Addiction: It's Haram...!

In an attempt to ‘GO GREEN’ I decided to replace morning tea with green-tea. By the evening I could literally feel a crazy Giant walking around in my head. Stumbling on my way to the kitchen like a drug addict I heard the phone ring. It was my sister; the more she talks the worse my head pound. In between the stomps I struggled to grasp and reply to whatever she asked.

I like tea that tastes a little bitter. So that you really feel your tiredness wash away on every sip. Yep caffeine and I have a past, had to stay up every exams night for good grades. Did I mention ‘primary school exams’?

 It’s weird when I offer kids a cup of tea and they shake their heads in negative. Well at least caffeine addiction is less harmful than the addiction of social media. That makes you take pictures of every meal instead of eating it. Anyway the real bad caffeine addiction is when a person like me is introduced to energy drinks!

It took them only two free energy drinks on alternative days to get me hooked on it. A well known company that hits every university to supply free energy drinks to cast the magic spell. Energy drink is a bad addiction in so many ways. Worse is when you have to cut on your expenses to afford it on daily basis. Yes Daily basis! For a long journey home it was Spinach for Popeye. 

On other hand my friends would slap me with a long list of side effects regularly. Like ‘It’s bad for health, especially women blah blah blah…’ 

Never considered it until one of our professor discussed the “effects”. Actually he knew an easy way; he said it’s Haram in a very, very, VERY convincing way. I didn’t believe it. Yet all that guilt of drinking something that might be Haram, kept me from looking it up on Google.

Surely the unavoidable dreadful several stages of SEPERATION did sneak up on me. Expect that obsession fades away faster when you have a better substitute. Even if it’s Halal any addiction that costs your health and tons of money, is BAD. Let’s stick to our cup of MASALA CHAI for at least we know what’s in it.

Escape: Truth About You & Me

Made your life’s most important decision and finally found your love. Married them and started to live like royalty. This is what you always dreamed of. Roaming new places, made new friends, and buy expensive goodies for fun. New dresses, news shoes, new perfumes, and gadgets add to the overloaded junk you own. The blame is not on you though. Surrounded by the posh circle of friends, would keep anyone’s nose in the air. 

However you do see the flip side of that royal coin. Hate to be alone for the conscience is ridiculously mean to you. So you watch other people fight and cry on TV in the name of entertainment. And unconsciously start to mimic the negative conclusions grasped from the shows. Everyday let it weave more insecurity in your faith.

Then Complain about everything and everyone for you failed to understand satisfaction. Actually satisfaction appears as only a fad for it fades out fast. Truth is: the new wardrobe has become a stale distraction. Fight with the spouse who took off from work to spend a day with you. Just to find an escape. 

It kills to the extent that you don’t mind talking to the people who are supposed worthless and inferior. For you see them having that one thing you lack. The more you talk the more it frustrates you, as the clue isn't there. Now you lower the guard and open up a bit more. Finally the denial escapes when you accept, “I am depressed”. The naive, no-value ‘happy people’ understands you. Thus they try to motivate, tell you about their own failures and progress in life. Stories of the bright side and the bright nights! Long talk about dreams being timeless and possibilities limitless. You do feel the moment of change.

 Sadly you lack the special ingredient required to listen to someone: respect. The only change is now you find them dumb idiots who are happy for no reason. Next day you go to spend more money, to buy a little more of fleeting happiness again… 

Hey Mr. D.J, Please Leave...

We all go through the age where you can’t do anything without the beat. All you need is your favorite playlist and there you are in euphoria. Then there also comes an age when music only appears some meaningful words put together in rather silly way while an intolerable noise plays along. For some extremely insightful souls this age hits earlier than average. Friends excitedly share that one relatable song in every new album. And just to fit in you pretend to like it, even when you find it terribly exhausting. Actually you find it highly disturbing, for the fact that you relate to it perfectly.

There are many reasons to hate music, or let’s rephrase that. The reasons we listen to it, are messed up in the first place. Now we break it down in steps. Music is one exclusive incredible shovel to the long buried memories. It identifies and makes it all obvious in seconds. (We are talking about meaningful music, to be clear the music you love.) At this point denial becomes harder so you start to accept your failure. Failures, which were long forgotten by the present success in other areas. However this unlocked rage triggers various hasty rational motives to quench it. Since music didn't account for a cure.  

