zainfeb13

Halwa Puri in Kuala Lumpur

2011-04-17T20:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, after a lot of research on finding Halwa Puri in KL, I found a restaurant (restoran) that do not actually serve our Pakistani typical halwa puri but something which is very close to it. You will not get the same taste but you are definitely in for a very nice paratha, halwa, choley with a karak chai.....

The name of the place is Jai Hind and this is the complete address:

Jai Hind Restaurant
No. 11 and 13,
Jalan Melayu,
50100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel number : 60-3-26920041

Visit these links to find out more. They have covered it pretty well so I thought I would save my words for next time....

http://pablopabla.blogspot.com/2006/10/jai-hind-restaurant-kuala-lumpur.html
http://malaysiankitchen.blogspot.com/2009/08/jai-hind-indian-restaurant-kl.html

Thrill of the Grill, Solaris KL

2011-01-09T05:01:00.000-08:00

Ok, Thrill of the Grill is a Pakistani restaurant in Solaris, KL that serves Pakistani and some Indian food. They specialize in BBQ. We went there for the first time some weeks back and our overall experience is very good. They have 3 places to sit. A) inside where the decoration is a modern with glass table and leather chairs, however the thing you may find weird is a giant screen playing Bollywood songs all the time. I was ok with that! B) Then there are few cocktail tables and high chairs where you can have a drink or even food or relax in the open air environment. C) Lastly, they have garden chairs and table which was just fine for us so we opted for that.

The food that we ordered was a) Seekh Kabab, b ) Chicken Boti and nan with chatnee etc. Service was quick and we were served the food in just 15 minutes which was good as per KL standards... Good thing was that unlike other KL restaurants, they served everything together so that we could enjoy the food together whoever we are with...

Five stars to their chef who is from the famous Karachi restaurant BBQ Tonight...

One thing the owner should think about is price. The prices are a bit too high. Rest was all good...

The thing......

2008-12-16T23:36:00.000-08:00

is that unless we all run like leopards, we will not be able to differentiate performance.. the real performance otherwise yes we can judge the runners but of course those who run like leopards will always win... thats not we or i want for that matter...

or else if we can't then i think we need to bring leopards in.. , right? if we agree to it then take-off or else keep the races with 1 hp on some and 135 hp on others..

Global Recession - Ferrari Views....

2008-12-01T01:43:00.000-08:00

Mr. Montezemolo (Chairman of Ferrari) says that crisis or no, Ferrari will continue racing ahead. “I believe, though this is not a popular view, that the crisis will be quick, and salutary,” he said. “Bankers, above all American bankers, were greedy, and put their business on a not-so-solid base, with excessive valuations. Now we have taken one step back to better conditions. We will make two steps forward, and that’s not so bad.”

Last year Ferrari sold about 6,400 cars, including 1,761 in the United States and Canada. In the first eight months of this year, sales rose almost 25 percent, to 4,953. If sales should soften in traditional markets, like the United States, Ferrari is rapidly opening new markets. It entered China in 2004, and last year sold 200 cars there. “There will always be 6,000 people in the world who will want a Ferrari,” Mr. Montezemolo said.

Source: www.nytimes.com

Full article at : http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/28/business/28ferrari.html?ref=worldbusiness

Joke

2008-11-18T22:35:00.000-08:00

A man was sitting in the bar at Felixstowe port. A beautiful woman walks in and sits down at the table next to him. So he decides because she's at the port, she's probably an off-duty shipping Line Customer Service agent.

So he decides to have a go at picking her up by identifying the shipping line she works for, thereby impressing her greatly.

He leans across to her and says the Hapag motto 'Better together ? '.

The woman looks at him blankly. He sits back and thinks up another line.

He leans forward again and delivers the Hanjin Line motto 'Your Choice, Your Success' .

Again she just stares at him with a slightly puzzled look on her face.

Undeterred, he tries again, this time saying the OOCL motto "We take it personally".

The woman looks at him sternly and says 'What the f **k do you want?'

'Ah!' he says, sitting back with a smile on his face........ ' MAERSK LINE' .

Update

2008-10-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

I think this is my first post after a long long blogger break. A lot of things changed in past few months....

I shifted to my new house i.e. a palace for me at least. I have everything here I ever needed.. MashaAllah....

And I was never satisfied in my any jobs as I am these days. A lot of things happening. Got the pole position at work and now leading the race.. I think that says a good deal... Things are getting back on track and pretty fast. Now the market will see a strong player beating all odds and coming out at top. Watch out.... we will paint the world YELLOW & RED.......... Aristotle once said "It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light". I got slightly out of focus and got trapped by the blue world that made my image a bit weak but now it is time to show that it was temporary and now people will follow me and I will make the rules... I hate Lewis Hamilton for his big mouth but boy o boy the self-belief that he has. I need just a bit from him and I will fly.... I have taken that after the last grand prix.. Sorry guys but I relate F1 to the real life..

Lost a lot of weight... in fact good weight.. thats a negative because I was on creatine and the month of Ramazan (loss of water, protein) took away the great amount of muscle that I gained over the past few weeks. Now I will have to work from scratch but I know how to do it so I am not that fussy about it and anyone want to race with me on muscle gain then I am all for it....

Funny it is....

2008-05-01T23:13:00.000-07:00

Last night, I was going out for a party with friends.. I was getting ready. Oops, forgot to gel my hair. I went in the bathroom and you know what I did....... I put face-wash on my hair instead of gel (the tubes were a bit similar).. and I realized when I put the tube back on the shelf. Horrible my hair were looking all night but I didn't have time to wash and put the proper thing so I moved on with the face-wash on my head........

I am F2008 engine

2008-04-24T23:07:00.000-07:00

I wish to put my frustration in writing here today. It's been 2.5 years full of all the bullshit a company can have and it gives me no pleasure anymore to be here with all the junk people we have in our office. Who hired them in first place and what was the criteria?

Please, the big shots in Switzerland, Bonn and Singapore, please guys, I am an engine made-to-order for F2008 or McLaren MP4-23 and you put me in a Super Aguri. Guys this won't work at all.

I am sure you know what is F2008 and MP4-23. It's Ferrari & McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 cars running this year's championship and these cars are designed to win races and not to bang each other at the end of the grid and midfield. Come on, you manage the F1 logistics and I am telling you all this sounds non-sense..

The Cycle Completed

2008-03-18T23:44:00.000-07:00

Last week, I completed my 12 weeks cycle of weight training. It was basically a sort of compound exercise routine to increase some muscle size. I have been quite successful in achieving my mass goal but I haven't yet got there completely to achieve the ultimate goal of having a body half of the size of my gym instructor. I think that's a pretty attainable objective.

I am very tired now of going straight to the gym from office without any chutti. Yesterday, the muscles literally screamed to stop pushing more. I could not even lift a light one for legs (my light one for leg press is 268 lbs). I sat down thinking what to do next. Should I continue pushing myself to finish the day's workout or should I go to Sauna and sit there for a while (but the weather!!) or should I do some quick laps in the pool... My heart was on the iron but the body and mind said "what the fuck are you doing? just go home". But I was still not sure.

I went to the changing area to see myself. Yes, I saw in the mirror and realized that I can still give my gym buddies a run for their money. So, I thought taking a full week rest won't hurt me and reduce my size...

I talked to the instructor to make a plan for me for the next level that would include some good diet and a new routine for bigger muscles..

I have a meeting with him in the afternoon. Let's see. The point is how would I now motivate myself to push for another 12 week program but I will somehow have to....

Sorry for so many I's in this post but it's about me and myself so "I" had to be there.... at all times.......

Untypical Lifestyl

2007-11-19T23:40:00.000-08:00

I fully endorse this! Your parents will argue, your friends will hate you and in my case, my wife said you don't give time to me but you have got to sacrifice a bit you have for what you want to have, which is your ultimate wish!

Bye Michael - Welcome to Ice Age.. Raikkonen, the flying finn

2007-11-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

Yoga

2007-10-29T23:48:00.000-07:00

Ferrari teamwork at its best... What a start to let Raikkonen through..

