Sonya Syed

Where is God? I want to Thank Him personally. I know that You are always with me but in this very moment I just want to bow down. Thank You So Much My Dear Lord for fixing my blog’s template. I lost all my hope in trying to put the template right but nothing happened, the more I tried the worse the situation became. And today when I was just leaving the blog I saw the problem, I checked it and voila it worked! Sometimes the solution comes from the most unexpected of places. Sometimes when you think that you have a huge problem you get surprised to see a really simple solution. The trick here is to wait and give it sometime. I once heard a writer who said, ‘when I get blank and stop getting any new ideas I leave everything alone for a while and start doing gardening. This way, my mind relaxes and itself find ways to connect me with my creativity.’ This is exactly what I have done; I was so depressed with the background of my blog that I didn’t want it to give a second lo...

Yehhh….we survived the Day of Judgement. So they said on 21 st December 2012 the world would come to an end. I have heard that somewhere in France residents of a district assumed that their area is beyond the reach of the Judgment Day. Initially this place had 200 residents but as the fame of its immunity from the doomsday grew, 20,000 people shifted there. Not only this but many similar stories were circulating in the media and on the net. Some suggested that 21 st December will not be the end literally but it will be the day of new spiritual dimension. What amazes me is that people actually believed this nonsense. However, all’s well that ends well. Yesterday was one of the most chaotic days of my life, so much so that it jerked my nervous system. Although its been more than 24 hours but I am still finding it difficult to find my focus. Thankfully, in the moments when you think that there is no way out, God shows you light. All we need to do is follow that light and ...

It is such a blessing to have food available to eat as soon as you feel hungry. Then the ultimate luxury is to finish dinner by Doritos. I am not a fan of night or midnight snacking but sometimes to slightly deviate from your strict rules feels comforting. Adults at home are glued to TV watching there favourite show Hasb-e-Haal, a greatly refreshing program, whereas the younger lot is busy in video games. So there are mixed noises coming to me from different directions and this makes me happy. I start to feel better after 9 pm because by this time everybody is home. Otherwise evenings become bit scary, sometimes I switch on the TV while I work or do my chores. The voices and people on TV keeps me company, they would stay with me as long as I want them. Yesterday it took me more than an hour to change the blog’s template and its background, but all in vain. This task was not difficult but due to some technical glitch I was unable to get the change I desired, so what you s...

If you enter my home these days the first thing you would notice is the killer fragrance of fresh paint. Initially it seemed like an answer to all my prayers for home improvement but when everything gets upside down you begin to question yourself as to how on earth you would resettle it all.   However, once you begin to witness the outcome of others and your effort in taking care of your home then nothing matters.           It is not always about achieving your target but the real fun is when you enjoy the   journey you have to take before you reach your goal.           After many, many many years I had a cup of black coffee. There was a time when I actually enjoyed this drink, for the reason(s) still unknown to me. It was I think my 10 th grade exams when I needed to study at night. So after a lot of deliberation it was decided to get myself used to of some caffeine.   ...

Today is the birthday of one of my dear friend. A very Happy Birthday to Fauzia- you are wonderful friend and I shall always cherish the times we spent together. Thank you for being a sincere friend.              Today is all about birthdays so I thought why not write on this subject.  In my childhood birthdays were the highlight of the year, I used to wait for this day when I would get all the gifts and all my family will be with me.               And then! we grow up.... As we get older we tend to forget and easily ignore the little joys which were once available to us.  We stop paying attention to ourselves and so easily loose ourselves in the chaos of daily life. We not only treat ourselves harshly but we also become insensitive toward others. The lame reason we give for not being emotionally available to our loved ones is that “I am too busy”...

After a long interval and anxious excitement, my room is finally painted. This is also the main reason for my awkward appearances and disappearances from the blog. There is no internet and when there is, then the mind is engaged at ten places simultaneously. For few years, something has gone terribly wrong with my room because the more I try to make it comfortable the more unsettling it gets. Lately my room has been called different names some call it a storeroom, others a museum and for some it is a furniture shop.  So I decided to give it a facelift and I am positive that now everything is going to settle perfectly, because now I have a direction and openness to view every possible option. Having said that I am not going overboard with the expenses in decorating my room because sooner or later it is going to be my secondary residence.             Finally first winter rains have hit the city and I must s...