What music any broken soul would prefer on a gloomy long drive? To be honest even a happy, crazy party song is enough for a man to deliberately BANG into a cargo truck on the freeway. Yep such is the connection of some beautiful rhymed words with your heart.  Okay maybe an over exaggeration but both ways the damage is equal.

No matter what mood you are in, music can turn it upside down without you realizing it. We already have enough exposure to it in the places we cannot avoid. In malls, stores, public transports, TV, radio, and what not. Why in the word you’d want to kill the peaceful time you get alone with the same distracting noises? 

Turn it off to give your best to the work you love and respect. Also when you manage to get the happy hour, it should be about you without the intrusion of any foreign influences. Turn it off ‘cause your success story has its own awesome background music…!

Youth: Reached your Full Potential?

“My worst fear is, never being able to reach my full potential.” 

I remember his exact words. It’s quite impressive as long as the meaning to potential is not narrow or cheap. I couldn't resist but ask to clear the vague picture, as goals have to be specific. 

“Like raise my living standards…”

This answer was so depressing that all of it came crashing down. Didn't expect for someone that insightful and talented to be so limited. Crazy how we keep insulting ourselves by comparisons and competitions with the so-called "Higher Standards".

Truth is you will keep losing the game that was meant to be lost. However you’d find what you’re looking for the day you get tired of fooling around and go back home. Home where you belong, where there is no wasteful crazy race, or unquenchable thirst for more. Where there are no haters and oppressors. The place you unconsciously desire and work for everyday, but in all the wrong directions.

When would you see everything around us constantly feed wrong perceptions to our subconscious? Anything that increases your burden of guilt doesn't come under the heading of fun. It’s called sin. Remember everything we are exposed to, gets absorbed in our personality whether we like it or not. Most of the time we don’t see the monster we created until it’s too late. Worse is when it comes out in the form of dependents who admire you. Why do they expose youth to crime shows of envy, lust, arrogance, greed and people getting away with it?

Also wrong meanings to what you want and what makes you happy. The results would be quite depressing if all your life’s efforts where solely for the BLING BLING. Spoiler alert you have an EXPIRY DATE! There is a highest earning stage of a man’s entire life in the LIFE CYCLE. At this age we start to make enough money, we reach higher standards of everything. Expertise wisdom you name it, and then we perish.

No one follows the smart advises you throw at them on daily basis. Actually it frustrates them. The only way we can touch lives of people is when you show them how it’s done. The influences are generated by demonstration. Also they subconsciously or consciously remember how you dealt with similar situations.

And you can turn negativity around by exposure to the stories of people of compassion and humanity. Increase your exposure to the BOOK that liberates you from fears, distress, indifference and ignorance. It’s truly the only shield for your subconscious, dependents and dreams.
Now it's your turn to answer, what does full potential mean to you...?

Secret Ingredient was NOT Love...

After so many years of experiments and explosions in the kitchen I thought of creating a cooking page. That’s downright hilarious; I’m way too lazy to run a single one. This far I've learned ways to remember difficult measurements in cooking. Truly it’s only about ratios. Forget grams and all that, just remember the right proportion and Voila! This brings in perfection, on the contrary still have to run after my brother to at least try the desserts made. “I MADE THIS FOR YOU!!!”

I was so restless the day I bought good quality dark chocolates. Couldn't wait to magically turn the goodness into chocolate fondant, or fudge or chocolate fondue. Then again too lazy for the hard work hence truffles was the finalized dessert. It had to be super easy and low in calorie. It would also block lame excuses of friends and family trying to escape it… MUHAHAHA!

Anyway this recipe was easy, process 1 cup of Nuts, Raisins and Dates in a food processor. Roll them into truffles and the actual recipe ends here. I customized it by coating these diet truffles with melted dark chocolate. It looked amazing, the glaze and the smell, YUM. The only problem was, it's 75% cocoa with Cocoa nibs and my forever zoned-out brain forgot to add sugar. Absolutely no added sugar made this delicious looking dessert taste something like bitter-(a bit sweet)-BITTER again! Today I realize what the phrase ‘All is well that ends well’ actually mean.

