Sonya Syed

Life is a bizarre phenomenon, one moment one day we are radiating joy and ultimate optimism and the other we experience something distressing and the paradigm of life starts to vary. I hope to find a formula so that life can remain constant and be just as it is . But change is inevitable and so as the anticipation or fear of unknown and new. Today has been wonderful I had an early start; especially the winter morning was simply splendid. All chores were completed in due time, particularly exercise which takes mental willingness and energy more than the physical energy. Its almost midnight and I now plan to get my sleep and I pray to greet the coming days with similar zest and zeal not only for myself but for everyone around me. Until tomorrow… Sonya.

How wonderful it is to talk to friends. Friends- they always give us pleasure and a sense of comfort and security. I sheepishly feel proud of myself that I have exquisite taste in human beings and inherent gift to develop nurturing relationships with my friends. It’s a blessing. Today I feel better though not completely out of the effects of the catastrophe of yesterday, a suicide attack followed by putting on fire several hundreds of thousands of shops and businesses in Karachi. It gets frightening in Karachi when huge scale devastations occur as the ripple effect to one main incident. Nowhere else it is seen in the country where atrocious crime like a blast takes place that immediately the entire city starts to burn and comes to an abrupt terrifying halt. Many have lost their lives, even worse to know that so many families have lost 2 or more members, their loved ones, in an instant. But there is a consolation to know that all who lost their lives though suffered unimaginable pain

25th and 27th December holds very special spot in my heart, these are the birth dates of not only a great man called Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah who with the grace of God made possible for us Pakistanis to have this beautiful and magnificent country brimful with natural resources, perfect 4 seasons, gems and so on; where we can exist in freedom. How far as a nation are we successful to realize our founder’s dream and the hundreds of thousands of unnamed heroes who sacrificed their lives to give us, their future generations a gift of independence; is debatable. But I think what is required from each one of us is to have a vision intention and the absolute willingness to see prosperity, education, safety, health and freedom of expression blossoming in Pakistan. All that is required from us is to sincerely and honestly carry out our functions in whatever capacity they are assigned to us , be it of a politician, a doctor, a technician, lawyer, teacher, student or a parent. Then 25

Faces, many faces that came and went from my life, some of them made guest appearances while others decided to stay for the long haul. In the solitude and stillness of night when everyone is asleep and the road outside my home have swathed itself with the drapes of quietude. I cannot but cease to think of all the people that I ever had the opportunity to be with, some being my childhood pals, others from school/ college/ university and many others that I have worked with. Time is a fantastic sieve of relationships and has an amazing characteristic of filtering people from and into our lives. For some reason we possess a tendency to forget some faces and remember others while some leave indelible mark on our minds. I cannot rationalize this theory but we do become subconsciously connected with some individuals. They teach us a lot about our self, mostly unintentionally; they prove to be beneficial for our existence, they become our Buddha experience. It’s as if they are assigned the

A long day indeed; then later in the evening there was sorting of my clothes and organizing my cupboards. I surprised myself when I found that some of the clothes that I wear today are from times of my school mostly from Class 9th. The best thing of it all is that everything still fits with few exceptions though. I have proved myself to be a frugal, a really moderate spender. Academics have never been on my list of priorities but with how thing are moving, I am confident that 2010 shall be the year where I would become a catalyst in broadening my professional expertise and exploring much diverse avenues, InshaAllah… With new hopes & aspirations….. Sonya.

Media has become a circus where all clowns and performers are performing their acts. Nobility, decency and taking responsibility for our actions is almost extinct. It is an established verity that until a verdict is announced no individual can be termed as either guilty or innocent, but in times like these questions regarding our moral obligation are inevitable. It is unfortunate to observe that save for the Courts the NRO stricken dignitaries in Pakistan are defending their case everywhere. Dignified modus operandi should be followed instead of turning something as grave as the future of a nation into a monkey business. No one seems to follow the reasonable course and rather than defending their position with sheer forbearance, they are similar to small children playing together and if you catch one of them in midst of any mischievous activity, the child having no other option either throws a tantrum or even easier, implicates all his friends. There are always very simple solutions

Emptiness… where does it lead, what it does? I have no clue. Yes that’s very true today I’m empty of thoughts, feelings and ideas. May be its because I have spewed my thoughts yesterday. I do, however believe that it sounded a bit melancholic and it’s not prudent to speak aloud whatever is going in our mind. But at times one does get sensitive. Sunday has been full of activity mainly due to fixing of all the doors in the house. Luckily we had some really professional carpenters who did everything just as Amma planned. I didn’t have much to contribute so I stayed within constraints of my own world. It is always to delightful to find something that you have desired so intensely, likewise I believe my search for an institute to learn guitar is finally reaching end, after sifting very few available options I have found one place where I would be able to learn music. Although I haven’t discovered my talent yet but the urge to learn is imbedded deep inside. I have faith that with convic