2007-10-22T02:31:00.000-07:00

Some Chinese

2007-09-19T04:07:00.000-07:00

Escape

2007-09-03T05:25:00.000-07:00

The last fortnight went literally clockwise; everything was scheduled and we were working like robots straight 15 days with no chuttee.. First,it was a short management training and then this system training. Everything went fine on go-live over the weekend and we are now live & kicking! Of course, few teething issues are there to keep us confused but it seems that things are coming under control. The escape key was pressed so many times that the key now is trying to escape from the board.

Lords of Logistics

2007-09-03T03:36:00.000-07:00

Parking Game

2007-09-03T01:35:00.000-07:00

Play More Arcade Games

Good Year Game

2007-09-03T01:22:00.001-07:00

Play More Arcade Games

PNSC Burning Again

2007-09-02T01:04:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Aysha Saifuddin of Pakistan - Winner of the DHL YES Awards!!!

2007-08-31T05:40:00.000-07:00

PAKISTAN ZINDABAD
Leading social entrepreneur in Asia Pacific honored at DHL YES Awards

Winner of inaugural regional DHL Young Entrepreneurs for Sustainability
(YES) Awards lauded for work in helping Pakistani women fight poverty.

Singapore, 30 August 2007: DHL, the world’s leading express and logistics company,
today announced that Mrs Aysha Saifuddin of Pakistan is the leading social entrepreneur among five Asia Pacific countries participating in the inaugural DHL Young Entrepreneurs for Sustainability (YES) Awards.

Aysha, aged 35, emerged as the overall regional winner following rounds of deliberation by the Awards’ International Council – a panel of renowned public personalities associated with social entrepreneurship, public policy and international relations – for her leading work in championing gender equality and empowerment in Pakistan. Since founding the Kaarvan Crafts Foundation in 2003, Aysha has helped to improve the lives of thousands of women entrepreneurs from low-income communities by providing them with market access and retail know-how for their products. In equipping the women with management training, business skills and employment opportunities, Kaarvan Crafts Foundation has successfully empowered these women to make general household decisions more independently, while helping them to supplement their household income by nearly 30 percent. The Foundation aims to double its outreach to 5000 women entrepreneurs by 2010.

She was one of the five outstanding individuals – including Ms Pinky Sikder, Mr. Illac Angelo Diaz, Mrs Areena Ng and Ms Kritaya Sreesunpagit – who were earlier named as the national-level winners of the DHL YES Awards representing Bangladesh, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand respectively. These five social entrepreneurs were awarded the accolade for their excellent business initiatives to foster social change in line with one or more of the eight UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Aysha received a cash prize of US$10,000, as well as the regional trophy, at an award
ceremony in Singapore, which was attended by dignitaries and representatives from NGOs. The other finalists each received US$5,000. Ms Erna Witoelar, UN Special Ambassador for the MDGs in Asia and the Pacific, said, “The five social entrepreneurs, who are individuals of high-calibre, are shining examples of how
an individual’s hard work can help benefit communities through innovative ideas. Everyone has a goal to play in helping societies achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The corporate world, in particular, plays a vital catalytic role in driving and sustaining the momentum to bring about substantial change. Gestures of recognition like the DHL YES Awards will help drive social entrepreneurship in this region.”

DHL firmly believes that social entrepreneurs can play an instrumental role in finding innovative solutions to social problems and removing barriers to growth. While social entrepreneurship is a prevalent concept in Europe and North America, it is still a nascent development in Asia Pacific. Only Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore are among the top-20 ranked countries/regions on the Responsible Competitiveness Index1. Through the YES Awards, DHL hopes to promote the fledging movement in the region.

“Through their meaningful work, the five finalists have made significant contributions to their societies. They make excellent role models for anyone who wishes to pursue a social cause, and profiling their work would help boost awareness about social entrepreneurship in Asia Pacific,” said Dan McHugh, Acting CEO, DHL Express – Asia Pacific. “By initiating the YES Awards, DHL hopes to provide an annual platform for young entrepreneurs to share their innovative ideas to improve the people’s lives in their societies. With the success of the inaugural awards, we hope to encourage even more participation from young business leaders next year.”
1 Please see report entitled “The State of Responsible Competitiveness 2007”. 13 of the top-20 ranked countries on the Responsible Competitiveness Index (RCI) are European countries, with the Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway) and the UK taking the top six placings.

The DHL YES Awards is part of DHL’s community investment program, which also includes
disaster management and supporting future generations. Globally, DHL has a partnership with UNICEF supporting their worldwide fight to reduce child mortality through long-term logistical and financial assistance. DHL is also supporting the UN Development Program (UNDP) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the area of disaster management. DHL is a signatory to the UN Global Compact Principles, and supports the UN Millennium Campaign.

For more details, pls visit http://www.dhl.com/publish/g0/en/about/sustainability/yes_awards.high.html

What A Question!

2007-08-30T02:46:00.000-07:00

Couple of years back someone asked Pepsi Cola President John Sculley "Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want to change the world".

The person who asked the question was "Steve Jobs" Apple CEO.

I don't know what happened after that but what a question. Surely Jobs is living upto his image... He is changing the world in his own way.

Mehbooba O Mehbooba

2007-08-08T09:14:00.001-07:00

Monaco Grand Prix Circuit

2007-08-06T23:39:00.000-07:00

I went to Chatkharey!

2007-08-06T01:33:00.001-07:00

No time, no text.. Catch ya later..

It is a Crow

2007-08-01T22:11:00.000-07:00

An 80 year old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45 years old highly educated son. Suddenly a crow perched on their window.

The Father asked his Son, "What is this?"

The Son replied "It is a crow"

After a few minutes, the Father asked his Son the 2nd time, "What is this?"

The Son said "Father, I have just now told you "It's a crow".

After a little while, the old Father again asked his Son the 3rd time,

What is this?"

At this time some expression of irritation was felt in the Son's tone when he said to his Father with a rebuff. "It's a crow, a crow, a crow".

A little after, the Father again asked his Son the 4th time, "What is this?"

This time the Son shouted at his Father, "Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again, although I have told you so many times 'IT IS A CROW'. Are you not able to understand this?"

A little later the Father went to his room and came back with an old tattered diary, which he had maintained since his Son was born. On opening a page, he asked his Son to read that page. When the son read it, the following words were written in the diary :-

"Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa, when a crow was sitting on the window. My Son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied to him all 23 times that it was a Crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question again and again for 23 times. I did not at all feel irritated I rather felt affection for my innocent child".

While the little child asked him 23 times "What is this", the Father had felt no irritation in replying to the same question all 23 times and when today the Father asked his Son the same question just 4 times, the Son felt irritated and annoyed.

So..

If your parents attain old age, do not repulse them or look at them as a burden, but speak to them a gracious word, be cool, obedient, humble and kind to them. Be considerate to your parents. From today say this aloud, "I
want to see my parents happy forever. They have cared for me ever since I was a little child. They have always showered their selfless love on me.

They crossed all mountains and valleys without seeing the storm and heat to make me a person presentable in the society today".

Say a prayer to God, "I will serve my old parents in the BEST way. I will say all good and kind words to my dear parents, no matter how they behave."

Once upon a time...

2007-07-27T23:55:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time...
I was out of mind...

:)

Buss Ishq Muhabbat Apna-pann

2007-07-21T02:18:00.000-07:00

My Favourite Indian Movies

2007-07-19T23:48:00.001-07:00

People say that Indian movies are crap, all rubbish, weird dances, running around trees, vulgar dialogues etc.. Yes I agree on some extent; majority of their movies are crap but some of the movies are really great.. Now I don't want to indulge myself in this argument as to why I think some of their pictures are good; I would just list down some of my personal favourites.. and try to tell you why I like them.

1- Dil Se.. - I like this movie because of its cinematography. It is picturised in Leh, Ladakh. Beautiful picturisation. I have never liked Manisha Koirala so much in any other movie than this.. I love all its songs from Chaiya Chaiya to Dil Se Rey to Satrangi to Jiya Jaley to Ae Ajnabi.

