, smart, healthy, intelligent younger brother. He lives in a European Country and offers atleast 1 or 2 daily prayers in Congregation at Mosque.
He is 18 and InshaAllah destined to become a Fellow from USA's top medical school. He has memorised atleast 30 Surah's of Quran, gives alot of ours to religious work with youth organisation aswell. Currently He is studying Medicine in a top medical School. He is very well mannered too. I met him on Eid and he inquired me about Ramzan. I had a good chat with him. He himself shared with me that He has become 18 this year so He is very sad that He left 3-4 fasts this year as it was very tough for him. He told me that since He was under 18 until last year so He only kept fasts (very few) previously to get acquainted to it ie have a feel of it.


He plays football, offers all prayers, is healthy & is veru good in studies and 20 years down the line if I live I would want my kids to be like that. (He was born in Europe)


Hats of to his parents for their upbringing and hat's of to his obedience. He also studies relugious books, fiction, novels & keenly follows International news aswell. An Allrounder who is tilted slughtly towards religious but balances his life.


So I endorse this route.


My father Alhamdoulillah since his marriage hasn't left a single fast my Allah's grace.
 
One of my best and oldest friends and neighbour has died,aged just 25.

He passed away because of the brain-eating amoeba,negleria.

The last few days have honestly been hell for me.
 
One of my best and oldest friends and neighbour has died,aged just 25.

He passed away because of the brain-eating amoeba,negleria.

The last few days have honestly been hell for me.

Inna lillahi wa inna illahi raji'oon


That is very unfortunate to hear
 
One of my best and oldest friends and neighbour has died,aged just 25.

He passed away because of the brain-eating amoeba,negleria.

The last few days have honestly been hell for me.

Very sad to hear...horrible way of going, and 25 is way too young. Inna lillahi wa inna ilahi raji'oon...
 
One of my best and oldest friends and neighbour has died,aged just 25.

He passed away because of the brain-eating amoeba,negleria.

The last few days have honestly been hell for me.

Extremely unfortunate and may his soul RIP.

Sorry to ask but was the cause known?Swimming pool?
 
One of my best and oldest friends and neighbour has died,aged just 25.

He passed away because of the brain-eating amoeba,negleria.

The last few days have honestly been hell for me.

Inna lillahi wa inna illaihi rajioon
 
One of my best and oldest friends and neighbour has died,aged just 25.

He passed away because of the brain-eating amoeba,negleria.

The last few days have honestly been hell for me.

did he get it from a masjid wudu water?
 
Yes,not sure if masjid water but it happened during wudu.

Same thing happened to a a friends' cousins' husband recently while doing wudu at a mosque.

how long did the whole thing last? like did the ordeal strethc for long?
 
Same thing happened to a a friends' cousins' husband recently while doing wudu at a mosque.

how long did the whole thing last? like did the ordeal strethc for long?

No,I met him the night before Eid,chaand raat,and then learned that he had been admitted to AKUH on the first day of eid.He was then put on the ventilator day before yesterday and passed away yesterday morning.
 
My wife and kids leave for a visit to Pakistan next week. While I'm dismayed that the prodigal son's longed-for return to the motherland must wait another couple of years, I'm looking forward to a month and a half of effective bachelorhood. There are mountains to climb, hikes to go on, writing to catch up on. The only fly in the ointment is having to stay alone in a big, empty house. I suspect I'll be posting on the Jinn thread a few times.
 
[MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION] bro did you graduate already? I recall reading in your interview this was your final year when I was away from PP. Had to ask you, did you ever take a break to work etc. Not sure if student loans are a big deal in UK here as they are in US, but basically have heard people take a semester or two off to work and make money before resuming, did you do that at all?

Anybody else have experience with that?

Not saying I want to definitely do it, but want to get some testimonials first.
 
The entrance at Karachi's airport is crazy. There are a bunch amount of people cheering and they make you feel like movie stars.

I remember last time I went to Pakistan like 10 years ago I was getting hugs and garlands left, right and centre. Felt like I just won the 50 over WC for the country. :shafiq2
 
The entrance at Karachi's airport is crazy. There are a bunch amount of people cheering and they make you feel like movie stars.

wait.....What ??? Why ??? :danish

I haven't been back home for a while now, planning to come back for 3 odd weeks at the end of the year....What's this welcoming thing you're talking about dude ??
 
