The Word of mAn[S]o0r

This is my 100th post on my blog!! wwooohhooooO! Now there's a reason to celebrate if any!!

Who would've thought that signing up for a blogger account in feburary would lead me here in such a short time! and WOW how much i've talked about! I know a lot of you may not really be interested in knowing about my journey and what i learned about myself during the period, so you guys skip to the end, the rest.. read on. I started out with an idea to post stuff i talk about with my friends/family and other assorted people. About life, its eccentricities, post about the advice i give to others, and those given to me. I now realize that's just too many directions and there's no use going on about everything under the sun. So i then decided to focus my blog solely on Life in Karachi City, with just a little dose of mixed posts to spice things up. That made me realize about a new passion within me... to comment/critique and otherwise gossip about the ad campaigns running in Karachi. Also, the blog combined with a camera phone brought to the surface, appreciation for 'pimped rides' (got the term of jamalsadik). Which i post here under the 'Car-achi' series, again a term borrowed from Karachi Metblogs. During the course of blogging, i came across a whole host of new people, with whom i share idea's... discuss new or emerging issue's or just plain read about the latest thorn up their sides and its really opened up my eyes to the otherside of the world. Its fun watching tv shows (or even reality shows) or reading magazines, but nothing beats hearing about stuff straight from the horses mouth (or so to speak). That ends my comments on blogging.

Now, Im dedicating the last part of this post to the memory of my top 5 favorite entries:

Icon War
The Phenomena that is the Mehran
A Pink Beetle
Urban Legends?? but Just TOO GOOD!!
you job ? should you like it ?

There! it wasnt easy.. but i did it! Next time.. it'll be the top 5 from the next 100 entries!!

Labels: my life, thoughts

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 4:06 PM | Permalink | |

I banged my car a week ago.. i thought i'd post a little on that.. but its not that interesting, just a little bump, a damaged bonnet, fender and door. Plus, it wasnt like i rammed head first into a wall or anything.. so its not that interesting.. but what *is* interesting is that yesterday i gave my car to be fixed at the showroom. And since then... im without transport :S

And like many other karachite's, i took to the public transport since yesterday. Oh yea, by public transport, i mean the taxi and rikshaw's.. not the busses/coaches. One thing i can definately say about it... it is very.. very... very expensive to travel on public transport here. In just two days, i've managed to be short by Rs. 600 which i spent hauling myself from point A to D (and various points in between).

Not that i havent travelled much on it... infact, i've been travelling via the karachi busses for almost 6 years before i got my car. But now, it feels as if such a long time has passed since i did it... i just cant bring myself to boarding a bus anymore, and hence now take the taxi everywhere i wanna go .

So summing up,

1. its expensive, and
2. it feels like i used to do it centuries ago.

Thats been my experience with it. All those words just to say two small sentences! lol! but i had to.. i *do* have to justify a post too you know. lol!!

Labels: my car, rants

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 3:49 PM | Permalink | |

You go out in any street of Pakistan, and there's one thing you'll definately see! yes.. its even more pervasive than... roads. Thats right.. im talking about the good ol Suzuki Mehran! This car is really something! Why i say this? because i drive around in a Mehran (wait for my next post which will chronical the events with my car) and its fun (completely blacked out for a better word to describe the experience)!

So why blog about it all of a sudden? Two reasons.. or rather two posts by jamil sadik and rehan alvi about their expriences with it. So instead of writing anything new.. i'll just quote from their posts (here and here).

Jamal writes

My ride (The Mehran) cost me a cool $5000, with about $600 of upgrades (A/C, stereo and speakers, alarm system…yeah, the same stuff that is standard in the crappiest Geo Metro in America). However these facts are all irrelevant, because the car gets me from point A to point B, which is alot better than my situation one week ago. It should be every man’s (and woman’s) prerogative to have a sweat-free, music-filled ride to work/school every morning. I mean, seriously, is that too much to ask? With my new pimp mobile, it certainly is not. This bad girl does 0-60 km/h (0 - 37 mph) in a lightning fast 17 seconds. That’s 35 stallions under the hood thrusting the futuristic, light-weight body of this Japanese/Pakistani hybrid forward.

While rehan starts off his post with

The car is basically a 4 door go-cart, running off a lawnmower engine which provides a stunningly awesome 35 horsepower drive. Now if that doesn’t sound like much, it’s because it isn’t. Want to know what comes standard on it, along with the one year warranty (yes you read that correctly) on parts? Well it’s basically four 12″ wheels and a windshield, making the Mehran the most stripped down car I have ever seen mass produced and sold commercially. Besides not having air conditioning, it has no power steering, no power windows and no power mirrors. Actually, it has no power whatsoever. The body is reminiscent of a 1970s assembly line production flaw and the ride comes with the free added bonus of force-feedback. Just like the latest joysticks of today, the Mehran lets you feel every bump, every vibration, every jolt as you chug along the road

but then moves on to describing just why its so damn popular

as crappy as it is on paper, this car is the Pakistani Pimp’s preferred ride. As I said above, the Mehran has sold more than any other car in Pakistan or India, EVER.

First off, this car is so small, you can park it anywhere. That doesn’t suck. Second off, it is the cheapest car you can buy in the South Asian sub-continent. Sure it’s overpriced, but that is due to the lack of competition along with crazy government taxes, two problems which plague more than just the automotive industry. Third of all, and arguably the best reason for owning one: the amazing fuel economy. Not only does this car have the option of running off of regular unleaded or natural gas, but also it gives you the option to switch between the two fuel sources on the go. Natural gas is so cheap and when you’re running off that, you can drive wherever the hell you want. It’s just that cheap. Also, the last great reason why Mehrans kick ass is that they are dirt cheap to maintain. Parts are incredibly cheap, labor is even cheaper, and the simple design of the car makes it repairable by your local village idiot mechanic.

And about sums it up! the reason's why the mehran is an experience! They are dirt cheap to maintain! Let me explain... a side view mirror on a mehran costs roughly about Rs. 75 (i know because i've bought about 4 of them so far..) while the same mirror on a Honda or Corolla runs to about Rs. 800. Similarly, a side window on a mehran costs about Rs. 150 (local made) to about Rs. 600 (for imported) while the same on a larger car would start from Rs. 2000!

So above all, mehran rocks! (till i get a new car ;))

Labels: my car

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 9:46 PM | Permalink | |

Today was a day of insights into myself. Now i consider myself a friendly person, no doubt, but i do have limits to the kind/type of people i even talk with. Call it being stuck up, having an attitude problem or whatever, but its there.. and its helped me out a lot over the years. So just imagine what sort of a shock i got today when i was telling an office colleage 'A' about my cousin who can strike up a conversation with just about everyone and make friends left right and center, and he piped in

"he's even friendlier than you??"

Given the fact that i've plainly even ignored people because i didnt want anything to do with them, to be labelled as 'very friendly' wasnt something i expected. If that's what people think about me, then i really need to change my views on myself(!).

Incidently, Umar Siddiqi has also posted something about friends.. so give it a read too.

Labels: thoughts

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 8:09 PM | Permalink | |

i recently rambled on about how i needed structure in my life (no! not the military kind) but rather more of a slight nudging kind... and i would like to receive honest feedback on how im doing. Ofcourse, where i was thinking that... i didnt know critism could be so hard to take. Today, i was in conversation with my boss, about course delivery techniques and this line came up with was literally a smack on my face (complete with a resounding echo).

"i was really pissed off at the attitude through which you prepared for delivering the last course. Apparently you know how to deliver, but you didnt know what to deliver"

okay okay.. so maybe thats not excatly what he said, but i swear thats what i heard! talk about cutting you down to size! I immediately saw my hopes of being a trainer in the long run being slashed to pieces!