2- Bombay - Another movie in which Manisha was looking so beautiful and so innocent.. I like this movie because it was very natural and the way it was shot with Bombay roits happening in the background and a love story running simultaneously.

3- Omkara - Amazing cinematography and picturization and yes dialogues.. Ajay and Saif are wonderful actors.. and the songs :) How the director is trying to make his point across that there is no straight take on life; you can't just think life or take life as a YES & NO but you should also see your environment and other things that are affecting you, was wonderful. See your right and left as well..

4- Qurbani - Simply because of Feroz Khan and Zeenat Aman (my childhood love :)

5- Don (1978) - Amitabh's best movie..

6- Dil Chahta Hai - I think I can't tell why I like this movie.. Full of fun, masti.. Aamir Khan was hilarious... (Kya kar raha hai, uth mard ban..:P )

Best Google Ad - Double Os can't be better than this...

2007-07-19T23:15:00.000-07:00

Locked up in bathroom

2007-07-18T22:46:00.000-07:00

Our bathroom lock is reversed.. I can't lock it from inside.. Yesterday I was having a cool shower and when I was done and tried to open the door; I found that it was locked from outside.. I was like what the hell?????? My daughter was sleeping in the room and I was worried that if I bang the door loudly for my mother to hear, my daugher will wake up and it'll be a nightmare then..

Oh my God, I spent around 20 mins inside (total time including shower was 40 mins) when my mother came in and then opened the door...

It was funny... I can't describe my feelings when I was locked up with no mobile, no laptop nothing to reach out to anyone to help me..

My Next Buy - Titanium Ring

2007-07-11T04:17:00.000-07:00

High polished titanium ring set with Signity blue topaz, accentuated with two geniune diamonds on the side.

I just love such stuff.. I think it's time for me to up-grade and get this one. My white gold ring is now turning old so I decided to give it some rest because I won't get any money if I go sell it so better to keep it alone in the drawer for some time.

Btw, I am also in love these days with a Tag metal watch.. The Tissot was good but Tags are solid and get more compliments than Tis's.. I think the Mont Blanc also need some rest..

Today

2007-07-11T02:30:00.000-07:00

Today is my back & leg day... Yeah I know I know, back and legs are large muscle and shouldn't be done on the same day but I have got no choice man.. I have to combine these muscles because I can't compromise on my other muslces bi's, tri's, shoulders and chest as I have kept them seperate, 1 group once a week with full concentration..

I am kinda keeping it light on back and legs.. So the workout will be as follows:

Chin ups
Bent overs
T-Bar
Rowing

and for legs, it'll be something like:
Squats
Lunges
Leg curls
Leg presses

some 10/15 mins cardio and that's it.. Its a lot man...

I had 24 grams of protein in the morning with some carbs and had one banana at 12, then some 20 grams of protein (chicken fajita and teriyaki) for lunch with some vegetables (again some protein)... Will have 2 banana's before the workout to give me some carb energy for the iron and to prevent cramping...

Let's see how it goes but I am fresh today, and it would be an intense one inshallah..

Boss Vs. Leader

2007-07-10T22:28:00.001-07:00

Got this on email today..

The Boss drives his men, the Leader Coaches them.

The Boss depends upon authority, the Leader on good will.

The Boss inspires fear, the Leader inspires enthusiasm.

The Boss says “I”, the Leader says “we”.

The Boss fixes the blame for the breakdown, the Leader fixes the breakdown.

The Boss says “go”, the Leader says “LET’s GO”.

Mumbai Rains

2007-07-06T03:39:00.000-07:00

What an article! Determination to go further.. Cross your limits. Challenge your own self...

2007-07-05T22:58:00.000-07:00

Take it from here.. Nice lessons from The Great Ayrton Senna!

http://www.triathletemag.com/Departments/Features/2007/Racing_like_an_F1_driver.htm

By: Melanie McQuaid
www.racergirl.com

During my early years in cycling I was bitten by F1 fever. For a number of years, particularly those that I spent racing in Europe, I would watch the F1 World Championships with a passion. The strategy, the innovation and the focus of the sport was captivating. No, I never became a tire biter and still to this day I have never become a true “gear head”, but I always loved witnessing the race strategies while they would unfold. As I learned more about the sport, I became aware of one of the fallen heroes as well, Ayrton Senna.

Ayrton Senna was a Brazilian driver who took three F1 World Championships titles before dying in a crash in 1994. He was known for his incredible ability in qualifying where he won 65 pole positions, a record until the reign of Michael Schumacher. With three World Championship titles, Senna was known for his passion for the sport and his incredible drive to win. Even when won a race he would search for ways in which he could have driven faster. He was a deeply introspective man who used his racing as a metaphor for life. Whether or not you are a car racing fan, after reading some of his quotes, you will see that his passion and dedication truly shines and is an inspiration for those of us who also would like to pursue our own potential.

On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit'. And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high."
This quote is my absolute favorite. Sport is about finding your limits. I think so many of us have assigned a limit from the start and work just hard enough to get there. We don’t give ourselves enough opportunity to exceed our own expectations.

In most cases, life is setting limits to how much room is left for triathlon. Even with additional responsibilities you can achieve your potential. This is why I think most people should goal set and then discuss them. It’a preferable to talk to someone who will help ensure your goals are high enough and to help you be accountable to yourself. I believe it is always better to dream big and then commit to the best of your ability.

This is why I find challenged athletes so inspiring. For these athletes, limits have not been preset or predetermined. It is all go, no fear, no limits. So many people I coach or talk to need to think more like that. Who cares if you bonk? Who cares if you don’t win because you biked a bit too hard and blew up? Learn from your experiences and improve. It is better to find your limits than to never know where they are.

"I continuously go further and further learning about my own limitations, my body limitation, psychological limitations. It's a way of life for me."

It is better to finish a race knowing that there was absolutely nothing left for you to give than to finish having been conservative, knowing that you could have done more.

"I know that it is impossible to win always. I just hope that defeat doesn't come this weekend."

Given that Senna was a standout favorite whenever he slipped into the driver’s seat, the pressure to perform would have been incredible. This quote outlines his confidence and resignation to the uncontrollable. Some people get really nervous before races because they feel like if they don’t have a good performance it will be the end of the world. If you are racing triathlon you have to realize that sport is a fun activity. Challenging yourself to race other people is an opportunity to motivate yourself to be healthy, to measure your progress in a meaningful way and an opportunity to share your passion with people from all walks of life. Results on a given day provide fleeting recognition whereas the personal journey is what really lasts. Achieving your ultimate goal will likely last a lifetime. However, thinking this way – about the journey and not the outcome – doesn’t open the door to mediocrity. You still need to hold yourself accountable to your own ability and potential. Hope for the best, shoot for the win, do your best and accept the result. Learn from the experience.

F1 racing is literally living life in the fast lane. It’s about taking calculated risks, having courage, skill and sometimes, having the best car. In triathlon, we train ourselves with our best possible guess as to what is the right recipe. Then we equip ourselves with the best possible arsenal and arrive at the start line having determined our intention. In car racing and in triathlon, it will always come down to your mind. I believe that mental capacity, courage and the ability to put yourself out on the edge is what wins races. This final quote from Senna confirms that the same is true in car racing:

...the last qualifying session. I was already on pole, then by half a second and then one second and I just kept going. Suddenly I was nearly two seconds faster than anybody else, including my team mate with the same car. And suddenly I realised that I was no longer driving the car consciously. I was driving it by a kind of instinct, only I was in a different dimension. It was like I was in a tunnel. Not only the tunnel under the hotel but the whole circuit was a tunnel. I was just going and going, more and more and more and more. I was way over the limit but still able to find even more.”

It appears that again, finding that “zone” and pushing yourself to a place you have never been is the key to outstanding performance. Here’s hoping you find it in your racing.