Going to Pakistan soon as well, for like a month of a half. Just waiting to get my passport in the mail.
 
Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilaihi Raji'oon.

That's honestly very scary.

Is Masjid water not safe there?

Generally(in the masjid I pray at normally)it's safe.Naegleria is a very rare affliction but I've heard about a lot of cases in the past couple of years.Now I've got chlorine tablets for the water tank at home,to be on the safe side.
 
[MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION] bro did you graduate already? I recall reading in your interview this was your final year when I was away from PP. Had to ask you, did you ever take a break to work etc. Not sure if student loans are a big deal in UK here as they are in US, but basically have heard people take a semester or two off to work and make money before resuming, did you do that at all?

Anybody else have experience with that?

Not saying I want to definitely do it, but want to get some testimonials first.

Not yet, my results are coming out soon :/ do dua for me guys. I was working part-time in my first and second year on the weekends, it was a bad idea but I needed the money; in my final year I decided against it though and the government did give me a bit of help on the side due to my circumstances. Yeah, the student loans are not too too bad because you basically start paying it off only when you're earning £20K+ but people are put off by the idea of being in debt up to 30-40K and when you do start working it does hit you in the pocket, because the tax man takes his cut and you need to pay that off your student loan in monthly instalments as well.

My course was 3 years, there was an option to take a placement year (work) after my first 2 years but I just went onto my final year because I wanted to just get my education over and done with it :)) being a jobber who has been at it a long time :))) but if the opportunity does come along do think you should take the placement year after your first two years of study, it usually is in an area relevant to your degree and that experience really boosts your job prospects mate. Either way, it can be a good thing to take a break from your studies as well and come back refreshed after a year. Another friend of mine just finished his final year but he is on the masters programme, before he is going to undertake it the guy will be taking a year out; good chance to regroup and make some money as well
 
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Generally(in the masjid I pray at normally)it's safe.Naegleria is a very rare affliction but I've heard about a lot of cases in the past couple of years.Now I've got chlorine tablets for the water tank at home,to be on the safe side.

I see.

Yeah take all precautions you can to stay safe man.

The water at home is said to be safer than the Masjid water, yeah? Or have you heard of neglaria cases occuring at people's homes too?
 
I see.

Yeah take all precautions you can to stay safe man.

The water at home is said to be safer than the Masjid water, yeah? Or have you heard of neglaria cases occuring at people's homes too?

I've heard about it happening in people's homes but those cases were mostly the poorer demographic who sadly cannot afford clean water and have to make do with contaminated water.Not that it doesn't happen to people from higher classes,but it's considerably rarer.

I would say masjid water is safer mostly,but it isn't always the case.
 
I've heard about it happening in people's homes but those cases were mostly the poorer demographic who sadly cannot afford clean water and have to make do with contaminated water.Not that it doesn't happen to people from higher classes,but it's considerably rarer.

I would say masjid water is safer mostly,but it isn't always the case.

May Allah protect all our brothers and sisters from this as well as all other diseases - Ameen.
 
Not yet, my results are coming out soon :/ do dua for me guys. I was working part-time in my first and second year on the weekends, it was a bad idea but I needed the money; in my final year I decided against it though and the government did give me a bit of help on the side due to my circumstances. Yeah, the student loans are not too too bad because you basically start paying it off only when you're earning £20K+ but people are put off by the idea of being in debt up to 30-40K and when you do start working it does hit you in the pocket, because the tax man takes his cut and you need to pay that off your student loan in monthly instalments as well.

My course was 3 years, there was an option to take a placement year (work) after my first 2 years but I just went onto my final year because I wanted to just get my education over and done with it :)) being a jobber who has been at it a long time :))) but if the opportunity does come along do think you should take the placement year after your first two years of study, it usually is in an area relevant to your degree and that experience really boosts your job prospects mate. Either way, it can be a good thing to take a break from your studies as well and come back refreshed after a year. Another friend of mine just finished his final year but he is on the masters programme, before he is going to undertake it the guy will be taking a year out; good chance to regroup and make some money as well

Good luck man.. I don't know how it is across the pond, but here in Canada most graduating folks start applying for jobs months before they graduate. I was also fortunate that I had a job waiting for me before I graduated. Going for Masters isn't a bad option either. Infact if I were to do it all over again I would just complete my education in one go and then look for employment. Now I'm planning on doing masters part-time and it seems like a big pain in the nether regions.
 