Now comes the interesting part.. what to do about it? I'm not going to take this lying down! Nor am i gonna cry about it (though its so damn tempting). Now its upto me to PROVE that im good! A little dose of criticism can do wonders for you now and again! believe you me! It did wonders to bring up my morale (reverse psychology?) and my resolve (jazba, azm and all) to do better next time.

I've had two more training delivery sessions since the first and before this comment, and on self reflection, i made somewhat of the same mistakes in the first one... and really prepared in the second one! We're having another session on "Best Practices on Software Quality Assurance" in which im going to get a part (unfortunately, given my previous perfomance.. a smaller part) again. This time im gonna knock their (his) socks off.

Pray for me world!!

Labels: rants, speaking out

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 5:42 PM | Permalink | |

My blog description includes the words "a little gossip" of which i have posted none off.. so from here, im starting a section just on that! And what should come first but a case Hollywood copying off Bollywood! The ONE good idea bollywood's had in YEARS is now gettin copied by the west. Read the story here.

Gangster MD - Hollywood's Spin on Munna Bhai MBBS

This will be a first...of sorts.  Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding fame) is all set to direct Chris Tucker as Gangster MD, in the Hollywood version of Munna Bhai MBBS, originally played by Sanjay Dutt.  Of course, given Mira Nair's Indian origin, one can't truly say that it's mainstream Hollywood picking up a Bollywood script.  Nevertheless!  The movie plans are still being finalized and may include some of the original cast as well.  Filming is expected to begin after Tucker finishes shooting Rush Hour 3 with Jackie Chan in Paris this summer.

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 2:16 PM | Permalink | |

Posting up on events as and when i find out about them. Here's the info for a theater play being held in Karachi at the Royal Rodale Club in Defence on June 23rd. If anyone else, like me, would be going alone.. let me know and maybe we could team up! Better than going alone

The Royal Rodale

Presents

JANG HAI BASANT DI

A Comedy Theatre Play by Imran Aslam

A Production of The Grips Theatre – Karachi

Star Cast

• K. Sajeeruddin
• Faiza Kazi
• Ali Saleem
• Aysha Sheikh
• Khalid Anam

Friday June 23, 2006

9:00 pm sharp (One hour play)

Venue: Lawn Area

Entry Ticket: Rs. 250/-

Terms & Conditions:

• Entry tickets will be available at our Front Desk on cash payment only from June 5.
• Each entry ticket is valid for one person for single entry only.
• Code of the conduct and dress code of the complex should be strictly followed
• Food & Drinks from outside is not allowed and would be available on cash payment
• Their will be no Mirage Buffet on the day because of expected heavy rush.
• Children below 18 years of age strictly not allowed.
• Due to shortage of space, please book your seats well before time.

For further query and details, please contact our Front Desk / Marketing Department.

UAN: 111-000-168

info@royalrodale.com

www.royalrodale.com

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 1:26 PM | Permalink | |

This news item is worthy of all the publicity it can get. Its people (and clubs) like these who keep the spirit of karachi alive. I personally feel pride by hearing this news, as i am also a member of a Rotaract Club (The youth wing of Rotary) called the Rotaract Club of Karachi Metropolitan. A summary of the article follows with the complete release.

The Rotary Club of Karachi, the first Rotary Club to be established in Karachi in 1933, had for quite sometime now, embarked on a project to build a Model school in the area of Lyari to cater for educataional needs of the people there. They have now completed the task, and the school is set to begin the academic year from August 2006 with two streams of pupils, females in the morning and males in the evening. The school is called Rotary Club of Karachi / PN Model School recognizing the contribution of Pakistan Navy in this endeavor by providing the land.

The complete article is as follows:

Behalf Of AZIZ MEMON

Soft Inauguration & Handing / Taking Over Ceremony
Of RC Karachi / PN Model School Lyari
On 27th May 2006

One of the first of its kind in the city, the Rotary Club of Karachi was chartered on May 11th, 1933, an outcome of the vision and initiative of its service oriented members, among whom figured personalities like Hatim A. Alavi, Hatim B,. Tayabji and Jamshed Nusserwanji. From its inception, the club has taken an active interest in the civic life of Karachi and also devoted considerable attention to the international aspect of Rotary service.

In its philanthropic efforts, the club has funded several ear and eye camps, supplied drinking water to low-lying areas and adopted several schools. Among its major projects is the supply of sewing machines and a Mass Miniature Radiography Project for the Afghan Refugees, providing resources for TB control in slums, donations of equipment and medicines to government hospitals and other welfare organizations.

It is a well known fact that in this city of over 12 million, most people live below the poverty line and are unable to provide three square meals a day for their children, let alone make available to them the education that is their right and which they so richly deserve. Even though many education projects are functioning already, the need is great and our effort is a mere drop in the very vast ocean of poverty.

As many of you may be aware, the Lyari area in Karachi is a sprawling shantytown on the outskirts of the city inhabited by lower income group populace. Like all other such localities, the town faces inadequate infrastructure facilities, education being the foremost. Over the years, the problem has compounded to an extent that the youth of the area have diverted their energies towards all sorts of anti-social activities.

Keeping this situation in view, the Rotary Club of Karachi took up a project during the tenure of Presidentship of Rtn. Aziz Memon to construct a school in Lyari on an area belonging to the Pakistan Navy and measuring 2850 sq yds, which is now complete. To recognize the Navy’s contribution to the project, the school is named as "Rotary Club of Karachi / PN Model School".

The school constructed in the Lyari area would start academic session from August 2006 on both primary and secondary levels from Grade 1 through 10. The plan is to have two streams of pupils, one in the morning and another in the evening. The morning shift would consist of female students whereas the evening shift would cater to the needs of make students. The club hopes that the students of this new school will be able to avail of as many facilities as possible, which are available to students in other schools. For this purpose, the construction of science labs, as well stocked library, a common room, a computer lab and a sick room were also constructed. Additionally, the construction of a huge play field planned for outdoor sports will be prepared to encourage the children to take part in extra-curricular activities.

By the grace of God, the project is now complete, which will cater to the needs of approximately 1600 children in the Lyari area and provide them with good-quality, low-cost education. The total cost of the project was estimated at Rs.22 million. The need of the hour is to pool our collective resources and contribute towards the future of our nation, i.e. the children of our city.

A soft inauguration and handing / taking over ceremony was held on 27th May 2006 at Commander Logistics Office, Karachi to start the academic session of the school from 15th August 2006. Whereas the formal inauguration ceremony of Rotary Club of Karachi / PN Model School will be held on 5th August 2006.

We feel satisfaction on completion of this largest project and I am thankful to all the donors for their kind support and assistance extended to us since its inception in August 2003.

Kind regards,
Rtn. Aziz Memon
District Governor Nominee
RI District 3270,
Pakistan & Afghanistan

Technorati Tags: philantrophy, rotary, school, education

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 1:13 PM | Permalink | |

This is a really cool animation made about the icon's sitting on our desktop!
Makes you wonder what they're doing when the screensaver's on!

Check it out here


P.S. I tried embedding here on my blog, but im not sure about the copyright ramifications. Still its too cool not to check out.

Labels: hilarious

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 1:57 PM | Permalink | |

or rather not your event! what am i going on about? i'll let you know.