I never wanted to admit this publicly but I am confessing that I am a fan of Ishq e Mamnu ( Aşk-ı Memnu, Forbidden Love). The craze this Turkish TV play is creating especially amongst the ladies these days it is quite impossible for me to ignore it. Bihter and Behloul, famous characters from the play are immensely popular with our audiences. At first beautiful faces, dresses, the makeup, the jewellery, exquisite room decoration and delightful scenery attracts you and once you start to watch it then there is no going back. Initially I resisted but then it captivated me as well. However, we have to admit that it has quite remarkable acting by all the actors. In particular the protagonist of the serial Beren Saat famously known as Bihter is exceptional both in beauty and acting and of course it has excellent direction. What I am against is the boldness in dressing and very different social practices. There are also apprehensions in our media that if this tren...

        Its been a deliberate decision to vanish for few days and go into my hibernation mode. There are moments when nothing makes sense, when everything seems to be out of place, and when you need to stand for yourself and make some strong resolutions. Thus it is only wise under the prevailing circumstances to take a break.        So what happened after wards? Well, you decide that you need to start from the start. That you are wiser now and you have learned from the mistakes and carelessness of the past. That you will be authentic, this time. That you will make the most from the opportunities which life is and shall be presenting. That you will be intensely aware, this time. That you will be in peace and gratitude.          Yes, I am successfully renovating my life- fixing up the broken aspects, throwing away the clutter, claiming my space and redecorating it all with bri...

"If there's something you want really badly, and you think somewhat obsessively about getting it, then know that on an energetic level your attachment is actually sending it away. The answer? Prayer... Dear God, Please take away my idolatrous thinking, luring me into thinking that something or someone other than You is the source of my salvation. Of myself I cannot rise above. Please do this for me. And so it is. Amen… By Marianne Williamson"   Today I wanted to begin my post by the prayer of my favorite writer Marianne Williamson. I saw these lines on her facebook page and the moment I read them I felt as if I am struck by lightening. I thought as if she is addressing me directly.   Many times in our life we either want something badly or get obsessed with certain things and people.   If this has never happened to you then great… but I have to say that I am guilty of such act and not once but many times. We have many idols in our lives ...

The fresh breeze of morning, fragrance of flowers and warmth of bright sun tantalizing your physical being are absolutely delicious to the soul. Rich aroma of the coffee brew dispersing around your face, and you are ready.    It was coldish in the early hours of the day and it does but completely engulfs one in some magical way. It feels as if you are spellbound, or in some kind of trance but in reality you are in the moment with every cell of your body.  You are in the Now where there are no pains of the past, no anxiety of the future but only the Present Moment. And then there is no mobile service. It feels as if we are back in the 80’s when we only had the facility of landlines. People in authority are trying their best to handle law and order situation prevalent in the country. However, what we are doing is merely dealing with the Effect (mobile bombs, firing and suicide attacks via motor-bikes). The Cause (which is unlimited and unchecked supply...

What to expect from an unexpected holiday? Despite crucial security situation things have to be managed and obligations are to be fulfilled. Even with all the positive attitude it becomes difficult to witness the bruises and pains caused due to the unfortunate incidents within city as well as in the entire country.    One could not but feel helpless in such times and you wish to have a magic wand. Like it happens in fairy tales when somebody is down with life and have nowhere to go then all of sudden a fairy appears and with one movement of her magic wand she changes everything. In real life although we do not have fairies but we have our prayers, our gratitude and faith in the miracles. We might be helpless on the physical level, nevertheless, on the spiritual level we are not that helpless. We have the power of our mind, our thoughts and feelings. With all the darkness we need to believe in light, the light that will not come from outside but the light wh...

Somebody yesterday told me that if I hadn’t put my picture on the blog profile then I could’ve been easily mistaken for a writer who is in her seventies or eighties. That the way I express myself or address my readers it feels like I am their grandmother. I don’t know whether this was a compliment or a comment; in any case I shall take it as a compliment. After all its someone’s opinion and I respect their point of view. It seems as if there is curfew in most parts of the city, there is hardly any traffic on the roads and even if there is some movement it feels lifeless. We are not used to seeing Karachi in such a state, it’s a hustling bustling city of lights and I pray with all my heart that it shall always remain in its full glory. Winters are knocking on the doors but somehow haven’t fully made it into the house. There is something magical about winters in Karachi in particular if there are rains. The mystical effect that cool winter breeze give after rainfall e...