Turned 40

2007-07-02T22:50:00.000-07:00

:) No no, don't take it wrong. I haven't turned 40 but the bench. My last bench some 2 years ago was 179 lbs (80 kgs) and I am glad that yesterday's workout went so well that I am now confident that within 4/5 weeks, I will be hitting 179 on bench.

Yesterday was just perfect with the right amount of glycogen in the body because of the banana's that gave me the right carb boost..

I hope legs and back go the same way today!

Classic

2007-06-25T00:15:00.001-07:00

Hamilton recalled the inspiration for his diligent approach, saying: "I remember when I was just 10 years old and I met Eddie Irvine and David Coulthard. They never really looked at me and signed an autograph. They just brushed past me.

"I always told myself that when or if I got to Formula One I would look a kid, or whoever, straight in the eye. I just feel privileged to be in this position. I see it as an opportunity to help kids out."

(Classic was the word came out when I read that). No words to explain...

15 lbs milestone achieved

2007-06-19T00:35:00.000-07:00

So right after 8 weeks, the weighing machine is telling me that I have reduced around 15 lbs. I have shed some lean mass as well but that's ok because it happens to the best of us and you can't avoid that while going through only cardio-workouts... The plan I followed was 30 mins daily cardio (4 days a week) at 65% of my heart rate, which was from 122 to 136 (strictly.. it was difficult to keep it in that range).. and 5/6 small meals, around 300/350 calories... and within 8 weeks, I am now 15 pounds lighter.. People at my gym say, it's too fast.. But I have my own objectives.. It's all about objectives...

So the plan will be slightly changed from today.. This stupid Karim Akram's course is giving me a tough time to freely think about the weights but I think something is better than nothing, and of course, I don't want to loose all the mass that I'd developed before..

Khair, rest later....

A Proud Father - Anthony Hamilton

2007-06-10T23:21:00.000-07:00

Lewis won his first grand prix yesterday in Montreal, Canada. I saw the whole race at a restaurant and was missing the commentary. It was a different experience watching such a race without sounds! Khair, Lewis ultimately won this first ever grand prix.

I was all the time thinking about his father. How would he felt when Lewis will cross the line and the chequered flag? He would be on cloud nine! I don't know I am short of words because my hands are shaking while typing all this.

Now, I can paste all the stuff from the internet but few words that Anthony Hamilton said, will quote here:

"When you make an agreement between father and son and you say, right I’ll help you all the way with whatever you decide to do, but I want you to give a hundred percent as well. And if you both give a hundred percent you’ll be surprised what you can achieve.”

I am sure he would have said "dear son, go, do your best, I am with you. The whole family is with you. I want to see you happy son.. " and what not a father can say to his kids...

Dear dad, I love you and I miss you a lot.. I wish you were here to see me, see my small achievements in life.... Now I can't be someone like Lewis Hamilton but I am Zain and I know you will want me to be happy and achieve what I dream of in my life... I miss you..

Beautiful!!!

2007-06-04T02:40:00.000-07:00

Kithy Sukh Na Tey Nahi Belia Howy
Aaj Chan Tary Niwey Lag Dey Ney
Kithey Ley Aya Sanoo Piyar Sajna
Kinee Dour Reh Gay Weri Jag Dey Ney
Meri Ishq De Husan De Choly
Sona Pawan Aa Giya

Sayioni Mera Mahi Mery Pagh Jagawan Aa Giya
Injh Lagda Jewy Ranjhan Meno Heer Banawan Aa Giya

Starbucks Branding

2007-06-01T05:06:00.001-07:00

Branded ass! I am running out of time so won't add more. Actually, at the moment believing in "a picture speaks a thousand words"

Chupke Se..

2007-05-23T00:04:00.000-07:00

Farvari ki sardiyon ki dhoop mein
Moondi moondi ankhiyon se dekhna
Haath ki aad se
Neemi neemi thand aur aag mein
Haule haule maarwa ke raag mein
Meer ki baat ho
Din bhi na doobe, raat na aaye (Ufff,, love these 4 lines)
Shaam kabhi na dhale
Shaam dhale to, subha na aaye
Raat hi raat chale

Chupke se, chupke se raat ki chaadar tale
Chaand ki bhi aahat na ho, baadal ke peechhe chale
Jale katra katra, gale katra katra
Raat bhi na hile aadhi aadhi yeh
Chupke se lag jaa gale raat ki chaadar tale

Cruise in Singapore!

2007-05-16T03:55:00.000-07:00

My GYM

2007-05-16T03:37:00.000-07:00

My Own Subway!

2007-05-08T02:02:00.000-07:00

Yes guys, I have made these sandwiches.. Don't ask me about how did I prepare them and recipe blah blah.. But I know the ingredients:

1- Bran Bread
2- Black Olives
3- French Mustard
4- Shimla Mirch (what do you call 'em in English? I don't know)
5- BBQ Chicken from Eaton :) Yes Eaton

That's it.. fresh, less calorie food...prepared by your's truly....

I am a 34% Pakistani! What about you?

2007-05-08T02:00:00.000-07:00

Arey, you are 34% Pakistani!

Not bad, but not good enough to call yourself a real Pakistani either! You seem more London than Lahore, so why not try wearing a shalwar kameez for a week and maybe that'll bump up your rating...

How Pakistani are you? (first class number one!)
Create a Quiz

What is that?

2007-05-06T23:34:00.000-07:00

What should I call it? Two men both young, fresh, never raced before in F1, started their career together in F1 this year. Lewis Hamilton with McLaren & Heiki Kovalainen with Renault.

They both had immense pressure on them. Lewis was joining McLaren partnering double World Champion Fernando Alonso, and Heiki was filling the seat of Fernando at Renault who went on to join McLaren.

Now Renault was a double champion team, won both the drivers and constructor's championship in 2005 and 2006. Heiki joined a team with some solid results and past performance.

Lewis joined a team that was dominant some 10 years back with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost but was nothing more recently when the fastest driver (Raikkonen) was with them; they had various engine failures etc. Bringing them on track wasn't only in hands of drivers but since Lewis wanted a drive in F1, he joined McLaren.

Everyone expected that in 2007, Heiki will be on top with Renault power and Lewis at the bottom with McLaren's poor performance but the results are different. Heiki is struggling with Renault and Lewis is leading the championship.. Why?

Back to the future!

2007-05-04T03:04:00.000-07:00

Home coming! Yesterday was my first day, after a full two year break, at the gym.

It was a warm night in May 2005 and while doing the last set of my bench press at 10:45 PM, I realized that I am pushing too hard and I might end up in a bad situation if I keep pushing myself. It had become a tough schedule after I decided to re-start my studies to finish the MBA; 9 to 5 office, 6 to 9 university, 9.30 to 11 gym, and then home finally. I opted to get over with studies first. I am glad to have come back to my own world i.e. place that I love the most..

Yesterday, there were 2 sessions of 20 mins (each) run on the mill and then stretching. I am gonna do cardio for the next 12 weeks inshallah and if I am able to bring my body fat to 8% from 14.5% then I'll finally hit the iron again. The initial focus after 3/4 months would be on, compound exercises to build body mass..

I am hoping that the dieting plan I have made will work this time as well (friends, remember I trimmed my waist from 37 to 31.5 and weight from 75 to 66kgs in 2002???) . But I strongly feel that I can do it as this would be the 2nd time I will be doing all this so I am pretty relaxed and not worried at all about the regimen...

Performance!

2007-04-12T05:44:00.000-07:00

You ask "what's the fun in running a loss making company?" For me, the fun is to see how everyone is sleeping and doing nothing. That is what you should have asked almost a year ago!

Where is the problem? Well, there is not a single straight answer for the problem. But from what I have observed since I decided to have a future with you, these are the things which are basically the core of all problems...

1- No proper leadership, no direction, no objectives!!

2- No local vision for your organization

3- Departments are not integrated. No coordination between departments

4- No proper structure

5- "C" class employees. People have been hired just to fill the office. Mediocre people have made it to the top and now doing no good.

6- No strategy to follow. Marketing & Sales is just pathetic. They don't do any market research; no plans. They don't know their market. No knowledge of the outside world.

