YOU matter

The eighth day of March is marked as the International Women’s Day. This world-wide event is observed to celebrate women’s achievement in social, cultural, economic and political fields while combating gender inequality. This year it is falling on Thursday. Where different organizations are planning talks, rallies, conferences and networking sessions, I reflected upon the impact these talks/rallies make on the lifestyle of people like me.

To be honest, zero!

I am not saying that the rallies against the pay gap don’t matter to me or the #Metoo movement is not worth it; they do make a difference when seeing a larger picture but on the personal level I do not see a change coming in my part of the world (Karachi, Pakistan). I mean, how can you expect others to stand for your right when you, yourself do not propagate for it. Why anyone would trust you when you do not believe in your own dreams. And how would you care for your family when you do not take care of yourself.

This made me think and I realize that the woman in my part of the world does not recognize this fact that she too is equally important for herself. Her home, her family and her work cannot synchronize until she is at her comfort and ease. We take our mother’s love for granted and demand equal rights for women. We forget ourselves for our family and work and then complain for the ‘loss of identity’. What a paradox! At many times we are not the victims, we are the culprits. So for all those ladies who have lost their ‘identity’ just because they got into marriage and kids, and those who have given their lives to their career, it’s a wakeup call. Hello! Wake up! Find yourself again. It’s time to fall in love with yourself.

1. Rejuvenate

Everyone wants to look good. And good looks bring a lot of confidence. Good looks don’t mean fair complexion but fresh and glowing skin.

• Take eight hours sleep daily; it will do wonders for you. Don’t forget to moisturize your hands before going to bed; you will see the fruits of this night regime in your old age.
• Treat yourself with facials and mani-pedi every month. It is not necessary to go to expensive salons and spend lavishly. You can buy masks and exfoliators from the market and use them on weekly basis. Homemade cleansers, masks, exfoliators etc. are better than any cream which is packed in a jar.

2. Attire

Clothes do not make the man. But how do you carry yourself, it matters. If you can wrap a sari beautifully and can carry it easily, go for it. The click and clack of your heels will look hideous if you are not comfy in it. Always go for the comfortable clothes and shoes. If you like sneakers/trainers wear them. Dangling earrings are in fashion but will look ugly in office, switch to diamantes. Wear culturally adapted clothes which suit your age and body type.

3. Physical activity

Your body is your choice. But a healthy physical activity will be beneficial not only for your physique but also for your bones and stomach. A 30-minute walk is all you need if you are lazy to do yoga or aerobics. By the way, Pilates keep the body flexible and reduces the chances of fractures in old age.

PS: cleaning and mopping the floor, cooking, ironing, walking miles for shopping etc. are not physical activities. These are house chores not exercise.

4. Milk

Women need extra strength and extra immune system. We manage house chores, run errands, work in an office and cook for the entire family. We go through a menstrual cycle every month and produce an 8lbs (on average) living being. Osteoporosis and arthritis are on the rise and our calcium and other important minerals, which we take from our meals, are utilized in all these efforts. We need more. We are the pivot in the wheel of our family. If we are strong our family will be strong. Make it a daily ritual to have a glass of milk and religiously follow it.

5. Fruits

Fruits are the best thing for one’s body. It keeps fuller, no fats, and provides all the different minerals and nutrients we need for a healthy life. Try to eat one seasonal fruit daily. These are valuable for our intestines, bring a glow to our skin, and the best: slow aging process.

6. Gardening

Gardening is one of the best hobbies in this world. Besides providing oxygen, plants reduce stress and depression, and bring peace and calm. Invest something in keeping plants at your place. If you have a large space you can even plant a Neem Tree which has so many benefits and uses.

Surround yourself with nature and spend some daytime near it. You will feel the difference in your mood and it will also accentuate the beauty of your house.

Bonus point: it is trendy these days to have a mini kitchen garden.

These tips will not stop gender discrimination or accelerate gender parity nor fetch pay gap revolution but will do one most important thing… these small steps ensure that YOU matter to you and your family. You can bring the revolution in this world but for that, you need to take care of yourself first.

