Naya Pakistan

Vital Signs. Junoon. Naya Pakistan. This had to be shared. This just HAD to be shared. This is a 40 second  clip of their upcoming song. Will be released on Pakistan Day (23rd March).

TimeScapes

Sometimes when you feel you have the world's weight on your shoulders, its good to simply let go and realize how small your problems really are. The universe is vast. And it is stunningly beautiful. This is one video that tries to express that beauty. It's called TimeScapes by Tom Lowe. It's been shot in 4K UHD (Ultra Hi-Definition) format using Red Epic and Cannon RAW still cameras. And it is amazing.

Jazba e Junoon

The 1996 cricket World Cup song for the Pakistani team. Since we're all celebrating our patriotism today, I thought I'd post this. Because it is an epic song. An epic song.

Pakistan, why you be so sad?

Do you remember the nursery rhymes you learned when you were in kindergarten? Well if you don't, the person in this video (he goes by the name of Edward Reid, and he's awesome. True story!) will not only remind you of them, but positively make you wish that he had sung all those rhymes. But, and this is a big but, what has this got to do with Pakistan you might wonder? The honest answer is nothing. This has nothing to do with Pakistan. And that is exactly why it is so terrible. You see developed countries where education has helped salvage some common sense, creativity such as the one in the video, flourishes. In Pakistan on the other hand, well let's just say Edward Reid would have been beaten to death and his art form would have been decried and pissed upon. We are not a happy people. And because we're not happy, we can never get to enjoy such surreal feats of creativity such as people in the UK or the US or any other developed country for that matter can and do enjoy. All we in Pakistan can do at best is be envious and curse our liege lords for ruining our lives and depriving the masses of education, who if they could understand it, would never sacrifice their tomorrow for today and anoint mad, selfish, hooligans to rule over us. Sad indeed.

Soulful Music - Tyler Ward

The trouble with having a relatively mainstream blog is that you are stuck to just one type of genre. You're limited by what you can say on your blog. For instance, I can't talk about the weather here. Because people don't come to this blog to read about the weather. I can't talk about the amazing kind of music I find occasionally because that's not related to Pakistan or its affairs. I can't talk about my personal problems because I doubt people would be interested in hearing them.

So I'm stuck with just talking about Pakistan. And the various shenanigans going on in this huge, massive, beautiful country. Which also makes me wonder why the people in charge want to ruin it so badly. I mean just its beauty is enough to merit a stop to all the ungodly things that mere mortals are indulging in. But that's not what I want to talk about any more. Because I'm sick of repeating the same things. I'm tired. Everybody is. Its time to just end it all. US or no US; Afghanistan or no Afghanistan; India or no India, nothing matters. Pakistan matters. But that too only to a few unfortunately.

But I think I'm going to take a chance. I found this really amazing cover of Katy Perry's ET by Tyler Ward. It turns out he's some sort of Youtube sensation, a celebrity if you will. And he sings well too. Check him out:

Apathy

It was July of 2006 when my dad bought a new car. What a day it was. And I being the crazy car buff that I am, the day was doubly exciting. I couldn’t wait to see it. The car. Silver in colour, shiny all over, brand new and what not. I’d been waiting for this day for over two years. Ever since my dad first said he’d like to buy a new car.

My happiness knew no bounds. I was ecstatic. I was laughing and high-fiving and imagining what the car would feel like when I got my hands on it. How it’ll drive and how good it’ll look. I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that I never really cared about what that little boy said back then. Until today. Today, it makes my heart sad to know what that little boy’s heart’s desires are and who knows he’ll ever fulfill them. It pains me to see that there is not that one boy alone but countless others like him everywhere I look. Its heart wrenching to know that somehow they go on about their daily lives with nothing more than hope that someday they’ll make it big enough to fulfill that one desire that has been burning in their hearts for all their lives.

While I was hoopa-looping  with joy, that little boy came with his father to see my dad. The little boy’s father was a “Molvi Sahib”, the “Khateeb” of the local mosque where we lived. His salary in those days was a mere Rs. 4000. He had a cycle. He asked my father whether we were going somewhere and my father told him we were going to pick up our new car.

And that’s when he said it. The little boy asked his father when he’ll buy a car. I could see the tears welling up in Molvi Sahib’s eyes and I could hear his murmur when he said: “Someday son…someday.”

I never really thought about this incident until today and it’s made me sad. Sad because just like on that fateful day, my sense of charity has numbed completely; while today, my sense of helplessness has compounded manifolds. While I sit in my house in relative ease and comfort, there are many out there in the real world who are forced to toil unlike us just to eat two meals a day. I look at myself and I think how blessed I am while in my mind I can imagine the pain and misery through which so many of us are going through. Not saying anything, never cursing anyone. Just plowing on to fulfill their fantasy of getting that meal that awaits them if they can earn enough.

I guess people call this life. But if this is life, then it’ not a very good one. We, the Pakistani nation have gone into a deep slumber. Bombings, suicides, mass hysteria, depression, lawlessness and intolerance is simply not enough to wake us up from our reprieve. Gone are the days when people used to ask roadside travelers for a cup of tea. And that was a mere ten years ago. Gone are the days when people were tolerant and courteous. Gone are the days when we were un-selfish and uncouth.

I wish those days would come back. I wish we could be happy once again. For now this is it.

Ciao.