Life of a Book

Written By: Massive Crusade

I am kind of a person who never keeps books with care. Believe me, if you are lending me a book, you shouldn’t expect me to return it in the same form you gave me. But if you look closely don’t you think how similar it is with us?  Isn’t it exactly the way life treats us?

Actually, this is exactly the way life is. There’s a day when you’re born, fresh and new- just like the smell of new books. Then you grow up, you fall, you crawl, you break, you get hit, you get scratched, you get torn-literally shattered.People will you in their leisure time. Some people will hate you, some will just judge you, some people will buy you, some will earn you, some will give you away, some people will enjoy you, some will understand you, some will love spending time with you alone, some will get attracted to you, some will listen to you over and over again- until they either get bored of you or they find something new.

Whatever the reason, eventually you are going to end up at the bottom of some dark shelf in the corner of people’s library. Then maybe one day, when the library will get full of people like you, the owner will throw you away for good. And some angel out there will realize your true worth and will pick you up, embrace you, and take you with him and never let go until the wrinkles and scars and some diseases begin to take over your existence till you are no longer able to stay and your soul will fly away from you like the yellow, frail pages of a book from its solid cover.

There’d be nothing more left of you except for the outer shell that kept your story covered all your life. Others are going to replace you, of course. But there will still be people who’re going to keep you in their hearts forever because you would’ve changed them, because they would’ve started to live again, because you would’ve given them a reason to live, because you would’ve NEVER betrayed them, because you would’ve never complained to them or expected from them, because you would’ve given them your all, because you would’ve never left their side, because even after being treated like a piece of crap you would’ve managed to welcome them wholeheartedly every single time, you would’ve let them take advantage of you, because baby, you would’ve helped them nevertheless.

That is how life is. And that is entirely the story of a life of a book.

The Lost Etiquette

Written By: Maliha Javed.

As I placed my order at the corner table of the small café down the road, I noticed a woman admiringly gazing at a couple where the man pulled out a chair for the lady he accompanied. The woman staring, said to herself “oh how romantic of him!” This comment made me ponder why such a gesture is considered romantic when it ought to be credited to fine upbringing instead.

No doubt the world is altering immensely as every second passes by; our generation is so caught up trying to keep pace with the present, struggling to be accepted by the society no matter what efforts it may consume. The world today has now become so ‘cool’ -as we call it, that we have not only disregarded the old school mentality and teachings but most of us have actually chosen to be ignorant about it without realization.

Good morality, manners and etiquette should be an essential part of each individual’s life. Not only does it signify a remarkable upbringing and excellent character of a person but in some way or the other it grasps the ability to generate a positive vibe affecting others around us. However, because these simple old-school gestures are so infrequent and neglected, majority of the people associate it with romance, feminism or geekiness. The societal image of males being something like The Hulk (excluding the green appearance) has embedded the minds of young men to follow a similar demeanor and as we all know Hulk was no gentleman; the significance of etiquette can be seen diminishing. Whereas for females, because our emotions are so heightened, our feminist instinct are easily attracted to simple gestures that implicate kindness and care from the opposite gender. With this arises the misconception of the fact that most women are naturally caring and kind and thus they are not expected to possess and implement the values of manners and etiquette as we ought to look for these characteristics in men. One should not confuse kindness with fine manners and etiquette as they both are significantly diverse. These reasons and fallacy can be seen as an absurd excuse and it is an unfortunate reality that the world is increasing in terms of dis-courteousness.

Many ask ‘’what good does it bring by being well mannered?’’ well the answer is fairly simple; because, it is a reflection of who we are as a human being. Imagine you are given the opportunity to meet your own self as a stranger, now we all are regrettably judgmental to some extent truthfully, so what would you think of yourself when you meet you?

‘God, am I always that rude to strangers??’

‘Did I really just let the door fall shut on someone’s face?!’

‘I DID NOT just burp in public!!’

Many more thousands of reactions and comments would cross your mind if you were one of those ignorants who gave no importance to manners and etiquette. Do you not think this would reflect your family background, upbringing and the way you treat others? Point being stated; we human beings are blessed with reasoning and are superior to animals and other creatures for a purpose. Therefore, we all ought to make an endeavor to discover and execute the lost etiquette of a well being and make sure our future generations will value and comprehend  the true significance of it.

When Death Whistled Passed

 An aerial view of Utøya Island, Norway, taken on July 21 2011, shortly before police sent anti-terror police to investigate reports that a man dressed in a police uniform had opened fire at a youth camp there.

On Friday I woke as I came into contact with the ground. Over the night, the air had slowly leaked out of my inflatable mattress until eventually it was possible to feel every bump on the grass below. The rain was falling on the canvas with a pattering sound. At my feet lay the previous night's dinner: a half-eaten plate of salad with a couple of cigarette ends in it. My mobile phone beeped. Svein Gustaf, who was working on the mainland that morning, wanted to know what was going on.