7- People just don't know how to speak and write proper English. Come on now pls!!!

8- High organizational inertia. People just don't want to change.

9- Product and business knowledge... bad

10- No business acumen

11- People are demotivated

13- No planning and organizing

14- Ad-hoc approach

15- Closed environment. You talk about openness in your values but you have not been practicing the same here.

16- One man show. Middle managers, like myself you have hired from good companies have only been hired to speak English in front of your customers and your Englishmen who visit from abroad. You have not empowered them to make any decisions. You are afraid that they will take your position.

17- No focus on quality.

18- Managers are not allowed to make any decisions on improvements.

19- Decision making too slow and too much emphasis on surface.

20- No training & development

I am now tired and have to get back to the stuff so later.. I am open for all discussions...

Pictures of Makro Cash & Carry Store in Karachi, Pakistan

2007-04-11T06:56:00.000-07:00

On requests of my friends, I present you guys - The first Makro store in Pakistan!!!

Schumacher - The King!!!

2007-04-10T04:04:00.000-07:00

What a living!!!!!!! Can't say anything more here.... Daily India has covered it pretty well.

Source: http://www.dailyindia.com/show/132305.php/Schumacher-set-to-move-into-his-28-mln-pound-Schloss-Schumi!

London, Apr 10: Formula One legend Michael Schumacher, who has amassed wealth to the tune 600 million pounds over the years winning one award after the other, is all set to move into his newly built house in Switzerland at an estimated cost of around 28 million pounds.

Officially listed as an "unemployed", Schumacher's new neighbours will include rock star Phil Collins, ex-Bond Sir Roger Moore, singers David Bowie and Celine Dion and former British race car ace Sir Jackie Stewart.

"It was a crazy load of fun to build but it was also stressful. Now, Corinna and I are just looking forward to moving in," The Sun quoted him as saying.

Like other Germans, including tennis ace of yesteryears Boris Becker, Schumi planned to move his base to Switzerland in order to save on taxes. Switzerland is said to be having a very low property tax slab if compared to Germany.

And, the house is no ordinary, as it has its own petrol station, a heli pad, living space close to 7000sq ft with rooms decorated with Italian marble, the finest exotic woods and terracota tiles from Mexico. Schumi doesn't have to nip to the local garage to fill up his fleet of Mercedes, Ferraris, Aston Martins and Bentleys that he can store in the heated and underground garage.

The living room has a log fire big enough to roast a wild boar over and breathtaking views of the lake and private beach. Dominating the property is a medieval-style tower where Schumi will have his office to oversee his "retirement" work - promotions and advertising deals that his manager Willi Weber said will top up the ex-driver's pension by 17 million pounds this year alone.

There is a "wellness centre" with whirlpool bath, sauna, solarium, steam baths and plunge pool and also a huge trophy room to store the silverware won by racing's greatest-ever champion.

Entertainment is provided by a cinema with bar and seats for 20. Outside there is a guesthouse for when the eight bedrooms in the main property are full.

Schumacher's "Schloss Schumi" (which means Castle Schumi) also has a state-of-the-art security system for the grounds and in the house. This includes heat-seeking sensors, hidden cameras, pressure pads that trigger alarms both in the house and with the local police - and there is a "panic room", made famous by the Jodie Foster film of the same name.

Schumacher had moved from Germany in 1996 to escape income taxes of 48 per cent, coupled with 53 per cent on investments and an extra five per cent on his total tax bill to fund the rebuilding of East Germany. Swiss Social Democrat MP Suzanne Oberholzer was behind the petition. It failed when first suggested in 2005 but she and others hope to revive it later this year.

Malaysian Grand Prix April 2007- My Analysis

2007-04-09T04:14:00.000-07:00

It was a disappointing race! A complete disaster!! I did not see Ferrari struggling so much for a long time and yesterday was the day, it felt like a Ferrari of early 90s when MS was not there!

Instead of crossing Alonso, Massa went straight from the pole at the start and gave a long clear way to Alonso to overtake him. Then Kimi from 3rd position, as well gave a clean chit to Hamilton to get past him. Very good, in fact, funny.

Massa's failed attempts to overtake Hamilton looked quite embarrassing. I think Massa needs to learn to drive in pressure when he is actually racing with others and trying to get track position ahead. Kimi also disappointed when he didn't do nothing to get past Hamilton, after Massa went off the track. It seemed like no strategy had been drafted for the race. No teamwork at all.

Alonso & Hamilton really looked like Prost & Senna and showed that how races are won with team-work not only at race tracks but in factories with the engineers and mechanics, and on radio with the team.

During the whole race, I was just thinking "had Michael Schumacher been here racing in the Formula 1 Malaysian Grand Prix of April 2007", the tifosi (myself in this case) would have really enjoyed his customary jump at the podium, because he would have crossed Alonso from pole and taken over the whole race". I missed you Michael.

Leadership & Team Building - The Michael Schumacher Way!!

2007-04-02T00:18:00.000-07:00

Taken from: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=159740

When Ferrari signed Kimi Raikkonen to replace Michael Schumacher, most experts warned that one of the biggest challenges that the Italian team faced was not the inconsistency, blind speed or risk taking (some times suicidal) instinct of the Finn but adjusting to the person that he is.

A sample of that was evident at the recent Australian Grand Prix. It was the round one of the 2007 Formula One season and Kimi, driving for Ferrari for the first time, won quite comfortably. Ferrari clearly established that they had a car that was superior to other teams and it was also Kimi’s first race win in more than 12 months. Under the circumstances, one would have expected some sort of celebration on the podium — to say the least. Kimi, possibly bored by his lonely stay inside the cockpit for the entire duration of the race (his radio failed completely), raised his hands and managed a smile. He made a feeble attempt to spray the champagne and finally, gave the bottle to Jean Todt to pass it to the Ferrari team crew below the podium. There was hardly any visible camaraderie between him and the team.

Seven-time world champion Schumacher, on the other hand, would have celebrated as if it was his maiden grand prix victory. And that is something Ferrari team is has got used to. He would have hugged the Ferrari crew members before walking up to the podium. Apart from his customary jump, he would have made eye contact with the Ferrari crew below who made that victory possible and personally, passed on the champagne bottle to his colleagues below after spraying it at them. While Schumacher’s celebrations would have eased after that and would have headed home to be with his family, Kimi would have just started to party!

The way Schumacher and Kimi approach their work is also very different. While Schumacher involves himself thoroughly with the team including planning, strategising, setting up the car etc, Kimi prefers to handle just the driving part. As a driver he likes to drive fast and give the necessary feedback about the car to the team for improving the vehicle. On the other hand, the German would spend a lot of time with technical staff poring over tonnes of data that the computers generate on the performance of the car. It was this aspect of Schumacher that made him maximise the potential of his car. Having got used to Schumacher for such a long time, adjusting to Kimi who prefers to have his space will be something that will take Ferrari and its crew a while to adjust.

While it is too early to speculate the level of commitment Kimi will show to Ferrari, Schumacher and the Italian team had a relationship that was unparalleled in the history of Formula One. The team and Schumacher respected each other. Both accepted that the victories that followed would not have followed without the other.

At a competitive level, personality issues are not too important. The fact that Kimi won at Albert Park is a proof of that. But a closely knit team helps, especially when the team is down in terms of performance. The rapport Felipe Massa and Kimi have managed would have been evident had the Brazilian made it to the podium but that was not the case. Having got a very competitive car this year, Ferrari will be praying that personality issues does not come in the way of the team winning the championships.

You will be missed Michael!

2007-03-16T09:11:00.000-07:00

5.6 years on the road, away from his family, testing, racing and at sponsor events. Schumacher drove 361,500 kilometres in Formula One cars in tests and races, burning 252,000 litres of fuel and 15,800 tyres.

PNSC Building Burning!! :(

2007-03-05T03:06:00.000-08:00

A message for a NEW friend

2007-02-26T02:01:00.000-08:00

Don't knock the benefits of relaxation. A refreshed soul can be a truly creative soul, and a truly creative soul is a productive soul. No one can ruin your day without your permission..