Last nite, my mother and i decided to dine out, so we went to our favourite club to have food. Upon arriving, she ordered the fish for herself, a plate of Chicken Seekh Kabab's for the both of us, and i thought.. why not have French style Chicken Cutlets (which i luv). Having satisfactorily ordered our food, we had a really nice conversation (these are the couple of moments i get to bond wid my mom) for about twenty odd minutes. Then the waiter comes upto us and says "Sir, the french style cutlets are not available, should i cancel the order?" Ofcourse you should!! i thought of saying to him, but just nodded in agreement, to which he left, without taking my replacement order (?), so anyway, we were sitting there again, with me trying to ID which waiter it was that i had given my order too.. since i *did* need a replacement meal! Finally, i catched his eye, and when he came up decided to order a Beef Steak instead. He left, and promptly returned with the reply "Im sorry sir, the kitchen is out of beef steak" At this point im mildy irritated, but thought what the heck! lets have chicken steak instead (i was wondering if maybe sunday was declared as a meatless day as well(?) ). This the kitchen did have and now 35 minutes after being seated, i finally ordered something which i would be able to get! With this wonderful thought, i returned to having a delightful conversation with mom. Our food arrived, and we started eating, then thought we should give our order for drinks. So i again searched for the waiter, caught his eye, and gave him the order of a mirinda for mom, and Pakola Ice Cream soda for me. Now here's the catch! the waiter again returned and replied <grinning stupidly i might add!> "Im sorry sir, but we're OUT of PAKOLA as well" At that time i submitted to the will of the gods and thought i'd have whatever's the coldest in their cooler (while praying it was not apple sidra). I got myself a good ol regular pepsi to down my chicken steak with. A pretty hearty meal for something i didnt originaly want to have.

So that was it... sometimes... its just not your day! Dont fret and go whereever the tide takes you, for at times.. that the only thing you can do.

Labels: rants

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 1:38 AM | Permalink | |

For quite sometime now, i've been feeling depresed when looking over my blog pages.. somehow, the old brown color scheme didnt suit me anymore. Combine that to the fact that all images had stopped loading, and i was left with only the brown boxes in various colors left, didnt make it any appeasing.

So i began my quest to find a new look for my blog, being inspired by the score of blogs that i read. My first stop was google, keying in a search for 'free blogger templates'. I got bombarded with various links containing 'free' templates, but somehow, nothing seemed to fit the bill. The site blogskins.com does have QUITE a lot of stuff, but its very artistic and not what i was looking for. Eventually, after two days of searching, i finally came across this Photoshop Support::Blog Tutorials which took me to Blogger Templates and here i found EXCATLY what i was looking for.. "Powel Street". This skin just called out to me and i knew i had hit the jackpot.

Thus the first part ended, and then i began adding the 'customizations' which were really necessary to make my blog 'truly mine'. Such as the side bar content. The latest entrant is my blogroll from the site www.blogrolling.com. This customization effort took about 3 to 4 hours, but i have to say im quite happy with the effort. Lemme know how i did.

Labels: thoughts

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 8:04 PM | Permalink | |

Why is it that i've lost all will to get work done? Howcome i've become unable to work unsupervised? This does not include my office work, where supervision is there and deadline's have to be met, but all other work has come to a screeching halt in the last couple of months! Believe me! The tyre marks are still visible!!

Just take this post as an example... i started writing this post at 11 AM today.... its 7 PM right now, i think im gonna post it as is... since i cant seem to finish it. lol ! Why does it happen like this always?

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 7:24 PM | Permalink | |

I found this wonderful article from LifeHacker on how to shape your life to reduce the amount of stress in it which i'd like to share. While the suggestions are very simple and born out of common sense, its still a good idea to review these one in a while. Here's the complete text of the article.

Getting To Done: De-stress yoursef

by Keith Robinson

If you’re reading this chances are you’ve got some interest in making your life less stressed. I know it’s a big deal for me. I’m a naturally stressed-out person and I’m trying more and more to keep my stress-level low. Lately it’s been pretty high, and while I know it’ll pass, I’m really trying to spend more time relaxing. It’s not as easy as you might think.

In this first installment of a two-part series on stress reduction I”ll discuss some ways you can set yourself up to be less stressed.

Find the right job

Having a job you love and one that can support a good work/life balance is a great way to start down to the road to a less stressful life.

A job where you can simply work less is always good too. If nothing else you need to be able to take a break every once in awhile.

Get to work!

I know! I just told you to take a break from work. Well, working hard has its benefits too. Think about it. How often do you get to work — really work? We spend so much of our work days doing everything but working. Dealing with office politics, digging through e-mail and RSS, having meetings and all the rest. For me anyway once of the best ways to keep the stress level low is to get things done and get head down and do some work.

I feel my best when I’m writing, or designing or coding. Well, either when I’m doing that or just after I’ve finished a productive four hour stint (I work in three or four hour blocks usually). It’s also got the added benefits of keeping the to-do list manageable.

Set boundaries

You’ve got to know when to say no and when to quit. It seems like every day someone is asking for something new, but you’ve got to realize that for every new job, new task, new bit of information you’ve decided to bring on you’ve got to either take away from something else or find more energy somewhere inside to deal with it. Good work isn’t all about getting things done and doing lots of work, it’s about doing it right also.

I’m not a perfectionist (perfect is the enemy of the good), but I do expect quite a bit out of myself and those around me. It’s sometimes awfully easy to see when someone has too much on their plate as their work suffers and they’re always stressed out. Seeing that in yourself is the trick. Give yourself a long inward look and ask yourself if you might need to reduce your workload. Also, it’s a good idea to do this before you agree to take something new on.

Stay fit. Exercise.

A healthy lifestyle can do a whole lot toward relieving stress. I know I feel my best and my least stressed after a very draining soccer or kickball game. Join a club, go out for a run or make time on your Sunday afternoon to kick a ball around with friends. It can help in so many ways.

It’s important to find activities that work for you. I’m not sure competitive sports is for everyone, for example. The idea is to do something that gets you active, even if it’s just going for a walk every day at lunch.

Get clean and organized

One of the reasons people are so interested in David Allen’s Getting Things Done and other, similar productivity programs is their promise to keep you less stressed. One of the ways these systems help you do that is by helping you keep organized. A tidy desk, clean home and organized computer can do wonders for keeping your mind of things that cause stress.

Take time off from work.

Make sure you’re using your vacation days and getting away from the office and its stress on a regular basis. Don’t work through the weekend. In fact, you might try and take Fridays off!

As always if anyone reading this has any more tips they’d like to add, that’d be very welcome in the comments or at tips at lifehacker.com. Next up: de-stressing through relaxation.

D. Keith Robinson is an associate editor of Lifehacker. His special feature Getting To Done appears every Monday on Lifehacker.

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 11:14 AM | Permalink | |

After years of seeing fido prancing around with foriegn models promoting the 7-up brand, looks like he finally came to town! Havent seen if there's a TV version of it, but the billboard looks very refreshing.

Their slogan here is "Style zara hat kay"

Labels: ad campaigns

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 11:38 AM | Permalink | |

It started with Coke and Pepsi, and mostly, its still running between coke and pepsi, but now a local player has "reentered" the scene! The House of Pakola has been around ever since i can remember with their flagship product, Ice-Cream Soda and the timeless jingle "Hara bhara Pakola, Ice Cream Soda". I've been drinking (and loving) this wonderful product every chance i get, and was always amazed as to why its so difficult to obtain here, that is.. until recently.

Pakola has launched a MASSIVE ad campaign this year, promoting their soft drinks. They've gotten top notch designers and marketing people and are burning tracks in every direction!

Pakola, starting with Ice-Cream Soda (which is self titled) has brought various other brands under its umbrella, namely Apple Sidra and Bubble up (and possible others). And is now aggressively marketting them as well. They boast a 'very' improved supply chain (which i deduce from the fact that i can actually GET pakola from shops) plus they've introduced a vareity of containers for their products, from Regular 250 ML bottles, 300 ML Cans, 300 ML Plastic bottles and 250 ML disposable bottles.

Currently, they're running ad's for ice-cream soda (which to tell the truth i am in LOVE with) as well as for Apple Sidra! It'll be interesting to see how they stack up with the major players, and what their strategy will be. If i get more news i'll post it up here.

Labels: ad campaigns

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 11:26 AM | Permalink | |

I was hearing rumours about this service for a very long time now, but thought better the wait out till i have facts.. Thankfully, the wait is over! And i just cant WAIT for this dream to come true! Read on!!