"Where are you? How was Gro?" he asked.

"No, no, no," I mumbled.

It was past 1pm.

Gro Harlem Brundtland's speech was one of the main highlights of the camp. Now it had finished. I unzipped the tent door and stuck out my head. Camp members passed along the path outside.

On the way back from the showers, I almost walked into a small retinue of reporters. Striding among them was a figure in a scarlet raincoat and green wellies. It was the mother of the nation herself, Gro, Norway's first female prime minister. So she was still here. And she still had to check out of the information office before she left.

Famous Greek Scientists and Mathematicians

The Greeks produced great advancements in mathematics which are still used today. Some of them are mentioned below.

Euclid was known for the basic rules and terms of geometry. He wanted to prove that things were true by using logic and reason. Euclid's books begin with basic definitions of a point and a line and shapes, and then go on to use geometry to prove, for instance, that all right angles are equal, that you can draw a straight line between any two points, and that two things which are both equal to the same thing are also equal to each other.

Pythagoras was famous for his theorem A2 +B2 = C2 for a right triangle. Pythagoras also came up with the value of pie to calculate the circumference of a circle.                                                            

Archimedes discovered the physical law of displacement. The law of displacement is when an object moves the same volume of water as the object which is placed in it. Archimedes also used levers and pulleys to move heavy objects. He once launched a fully loaded ship all by himself. Archimedes also invented the Archimedes screw, which raises water up from rivers for the irrigation of fields. In addition to discoveries in math and physics, he also invented weapons to help the Greeks fight off Roman invasion. One of those weapons was the catapult. In 21 B.C. the Romans captured his city and killed him.

Parmenides watched an eclipse of the Moon in about 470 BC, and noticed that the Earth's shadow was curved. He worked out that if the shadow was curved, then the Earth must be round.

Hippocrates was a scientist of medicine; Hippocrates is called the Father of Western Medicine. Doctors still take the Hippocratic Oath today.

Aristarchus An astronomer and mathematician, Aristarchus was the first to put the sun at the center of the known universe rather than the Earth.

Phidias, or the great Phidias, was a Greek sculptor, painter and architect, who lived in the 5th century BC, and is commonly regarded as one of the greatest of all sculptors of Classical Greece.

Democritus was an Ancient Greek philosopher. He was an influential pre-Socratic philosopher and pupil of Leucippus, who formulated an atomic theory for the cosmos.

Craving

As we nestled closely in the bed.

I watched you, crave sleep.

And then, for the very first time, I saw you.

As if the world had stopped and time paused.

I saw you.

When you inhaled strength and exhaled hope.

And then I thought

How lucky I was,

to simply breathe the same air as you.

My Visit to Peaceful Pakistan

My visit to Peaceful Pakistan.

Posted by Finding Neverland Blog on Wednesday, October 21, 2015

If you love Pakistan, if you miss Pakistan, if you are mislead about Pakistan, you gotta watch this video it might change your perception.

I am often asked why do I want to go to Pakistan.

In our countries, what the press says and what we read, Pakistan has been a peaceful place. The people have been kind to us, they have opened their arms and they have opened their hearts, and people will very little gave us everything they had, that's what makes Pakistan an interesting place to visit, the people make it worth it.

Chaotic but full of life, that's how these people live. We were extremely happy here and didn't feel any danger what so ever.

- A video by Mike Horn, Switzerland Tourist.

The Troubles of Ethiopia's Mursi Tribe

The construction of a huge dam in Ethiopia and the introduction of large-scale agricultural businesses has been controversial - finding out what local people think can be hard, but with the help of a bottle of rum nothing is impossible.

After waiting several weeks for letters of permission from various Ethiopian ministries, I begin my road trip into the country's southern lowlands.

I want to investigate the government's controversial plan to take over vast swathes of ancestral land, home to around 100,000 indigenous pastoralists, and turn it into a major centre for commercial agriculture, where foreign agribusinesses and government plantations would raise cash crops such as sugar and palm oil.

After driving 800km (497 miles) over two days through Ethiopia's lush highlands I begin my descent into the lower Omo valley. Here, where palaeontologists have discovered some of the oldest human remains on earth, some ancient ways of life cling on.

Pakistan's Future Tour Program from 2015-2019

Here is the list of all the possible cricket matches Pakistan is gonna play in the next cycle of March 2015 to June 2019 (i.e from the Cricket World Cup 2015 to Cricket World Cup 2019) interesting thing is that last cycle of 4 years was the most barren one for Pakistan in which they barely played 60 odd ODI matches, hopefully the next cycle will be more productive both for the cricket team and the cricket fans.