But man are the ticket prices high this time of the year. Whooosh!

Actually that seems very surprising for me. Post-Eid the demand is quite low and therefore the tickets would be cheaper. Around September the prices pick up again because of students coming. I've travelled in October and it was a fairly cheap ticket. December is probably the peak.

Which airline are you using. MTL>DOHA>KHI through Qatar Airways used to be the ideal route for me. You would probs be going to LHR.
 
Probably, but I'll enjoy that experience as well, tbh. Thinking of vlogging the whole experience.

How's your Urdu/Punjabi? Does it have a distinct accent? They will be in awe of your "Canadian" English but when you try to speak in Urdu they will mock you.... obviously all in good fun.
 
How's your Urdu/Punjabi? Does it have a distinct accent? They will be in awe of your "Canadian" English but when you try to speak in Urdu they will mock you.... obviously all in good fun.

Urdu is alright, but my Punjabi is comme si comme ça :narine As far as my Urdu is concerned, the foreign students that I've conversed with here have actually complimented me on it saying they were surprised it was that good considering I was brought up here. Punjabi is where the leg-pulling will occur, and it's alright, more of an opportunity for me to learn. :shafiq2
 
Actually that seems very surprising for me. Post-Eid the demand is quite low and therefore the tickets would be cheaper. Around September the prices pick up again because of students coming. I've travelled in October and it was a fairly cheap ticket. December is probably the peak.

Which airline are you using. MTL>DOHA>KHI through Qatar Airways used to be the ideal route for me. You would probs be going to LHR.

Yeah I was surprised as well, man. Its like 2K+ for a return trip. And yeah it'll be Qatar Airways through that route to LHR. This trip was completely unexpected and unplanned, just something came up in Pakistan that needed us to be there. Also, going to get my brother engaged, and attend a couple of weddings. Should be exciting. Btw, do you have any suggestions as to what I can bring back as gifts for my friends here?
 
I've heard about it happening in people's homes but those cases were mostly the poorer demographic who sadly cannot afford clean water and have to make do with contaminated water.Not that it doesn't happen to people from higher classes,but it's considerably rarer.

I would say masjid water is safer mostly,but it isn't always the case.

Just a question, I'll be travelling to Pakistan for about a month, and I obviously can't drink contaminated water, what do you suggest I do? Live off mineral water for that duration?
 
Yeah I was surprised as well, man. Its like 2K+ for a return trip. And yeah it'll be Qatar Airways through that route to LHR. This trip was completely unexpected and unplanned, just something came up in Pakistan that needed us to be there. Also, going to get my brother engaged, and attend a couple of weddings. Should be exciting. Btw, do you have any suggestions as to what I can bring back as gifts for my friends here?

Wait a minute you said you are the oldest in your fam and your bro is getting engaged before you :srt


I brought my non-desi friends cheap copies of soccer jerseys... they loved them and couldn't tell the difference between it and the $100-150 ones they get in Canada.
 
Wait a minute you said you are the oldest in your fam and your bro is getting engaged before you :srt


I brought my non-desi friends cheap copies of soccer jerseys... they loved them and couldn't tell the difference between it and the $100-150 ones they get in Canada.

I'm the 3rd youngest of 4 brothers (24,23,21,19). What would you get a woman who isn't interested in sports?
 
I'm the 3rd youngest of 4 brothers (24,23,21,19). What would you get a woman who isn't interested in sports?

4 boys and such little age gap.... that must be so much fun, and also cause for world war everyday.

I always envied my friends who had siblings with very little age gap because then the sibling's friends became their friends and vice versa. Ikhatay chilling.


Achaaaa chaukri ka mamla hai hmmmmmmmm. In such matters I leave to my mum/sisters and they usually pick a nice designer dress from "Agha Noor" or "Sana Safinaz".. there are a whole bunch of other designers as well that I don't really know. Obviously the pre-req to all of this is that you have a rough idea of the madam's size and taste in clothing. Bangles and shoes aren't a bad option either to compliment the dress.
 
4 boys and such little age gap.... that must be so much fun, and also cause for world war everyday.

Oh boy..don't get me started lool. There's definitely minor world wars every now and then but yeah man, wouldn't change it for the world. Though, I wish I had a sister as well..

I always envied my friends who had siblings with very little age gap because then the sibling's friends became their friends and vice versa. Ikhatay chilling.