Wateen Telecom (part of the Abu Dhabi Group) has annouced plans with Motorola for creating the largest WiMax Network in the world, right here in Pakistan! Touting to covering almost 120 cities and having a capacity of almost 1 Million (yes, thats right! ONE MILLION) users, it certainly beats any other venture's i've heard of in the world.

Read more from the Telecom Magazine and Yahoo! Business News.

Excerpts from the above articles:

From Telecom Magazine:

In what is believed to be the largest WiMAX network of its kind, Motorola has been selected as primary supplier to Pakistan’s Wateen Telecom, part of Warid Telecom International, to plan, design and deploy a nationwide WiMAX network. The initial deployment is schedule to be completed by the second half of 2006

From Telecom Magazine:

Integration with Motorola’s IMS solution will enable Wateen Telecom to offer consumers voice services using VoIP (Voice- over-IP) including enhanced residential voice features such as caller ID, voice mail and call forwarding. Differentiated services such as pre-paid and simple web-based subscriber account management are also included. For business customers, Wateen Telecom will offer a hosted VoIP solution with traditional business PBX and IP Centrex voice services such as conferencing, integrated with services that include find me/follow me and PC desktop integration.

From Yahoo! Business News:

Tariq Malik, Wateen Telecom, commented, "We are committed to deploying Pakistan's first nationwide network -- the largest 802.16e WiMAX network in the world with over one million users -- and to enabling access to a range of voice, Internet, data and value-added services via the network. This is an important milestone in realizing our vision of 'Broadband Pakistan' and eliminating the digital divide by providing coverage to areas that are currently underserved."

About the Companies:

About Wateen

Wateen Telecom is the Abu Dhabi Group's latest communication investment in Pakistan. After the successful launch of Warid Telecom in Pakistan which provides mobile GSM services to over 4.0 million customers, in under 1 year of launch, Wateen Telecom was set up to become the leading "Carrier's Carrier" in Pakistan providing quality, reliability and affordability in the communication sector bringing the next generation services at customer's doorstep ... today! By virtue of its 5000+ KM long haul optical fiber, metro optical fibre rings and FTTX, wireless broadband network, data centres and tele-housing facilities, Wateen offers total communication solutions including domestic and international voice services, video conferencing/video telephony, true broadband Internet and data connectivity, DVD quality TV viewing and VAS such as Video security and surveillance and Interactive gaming, for corporate, business and residential customers. Wateen also provides telecom infrastructure to cable, cellular, ISPs, calling card and payphone partner companies. For more information about the company, please visit http://www.wateen.com

About Motorola

Motorola is known around the world for innovation and leadership in wireless and broadband communications. Inspired by our vision of Seamless Mobility, the people of Motorola are committed to helping you get and stay connected simply and seamlessly to the people, information, and entertainment that you want and need. We do this by designing and delivering "must have" products, "must do" experiences and powerful networks -- along with a full complement of support services. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $36.8 billion in 2005. For more information about our company, our people and our innovations, please visit http://www.motorola.com

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 11:14 AM | Permalink | |

Even though personally i have no problems with such tactics, it still becomes a very alarming indicator to how much intimacy is becoming a part of the daily routine here in Karachi. This in a city, where mullah's burned a Mobilink billboard because it featured a model with bare arms(?)

This latest incarnation of such billboards is from TvOne about their drama serial "Dil kee madham boliyan" (Whispers of the heart), and the alarming factor is the the guy holding the girl by the waist.

After the campaigns by Sprite (Thund Program), Apple Sidra (Model featuring tattoo) and countless others... I think we're pretty close to featuring french kissing on billboards! Anyway, like i mentioned before, i personally have no objections to it, check out the billboard.

Labels: ad campaigns

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 11:01 AM | Permalink | |

The mystery surrounding the teaser "In case of Hair Emergency, Break Glass" is now finally resolved! Sunsilk revealed their product as "A breakthrough" in hair care! Here's the new billboard campaign!

Labels: ad campaigns

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 10:44 AM | Permalink | |

Ever so often, the view i get from my office floor is breathtaking! This time, i thought i'd share it with all of you! Looking at it from this angle, Karachi seem's to be a calm, serene and green place!

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 10:26 AM | Permalink | |

This is my first greasemonkey script written for Firefox! I call it, "Blogspot to PkBlogs Link Rewriter"

Rationale:
Blogspot domain has been banned in Pakistan, but one enterprising person, Yasir Memon, came up with this brilliant idea of getting past the ban. PkBlogs.com. Its a script which basically strips the blogspot.com domain name and delivers the page to you through a server in the US, effectively bypassing the ban.

Now the problem was, i had to manually translate every link (other than those which are now published using the pkblogs.com service), and it got tiresome. So i wrote this little script, which will automatically perform the translation for you.

You do need the Greasemonkey extension for Firefox (version 0.6.4) to run this script. (Available for download from here).

Installation Procedure:

1. Install Greasemonkey or make sure it is installed.
2. Open this link in firefox.
   (or copy/paste this link in your browser http://www.geocities.com/mansoor_adenwala/blogspot2pkblogs.user.js)
   
3. Click on Tools -> Install this Script
4. Thats it! Now *any* page on the web, which links to a blogspot blog, will be automatically translated.

Enjoy it! Comments/Suggestions would be highly appreciated.

Technorati Tags: firefox, greasemonkey, blogspot, ban, workaround, script

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 3:39 AM | Permalink | |

I chose the field of Software Engineering back when the bubble was hot in Pakistan, and everyone seemed to be doing it. I did it for passion. Now, 6 years after that decision, at a time when the tech bubble has burst, and people are more going towards banks or the financial sector, i remained behind with a 4 year bachelor degree in Software Engineering and on the verge of a 2 year Master's Degree in Software Engineering and very unsure of what the future may hold for me.

Today, i came across an article on CNN! Money (thanks to asif's asifnama) that Software Engineering is now THE BEST JOB in the US. !! (Read the complete article here)

Here's what they have to say about S/W Engg:

Software Engineer
Why it's great Software engineers are needed in virtually every part of the economy, making this one of the fastest-growing job titles in the U.S. Even so, it's not for everybody.

Designing, developing and testing computer programs requires some pretty advanced math skills and creative problem-solving ability. If you've got them, though, you can work and live where you want: Telecommuting is quickly becoming widespread.

The profession skews young -- the up-all-night-coding thing gets tired -- but consulting and management positions aren't hard to come by once you're experienced.

What's cool Cutting-edge projects, like designing a new video game or tweaking that military laser. Extra cash from freelance gigs. Plus, nothing says cool like great prospects.

What's not Jobs at the biggest companies tend to be less creative (think Neo, pre-Matrix). Outsourcing is a worry. Eyestrain and back, hand and wrist problems are common.

Top-paying job Release engineers, who are responsible for the final version of any software product, earn six figures.

Education Bachelor's degree, but moving up the ladder often requires a master's.

 Yaayyyy!!!

Technorati Tags: job, best job, software engineer, cnn money, number 1

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 3:27 AM | Permalink | |

I try not to post anything political on my blog, for the simple reason that there are many others devoted to it, and because i dont consider myself an authority (like the other million's of people here) on it. But ever so often, there happens an event, which makes me take stock of whats happening around me.

This incident occured two days back, which on shahrah-e-faisal. Usually, im in my car on the way back home from office, enjoying the music blaring from the radio, so dont worry too much, but on this fateful day, i was in the back of a riskshaw (and that's gonna be another post!).

In front of us was one police mobile, and a minibus. For no apparent reason, other than maybe the policemen were bored, this one policeman sticks his gun out the side of the mobile, and smashes the sideview mirror of the minibus! It shattered to the ground, and the other policemen, with smirks on their faces, drive off. The poor minibus driver had no recourse, but to continue on his route and pretend nothing happened...