Also note that few more series are to be added which are not included in the ICC future tour program, like for example Pakistan will play 2 ODI matches vs Ireland between June-Sep 2016 when they will tour England. Also, some make up series can be on the cards since India is never willing to play cricket with Pakistan whenever they are performing poorly. 

The Tassel was worth the Hassle.

Written By: Izzat Riaz. 

After fifteen years of laughter, entertainment, teamwork, misery, and tears – I successfully graduated from one of Pakistan’s top schools. Indeed, the tassel was worth the hassle. I will always cherish the memories and valuable lessons I learnt at this insitution that not only trained me academically but also groomed me socially and intellectually. On the day of my graduation ceremony every face was lit with a countenance of satisfaction and completion. My school is bustling a society where the parents and students are part of a greater fraternity dedicated to the academic, social, and intellectual progress of each individual.

On this delightful moment, some nostalgic gut-wrenching thoughts of the massacre of the angels in Peshawar arose in my mind – accompanied with that was an eerie yet relentless feeling of restlessness. Most of the one hundred and forty one infallible would have been promoted to a higher grade and some of them would have graduated by then. Life moves on but the hearts are still heavy. The parents of maryrs lament and envy the satisfaction my parents were feeling while staring at me wearing a black cap and gown with nostalgic thoughts. However they had seen their own children in coffins, an ineffaceable memory.

Younis Khan: A Journey with a Smile.

Written for Express Tribune, link of the article is here.

In the most modest words, Younis Khan is a modern great. He now holds the record of most runs by a Pakistani Test batsman, he has the most number of centuries, he has held the most catches by a Pakistani fielder and has the best average among Pakistani batsman in Test cricket.

Looking back, the type of batsmen that have played for Pakistan over the past 60 years, a list that includes greats like Hanif Muhammad, Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Javed Minandad, Saleem Malik, Inzamam ul Haq, Saeed Anwar and Muhammad Yousuf, these records become that much more exclusive.

He does not have the elegance of Inzamam ul Haq, he does not get under the skin of the opponent like Javed Miandad, He does not play those silky smooth cover drives of Muhammad Yousuf.

But he never needed any of these. He had his own style. Initially hopping and jumping at the crease, then settling down and playing those back foot cover drives, later, taking charge to the spinners with those sixes over deep mid wicket and then the occasional reverse sweeps. He is a pleasure to watch in his own right.

Free Soul People of Kalash Valley in Pakistan

The Kalash tribe’s annual celebration of Joshi, a unique festival that marks spring’s arrival in their remote corner of the Hindu Kush mountains, is no longer the carefree affair it once was.

The festival is still a riot of color and rhythm, as it has been for centuries: Kalash women hold each other by the shoulder and swirl around in their customary dance, singing and whistling to a hypnotic drumbeat played by the men as they walk from village to village before all converge at special hilltop sites for their carnival.

But this year’s festival, held in May, took place under heavy security. Less than 5,000 Kalash survive and maintain their mystical beliefs. The tribe’s ancient religion, free mixing of the sexes and wine drinking put them at odds with some of their Muslim neighbors who consider such practices sacrilegious.

“If this celebration ends, our culture will end,” said Mutaram Shah, 80, a Kalash elder who wore a shimmering golden coat for the festival in the Bumburet valley, where he and other male elders engaged in mock fights with sticks amid the dancing.

Instagram and Flickr Feed of Raafay Awan

Sharing the happy and sometimes the sad moments of my life through . 

Instagram link: https://instagram.com/raafayawan/

London is like a cold dark dream sometimes. (October 9, 2015)

New semester same old messy routine. (October 6, 2015)

There are things in life which are clearly visible but we refuse to see them just so we can avoid the reality, over time though those things make you notice themselves and one day or the other you gotta face reality. #JustSaying (October 5, 2015)

Well. Scotland. #Supermoon (September 28, 2015)

Caption is the text. (September 24, 2015)

You go out and jog for a while. You're sweating. Beautiful weather and breeze blowing. It is peaceful. You sit down. Observe. Close your eyes. Suddenly you realize, it is such a beautiful world. (September 20, 2015)

A good sunny day to keep the mood happy (September 19, 2015)

On a very gloomy dismal day, just such a one as it ought to be, I went to see Westminster Abbey. (September 17, 2015)

The hardest thing in life is knowing which bridges to cross and which bridges to burn. (September 15, 2015)

11th September 1948. Last few moments of Quaid E Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's life. (September 11, 2015)

Everyday I go out for a walk in the evening and realize how lonely my life is even with the crowd of people around but then I hear a voice saying, that's how life is supposed to be and it is the best possible life, therefore Alhamdulillah for everything. (September 7, 2015)

The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love colour the most. (September 6, 2015)

Self Explanatory (September 6, 2015)