With love and lots of best wishes to all the women out there.

Happy Women’s Day!

 

Book Habits

The Friday Times has started a section in their weekly in which it used to ask questions to the famous people about their book habits. I was tempted and decided to answer those questions on my blog; however, didn’t get time to do this sooner. But when I found the questionnaire on the Goodreads I couldn’t resist myself.

Q: Hardback or Paperback?
A: Both.

Q: Locally owned bookshop or big name chain store?
A: I usually buy from a big chain store as I work in one.

Q: Bookmark or dog-ear?
A: Dog-ear? Never! Bookmarks.

Q: Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?
A: Randomly. I prefer that the colours of spines and the height match.

Q: Keep, throw away, or sell?
A: Keep!

Q: Keep dust jacket or toss it?
A: oh I just love the dust jackets.

Q: Read with dust jacket or remove it?
A: I remove it while reading (to prevent damage) and put it back on when it rests on the shelf.

Q: Short story or novel?
A: Novel.

Q: Collection (short stories by the same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)?
A: Although I am not a fan of short stories. But have read Collection and Anthologies both. I think I will prefer anthology to taste different flavours.

Q: Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
A: one more page…until I doze off.

Q: “It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?
A: Although the first one appeals but Once Upon a Time has its own charm.

Q: Buy or borrow?
A: Buy.

Q: New or used?
A: New. Used, in case don’t have enough amount to buy new.

Q: Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse?
A: Though I like to get recommendations but most of the time I follow my instinct while browsing.

Q: Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
A: I am such an emotional wreck that I feel unable to start a new book for days because I live in the last book’s (with the tidy ending) world. A cliffhanger will be a mental trauma.

Q: Morning, afternoon or nighttime reading?
A: All day, everyday.

Q: Single volume or series?
A: Single. Though I like Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Q: Favorite series?
A: Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It is the only series I read.

Q: Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
A: *thinking

Q: Favorite books read last year?
A: Errr…this is difficult. I read five books in total. And, all were very good but I think the best one was… *thinking…confuse….there is a tie between Mrs Funnybones and Me Before You.

Q: Favorite books of all time?
A: Oh! *sigh…there are many…to name a few…Peer-e-Kamil, The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, Wonder, … Mrs Funnybones, Me Before You…the list is quite big indeed!

Feel free to answer all the above questions or some in the comments below. I will love to read the responses of other book lovers.

These questions were found on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1162432-questions-for-book-lovers

Wacky Winter

The winter is coming! Or allow me to say it is trying to spread its wing in the late December at Karachi but unable to penetrate the stubborn weather disposition of the city. So what we, the Karachiities, get are chilly mornings, warm afternoons with the bright sunlight and semi cold nights. Consequently, we suffer a viral which makes us cough violently and blow jammed noses. We sleep with the warm duvets and comfy blankets keeping the fans on.

Last week I also caught a dry cough with a jammed nose. A perpetual hater of doctors, I tried to cure my viral by self-medication and during that dilemma I came up with my own invention of Masala Chai.

Although I do take a half cup of tea twice a day but I am not a Chai Lover. It came into my life as a part and parcel of an office job. And, hot sips of tea do offer a timely relief from a sore throat.

So, last Sunday when I woke up at 12:30, my throat was dry and scratchy all over. I went to the kitchen and pour the water in a pot to make a tea, telling my mother about my painful throat. She advised me to add a half inch of cinnamon stick in a tea as it is good for relieving pain. Since I make a very very bad tea, I added a small cardamom too to add aroma and then a few more ingredients which all were lying in a cabinet waiting anxiously to be discovered by me and Eureka!…A Masala tea (Sana’s version) came into being. It not only soothed my throat but helped me to shrug off the late morning laziness. Surprisingly, it tasted so well that I made it in the evening for my parents too. So, here I am sharing my recipe of Masala Chai. Please share yours if you have some other magical ingredients or method.