On more than a few occasions I thought of venting out my feelings on some personal experiences that I went through when my Dad passed away on 13th August, 2009. Somehow the words did not seem to assemble appropriately in my thoughts. Four months have passed and life seems to be getting on the way it was supposed to be, although at that time it seemed unendurable. Several people whom I presumed to be my well-wishers if not friends did not have even call up for condolences. I was not asking them for anything but few words of support would have meant a lot. With the Grace of God I did the support I needed and all my emotional needs were met. I got the help I needed and most surprisingly from unexpected quarters. But I always wonder why those whom I expected to be with me were no where to be seen. What made them so hard that few words of sympathy were difficult for them to express, what were they afraid of? Were they hurt in the same places and when they needed someone to comfort them no

At 10.45 pm I suddenly decided to fry mong pakoras/ mangochian (grinded moong daal/ pulse mixed with spices) and then deep fried, one of the many delights of life. This frying project was pending for three days when Amma prepared the batter enough to last for a week. It is not always feasible for us to cook daily due to our schedules so we cook and store the food for at least 1 week, of course the taste has never been compromised. The skillful duty to deep fry usually falls on my weak shoulders, since using so much oil to cook is not something Amma is comfortable with. It is a joy to have these appetizers with daal chawal, my staple diet. Although chicken biryani tops the list of my favorite foods. Anyways, at 11 in the night such mammoth task appeared rather impossible; usually it takes 2 days to fry the entire batter. So this time I applied my tested formula of Surrendering my task to God and simply requesting Him to make the food delicious and easy for me. And Voilà! Handsome pakor

“ To be or not to be, that is the question ”, the legendary quote from William Shakespeare's Hamlet keeps on popping in mind. To resign and follow ethical responsibility or leave oneself on stream of time, must be question echoing in the minds of our political bigwigs and in particular, the President of Pakistan. In line with today’s dramatic happenings I cannot withhold myself from sharing my views on the Judgment passed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan with respect to the infamous NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance). Since I am not aware of the entire judgment so it is prudent to contain myself and express my views as a Pakistani and not as a lawyer. A Panel of 17 Judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan has annulled the very existence of this Ordinance which was made to cease all the civil and criminal cases against some of the most influential people of Pakistan, both political and non-political. Irrespective of the future of those who would be directly affected by this Jud

Rain always has some sort of mesmerizing effect on me and especially winter rains. I feel as if I am elevated to another universe; it connects me with something phenomenal that I have never seen or experienced through my mortal senses. Karachi has wintry weather which is not excessively cold, just perfect! After the rain sun resplendent in the sky and as the dusk approaches, the splendorous reflection of ginger hued luminosity from the street lamps on moist avenues is simply magnificent. On 14th December there was a wedding of our neighbor’s daughter. A ceremony of elegance and simplicity, the bride and groom were absolutely charming. It is always nice to see joyful faces, some known and some unknown. Nevertheless, the highlight of the evening was 12 a.m. closing time of the marriage halls. Everything was conducted in perfect order there were no undue delays or dragging of photo sessions with the guests. By 1.00 am we were home and in our comfortable warm beds. Th

It is disappointing to witness how our children are drifting away from Urdu and even being proud of their inability to understand their very own language. Children are innocent thus they could not be held responsible, they do not comprehend consequences for their actions, it is moral obligation of the parents and teachers to guide them. I am not anti English language; indeed, I believe it’s an asset to be able to read, speak and write other languages. Japan, China, Norway and so many other countries who know only their native languages are all successful and prospering nations. Nevertheless, the link to what we see today is merely fruit of the seed disseminated during the British Colonial Rule. Unfortunately, it has left an indelible mark on the psyches of several generations that were born even after hundred of years. I do understand that it is easy to comment on others because I am not a parent yet; thus, I might not be able to fully feel the pressure that parents go through. It i

Despite all our efforts for fast paced life, time has a proclivity to take the lead. With winter swiftly imminent days are becoming shorter and shorter. And it seem we are in a rut. My close friend Sadia’s little one Mustafa had some indisposition since last week. Till today I didn’t have any idea about his state; however, throughout this week there was this unvarying feeling to call her and I feel awful due to my laziness. Of course there wasn’t anything that I could have done for her but simply being there for her would have been nice. The good news is Mustafa is doing well now. Delight is a natural outcome when something brilliant and extraordinary emerges from a small and simple idea. I have been a bit uneasy and needed a platform from where I would be able to catch the right train for my desired destination in life. Since last month I have been getting some new ideas about how to carry on with my life both professionally and personally, writing this blog was one of those many i

It is always a delight to watch a black & white movie, especially the films from the 1940’s- 50’s era made in Hollywood, Bollywood or Pakistani Industry. They posses a certain magic and a sense of comfort and familiarity for me, I can spend my entire day just loosing myself in the magic. I was reading some really interesting material from my favorite site www.oprah.com, according to it, depression which is one the most illness of our times every third person suffers from this problem; however, the degree of severity varies. Most common reasons for this disease are stress, loss of a loved one, financial crisis, childhood issues, or excessive negative thinking. And to treat the problem a widely prescribed drug Prozac is given to increase serotonin levels (a brain chemical responsible for giving happy feeling). But now the latest research tells us that depression is caused due to a defect in the formation and function of neurons something much higher than chemical imbalances. Simpl

