It’s something unpredictable but in the end it’s right, I hope you’ve had the time of your life
School is over. No, I don’t mean it’s over because of a strike or bomb blast. I mean it’s over in the sweetest, most beloved of ways the end of year party. Eighteen-year-olds from A-Level institutions across the city suddenly cleaned up, straightened their ties, and ironed their dupattas. Mascaras were lost and found, bathroom mirrors were overtaken, and poses were struck in airy gardens and sleek white studios. Jimmy’s and Dossani’s probably made a killing this week. And Facebook won’t let me forget it. Suddenly, everyone’s cover photo is that of them with their friends, eating halwa puri at Boat Basin ...
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10 things I hate about losing weight
Yes, you read that right. Even though losing weight and being stick thin has been my childhood dream, there are many things that bother me whenever I decide to shed a few extra pounds. Here’s a list: The constant questions: What have you done? Tell me the trick. Is it dieting, or exercising, or both? Have you used some kind of a “totka” (home remedy)? There’s no way you can lose weight so quickly otherwise. The nagging aunties: Beta itna bhi dubla honay ki zarurat nahi (There is no need to become so thin) “You will get weak. It’s not good in the long run…blah blah ...
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The key to happiness: Stand your ground
Whoever told me, happiness just magically comes your way, should’ve been tripped headfirst. Because it really doesn’t sneak up on you, it doesn’t tickle your toes and makes its way into your heart and head. Happiness is a 24/7 job, and a tough one at that. It’s a time-consuming process. A tantrum throwing toddler that constantly seeks your attention. Call ethereal happiness a self-created sand castle on your personal shore. Every now and then waves of grief and anger will constantly wash over it, and more often than not, strong winds of disappointment will topple it over, but you’ve got ...
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Once upon a basant
It’s that time of the year again when the frosty blues and grays enveloping start to disappear and in their place awakens a plethora of colours, fresh and vibrant as if after a long hibernation. As if by magic, people’s spirits start to soar and life starts looking more – excuse the pun – ‘sunny’. This reminds me of the time when I was growing up – when as soon as the flowers started appearing, so did kites all over the sky, with people getting ready for the much awaited Basant festival. I loved everything about Basant when I was a kid. My ...
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An American in Lahore: Pakistan saved me
About a year and a half ago, I made the decision to move to Pakistan. Since then, perhaps the most popular question my local friends ask is, “Were you scared to come to Pakistan, because you thought we were all terrorists like the Western media portrays us?” Honestly, no, I was not, and I did not. Even before coming to Pakistan, I found the notion that all 180 million people residing in Pakistan, the sixth most populous nation in the world, were terrorists or had extremist tendencies completely ridiculous. I figured that, as in every country, Pakistan had people from ...
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Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu: Not everyone has to fall in love
If there’s one film that will immediately launch a heated debate between boys and girls, it is Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu. Imran Khan plays the role of Rahul, a 25-year-old nice guy who has recently lost his job as an architect in Las Vegas and whose only real ambition in life is to please his parents. The parents, played by supremely-talented actors Boman Irani and Ratna Pathak-Shah, are a business couple who love their only son and have provided him a luxurious life. They are, however, perfectly comfortable with imposing their ...
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Why women need to complain more
I can’t tell you how much I relied on my girlfriends for my sanity in my 20s. During our student days at the University of Virginia (UVA), we were each other’s roommates, psychiatrists, parents, and siblings. Far away from my family in Bangladesh, my friends and I became each other’s families. But something happens to our female friendships when we leave our 20s and enter our 30s. As we get older and get married, have babies, work, work more, and did I mention, work more, we also begin to talk less. Why is it that when women need their girlfriends the ...
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10 things nosy ‘Pak’ers love to ask
Do you ever get riled up by busybodies asking annoying questions to ‘place’ people in their social world? Well, here are some conveniently snappy answers we wish we could respond with (you might even get away with some of them if you did; sarcasm is often lost on the unwitting). 1. Have you found anyone eligible yet? Yes (enter Mashallah), I have won the marriage lottery! She/he is, Mashallah, loaded and divorced only thrice. 2. Who is your father? He is Mian/Chaudhry (enter name) and owns (enter name of mill/bank). 3. What does your husband do? See answer number 2 please. 4. What village are you from? It doesn’t matter if you have never seen ...
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A few good “F” words for the new year
The year 2011 sped by just like all the years before it. Glorious on many counts, it also had its downsides that come with the package of any given chunk of time. Standing in my balcony, braving the rare chilly Karachi winds against my face, I am taking inventory of the year gone by. Some unresolved resolutions are jumbled up in the knapsack of my mind while some new resolutions have also found their way in. ‘What are going to be my focal points in the year to come?’ I wonder. Somehow, a lot of ‘F’ words spring up in ...
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Seven ways to score Facebook ‘likes’
Who doesn’t like to have loads of comments and ‘likes’ on their Facebook statuses, posts, photos, and so on? Don’t you hate it when someone seems to get all the attention on Facebook no matter how dull their updates? Let me give you some advice to help your profile become one of those very popular ones that you so passionately envy. Not everyone has a sharp mind, and not everyone is witty enough to come up with hilarious thoughts that they may convert into words and update on their Facebook profiles. Of course, we all want to be one of those ...
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