Serves: 2          Preparation time: 5 minutes       Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1 cup milk

1 tbsp. tea leaves

1” ginger root, fresh

1 green cardamom

1” cinnamon stick

1 clove

Method:

1. Pour a cup of water and a cup of milk in a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Add tea leaves of your choice. I used Tapal Danedaar. Turn the flame low.
3. Chop the ginger root roughly and add to the mixture.
4. Peel off the skin of a cardamom. Put its skin in the mixture or in the tea leaves jar so that its aroma mix with the leaves and every time you make tea you get a hang of it. Pestle the seeds into a fine powder and add to the tea.
5. Add cinnamon stick and clove.
6. Cook the mixture on low flame for maximum 10 mins.
7. Stir the spoon. If you are satisfied with the colour (I don’t like milky white) pour the tea in your favourite cups or mugs.

P.S: I do not take sugar in tea and coffee. No, I am not diabetic I just don’t like its flavour in both the beverages. You can add as per your taste.

LOC

Lub-dub, Lub-dub, Lub-dub… he could hear the throbbing of heart in his ears. He was well aware of the danger which surrounded him. Although he was not a coward nor it was his first mission. But the hostility on that ground was unpredictable. Feeling scared, he was staring ground for the last two hours. Making stretches and straightening back could grab the attention of the commander-in-charge, who was marching to and fro in heavy boots. His black boots were like the mouth of an alligator, wanting him to engulf.

Commander stopped near his back. He could feel the piercing eyes of the commander. A slight tingling sensation arose in his stomach and started to roam inside him like a wind. From his tousled hair, a drop of sweat came out and made its journey towards his back. His back began to itch, then, his legs and the soles of his feet. He wanted to scratch, but a little movement could turn his game and he did not want to lose at this moment. Finally the journey of a drop ended by being absorbed in the folds of his shirt. He was ready to be caught by his collar…1, 2, 3… ahhh! He sighed in relief. The commander was not aware of his presence or of the tool hidden inside his sock. As soon the commander went away, his itching vanished somewhere in the air.

Someone came and whispered in the commander’s ear. It was a right time for him to see his ally from the tail of his eyes. His companion seemed dejected and disappointed, as he was sure of the failure of their mission. Oh damn! He said in his heart. He did not like the expression of his friend’s face. They were doing it for their whole life and it was the last time they were attempting this task. After this, they would never be troubled. They were about to break the door of the cage, then, they would be free like birds flying high in the sky without the danger of being hunted. It was a matter of life and death. He could not afford to turn back now. He had to cross that line of control else how would he face his friends and society? He had to do that for the sake of his father’s dignity, for his mother’s pleasure. He could not stand the failure.

Finally, he made a decision. He sat straight, moved his head to see his partner face to face, with the sparkles in his eyes and a victorious smile on the lips. His partner was no longer his partner. The stars in his eyes have already switched off as he has given up hope of triumph. Suddenly a color came on his faded cheeks and his eyes grew wide in horror as he saw his brave and bold friend leaned forward and took out a tool out of his sock.

He unfolded the micro, set it among the answer sheet and started copying answer. His writing hand was running like an untamed mare but… it had to stop because of the impediment. The invigilator got him red-handed and snatched his tool. Obviously, he did not care about his mother’s pleasure or father’s dignity. It was not his concern that what story that ‘CHEATER’ would tell his future children and grandchildren about being flung in Physics. He was in-charge of that Examination Hall and he could not let any boy to cross his Line Of Control.

Javed Miandad – the Hero

The sun was blazing high in the sky. The birds were parched and the spectators were silent. Many hands rose for the prayers.

He could hear the throbbing of his heart in his ears. The tinkling drop of sweat popped out from the skin of head and traveled towards his temple. He closed his eyes for a second. He sighed and said the name of Allah, after all He is the One who can turn the table at any time. He opened his eyes and saw Chetan Sharma who started to run towards him. Sharma bowled a low full toss and he moved his bat with the full force. Tuck! Everyone was dumb founded. Chetan forgot to breath. The ball didn’t bounce and crossed the boundary. Finally, Pakistan won the final of Austral-Asia Cup (1986) and Miandad began to breathe from the ashes. Millions of cricket fans in India died that day. And, in Pakistan a new embodiment of patriotism and heroism rose.