Maybe in some other part of the world someone might like it but my extremely Desi friends and family didn't.  We have a sweet tooth and the height of it is, the first dark chocolate I bought was thrown in the trashcan! No kidding. Well I didn't know cooking back then. Ah how ironic!

Tailor-made recipes for ungrateful loved ones are not easy. Harder is to hear their honest remarks for your hard work. It kind of reminds me of how ungrateful spoiled brats we used to be. And how our mother would cook tailor-made dishes for everyone. Sometimes she would cook extra treats just 'cause we didn't like some vegetables. 

I used to be brutally honest Cook heart-breaker but not anymore. When it’s good, appreciate. If it’s really bad, don’t say anything. For bad cooking requires the same amount of effort or more. Be thankful if someone cooks for you, and be patient if you cook for them.

A chance to make it RIGHT!

Listen to motivational songs, get excited and fired up to change the world. Thirty minutes later this hero goes to bed dead tired. I'm definitely doing it wrong. Finally I decided to share some of the brutal lessons learned after the mess was made. Some everyday mistakes we need to fix to live happier. If you are guilty like me, consider it a chance to ponder or to make it right.

 
1.     Never deceive the person who stands up for you. They are rare than diamonds, value them. Or else carry the burden of regret added in the misfortune you welcomed.
 
2.    When they give up on you leave them behind. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. Just keep doing your THING for yourself. When the sun rises all can see the light.
 
3.    There’s nothing worse than a liar. Be a fool to believe they would change for you. If they don’t, the blindfold of expectation should not cease your head. The only good change would be, you walking away.  Be that good change.
 
4.    Never depend on people. Do it yourself even if you were raised like a princess. If it’s your job and affect only you then take control. The hardest staff to manage is your own self.
 
5.    Never let anyone ruin your relationship with your heart. Heart is more sensitive than we know. Once crushed it might stop talking to you forever. Makes one worse than the DEAD!
 
6.    Never do what you don’t feel like doing. Trust your instincts even if it costs you to get off the road in the middle of nowhere. When you don’t want to go, don’t go!
 
7.    Make decisions with utter confidence even if you are crazy indecisive. Once implemented, trust your decisions. You are the only person needed to stand by it, in order to bear results. 
 
8.    Let it go when you are ready. Stay here in solitude to moan a little longer if you like.  Roam around the lifeless room as long as you want. Paint black and white abstracts on every wall till there is no space, colors or memory left. When you are done, walk out of this place to never return. 

When you let go of what you don’t want, you will get what you always wanted. We’d start to live with no regrets the day we stop holding back so much. No matter how crazy it is if you want to do it, today is your chance. Stop missing out on all the smiles, opportunities and happiness knocking at your door.

Today's Weather: NOT SO GOOD!

Karachi has never been this cold, it’s the mid of March and yet no sign of summer. The cold winds decide to stay a little longer leaving everyone confused or sick. Along with the winds a massive wave of sore throats, flu and fever hits every house in town. It’s like weather playing fool of everyone who jumped on cold water and ice creams too soon. As usual my older brother includes in them.

Miss summer bad, and all the benefit it comes with. Workout gets easier, no unbearable cramps, or muscles pulled. Plus you can eat desserts without the fear of instantaneous muffin toppings.  Winters make your ridiculously resistant to daily activities let alone exercise.  My friends were so looking forward to some push from the weather. Fired up to hit gym, get in the best shape for a wedding.  And they all gave up last week when the stubborn winter refused to leave.

Important message to all the Ex-Macho people now in sickness, this time period is worse than winters. Keep away from cold drinks just a few more days. When already fallen in the pit an animal would too look for a cure. Humans have been given the intellect to understand, predict, and prevent harm. It’s sad to see how adults don’t understand their body reactions to food intake. Sometimes we know it’s bad but still are guilty of the same unhealthy patterns. Remember you need to stay healthy to protect the loved ones who depend on you. 

I may sound like a 60 year old party spoiler right now but I learned it the hard way. Day One: ice cream. Day Two: ice cream. Day Three: I’m on cloud nine thinking ‘MUAHAHAHA! Me ssho Sshtrong!’

Day Four: On bed rest for WEEKS with the worse fever EVER! (Er… Not to mention the burden of regret)

Moral folks, when the winds are rough, take good care of yourself…