AND........ life's precious moments don't have value, unless they are shared!

A Message 4 Someone

2007-02-26T01:26:00.000-08:00

If you're shy and worried about what others may think of you, it could help to realize that they're probably also worried about what you may think of them!

An outgoing interest in others will help to break down the walls of worries...

So chill and bring yourself out PLEASE :)

But I will miss this sort of stuff :(

2007-02-26T01:19:00.000-08:00

For sure guys. I am tired of Asian beaches now so, so wanted to experience the Pacific rim!!

Los Angeles, Feb 28th 2007

2007-02-26T01:11:00.000-08:00

Sorry guys, I could not make.. Its all because of you.. Why do you take so long to return the stamp? Yes it is my fault but I am not crying anymore... Next time may be; I will customize my trip myself.. Don't actually want a robotic trip so see you soon.

Vienna, January 15th 2007

2007-02-26T01:08:00.000-08:00

I will miss you!!

I got the POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-02-14T22:56:00.000-08:00

I got a Valentine's Day gift from the US Embassy - A 5 year visa!!!!

I had to get it on Feb 14th as I'd missed the planned flight last week and it was all terrible terrible morning of Feb 7th. I was so upset for the whole last week that I had finally decided that I won't go to atend this meeting in Los Angeles because there was no time left but then persistence in getting another interview date paid-off finally...

I had to cherish the moment.... Picture taken: Feb 14th 1725 hrs at Karachi airport on return from Islamabad.

Are you mad?

2007-02-14T00:03:00.000-08:00

Yes that would have been the PIA airhostess' feelings? You know why?

PK362 going from Karachi to Islamabad on Feb 14th 0500 hrs. At around 6 o clock, I asked her "how is the weather in Singapore?"

US VISA

2007-02-06T22:10:00.000-08:00

I am very upset! I was trying to be the biggest loser in the world by missing my flight to Islamabad for US visa interview and I missed the flight successfully! I made it....

Man, I see people dying for US visa (those who do not care about US, pls ignore the sentence) and I miss such stuff very easily. Someone wise has correctly said "ghar kee murghee, daal barabar).

The business class on Singapore Airlines to Los Angeles was booked and what not was already arranged in LA by DHL North America! Man, I was sleeping like an ASS..

Quiz: Are You an Asshole?

2007-02-06T22:04:00.000-08:00

Based on concepts from Robert Sutton's new book, The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't, find out if you would be considered one of Suttton's "assholes."

Below is a list of 12 common everyday actions that assholes use, or as Robert Sutton likes to refer to it, "The Dirty Dozen." Score yourself based on how frequently, or how little you think you commit the following actions at work.

1 -- Never 2 -- Once a year 3 -- Once a month
4 -- Once a week 5 -- Daily

How often do you dish out personal insults?

How often do you invade the "personal territory" of others?

How often do you start uninvited physical contact with coworkers?

How often do you use verbal and non-verbal threats and intimidations?

How often do you make sarcastic jokes or teasing remarks?

How often do you send out withering e-mail flames?

How often do you intentionally demean people's status in front of others?

How often are you the instigator of public shaming or "status degradation" rituals?

How often do you interrupt people in a rude manner?

How often do you make two-faced attacks?

How often do you give coworkers dirty looks?

How often do you ignore others as if they are invisible?

SCORING DISCLAIMER: The results of this quiz are not scientifically founded, but they are based on rigorous research done on bullying and psychological abuse in the United States and the United Kingdom. Professor Sutton's hunch is that if you scored….

Under 13: Not quite an asshole. You understand proper workplace etiquette, but you aren't perfect. You have some slip-ups every now and then; just make sure you keep them to a minimum and only when you're having a really bad day.

Under 25: Borderline asshole. Another mean move could put you over the edge. Your coworkers are developing hateful feelings towards you. Redeem yourself now while there's still time.

Between 26 and 45: Asshole alert. You have officially turned into a jerk and your negative demeanor is affecting everyone around you. You may want to start looking for a new job because you are probably in hot water with your boss.

Over 46: Extreme asshole. What's wrong with you? Didn't your mom teach you how to treat anyone right? You won't get anywhere if you continue to act the way you do. The polite thing to do is to dismiss yourself before your band of enemies team up and resort to drastic measures.

By: Tamara Schweitzer

10th Muharram, Karbala - When Skies Wept Blood (DVD)

2007-01-25T01:30:00.000-08:00

DVD - Released Worldwide

:)

2007-01-24T02:14:00.000-08:00

DHL - All The Way

2007-01-24T02:05:00.000-08:00

Heavy traffic on the streets of Manhattan and DHL, UPS and FedEx are on the road. DHL is the lucky one to get in hold of a parking space on the sunny side of the lane. A courier of DHL is pushing a heavy load of parcels past the vehicles of UPS and FedEx.

The observer of this scene was my colleague Bernd Breugem from DHL Austria. He shot this picture while he was on vacation in the United States.

And a piece of advice to FedEx; hey guys the arrow inside the E and X is going where??? See where DHL is going.. Thats where the business is. Either change your arrow in another direction or move your truck...

Old Karachi

2007-01-24T01:53:00.000-08:00

DJ Science College

Old Native Jetty Bridge

Victoria Road (Present day Abdullah Haroon Road)

I am the Winner, BUT lady what were you doing?

2007-01-24T01:22:00.000-08:00

Yes, I mean seriously what were you trying to do? I was tired, going back to office like a good corporate citizen but NO; people just don't want to live their own life; they have something to prove I don't know to whom?

And then I saw this young lady in either Cultus or Alto or some small car; she was trying to kill herself just to overtake me. WHY??

And she was not relaxed even when we did so... I think I judged it correctly that she was trying to race.. Here you go..

I think and now you realize!! Don't finger ok otherwise you will get a big hand.... :)

Peregrine Falcon Playing In The Sky :)

2007-01-11T23:54:00.000-08:00


The beauty of Peregrine!

The Best Gift of 2007

2007-01-11T02:43:00.000-08:00

Old Friends Got Together :) or Mufta Dinner

2007-01-11T02:12:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, January 9th '07, Hisham and I were coming from university and we were cursing the uni canteen wala that he does not keep any real stuff. Sherry's house is on our way from uni or should I mention that if that wasn't the case, we would have gone to his house in any case (you know company car and free fuel :) .

Sherry, my man, the Fajita Subway was too good man; mouth watering...

Indian Mujra in Singapore (Khazana)

2007-01-11T02:06:00.000-08:00

Two Thumbs Up!!!!

2006-12-28T04:54:00.000-08:00

My friend, good show of courage! I didn't know this much but it is amazing to see all your achivements in spite of going through so much!

Two Thums Up!

You are not the only one

2006-12-28T04:44:00.000-08:00

Why me? Don't ask God "Why Me?" There are thousands and thousands of people in this world who have been through troubled times and some people have faced so much trouble that you can never imagine until you experience the same.

Only yesterday, I realized that we should just pray to God and give our best shot and always think positive. Think positive, encouraging uplifting thoughts, and the negative will soon disappear. There's a light at the end of every tunnel; the sun returns after every storm.

And GIVE; true happiness is found in giving not taking.

I don't feel like posting anything

2006-12-28T04:27:00.000-08:00

:) I am just being too lazy to open the page and post something....

Lotus Notes

2006-12-21T05:26:00.000-08:00

This stupid Lotus Notes! One of my emails had an attachment that got stuck and now I am waiting for that mail to get uploaded because until that particular one gets uploaded, the other ones will remain stuck..

Ms-Outlook, when are you coming to us????????

Khana Khana Hai Mujhko :)

2006-12-20T22:08:00.000-08:00

Oops!!! I will miss the lovely food today because of my own mistake. Actually I wanted to ask her something to give her some comfort and I asked pathetically and it went all wrong. But its not my mistake, girls think too much and too differently about anything. Sorry I am not stereotyping but it happens.. I don't generalize stuff but that was typical.