It feels as if ages have passed but in reality its been only a week since I wrote my earlier post. Many apologies for vanishing like this but it was all due to internet unavailability. I know it’s a very lame excuse; however, I speak the truth and nothing but the truth.   Sometimes though you would like everything to go your way; nevertheless, life follows its own course and it is only wise to go with flow. Else the resistance would cause suffering. So what I have been up to, has there been any updates about any aspect of my life? Well not really its all same old, same old.             This weekend I had some free time as well as a strong desire to watch a good movie so when the opportunity presented itself, I accepted it. We watched the comeback movie of Sridevi English Vinglish . It was a very fine effort and indeed quite a risky project to cast an actress in simple cotton sari without any makeup. The ...

         Colours are the perfect therapy for my highly inquisitive and hyper-active mind. When I am with colours every thought every distraction vanishes and I regain my focus. Few times my refuge in colours start as an automatic process, its like my system knows when I need to step back and relax. So here are couple of my relaxation moments, I have completed the one above today and just wanted to show you guys. 'Midnight Blue', Oil Canvas   'The Yellow Palace', Oil Pastel and Pencil Colours I have started to keep colour pencils and a sketchbook with me while I am at work, so when I get stressed I just draw vague lines and colour for few minutes in whichever way I feel like. Similarly, when I need to express and share- this blog becomes my voice. Its actually quite wonderful to have various outlets to say what you wish because some things just get bottled up and if you do not express then they would explode withi...

Life takes unexpected twist and turns and yesterday there was a minor twist in my simple story. Like many of my brothers and sisters in Karachi I too had the honor of loosing my mobile to some thief. It was my very first Smartphone and as I was beginning to fall in love with it, this brutal world took my love away from me. Now I have the heart of a jilted lover. And with this feeling I took my revenge and launched a compliant of phone theft with CPLC and they have jammed it immediately. So you see if it can't be mine it cannot belong to someone else either. So yesterday I spent the entire day in missing my phone; nevertheless, more than loosing that tiny gadget I was feeling low because it was bought from hard earned money.  As I write this post today words of my late grand mother are echoing in  my mind, she always told me that one should never grief over anything or anybody for too long.  So I end it here and now. In the words of Eckhart Tolle- No attac...

After all the hoopla, grueling debates America has selected its President and Mr. Barack Obama is back in the office for another term. As a Pakistani I cannot fully estimate the effect of this election because irrespective who wins the election our condition more or less remains the same. More than the person who is occupying the Oval Office it is important who is the person sitting in our Prime Minister house. Unless we as a nation decides wisely to give power and responsibility to the people who would effectively run this country, we shall always remain at the mercy of powerful countries who will decide our future for us. Nevertheless, in hope I shall live…….. Karachi’s traffic after the bombardment of leased cars, untrained drivers and broken roads is a challenge but it fuels the problem when the main areas of the city are suddenly closed down to have exhibitions. It is beyond reason to shut down everything simply because there cannot be sound security provided f...

Sikandar Sanam- an actor, singer and a versatile comedian left us on 5 th November 2012. Today when somebody mentioned his name and how much he was missed by his fans, I worried that I have been late in paying my respects.     Yes I needed to acknowledge him because he made me laugh. Very few people are gifted to spread joy and happiness to the world and the people who give smiles to our faces are great blessings. Sikandar’s name is not new to the world of comedy and especially his comedy remakes of famous Indian movies are marvelous. Sikandar released these parodies in the DVD versions. Tere Naam 2 which is the parody of Salman Khan’s Tere Naam, was the first movie I saw of Sikandar Sanam and I laughed my lungs out. Even today when I am depressed or down I watch this movie and it never fails to bring a smile to my face. Original Tere Naam was a pretty serious love story but Sikandar changed it to a total   comedy. Sikandar’s comic version attained huge po...