Yeah, I grew up with a very tight core of friends + my brothers and now we're all getting to that age where it's marriage time soon. I miss those days though, used to be soo much fun, especially getting whooped together in Madrassah as kids :narine So many weddings to attend too now though, have one coming up this saturday..

Achaaaa chaukri ka mamla hai hmmmmmmmm. In such matters I leave to my mum/sisters and they usually pick a nice designer dress from "Agha Noor" or "Sana Safinaz".. there are a whole bunch of other designers as well that I don't really know. Obviously the pre-req to all of this is that you have a rough idea of the madam's size and taste in clothing. Bangles and shoes aren't a bad option either to compliment the dress.

Madam is in Nunvavut working. High school friend who's also Pakistani but let's see what I come across in Pakistan. Thanks for the suggestions


Btw, Don't you and your siblings have a small age gap as well?
 
Good luck man.. I don't know how it is across the pond, but here in Canada most graduating folks start applying for jobs months before they graduate. I was also fortunate that I had a job waiting for me before I graduated. Going for Masters isn't a bad option either. Infact if I were to do it all over again I would just complete my education in one go and then look for employment. Now I'm planning on doing masters part-time and it seems like a big pain in the nether regions.

The bit you say about masters, been hearing that by p much everyone.

Again it seems very much tempting but the issue is the expenses. Some people luck out and the company they intern for ends up paying for at least a chunk if not all of the tuition expenses for a graduate program.

Btw what would be worth more. A bachelor's in an engineering field + MBA or just a master's in said engineering field and nothing else?
 
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Btw, Don't you and your siblings have a small age gap as well?

My older brother is 2 years older, but he was always more mature so he felt a LOT older. The nearest younger sibling is 4 years younger. So no the age gap isn't small.
 
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The bit you say about masters, been hearing that by p much everyone.

Again it seems very much tempting but the issue is the expenses. Some people luck out and the company they intern for ends up paying for at least a chunk if not all of the tuition expenses for a graduate program.

Btw what would be worth more. A bachelor's in an engineering field + MBA or just a master's in said engineering field and nothing else?

Depends which way you want to take your career. If you want to stick towards the engineering side then a masters in engineering will be alot more helpful, or if you want to go towards people management, business development etc etc then an MBA will open plenty of doors. Personally I'm in the former category.

Also M.Eng/MBA might be too early at this stage. That is something you will realize once you are 3-5 years in your career. However, if you want to do a Masters right after Bachelors then you will have to do a M.Eng, since most reputable MBA schools require atleast three years of experience.
 
I'm the 3rd youngest of 4 brothers (24,23,21,19). What would you get a woman who isn't interested in sports?

Wow that is and probably was so fun growing up. I have 1 brother and he's 7 years older than me :facepalm:
 
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My older brother is 2 years older, but he was always more mature so he felt a LOT older. The nearest younger sibling is 4 years younger. So no the age gap isn't small.

How many siblings do you have in total?

and khatoon is just a good old highschool friend who's working at the government of Nunavut with her uncle for her work term.

Wow that is and probably was so fun growing up. I have 1 brother and he's 7 years older than me :facepalm:

Fun, but also came with its share of arguments, fights and "tu tu, mein mein" :harby
 
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Damn [MENTION=138318]Belawal2014[/MENTION], return trip costing you $2k? What are your dates?

I'm also going to Pakistan iA. I'll be going for only three weeks in August, though.

PIA direct flight for only $1250 I think so I'm living lavish. :narine
 
Damn [MENTION=138318]Belawal2014[/MENTION], return trip costing you $2k? What are your dates?

I'm also going to Pakistan iA. I'll be going for only three weeks in August, though.

PIA direct flight for only $1250 I think so I'm living lavish. :narine

Plan on leaving on the 17th of this month and return by August 20 to attend a wedding taking place here. Brother and father will stay a little longer and celebrate Eid there.
 
Plan on leaving on the 17th of this month and return by August 20 to attend a wedding taking place here. Brother and father will stay a little longer and celebrate Eid there.

Hmm yeah I'll be going August 7th-27th. Also coming back before Eid which honestly sucks.
 
Just a question, I'll be travelling to Pakistan for about a month, and I obviously can't drink contaminated water, what do you suggest I do? Live off mineral water for that duration?