Are we really living in a police state? Is there really no accountability? I've heard various debates and other (usually self proclaimed) experts saying things to this effect, but to actually witness an event with my own two eyes was something which served to open my eyes to this fact. The political side of this post was the comment my rikshaw driver after we witnessed this event "jab mulk ka saddar apne kursi kay lye zabardasti karta hai, to uss kee police kyon nahi karay gee zabardasti" (When the president of the nation is using force to keep his seat, why wont his police use force for their end). N.B. This comment does not in anyway represent my views on the current status of the president of my country.

Just a point to ponder upon....

On the flip side, the Capital City Police Force of Karachi has become quite efficient in certain other area's (than giving escort duties to high ranking officials). They respond to call's quickly, and on this one occasion, actually created a lineup of potential suspects in cellphone snatching case in less than 2 hours. This does not mean that the crime rate has gone down here, only that the police force is finally getting of its long (ab)used butt!

Technorati Tags: karachi, pakistan, riskshaw, police

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 3:59 PM | Permalink | |

Today was another landmark moment for me in my career. I delivered my first solo two hour training session, on Conducting Effective Software Inspections. Even though the content was already prepared, it was nonetheless an amazing experience! Hopefully, i'll be given more opportunities to pursue this career track!

It started at 10 AM this morning at a client's site. First gave an introduction to the course, myself and took name's and departments of all the participants. I had 15 people there, an impressive number by any means. Then launched into discussing the issue at hand. One thing about delivering executive session's is that the participants do have a lot of prior knowledge of their field (including standing problems) and are constantly taking the new concepts and applying it to their situtations. This sparked off quite many debates during the session as well, which was good or else the course gets very boring very quickly.

An hour and a half later, wesat down to conduct a "hands on" session of an Inspection, taking it through the various phases of the process. I divided the participants into three groups, and then made each group go through the process on their own. Once completed, i ended a session with a round up of lessons learned by each group during the hands on session.

After the session, i got quite a positive feedback on the whole thing, with one participant coming up and saying that many of their standing queries had been answered, and that this session was really worth it.

My personal view on it: I Loved Every Moment Of It. Teaching is one of my passion's and standing there, in front of all these people, always tends to give me a huge adrenaline rush!


Technorati Tags: training session, software, inspections,

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 3:45 PM | Permalink | |

I recieved this email message today, which, in addition to being much a cause for anguish, made me run around the net a lot. I eventually decided that this was a hoax. Another version of the story appears here on the UJ (Useless Junk) Network.

I wonder what people get out of running this news around. What i did get what that Aishwarya was at the Opening of the Cannes Film Festival, and as usual, was looking STUNNING!

Subject: FW: : B-R-E-A-K-I-N-G NEWS [Top Bollywood Actress
Dies in an Accident, UK] Aish killed in an accident

 low graphics version | feedback | help

 You are in: UKB-R-E-A-K-I-N-G NEWS

 Front PageWorld

 UKNorthern Ireland Scotland Wales

 UK Politics Business Sci/Tech Health Education
Sport Entertainment Talking Point In Depth Audio Video Wednesday, 24 May, 2005,
07:03 GMTBollywood actress killed in crash

 Ashwariya rai a former Miss World was
the top Bollywood Star.

Ashwariya Rai: 1973-2006

 BREAKING NEWS:The Highest Paid Bollywood
Actress Ashwariya Rai, has been killed in a head-on car crash.

 Ms. Rai, 32, from India, was killed in the crash in the, near Firle,
East Sussex.

 She had been at a special screening of her
forth coming bollywood movie at Cannes Film Festival at nearby Drusillas Park
before the fatal

smash involving her blue Renault Megane and a city School
Bus ocuured.

 A spokeswoman for Sussex Police said she
was lifted from the scene by the Sussex Police and taken to Eastbourne District
General Hospital,

where she died from her injuries. Whereas her driver on the other hand died on the
spot.

 She was the sole occupant along with her
driver in her car, the spokeswoman said.

 "It was a sheer case of reckless driving",
spokeswoman further added

 The City School Bus involved in the incident
had three victims with severe head injuries including a monitor (58 yrs old) and
two kids (7yrs old). The rest 32 escaped unharmed.

 Family, Fans and Bollywood 'devastated'

 Ivyer Llewelyn said: "We are just devastated
because like any car crash it is totally unexpected and sudden.

"You can't describe it when something like this happens out of the blue. But
Death is unpredictable" a Co-Star present in hospital said.

 "She ate with us every evening when
she was at home. She was so pleased to have been offered the James Bond film and
as an actor she liked to be working, she was such a very active woman." younger
Sister who was present in the hospital

 Aishwarya Rai won Miss World crown in 1994
due to her beauty, poise and intelligence.

 Besides her achievements in Indian movies,
she was honored by the world famous Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in London as the first Indian
Female in wax.

 Aishwarya Rai was included in the Time magazine's
list of 100 most powerful people in 2004.

 Aishwarya Rai shared the cover with Chinese
Premier's Ziyi Zhang on the April issue of Beijing Review.The former Miss World
was also rated as One of the most Beautiful Women on Earth by Times Magazine.She
was currently indulged in doing two Hollywood Movies.The Top bollywood stars have
most number of fan followers in the

world.

Ashwariya Rai had worked in more than 35 bollywood movies

 -BBC Report (Global)

Technorati Tags: hoax, aishwarya rai

Technorati Tags: hoax, aishwarya rai

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 3:32 PM | Permalink | |

I was so happy this morning when i was able to access blogspot blogs on my computer! But sadly, after just a mere couple of hours, this 'facility' was snatched, and i am once again faced with the incessant message "Connection Timed Out" !! aarrggghhh! This sucks big time! When will this all END!!!!!!!

Technorati Tags: blogspot, ban, pakistan

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 12:09 PM | Permalink | |

As a tremendous surprise this morning, i found that i was able to access blogspot domain from within Pakistan, on the SatCom ISP.

I can only think of one response which is suitable in a time like this... YAAAYYY!
However, no one can say for sure (except maybe PTA?) that how long this bliss is going to last..

By the way, there's this really amazing story (fact?/fiction?) by The Glasshouse about the selection of our current prime minister which i'd like to share..  Ironically, this was the first blog post i read while being able to access Blogspot! lol!

Its titled "The Rise & Rise of an Ambitious Banker"




Technorati Tags: blogspot, ban, pakistan, prime minister

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 9:51 AM | Permalink | |

I put up this post on a forum and thought someone might benefit from it here as well. On a personal note, i once read this archie comic back when i was a kid, which carried public service messages about saving water. I guess they do have an effect, because since then, i've tried my best to atleast save what i can, and use only what i need. Dont let the water run unnecessarily and all. So this comes more from personal experience as well.

Here's an excat duplicate of the article:

Here are some tips for saving water
around the house. They may seem small, but every drop you save is worth
it! Im highlighting the one's i think are more useful. If you have any
other's let me know.

1. Never put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering a plant or garden, or cleaning.

2. Verify that your home is leak-free, because many homes have hidden
water leaks. Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period
when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the
same, there is a leak.
3. Repair dripping faucets by replacing
washers. If your faucet is dripping at the rate of one drop per second,
you can expect to waste 2,700 gallons per year which will add to the
cost of water and sewer utilities, or strain your septic system.
4.
Check for toilet tank leaks by adding food coloring to the tank. If the
toilet is leaking, color will appear within 30 minutes. Check the
toilet for worn out, corroded or bent parts. Most replacement parts are
inexpensive, readily available and easily installed. (Flush as soon as
test is done, since food coloring may stain tank.)
5. Avoid
flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues, insects and
other such waste in the trash rather than the toilet.
6.
Take shorter showers. Replace you showerhead with an ultra-low-flow
version. Some units are available that allow you to cut off the flow
without adjusting the water temperature knobs.
7. Use the
minimum amount of water needed for a bath by closing the drain first
and filling the tub only 1/3 full. Stopper tub before turning water.
The initial burst of cold water can be warmed by adding hot water later.