With so many technologies being introduced our lives have become a lot easier, some being good and some not so good depending on how we use them. I am by nature somewhat an old fashioned person I like to be loyal to the things that I have been used to for a long time; for instance, swapping VCR with DVD players was rather uncomfortable for me. Similarly, microwaves have taken every household by storm, but they cannot compete with the warming of food on regular stoves. All the flavors and hydration remain intact on stoves while microwaves do everything in few seconds but it somehow it fails to retain the basic moisture and essence. Initially due to their controversial nature microwave was forbidden in our home but with the arrival of some authentic researches like Engineering University in USA and Australia, I fail to recall their names; our health concerns were satisfied. My Mami decided to change the setting of her room and few major decisions were taken in this regard, and I am gl

The Greatest, the most Compassionate everything begins and ends from Him, He is everywhere, He is all the Intelligence and He is in all and Is everything, and I am nothing. The I am sounds pompous and if there is two then the love is not pure. No duality should exist between the lover and the beloved. Fridays and Saturdays are mostly exciting; however, Sundays are usually dull and long. I got up early which isn’t usually the case with me but I owe this early rising to one of my favorite TV show. Most of the time is spent usually taking care of chores. One of the most difficult of them is doing something for my own good i.e. exercise. Some days are high in energy and some are low. What is required is discipline and dedication. I prayed so much to get disciplined in this area of my life. After sometime I realized that both of these traits are not sent from heaven in some package rather these are the qualities which we are required to develop within ourselves, day by day. Which means t

It is said, "that a way to a person’s heart is through his stomach”. If there is any iota of truth in this saying then I believe my highway is overloaded with heavy traffic. Since Eid I have been continuously eating meat in one form or another,الحمد لله. Yesterday, it was a barbeque party given by my adored 18 year old cousin Nabeel who argued that his accomplishments should be highly recognized and mentioned in my blog. Jokes apart, I must say that he did a pretty splendid job and the food was really mouthwatering. It is strange to see how guys are excited about the concept of barbeque which I personally deem an extremely laborious activity. I have seen and heard about quite a few gentlemen who get some kind of pleasure in all this exercise. I was watching somewhere that this inclination in men to do barbeque is a legacy of the cavemen from the stone-age where males were responsible for creating heat from stones to protect their female and children from cold weather and women we

Sunsets used to have a melancholic effect on me, I was unable to comprehend as to why people were fascinated and would have their pictures taken at dusk especially at seaside. Most of my academic life I preferred to study in evening shifts but I was never comfortable with this time in particular. Until I saw the sunset in Singapore, it was beyond my teeny weenie imagination that an end of a day could be so captivating and serene. I have been fortunate enough to travel to some countries but nothing matched the evenings in Singapore; everyone was celebrating life, very dressed up with perfect hair. Almost all the taxis we hired the drivers were either whistling or humming some tunes. It was really odd for someone coming from Pakistan to observe such behavior, me & my family were like “oh gosh, this driver is a suspicious character”. In Pakistan if a stranger sings and even worse if he whistles in front of ladies it is considered impoliteness bordering to offensiveness. Luckily for u

No electricity at office something went terribly wrong with the wiring. However, I must say that the building management is co-operative and is trying its best to solve the problem. With no fans or A.C. it’s really hot for December. But In the midst of nothingness and silence I had a moment to be still and when I looked around me a sudden flash of subtle energy went through me and in that instance I realized how much I’m blessed with. I was born in a family where my birth was received wholeheartedly; I have all of my senses intact; health, eyes, hands, legs. I had the love & care of my parents, more than enough food, luxuries, resources, education, loyal & sincere friends, opportunities to work with some of the best people in the business, this office, my home. Above all, the freedom to take my own decisions. The list goes on and on of the countless blessings when compared to the things that I prayed for but haven’t received yet or the things that went wrong in my life are lim

Finally, my blog is born. The process of registering to blog site was a tedious one but the desire to express was far more acute. Three day celebrations of Eid-al-Adha, seekh kababs, lots of meaty dishes and an extended weekend have come to an end which means to get out of the cocoon of my home and face the real world. Eid-al-Adha or the "Festival of Sacrifice" is celebrated to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Abraham (PBUH) to sacrifice and submit the most beloved person in his life, his son Prophet Ismail (PBUH) to the command of Allah. And as Prophet Ismail was about to be sacrificed a miracle happened and instead of him an animal was scarified. So I really got fascinated by this idea of surrendering one’s most beloved thing to a Higher Power and then watch if a Miracle really occurs, in case of someone as insignificant as me.. I thought what if I apply the same principle and surrender my most beloved thing to the same Higher Power and see what happens. My most pre