Few moments before landing in Florida, December 2013, leaving Pakistan was hurting bad but my greatest escape and changed everything for good. (September 3, 2015)

Evening time is the best time (August 29, 2015)

Best way to end your day? Yes. (August 28, 2015)

Yesterday was a nice day. This building btw is the tallest in the whole of Europe. #London (August 28, 2015)

Nostalgia #London (August 26, 2015)

Evening Walk gives you a lot of time to reflect. (August 22, 2015)

One year in London Completes (August 19, 2015)

Cricket Me Life. (August 13, 2015)

Wandering near the Wembley. (August 12, 2015)

Finally a peaceful moment in life and back to being normal. (August 9, 2015)

Appreciate your Life

Life happens too fast. I take everything and everyone for granted too often. I've also been taken for granted too/more often than I'd like to realize. It's really time for me to let go of all of the negativity in my life, including the people who bring that energy to me. It's so cliche, but life really is too short. And you really do need to tell the people you care about how you feel about them. Appreciate everything in your life, even the bad things. Because they are a huge part of who you are and the path you're making for yourself. Do whatever makes you happy. Focus on yourself for once, because that's not always a bad thing. Bask in the sunlight and make the best out of every moment you have. Stop worrying so much about what other people think. Explore - places, things.. Even yourself. Put your all into everything you do, it never hurts to try your best. My point is, we seldom stop to think about how fortunate we really are, even on our darkest days. I'm a huge example of getting caught up in all of the bad, but not looking towards the opposite end of the spectrum. Take a minute to just think about how lucky you are to be alive, and make the best of it before your time comes.

Alaska, the Dreamland of Wilderness

Written By: Jessica Reed (United States)

In July I found myself in the Alaskan wilderness, nervously waiting for a seaplane to take me back to civilisation. I had spent the afternoon fly-fishing on a remote beach only accessible by air – a patch of land where grizzly bears and their cubs have first dibs on your catch.

In the early evening, our guide told us to pack our gear and head back to our pick-up location. That’s when doubts came creeping in. What if the pilot never came back? We would be left to fend for ourselves on a remote island, with predators watching from the trees. I eyed the sky closely, and waited for the sound of a motor, panic rising in my throat.

Through it all, I had to remind myself that Alaska, a state I had felt a magnetic pull towards for years, wasn’t going to eat me alive.

My wilderness anxiety started 17 months before, during a trip to New Zealand.

In 2014, I packed a tent, camping gear, some clothes, and flew to Christchurch. The plan was to bike solo for a week on the trails criss-crossing the South Island.

Day one was an easy ride by turquoise lakes. Day two, in contrast, started with a two-hour climb on a mountain trail. By the time the weather changed, I hadn’t seen a soul all morning. A thick fog engulfed me, restricting my vision. A fierce wind picked up. The temperature dropped. Soon, it started to rain.

Hamid Mir, Pakistani journalist living a life of fugitive

The most famous television journalist in Pakistan lives like a fugitive. Hamid Mir tells no one where he is going, how he will get there or where he will spend the night.

At Mir’s office, his curtains are always drawn. He uses at least two cellphones and, until recently, he rotated among three residences to obscure his precise location, even from friends.

Even with all these precautions, Mir is anxious and jittery, most of all when he gets into the back seat of his bulletproof car to drive to the television studios for his show, “Capital Talk.”

“Most nerve-racking part of the day,” says the 49-year-old father of two, clenching the grab bar above him on a recent morning as the driver careens through the city taking last-minute instructions on which roads to take. Mir ignores incoming calls from unknown numbers and swivels from side to side, watching traffic to see whether any vehicle stays too close for too long.

Pardesi, the Bodyguard.

He was the most happiest person I have ever come across in my life. His name was Pardesi.

Like usually the case in these types of stories, he came from a background where struggling through life with two times of food was a priority instead of good education. He wanted to study but obviously his parents could not afford that so he used to work at different places to earn money. His very last job though, was being my bodyguard.

My time in Pakistan wasn't a silky smooth ride, living away from everyone and also requiring a bodyguard wasn't the most perfect life but you gotta do what you gotta do.

Initially it was a headache, moving here and there with someone you barely know and talk to, someone always there to look at what you are doing, it was difficult for me to get used to.

Still remember the first time we ever interacted was when he asked me.
'Sir, aap Pakistani he hain?'
Instead of answering the question, my response was a weird looking face because I didn't like being called sir so I told him to call me Raafay.

He used to call me Raafay bhai, and I started calling him Pardesi bhai.

Time passed, we got to know each other.

He was a good man. Always a smile on his face. I could tell within weeks that he was as honest and sincere as you can expect. He loved reading books and was especially interested in Urdu poetry which most of the times flew over my head. His life was also simple just like himself, no complications. A good sense of humor too.