Yes,I suggest you drink mineral water.But I think(not sure) that the amoeba in Naegleria is only affective if it travels through the nasal cavity.Obviously there are also other dangers in the water.

I reckon boiled water will be fine too.
 
[MENTION=22846]Nostalgic[/MENTION] this is probably very out of the blue, but what can you tell me about ifrits?
 
Yo Nostalgic, what's up! How is life treating you....
 
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Yo Nostalgic, what's up! How is life treating you....

Well, I'm briefly a bachelor, which means life is terrific... for now.

How is everything with you? We missed you for the better part of two years.
 
Well, I'm briefly a bachelor, which means life is terrific... for now.

How is everything with you? We missed you for the better part of two years.

Briefly a bachelor? Family visiting Pakistan?

I am good. Just been crazy busy with my new job, gotten a bit lax lately and there was some pent up posts inside of me like on the death of Zaki that I just had to come back. Missed all you a lot too.
 
Briefly a bachelor? Family visiting Pakistan?

I am good. Just been crazy busy with my new job, gotten a bit lax lately and there was some pent up posts inside of me like on the death of Zaki that I just had to come back. Missed all you a lot too.

Yes, they're back home for a few weeks while I run amok here.

We should exchange Faiz poems again one of these days, for old times' sakes.
 
Yes, they're back home for a few weeks while I run amok here.

We should exchange Faiz poems again one of these days, for old times' sakes.

Sure, exchange Faiz poems or talk about Vitals Signs, Junoon, Rohail, JJ, Zaki, all that nostalgic stuff.
 
Sure, exchange Faiz poems or talk about Vitals Signs, Junoon, Rohail, JJ, Zaki, all that nostalgic stuff.

Just so we don't veer off-topic, how about we limit it to poetry about the immigrant/expat/exile experience, in keeping with the thread? There's plenty about it in Faiz's repertoire. I'm sure you can quote a lot of it, but since I'm calling it a night, I'll leave with a couplet from my favorite Faiz ghazal (and test out the Urdu keyboard while I'm at it):

ہم سے کہتے ہیں چمن والے، غریبان چمن
تم کوئ اچھا سا رکھ لو اپنے ویرانے کا نام

I'm still thinking of an appropriate name for my particular desolate wilderness.
 
Just so we don't veer off-topic, how about we limit it to poetry about the immigrant/expat/exile experience, in keeping with the thread? There's plenty about it in Faiz's repertoire. I'm sure you can quote a lot of it, but since I'm calling it a night, I'll leave with a couplet from my favorite Faiz ghazal (and test out the Urdu keyboard while I'm at it):

ہم سے کہتے ہیں چمن والے، غریبان چمن
تم کوئ اچھا سا رکھ لو اپنے ویرانے کا نام

I'm still thinking of an appropriate name for my particular desolate wilderness.

Good one. I guess the obvious one I can state here is from "Nisar main teri galiyon ke"

Gar aaj tujhe se juda hain to kal baham honge
Yeh raat bhar ki judai to koi baat nahi
Gar aaj auj pe hai taal-e-raqib to kya
Yeh chaar din ki khudai to koi baat nahi
 
Good one. I guess the obvious one I can state here is from "Nisar main teri galiyon ke"

Gar aaj tujhe se juda hain to kal baham honge
Yeh raat bhar ki judai to koi baat nahi
Gar aaj auj pe hai taal-e-raqib to kya
Yeh chaar din ki khudai to koi baat nahi

He has a few poems along those lines, painting himself as the spurned lover and the homeland as the haughty beloved. I rather like the last stanza of one such poem:

ہم تو مجبورِ وفا ہیں مگر اے جانِ جاں
اپنے عشاق سے ایسے بھی کوئ کرتا ہے؟
تری محفل کو خدا رکھے عبد تک قائم
ہم تو مہماں ہیں گھڑی بھر کے، ہمارا کیا ہے؟
 
He has a few poems along those lines, painting himself as the spurned lover and the homeland as the haughty beloved. I rather like the last stanza of one such poem:

ہم تو مجبورِ وفا ہیں مگر اے جانِ جاں
اپنے عشاق سے ایسے بھی کوئ کرتا ہے؟
تری محفل کو خدا رکھے عبد تک قائم
ہم تو مہماں ہیں گھڑی بھر کے، ہمارا کیا ہے؟

Junoon used that verse in the song "Jiyeen" on their first album. Composer, comedian and Groucho Marx lookalike Arshad Mehmood read those line at the beginning of the song if I am not mistaken. Good song.
 