8. Don't let water run while shaving or washing your face. Brush your
teeth first while waiting for water to get hot, then wash or shave
after filling the basin.
9. Retrofit all wasteful household faucets by installing aerators with flow restrictors.

10. Operate automatic dishwashers and clothes washers only when they
are fully loaded or properly set the water level for the size of load
you are using.
11. When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink or
basin with soapy water. Quickly rinse under a slow-moving stream from
the faucet.
12. Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap run every time you want a cool glass of water.

13. Do not use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods.
Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or by using the defrost
setting on your microwave.
14. Kitchen sink disposals require lots
of water to operate properly. Start a compost pile as an alternate
method of disposing food waste instead of using a garbage disposal.
Garbage disposals also can add 50% to the volume of solids in a septic
tank which can lead to malfunctions and maintenance problems.
15.
Consider installing an instant water heater on your kitchen sink so you
don't have to let the water run while it heats up. This will reduce
heating costs for your household.
16. . Insulate your water pipes. You'll get hot water faster plus avoid wasting water while it heats up.

17. Never install a water-to-air heat pump or air-conditioning system.
Air-to-air models are just as efficient and do not waste water.
18.
Install water softening systems only when necessary. Save water and
salt by running the minimum amount of regenerations necessary to
maintain water softness. Turn softeners off while on vacation.
19.
Check your pump. If you have a well at your home, listen to see if the
pump kicks on and off while the water is not in use. If it does, you
have a leak.
20. When adjusting water temperatures, instead of
turning water flow up, try turning it down. If the water is too hot or
cold, turn the offender down rather than increasing water flow to
balance the temperatures.
21. If the toilet flush handle frequently sticks in the flush position, letting water run constantly, replace or adjust it.

Technorati Tags: save water, water usage, save the planet

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 1:18 AM | Permalink | |

Every once in a while, i come across a post or article which succeeds in motivating me to new heights. This article is one of them. I basically surfed on this site while looking for FiLO (Financial Life Organizer) which is a really cool product. Check it out here.

Anyway, here what i got from this article. Take risks, but adhere to a rule like NPD (No Permanent Damage). The gist of the article then becomes, what doesnt kill you, only makes you stronger.

An exerpt from the article follows. Read the rest here.

How safe should you live life? Well, you obviously don’t want to live so close to the edge that you’re always in danger of killing yourself, but you shouldn’t live always looking for the 100% “safe” option in life.

Because here’s a secret that we all forget from time to time; there is no 100% “safe” option in life.

Did
you get in your car and drive to work this morning? 49,000 people in
the United States died in auto accidents in 2004. 1.1 million people world wide died in auto accidents, and 38 million were injured.

Even
if you’re the most risk-averse person out there, it’s very likely you
get into your car every day and drive somewhere - to work or to school.
Driving can be a risky proposition, but we all still do it.

We do it because we calculate that we’re pretty likely to be safe, even while involved in a potentially risk activity. We weight the odds and roll the dice.

And the NPD rule is defined here..

Magicians Penn and Teller
have a rule. They call this the rule of NPD - no permanent damage.
Before undertaking a risky stunt or a tricky magic routine they ask the
question, “Will this permanently cause me damage?” If the answer is yes, they don’t do it.

They are playing and not
playing it safe. And they are outrageous and larger than life because
they’ll undertake something that’s risky and on the edge. They’re using
their rule of NPD to make them superstars - why can’t you?

Technorati Tags: motivation, strength, risk taking, npd

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 4:10 PM | Permalink | |

As part of my birthday celebration, we had this small party. Only, two of my friends decided not to opt in for it, but instead join us afterwards for dinner. Which was pretty okay, all things considered.

As luck would have it, we got extremely late, and those two kept waiting forever, till we called them at 11 PM saying that maybe dinner wouldnt be a good idea now, and instead we should just go gaming. Thats when we realized they were pissed off and had gone off home!

Now, its two days after... and im still trying to get on their good side again, listening to torrents upon torrents of biting comments from their side, (well maybe a comment or two, but it hurt like hell). Last night i decided to get one of them together with me and just go out for a good time, called him up and found out that he's going off 2 dinner elsewhere. That did seem like a rejection, but i thought what the hey.. i'll persist. So we set up a plan for after dinner. And like i had suspected all along... he stood me up! lol! talk about revenge!!

I wonder if he's calm down after this? though i highly doubt it.. but i can try. While writing this post, i kind of lost track of what i wanted to write about in the begining, so, just like me, you probably wont be able to figure out what is the relevance of the topic and the post.

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 11:35 AM | Permalink | |

Yesterday, on the 19th of May 2006, i celebrated my 24th Birthday !! WWOOOOHHOOO!!

Since the last couple of years, i've tried making my birthday a special occasion for me, since leaving it on other people to plan didnt work out too well. My whole day is spent with the people most important to me (and then some), and usually goes like this...
Midnight: Cut cake with my mom, dad and brother. Get calls / mails from all the people who care about me.
Morning / Afternoon : Take my friends out to lunch / celebration somewhere.
Evening / Night : Celebrate with my family by going out to dinner.

Till now, this routine has given me no grief and serves to make my day all the more enjoyable. This year was no exception. (well, just a little...)

I stared getting calls / sms's from friends, family and well-wishers at about midnight which continued uptil 2 AM. My dad wasnt in town this year and i really missed him a lot! Then the next day in the afternoon, i took my friends from university out to lunch at Park Towers Food Court and then... we went bowling at Royal Rodale!! It was SO MUCH fun !!! I came in fourth place out of the six of us, but it was all good. Came back home around 7 and left with mom and my brother for dinner at Deja Vu restaurant at Zamzama where i had a great BIG mushroom steak with ginger ale and great conversation! My dad called three times during the day so that was great as well! And kept getting calls / sms's the whole day through!

Came back home at 11, totally tired out but greatly satisfied!! It was again, one of the best days of my life! and totally worth it!

A big shout out all my friends (Neelam, Farhan, Saman, Zohra and Irfan) who participated in lunch/bowling, my family for the wonderful dinner and all those who wished me on my birthday! I love you all!

Now, on to a little more serious discussion (just cant help these little tidbits u know). As each birthday approaches and consequently passes, i am reminded on the great responsibilities bestowed upon me as the eldest kid in my family. It also reminds me of the major deadline in my life (or everyone's life for that matter) which will serve to change the very essense of life as i know it getting just a little bit closer! Yes.. i'm talking about getting married. lol! and trust me.. this year, i was reminded of this fact by a lot of people! Lets see when will that happen.....

To recap this wonderful year 2005-2006, i got my very first professional job this year, as a Consultant in Business Beam, first as a part-time employee, then from Feburary as a permanent one. This job served to shatter my 10 year plan (to which i had gotten to after 5 years of planning). I was planning on going into the development career track, eventually raising myself upto project manager level, and then going into consultancy. Funny how things happen sometimes in life. But no complaints! Enjoying each and every day here.

I got my first salary account (yaayy!) and my first Credit Card (Bank Al Falah Classic Blue). As a birthday gift to me from myself, i'll be getting my first post-paid cell phone connection too! These things may not seem big, but they serve as important milestones in the journey of growing up! One more milestone was 'declaring financial independence' from my dad by giving him a high-tech gift out of my paycheck. I also started writing this blog this year!

And lastly, i got my first taste of 'managing the household' including finances, procurement and in general 'holding the fort' since dad left for Islamabad this year. And im kinda doing okay.. havent bankruppted the house nor messed up any supplies.

