Sonya Syed

It is such a bizarre phenomena that Karachites prefer to have their coffee only in winters. I am surprised to know that my favorite coffee brand Maxwell has limited supply and is available during winter season. Everyone can drink tea throughout the year, and I cannot have my coffee. So using this prestigious platform, I register my protest! I have not returned from one grocery store infuriated and without my coffee; this is the same case with several supermarkets in Karachi and they all had the same reply. Few of the stores didn’t have Maxwell ever in their stores. Personally, I have nothing against the Nescafe (a brand which has possessed Karachi) and its owner must be a nice person but I just cannot bear its ultra flat taste. The other “imported” brands which are available are far too strong for my humble soul, and they make feel as if I have just drank a crushed cigar. My father (Abba, may his soul rest in peace - my love to you) bought for me a couple of extra-large family ja...

Chaos that took over my life recently has finally settled, I worried myself sick about managing certain tasks in my life and now without my effort everything is in its place. Situations usually have a way of settling on their own yet we worry about the outcomes. You think with all your brain cells and battle with every obstacle in your way; nevertheless, at times the best solution is to withdraw. There is no point in fighting for something that brings discontent in close relationships; there is no point in proving your point anymore. It is best to leave everything in status quo and let God come up with a peaceful solution for all involved. However, it is vital never ever cease to hope, always keep that ray of faith ignited. Thank goodness, Karachi is done with the Lawn Exhibition war. Every corner you turn on the street there shows up a billboard of a designer claiming to have created a phenomenal piece of fabric that would make you look equally phenomenally. I have to admit that I ...

I went for the renewal of my national identity card today, I didn’t have a clue that it expired months ago. It appears that although I am living and breathing in this world, yet I am completely oblivious to its requirements. Besides the long line of citizens at NADRA, everything was unexpectedly organized and proper. Once I got my token, it all went smoothly and my picture on the new I.D. card would be far less scary then the one I had on the previous card. During past few months I am fully engrossed in myself and a personal project which I am working on. I am seeing but I don’t have a vision, I am hearing but I am not actually listening; yet life moves on. Japan’s earthquake was and is a devastating experience to endure; nevertheless, the tsunami and ever lasting after shocks of high-prices in Pakistan are far more soul and mind shattering. Away from the moments of my oblivion, I was asked to buy some grocery and as I went to the cooking-oil counter to get a 3-liter oil bottle...

There was a discussion on TV about the definition of success, there were intellectuals, journalist, lawyer and they all gave their views. However, the best reply came from Dr. Mehdi Hassan who said, “ if a person is deeply satisfied and at peace in his life, even though he does not have the worldly luxuries, then this is Success ”. Someone added that one is successful when he/she is the absolute master of their time and they have the freedom to meet only the people they like to meet. I for one absolutely agree with Dr. Mehdi’s definition, I have heard of and seen several people who apparently have flourishing careers/businesses/practices with money pouring onto them from sky; yet their personal lives, their relationships are a misery. On the other hand, I have also seen spiritual people who are always sick and broke; then this is not even success. So what success is actually, that we all run for throughout our lives. A homemaker/housewife believes that her single friend who has a ca...

It is always a joy to see the children following the footsteps of their elders, learning from their experiences, doing what the elders did and avoiding whatever they avoided. It is also fulfilling to witness children finding their own paths in life independent from their elders, sometimes making mistakes on the way and learning and succeeding. Nevertheless, it is painful to witness the conflict between the elders and the youngsters. The elders desiring that their progeny should follow them under any circumstances, irrespective of the latter’s interest. Parents have the instinct to protect their children; they simply cannot bear the thought of their younger ones getting hurt in their way to life. However, this protection could, at times turn into possessiveness. If the offspring does not have the desire to follow the lifestyles or profession of their parents then serious conflicts arise within the family. It is understandable that the parents desire their children to follow the profes...

Finally, the day came when I shall have a tête-à-tête with you all. Quite a few days have passed since we last came together. I cannot give any excuse for my absence besides that I was mostly overwhelmed by sleep in the late hours of the evening and to concentrate on anything was rather tough. Moreover, one should have something proper to say or else the post would be full of the ramblings of a sleep deprived mind who is writing merely for the sake of writing and there nothing significant to share. Craziness of cricket due to the world-cup is in full throttle in Karachi these days. Everyone is glued to their TV screens whether they are at home or at work. Luckily Pakistan has won two matches and the air is filled with joy, even the people like me who are not sport enthusiasts or have almost negligible knowledge of cricket are very much affected by the intensity of attachment with this particular sport. It is also amazing to witness that how the country of roughly 170 million peopl...

What would you call this condition, when you want to do something, has time to do it but when you actually sit down to do it you simply lack the drive; when 10 things are on mind and you end up doing none if it. Anger, frustration & irritability are undeniably the obvious outcome of such a perturbed mental state. I have taken up few tasks and the depth they require overwhelms me and simply drains my energy. I could not escape from whatever I needed to do so I stopped doing everything all together, prayed and then focused all my attention on my breathe. At first, the breathing was so irregular that I could hardly breathe. As I concentrated on my breathing within seconds I noticed it becoming soft, regular & subtle. I knew that now I had a proper supply of oxygen to my brain and everything was handled rightly and in much less time than I estimated. I did whatever I had to, plus I had the time to watch my favorite TV show and do a host of other activities. You would have not...