Junoon used that verse in the song "Jiyeen" on their first album. Composer, comedian and Groucho Marx lookalike Arshad Mehmood read those line at the beginning of the song if I am not mistaken. Good song.

Yes, I remember. I even remember there's a statement in the album liner notes about the verses being used courtesy EMI Pakistan, which is ironic. Faiz's poetry requiring permission from a subsidiary of an international corporation.

You were speaking about how much you missed Karachi. Faiz has an entire poem in Zindaan nama, called Roshniyon ke Shehr, dedicated to Karachi. I think it's from the time he and a couple of the other Rawalpindi Conspiracy case accused were briefly held at Karachi jail. I don't remember all of it anymore, but again, the last few verses stick in my memory:

خیر ہو تیری لیلاؤں کی، اُن سب سے کہ دو
آج کی شب جب دیے جلائیں، اُونچی رکھیں لَو
 
Yes, I remember. I even remember there's a statement in the album liner notes about the verses being used courtesy EMI Pakistan, which is ironic. Faiz's poetry requiring permission from a subsidiary of an international corporation.

You were speaking about how much you missed Karachi. Faiz has an entire poem in Zindaan nama, called Roshniyon ke Shehr, dedicated to Karachi. I think it's from the time he and a couple of the other Rawalpindi Conspiracy case accused were briefly held at Karachi jail. I don't remember all of it anymore, but again, the last few verses stick in my memory:

خیر ہو تیری لیلاؤں کی، اُن سب سے کہ دو
آج کی شب جب دیے جلائیں، اُونچی رکھیں لَو


EMI owns Faiz poetry? That's strange.

I own a CD set which is a collection of his poems read by himself that was published by Dawn group as part of a memorial set called "Requiem for an Unsung Messiah". Once again, Arshad Mehmood played a big role in compiling that collection.

Its a book with a selection of his most memorable poems and a 4 CD set. On 3 CD's are his various poems sung by Noor Jehan, Mehdi Hassan, Nayyara Noor and the likes. One CD is just him reading his own poetry, recorded by Dr.Shaukat Haroon, Dawn group owners Haroon family's scion.

The recordings have a home made quality to them. You can hear a dog barking in the background in one of them and the quality and volume varies with different poems. It is said that those poems were recorded by Dr.Shaukat Haroon under the shade of a huge banyan tree in Haroon Court, her expansive Karachi residence. These recordings have been personally owned by the Haroon family till this release.


It is not stated what exactly was Dr.Shaukat Haroon's relationship with Faiz but apparently after hearing of her death, he locked himself in his room at Flashman's Hotel in Lahore and did not emerge till he had written "Chand niklay kise Janib". His poem "Gulon mein rung" immortalized by Mehdi Hassan was also written for Dr.Shaukat Haroon.

Yes, I've read the Roshniyon ke Shehr poem, very poignant and macabre. Still holds true like it was written yesterday, as in the case of majority of Faiz's poetry.
 
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EMI owns Faiz poetry? That's strange.

I own a CD set which is a collection of his poems read by himself that was published by Dawn group as part of a memorial set called "Requiem for an Unsung Messiah". Once again, Arshad Mehmood played a big role in compiling that collection.

Its a book with a selection of his most memorable poems and a 4 CD set. On 3 CD's are his various poems sung by Noor Jehan, Mehdi Hassan, Nayyara Noor and the likes. One CD is just him reading his own poetry, recorded by Dr.Shaukat Haroon, Dawn group owners Haroon family's scion.

The recordings have a home made quality to them. You can hear a dog barking in the background in one of them and the quality and volume varies with different poems. It is said that those poems were recorded by Dr.Shaukat Haroon under the shade of a huge banyan tree in Haroon Court, her expansive Karachi residence. These recordings have been personally owned by the Haroon family till this release.


It is not stated what exactly was Dr.Shaukat Haroon's relationship with Faiz but apparently after hearing of her death, he locked himself in his room at Flashman's Hotel in Lahore and did not emerge till he had written "Chand niklay kise Janib". His poem "Gulon mein rung" immortalized by Mehdi Hassan was also written for Dr.Shaukat Haroon.

Yes, I've read the Roshniyon ke Shehr poem, very poignant and macabre. Still holds true like it was written yesterday, as in the case of majority of Faiz's poetry.