It, now, seems that I will again have to order the lousy biryani for lunch. God, I want to have something good.. May be I will go out with some other friends to eat some nice stuff...

Now YOU, YOU don't think much about it.

What the $%^&?????????

2006-12-20T22:02:00.000-08:00

I am angry! My IT guy took the office camera home!!!!!!!!! I had given a time to my customer to click some pictures of a damaged container; now he is waiting at the port and I had to be there at 11 and now I am waiting for the IT guy to come to office and handover the camera to me....

What the *&%^ is this? Why should I wait? Can't they understand customer appointments are so important????????? Above all, he didn't inform me that camera is with him and he will be late.....

I Got Maersk Cookies :)

2006-12-18T21:10:00.000-08:00

Camera Shy???? No

2006-12-18T03:55:00.000-08:00

No no she is not trying to hide her face! Actually she was asking me to read a line written on the manual and I was too lazy to go there where she was sitting so I zoomed the lens....

Girls hate cameras.......ghhhhhhhhhhhhh :)

Plain Stupidity - Need no words....

2006-12-17T23:58:00.000-08:00

...memories....

2006-12-17T21:54:00.000-08:00

Sherry, Hisham & I, actually spent five looooooooooong hours at McDonalds Tariq Road to discuss "What Not" kee calculations. We were shocked to see and actually were so upset that we wasted so much time on the calculations and "What Not" didn't give us anything even near to calculations in the exam.. What Not I hate you..... but no, its because of you that we were together at the restaurant for 5 hours and had tremendous fun while studying.. Thanks "What not" for that.... come back Sherry & Hisham at this link after a year and you will realize what I am referring to.... yaadein............

..so the semester ended!!

2006-12-17T21:25:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I am glad that it finally ended but sad that the time we all spent together will never come again... It was truly a wonderful experience doing the Nawazish Ali event, etc during the semester... I made some good friends "forever"......... memories....

khatam, khalas... now we are all busy in our own lives.... i am guesssing below who is doing what iss waqt.

- Hisham is in his office, trying to convince buyers to give him some orders.

- Sheheryar is on his new job.. He would be trying to look good in his boss' eyes.

- I am writing this blog :)

- Faiza would be sleeping.. She's at Hira's house..

- Hira is getting married so she would be worrying about her dresses, make up, etc

- Nasir would be fighting with his girl friend :)

- Sajid, Shamsu's favorite student, would be sitting on his fat ass.... smiling and doing nothing

- Anil = not sure...

- Mehvish would be making breakfast.. I am hungry Mehvish, pls make it fast..

Back!!!!!!!!!

2006-12-17T20:52:00.000-08:00

I am back. Now again, waiting for the emails to get downloaded; this time the number is 224. Most of them would be just for my information :) as if.....

Khair, its good to be back in office after so many days... I am excited about couple of contracts we have won recently and a big one which was my long term target..

Holidays!!!!!!!!!

2006-12-08T05:45:00.000-08:00

Guys, I am off from office for 10 days. No I am not going anywhere; will be very much here but will be away from office.

Abhi, I am in office try to clear things up. Makro, please give me some time to relax :) Catch u later

Random Pictures

2006-11-27T22:51:00.000-08:00

Pictures of Begum Nawazish Ali Live at Greenwich University

2006-11-27T22:26:00.000-08:00

I Can See the Finishing Line to Re-Start

2006-11-27T00:04:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am glad I am coming back! I don't even know you guys are there or not but I am so excited after my Begum Nawazish event. Two weeks more and then this semester will end.

The next one will be ending by March '07 and inshallah then I will hit the iron again after a loooooong two year break. I am coming back to my life. I am dying to feel the stretch again. Normal people can't understand that feeling; you have got to be different to understand that. I miss those GNC, Designer, Optimum, Creatine and Whey filed conversations with all of you. I am dying to look at everything from a different perspective; talk to everyone differently...

I know I will have to work hard but I have decided and even written down the regime I will inshallah be following. Straight three months of treadmill first and then the BIG BANG. Yes, I have a challenge in front. I have those old t-shirts that are crying to be used!

I see ya soon!

The Show - Begum Live

2006-11-26T23:27:00.000-08:00

The show that we all had been waiting for!!! All the fun started when the Begum appeared on the stage! She started with a song "jhoom baba".. My wife wrote the song for her on the paper when Begum was getting ready at Beenish's salon.

Khair, after the song; she went after some cricketers. Imran Khan, Inzimam, Shahid Afridi.. I can't remember what she actually said but it was something like.. Bat and ball stuff. "I prefer their batting than their balling" something like that...:) Hilarious it was. And people were enjoying man.. I remember Hira and Uzma Shamsi asked me to talk to Begum and tell her to keep her double meaning jokes to a minimum and I did not listen to them because it was our day man.. We all had worked so hard (very hard = begum style).. So let us enjoy man..

..so she continues.. she invited Ahsan Durrani and Amna Khan........ Amna was very serious. I did not like her conversation with Begum.. She was being reluctant I guess.. Ahsan Durrani was good.. "Ahsaan, haye mujh par kuch ahsaan kar do aaj raat mein".. :)

..then it was the turn of our very own Mr. Javed Loaded oops sorry Javed Lodhi.. .:) He handled her amazingly.. My favourite teacher.... !!

Karim Akram was simply cornered by Begum.. It was my idea. ACtually no, a lot of students requested that they will only buy the ticket if Begum would f**k Karim Akram because they simply hate him for being arrogant... So win-win... He says "he has massive attitude problem".. Begum became nasty at this reply and then it all started... Everyone enjoyed her conversation with Karim Akram........

Shoaib Shamsi thanked her on stage and we were so glad that he finally recognized that we did a good job!

It was a night full of fun....

Saturday Nov 25th - Final Touches - Begum Nawazish Live

2006-11-26T22:12:00.000-08:00

I woke up at around 10:00. Was having break-fast when I got a message from Hisham about the plan. I said "lets go to office first, make some phone calls, check emails, get confirmations from sponsors on fax and then go to uni..

We reached office.. I checked my emails and then within 30 mins I was free.. We reached uni at 13:30.. We saw that all tables were being fixed, stage was being arranged... In fact, some work was being done on almost everything.. Pretty controlled it was..

We played table tennis for a while.. Then the man himself Mr. Shoaib Shamsi arrived.. We left the sports room and glued ourselves to the ground where the preparations were going on.. :) hahah....

Preparation - Update # 2, Begum Nawazish Ali Live at Greenwich

2006-11-26T21:54:00.000-08:00

I am so upset. I wrote a long long post and it got deleted; my mistake :(

Khair, so finally the teacher reduced the price and tickets were sold quite easily. We were then off to the university... On the way, I got so many calls that my handsfree's battery died.... Sponsors were calling and confirming their sponsorship. Happiness was coming my way.. :) I was so glad.. BUT all that excitement was for few minutes only.. Tapal called and said "sorry Zain we can't give you the tea stall. I was so pissed that I just said "ok, fine"......... then I realized, I am in deep trouble. I called back and asked the guy "kya hogaya yaar, this is not good and etc etc..." He was unable to give me the reason.. Khair then I called my friend Ambreen at Nestle.. I recalled that she had recently installed Nescafe 5 in 1 machine at my office. She and Ali agreed to give us Nescafe 3 in 1 and orange/limo machines for the event.. Thanks guys.

We reached uni at 2030 hrs, sold some tickets and went home.. I had to attend a mehendi and had to drop my family at some place.. I got back home at around 1,, & slept...

PreparationBegum Nawazish Ali Show at Greenwich University

2006-11-26T21:14:00.000-08:00

Last night (Friday Nov 24th) was different and I suddenly saw team-work in our group was highly visible. We were afraid, highly worried about the show next day. I had one whole month but till Thursday morning Nov 23rd, I did not even have a single sponsor for the show (I have my reasons for that but I know no one would be interested to know :().