Overall, its been a good year! Grew up a lot... shouldered a lot more responsibility and my shoulders are still intact. Saw many ups and downs along the way... In the words of Richard Marx (from the soundtrack of the film Anastasia) "Life is a road and i wanna keep going"!

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 1:42 PM | Permalink | |

About 3 to 4 months back, after the commissioning of all the new flyovers at shahrah-e-faisal, it became heaven for folks driving by... and at the same time, hell for people wanting to cross it. There was just no way to do that anymore, with no breaks in traffic flow. Sadly, it resulted in a lot of people loosing their lives as well.

Then, i came across a news article saying passenger bridges would be constructed... and i thought.. FINALLY! yet.. as usual, nothing happened.. After a little while (a month), a signboard appeared near my office building declaring a new passenger bridge! i was delighted.... but only to a little extent. Its been my experience things dont happen, even though signs come up everywhere. Then slowly and gradually, a bridge (one of three new ones on shahrah-e-faisal) started apprearing.. and my hopes started going up. So here, im posting its progress (as of today). This one's located near Park Avenue (Citibank building), the other two are near FTC and after the Baluch Colony flyover.

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 4:05 PM | Permalink | |

Why is it that more n more people are deciding not to be original and rip off some other brandname to promote their products? This example is the latest (that i've seen) in ripoff's. It features the brand of Al-Jazeera (complete with logo) on a Car Dealership here in Karachi. Why? Whats so hard about having a creative name up there? Is it necessary to rip off? But on a postive side, it does give an idea of how powerful brand imaging has become in today's economy, and why "Brand Manager" positions are creeping up in almost every organization selling products.

On another note, i once read by Geo.tv that they measured their brand penetration in the market by the amount of products that had literally ripped the Geo logo and name for themselves. Till the first anniversary of GeoTV, we had Geo water, Geo Soap, Geo Washing Power.. and in some instances.. Geo Bus Service as well! Any person from marketting care to give me insight on why is this happening?

Other brands i've found ripped off are ARY, Starbucks (a coffee shop in zamzama) and Burger King (a fastfood restaurant in Tariq Road). The last two are NOT affiliated with their international counterparts.

Labels: brand power

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 3:49 PM | Permalink | |

Im always on the lookout for an interesting number plate on a car. And this one's as good as it gets.. i wonder if this guy (or gal) needs help ? or provides help ?! lol!

It reads "AGH 911" and its a black Hyundai Santro Exec

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 3:36 PM | Permalink | |

I've also started this one more series about advertising teasers going on here in Karachi. This one catched my eye just today. I wonder if its in anyway related to the hair emergency...? I will be posting followups as soon as i figure out more about them.

It reads: "ON hogaya hai"



Update: This campaign is for an Air Conditioner by General.

Labels: ad campaigns

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 3:26 PM | Permalink | |

I got the idea of this series from over Karachi Metroblogs. I hope they wont mind.. though they're welcome to take the pics from here anytime.

Recently, we've started having this explosion of cars being custom painted and putting on stickers here in Karachi. First it was fire-blazes on the sides and all, which i know has been around since the 70's.. but now, its the whole car being covered.

The first instance i saw was a Honda City being covered with the Song Xplode logo. Which i thought was pretty cool. Then i saw the same covering on a suzuki mehran.. and now, most recently.. i saw THIS! I still dont know what the covering represents, but it does make the car stand out!! I just couldnt help taking a snap (or two ;> )

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 1:17 PM | Permalink | |

Every so often, as has become the norm here in Karachi, we are bombarded with advertising teasers from some brand or the other. They setup huge billboards, radio ad's, TV ads and so forth before rolling out the actual campaign. Since im not from an advertising background, i dont know whats the efficiency of these campaigns, but i'll assume they do produce some effect. Here's the billboard from the latest teaser.

It reads "In case of hair emergency, break glass" mmm.. i wonder what it is? I do get a lot and i mean a LOT of bad hair day's. lol!

Labels: ad campaigns

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 9:06 PM | Permalink | |

I'll never understand why people having govt. vehicles never seem to take care of them... Last year, the Sindh Police Force was given a whole new lot of Brand New Toyota Corolla's as staff cars for senior officers. I saw one of the cars with its tail light broken and bumper all scratched. Is this what'll happen to them all? If history is any indicator, i can only imagine what sort of dilapidated condition they will get into. Till then however, Only time will tell...

P.S. This one tail light costs around 5 grand brand new!!

Labels: world through a lens

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 12:26 AM | Permalink | |

I saw this pink color beetle the other day and it looked just TOO cute not to share with others. I hope the car owner doesnt mind!

It seems like pink cars are really getting in this year, with pink colors appearing on Honda Civics, Toyota Vitz and most recently Suzuki Mehran's and Alto's !

Labels: world through a lens

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 12:22 AM | Permalink | |

Recently, we were going out to get our lunch from our office, and on this way, there's the thela wala (stall) selling 'SATTU'. For the uninitiated (which included me till four days ago) its a desi drink made of GOD KNOWS WHAT (i think it was joun.. from what roti is made of) which tastes like liquified roti. I was told that it works wonders for taking the heat out of you. At first i was a bit skeptic.. but then thought, why not... lets give it a try... and BOY was i glad i did! it tasted great.. and really took the heat out of me!

Im adding a pic i took of the glass ! If you ever get a chance.. try it out!

Labels: thoughts, world through a lens

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 12:10 AM | Permalink | |

I havent heard any such thing on the local news scene lately, and i wonder why it doesnt make it here. A mumbai resident's life was sparred because he took the precaution of wearing a helmet on his way back home from work. An excerpt from the article reads as follows

Wearing a helmet saved 32-year-old call centre executive Amit Gupta’s life. Gupta survived a near fatal accident on Sunday, when a sports car threw him and his bike metres away.

“Had I not worn my helmet, I would have died on the spot,” said Gupta, who blessed his stars for the lucky escape. Gupta received a few abrasions on his back, and will remain bedridden for few days.

This article reminded me of the times my father used to drive a motorbike in his youth, and how many times had escaped great bodily harm due to use of a helmet. I appeal to the news sources in Pakistan to atleast make a note of the survivors of various accidents instead of just reporting the dead! This piece, if nothing else, has given me the impetus to wear a helmet if ever on a bike. (I have a car, so it doesnt apply to me personally. lol)

On another note, recently there was a Mandatory Helmet law enacted in various parts of the country, including karachi. As with all matters of this regard, it was blatantly mis-used by both shopkeepers and the authorities. Currently, the Traffic Police in Karachi is implementing anti-pollution campaign by removing polluting vehicles from the road (and lining their pockets in the process none-the-less), previously it was fining cars with Tinted windows and subsequently scratching the glass in the process of partially removing the tints, which was cited as a security risk (while also lining their pockets). In the meanwhile... they use the Traffic Violation Ticket as a means to harrass and (say it with me!!!) line their pockets!

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 3:42 PM | Permalink | |

Although we are a nation of followers most of the time, i believe in some cases, where you arent good enough, its a good thing to follow practices tried and tested by others.

My case is to present a reduction in taxi fares. Ofcourse,  that would mean first that meter's should be operational, and taxi-wallah's set on meter rates instead of setting a fixed rate.

I present this article, appearing in an Indian news site, Mid-Day, which proposes that taxi fares may be cut. An exerpt from the article reads as follows

Good news, Mumbai! The state government plans to cut the minimum taxi fare by Rs 2.50. A committee appointed by the state government proposed that the minimum fare be cut from Rs 13 to Rs 10, but the state is said to have agreed on Rs 10.50.

The cut was proposed because the current fares are for petrol-driven cabs. All of Mumbai’s taxis now run on CNG, which is cheaper.

I know that while the standard taxi fare here in Karachi atleast is about Rs. 9 per kilometer, it is rarely being followed. I myself have paid upto Rs. 100 for travelling 6 to 7 kilometers on a number of occasion. Only a long and arduous haggling procedure brings the price down to a somewhat affordable Rs. 60 to 70.