Sardar Arshad Mehmood (I only found out recently he's a Sardar... not the Sikh variety of Sardar, the Punjabi landowner kind) has appeared in a couple of interviews recently where he talks about Faiz. The one with Naeem Bukhari has been taken down, for some reason, but there's another one from less than a month back:


Faiz was great friends with the elder Haroon, and the family still cherishes that relationship. It was actually always a bit of a mystery why a communist ideologue was friends with several, shall we say, pro-establishment types, but that is how he was, always keeping the personal and the political separate. They say you never heard him criticize anyone, not even someone who misbehaved with him in jail. The worst he would say was that that person wasn't his "type," the exact words being "Yaar, woh hamaray type ka admi nahein."

Speaking of Faiz, the Haroons and that first Junoon album, one of the songs, Jogia, features Fifi Haroon, later senior journalist.
 
Sardar Arshad Mehmood (I only found out recently he's a Sardar... not the Sikh variety of Sardar, the Punjabi landowner kind) has appeared in a couple of interviews recently where he talks about Faiz. The one with Naeem Bukhari has been taken down, for some reason, but there's another one from less than a month back:

Faiz was great friends with the elder Haroon, and the family still cherishes that relationship. It was actually always a bit of a mystery why a communist ideologue was friends with several, shall we say, pro-establishment types, but that is how he was, always keeping the personal and the political separate. They say you never heard him criticize anyone, not even someone who misbehaved with him in jail. The worst he would say was that that person wasn't his "type," the exact words being "Yaar, woh hamaray type ka admi nahein."

Speaking of Faiz, the Haroons and that first Junoon album, one of the songs, Jogia, features Fifi Haroon, later senior journalist.

Yes, Jogia. I actually saw her perform that song at a Junoon concert in Karachi. It was after their 2nd album, much before the whole Azaadi/Sufi phase. Back then, their concerts used to be all Rock and great fun. They would also play a few standard Rock covers like "Rock'n Roll" by Led Zeppelin. I particularly remember that concert as it was my first Junoon concert and I made my way through the crowd to stand close to the stage right next to the speaker. Could not hear a word for two days after attending that concert.
 
Tried poutine for the first time today.

Verdict: VERY GOOD

Damn Canucks know what they're doing....
 
Unless you had it in Montreal, that too from a select few places in Montreal, it was merely fries and cheese curds and gravy. Or so the Quebecois I've met have told me.

Absolute perfect drunk food, has literally everything, can even add meat.

Damn I wish it was sold in Ireland outside hipster spots
 
Unless you had it in Montreal, that too from a select few places in Montreal, it was merely fries and cheese curds and gravy. Or so the Quebecois I've met have told me.

I have lived six years in Monty and I can attest to that fact.
 
I have lived six years in Monty and I can attest to that fact.

I want to travel to Montreal in the future. Do you minded recommended whats good to see? Is it worth travelling too? I have been to Toronto, how is different? I know they speak french. Heard they have partial parts of the city underground because the winters are harsh, is this true?
 
Yes, Jogia. I actually saw her perform that song at a Junoon concert in Karachi. It was after their 2nd album, much before the whole Azaadi/Sufi phase. Back then, their concerts used to be all Rock and great fun. They would also play a few standard Rock covers like "Rock'n Roll" by Led Zeppelin. I particularly remember that concert as it was my first Junoon concert and I made my way through the crowd to stand close to the stage right next to the speaker. Could not hear a word for two days after attending that concert.

I could've sworn this entire conversation was on a different thread altogether. Perhaps I'm finally going senile. It was always on the cards.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Titanic sinking in 1912 and 2017... <a href="https://t.co/Rmg6UruGJw">pic.twitter.com/Rmg6UruGJw</a></p>— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) <a href="https://twitter.com/mohanstatsman/status/893838947100442628">August 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The world we live in today. Very accurate depiction of today's world!
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Titanic sinking in 1912 and 2017... <a href="https://t.co/Rmg6UruGJw">pic.twitter.com/Rmg6UruGJw</a></p>— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) <a href="https://twitter.com/mohanstatsman/status/893838947100442628">August 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The world we live in today. Very accurate depiction of today's world!

I know the point this guy wants to make, but this is probably one of the worst examples. The people drowning are screwed either way but in the 2017 example there will at least be a visual record of it.
 
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