Khair, I started my V10 (you don't know what it is right?) and made some calls and within few hours, I had 100,000 verbally confirmed. That was done and then came friday night Nov 24th. We had to go to university, for what? I don't remember. Oh yes, let me recall. Actually it was a seminar of the other group.. Hisham and I work in the same building so he came to my office as usual and we left for the hotel (Avari Towers).. We were late but never mind, it happens.. :) So we arrived at Avari at around 1700; straight to the hall.. and grabbed the back chairs and I slept :) sorry guys but I was too tired.... Seminar was excellent and yes Mehvish, Ayesha and the team had raised the bar and suddenly we were so worried about our event. All the time, we were talking about "yaar kya hoga".......????? Honestly, we knew that we have done a good job and still working on the stuff but we were reluctant to show others that things are under control because we were not that much confident about the whole thing.. (you know what i mean right)... On the other side, since we are a bit losers, we asked Ayesha and Mehvish to do comparing for the show and they agreed.... :) Thanks guys for your support. We appreciate your assistance...

Each one of us got 20 tickets to sell. Tickets were 1000/- per person with dinner. I tried to sell in my office and to some friends and they all said "what the hell,, 1000 for that CHAKKA????" I was so disappointed..... Khair, thanks for my blogging, I managed to sell tickets through the internet. Guess i sold 7 tickets through that channel and got 1000/- each. .good na? I finally decided to ask Shoaib Shamsi to reduce the price...........

Sao Paulo F1 GP '06

2006-10-15T21:02:00.000-07:00

While we wait for the Sao Paulo Formula 1 Grand Prix which is going to be held this Sunday Oct 22nd 2006. Last chance to see Michael Schumacher in action. Yeah life goes, I thought I would never an F1 hero in my life again but yes MS came and conquered everything, I had no choice than to whole heartedly accept Schumacher as my 2nd F1 hero.

So, while we wait for Sunday, I thought why not bring F1 to Sharah-e-Faisal so here I come.. There was this guy in the same car make, after me from Tariq Road; I was cool and calm and was not in a mood to race but then came Sharah-e-Faisal.. Both cars parallel, stationery and then goooooo, full accelerator 0-100 (don't know in how many seconds) but yes I picked up this guy and bad, bad bad, he was smiling when he came near to me when I stopped at the turning (that goes back again to Citibank area) near Dunkin Donuts..

Better luck next time bro but you have a good car.... and glad that you were wearing seat belts.

Chao

Back from Leave & in Action

2006-10-15T20:53:00.000-07:00

It gives me damn good feeling when I am back from 10 days leave from office. Actually, was off for 6 days but I am counting Sat/Sun both for inner satisfaction (you know what I mean).

In fact, that was exam leave but I made the most also on other part as during Ramazan it was a good time to catch up with friends and be out as long as you can so guess it was all good.

Now I am waiting for the 430 emails to get downloaded on my laptop and then BANG!! replies, replies, replies everyone would need a reply and I know there would be 2nd or 3rd reminder depsite the fact that I had enabled an autoreply for my leave but no...

at the moment, only 47 emails have got downloaded... See ya later and yes I am gonna write about the short race I had this morning. Picked this guy from start/finish line (sorry, actually a red light).... it deserves a post..

The Great Singapore Adventure! Going to Night Safari via 15 Stations!!

2006-09-12T03:40:00.000-07:00

Today, finally I got the time to write about our adventurous outing in Singapore in March '06. Actually we were on an official trip to Singapore. One of my colleagues and I were attending a sales conference and colleauges from Finance dept. were there for a systems training workshop.

So, it was a cloudy Saturday on March 11th '06, Majid and I had a flight back home in the night and our FIN (I call them FIN, actually referring to "Shark fin" we normally see in the National Geographic or Animal Planet channels, everyone's afraid of them :) No, actually just for fun, I mention the word FIN. So.. our FIN colleagues were there to stay more or should I say they were there to have more adventures at "Khazana". After spending couple of hours in the morning and afternoon meeting old friends in Singapore and some shopping, I finally went back to the hotel, packed the stuff and boooom, we were ready to explore the unexplored. The plan was to first go for a damn good meal so we went to Little India and we had a wonderful food (kofta, butter chicken, parathas and what not!!) at Sitara just opposite Mustafa Store...

After our taste buds were satisfied, we decided to head for Night Safari.. We didnt know the way so we picked a travel booklet from Little India station and we found that we will have to travel another 12 or guess 15 stations to reach a particular station and then take a taxi or bus to Night Safari.. We were excited and had some energy so we opted for the MRT/MTR whatever.. travelled and travelled.. finally reached that station and took the bus to little india.. By that time, we had already travelled for an hour and I randomly asked a woman how much more time the bus will take, she replied "an hour if the traffic is ok".........Oh my God!!!!!!!!!!

We had a quick meeting in the bus and decided to take a taxi... Finding a tax, in fact two because no one was agreeing to take us all as we were 5!!!! I enjoyed that time of finding the taxi as it was raining and the area was shining in the beautiful lights.. It was a great scene. Finally we got two taxis and then were off to the Night Safari....

The things we saw and did at Night Safari were truly amazing!!!! The train trip was awesome especially when we saw the huge lions just few steps away.. :) thrilling!!!!!!!!! Some pictures are attached........

We were so tired that we had to take the cabs straight to the hotel and we did so.. COMES THE BEST PART THAT WE SAW THE LITTLE INDIA STATION where we were looking for the taxis just 1.5 hours before when we left the bus on our way to Night Safari.. Then we realized that we were stupids that we wasted our 1.5+ hours in the train travelling and crossing 15 stations!!! :( poor souls.. Sometimes, the Pakistani trick of asking someone "arey bhai, yeh Night Safari kidhar hai" or "arey boss, night safari ka raasta to bata do".. We would have been better off with the assistance of our Pakistani style of asking!!!!

End of an Era - Michael Schumacher retires!!

2006-09-11T00:38:00.000-07:00

Well, it was May 1st 1994 that my hero Ayrton Senna died in a tragic racing accident at Imola in San Marino GP. I thought at that time that no one will ever take his place and there wouldn't be any driver in F1 I like. Time passed...

It took me years to start liking Michael Schumacher and it was actually when he was fighting for championship in year 2000 after 4 years of struggle. He was my man from 2000 till date. Do I only like MS because he wins races and is 7 time champion; no.. He is a whole package! His racing skills of course but his arrogance, style and the way he congratulates his team-mates after the wins, his jump at the podium, champagne sprays, his diplomatic post-race conferences, his mentioning of the number 1 status in coded words etc.

So here it goes.. Michael announces his retirement http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHZz0_wPi7s. My tributes to the greatest Formula 1 driver of all times.. Good bye and best of luck for your 8th championship.. Italian GP 2006 was the best result we could have tought about....

Ciao

GP Qualifying on Sharah-e-Faisal (Touched 140 KMs)

2006-09-01T00:43:00.000-07:00

Life at 140 KMs is thrilling. It felt like I am having a qualifying round for a GP when I touched 140 KMs on Sharah-e-Faisal this morning. After a loooooong time, my racing instinct that died a long time ago (after a bad bad accident), forced me to at least check the hp of my car otherwise daily, the horses inside the engine just make around 40 KMs on an average :)

I am desperately waiting for the next GP at Monza! :) he he he..

Formula 1 - Turkish Grand Prix '06

2006-08-28T04:46:00.000-07:00

Michael, I am not happy. I mean you did 1.25 something sec in the last pre-qualifying and then in the finale you came 2nd! Thats not good. Then Ross, are you out of your mind! If you would have brought him for the routine pit after the safety car period was over then I am sure he would have got the 2nd place. And Michael, we like you very much but if you can't match the race pace of your team-mate then please acknowledge the fact and don't say "if one driver can't win then the other one wins". What kind of a comment this is?? But you have my support for this championship, I think you can make it provided you drive properly. Yeah easier said than done but you've got to be serious! Outpace Alonso and Renault.

A Catch (Not so perfect but nice)

2006-08-28T04:23:00.000-07:00

Near KN Academy, Malir Cantt, Karachi.