So what can we do about it? Since the Karachi Traffic Police is doing such a good job of keeping polluting vehicles of the street (translating in Transporters strikes and all), they should also put in some effort to control the public transport system of taxi's and rickshaws. OR the city govt. enacts a new type of department or something to inspect taxi's and rickshaws randomly and check their meter readings.

Once there, the next step would be to obviously take the price of travelling a kilometer to something which both commuters can pay and through which taxi owners can etch out a decent living.

But being a karachite living in this city of turmoil for such a long time, i can only say this... "Such high hopes, grand plans and perfect solutions! if only they could be made real!".

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 2:54 PM | Permalink | |

Over the years since 9/11, we've gotten used to hearing horrifying, nightmare giving stories of american discrimination against arabs or muslims in general. However, i recently find that such discrimination is not only given to arabs but to everyone who is not american. In this case, as reported by Mumbai Metroblogs, A Mumbai Boy was jailed after posting on a Yahoo! Finance message board calling for the assassination of President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and other high ranking federal officials.


Even though the story is horrifying, and i cant even begin to imagine the stress his poor family must be going through, i cant help feeling a little better knowing that its just not us (arabs, muslims) anymore..

May God grant this boy the courage to stand up against his charges (if wrongly accused) and his family the strength to bear out this terrible time. Amen.


Technorati Tags: mumbai, discrimination, odd news

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 1:21 PM | Permalink | |

On a complete phase shift from my last post, im now reviewing this article which appeared on MSN Dating website, forwarded to me by a friend of mine.

It lists the 6 'secret' turn-ons guys have, and well.. being a guy, i just couldnt help comment on them. So here goes.

Secret Turn-on 1: He loves that you indulge at dinnertime.
My answer... HELL YEA!! Nothing pisses me off more than having food with a gal (date or otherwise) where they just pick at their food or eat a little. Me on the otherhand.. im a voracious eater!! and well.. if nothing else.. i enjoy sharing my passion for food with my better half!

Secret Turn-on 2: He loves your occasional obscenities
The keyword here is 'occasional'! And especially where its least expected. A girl having a cursing problem is a MAJOR turn-off!

Secret Turn-on 3:He loves that you aren’t a neat freak
With this one, i dont agree fully. Neat Freak.. maybe not.. but definately should not be a slob! I mean.. having one slob in a relationship is enough. LOL!

Secret Turn-on 4:He loves your extra padding
This i've been going on n on about for quite sometime. I just DONT like skinny girls! Period! But then again, the other end of the spectrum is again not too appealing. However, its the ones in the middle while really get me on! Nice thighs.. a little padding on the arms.. maybe puffy cheeks, they all serve to heighten the senses when it comes to getting me on.

Secret Turn-on 5:He’s fascinated by your knowledge of medieval tapestries
Now basically, this point is about getting turned on by the fact that your date/mate is passionate about something, no matter how bizzare or run of the mill. And it doesnt even have to interest you.. well, i have no comments here, since this is one area i'd like to explore further. Maybe i'll post something when i have an idea.

Secret Turn-on 6:He loves a good head rub from you
My answer.. HELL YEA!!! Personally, i like to, both, give a good headrub, and receive a good headrub!

So there you have it folks, my take on the six 'secret' turn-ons. Here's a link to the complete article.


Technorati Tags: dating, turn ons, secret, review

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 1:17 PM | Permalink | |

A major part of living in the big city... It doesnt always reward you with good experiences. Infact, a lot of the experiences sometimes suck!

Take this one for example: Cellphone Snatchings. An epidemic going on in the city of Karachi ever since mobile calls started becoming cheaper! Why am i writing about this now? well, cuz i always figured it was 'just a part of life', until ofcourse, someone close to me got hit by it (funny how that works out sometimes doesnt it!!).

Three of my closest friends had their cellphones snatched while waiting at a signal near the Baloch Colony Flyover here in karachi last thursday. Now here's the kicker.. these guys were in their car, windows closed, AC turned on, waiting for the green light, when three guys came up ON FOOT, rapped on the window with guns and managed to clean them out! One of my friends tried to resist, and how did he get rewarded?? they took his wallet as well.. so must for resisting!! The good thing was, they called the Rapid 15 Police service, which was, as the name suggests, rapid in their response. They quickly rounded up suspects and had my friends try to identify them. Unfortunately, no one fit the bill, so they said the investigation would continue...

Sadly, this isnt the only story i know about... so in this post, i'll try listing as many incidents i can remember.

• My cousin, walkin home from tuition at night was relieved of his cellphone at PECHS by guys in on a bike carrying a gun.
• Another friend, while walking home from a bus stop at Sindhi Muslim, was relieved of his cellphone ON THE MAIN ROAD IN DAYLIGHT by a dude on a bike. And here's the kicker, he was stopped again the next week by the SAME guy, and let go after he recognized him.
• Yet another friend was out with his family on boat basin having dinner, when two guys came up on a bike, and asked for their mobiles. When his cousin resisted (he was from out of the city and didnt know better) a gun was put in his face. Consequently, the guys made off with the mobiles.
• One was going along the wall of Gora Kabristan at night, trying to reach shahrah-e-faisal to get a bus, when he was stopped by a guy who asked for the time. He then proceeded to prod a gun in his side and ask for his mobile and wallet. He handed them over.. the guy took the money out, and threw his wallet over the side of the wall into the graveyard and made his escape. It took my friend the better part of an hour to get into the graveyard (at night) and retrieve his wallet.
• Three friends were sitting at a roadside restuarant at clifton, when three dudes, completely drunk, came up in a Suzuki Khyber, and asked for their mobiles. Only two of them had their mobiles visible at the time, and they tried resisting, until a SHOTGUN (thats right... not a handgun but a bloody shotgun) was jammed into their faces and they were asked again. This time they complied and the perpetrators made off with the mobiles. This story however, does have a good ending... the khyber was followed by friends of one of the victims to zamzama, where someone its tyre burst and it got stuck. The friends called Madadgar 15 and the perps were arrested. They had disposed of the mobiles somewhere, but still had one of the wallets they had taken, plus a lot of booze and ammunition. They were taken into custody, tried and sentenced to jailtime.
• This recent guy i met related a story of boarding a bus to get home from office, where four guys had apparently taken the bus under siege, with one manning each gate and two going through all the passengers taking their valuables. This incident took place while te bus was moving on its route near Old Sabzi Mandi. This guy had recently lost his mobile phone to a gun and had just purchased a new one that morning. He tried raising a ruckus, was somehow successful and managed to get off the bus without being relieved of his phone. However, the same cannot be said for the other passengers on that bus. According to him, this has now become a regular occurance.
  

And these are just the occurances i know of.... almost everyone in this city now has a story about something being snatched from them. Is this what living in karachi has reduced to ?? Who will do something about it? What can be done about it? Just how careful can one be?

I just say one thing now... May God Have Mercy On Our Souls! And Shower His Wrath On Those Who Support And Implement Such Heinous Acts!

Anyone else have stories to share.. Go right ahead!


Technorati Tags: cell phone snatching, crime, karachi, pakistan

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 1:05 PM | Permalink | |

Ahh! Good ol childhood memories! I used to play this game "dots" on the square maths book we used to have back in Class/Grade 2. Then as we progressed through school grades, it became an indispensible tool to pass those boring classes, with us two friends secritively playing dots, lest our teacher finds out and we both get sent to the principals office!! Those were good times! Even as latest as university, this game came in handy to pass those God Awful presentations we had to go through! And now, its been translated to the web. Check it out!!

Dots: Connect the dots and try to make more boxes than the computer

Technorati Tags: memories, game, dots

And so said mAn[S]o0r at 1:28 PM | Permalink | |