A Rainy Day

Shirin Ji,

Thank you for explaining the day to day frustrations of the cold weather so eloquently. However, there are some people that really enjoy the cold, my cousin being one of them. He prefers the cold cold winter of Siberia, and finds the Ottawa winters a bit mild. To each their own I guess.

Regarding anonymity: Suhayl would be better than sohayl ;). I will be writing some articles (one of these days) on my passions as Suhayl...Salsa, Cuba..mmmm....so you will see some more of the other side of me.

Zahra Ji, I am unique I guess with the `y` in Suhayl. Lyahus is pretty outlandish, I like em both! No I am not a Gemini :) Regarding enjoying different weathers ... fall is the best in Gatineau hills...nothing beats em.

The aroma of a good cigar...it lingers, hovers in the cold crispy air...definitely Thah! :)...especially if it is a Cohiba! Double Thah!

Hmmm...It seems that I got my cuisines mixed up in regards to Lahore :)

Your suggestions were welcome in lieu of the donations

--cheers

Lyahus

Zahra,

I Could not agree more that the ``Fall Season `` is spectacular in the ``New England States ``.We have been on several occassions to Vermont to see this spectacular site.However this was before we were living in B.C.

I cannot deny that the Fall here is realy beautiful too !

Do give me a shout whenever you are next in B.C. It will be great to meet !

p.s. Studebaker : which state do you live in ? i often visit the new england states as i have some relatives there !Infact was there almost a month ago,for i week in the midst of the heavy snowfall !!

Take care ,

love,

Shirin

Shirin:

Thanks for your kind invite! I will certainly let you know, whenever I am in the area :-)

``Visiting a place as a tourist is very different from living there as a resident.For a tourist everything is an enchantment , a discovery , glamorous.You have the option of going back to the place of your original destination , so everything is acceptable.For residents it amounts to the more serious stuff , daily chores ,to leave home before the light is out , shoveling the drive way, if the car is left outside scraping the window shield , every morning , before the ignition is turned on to embark on the early morning joy ride ! .Slippery roads, but driving them every morning to drop the kids , and then to work.Sometimes being stuck at home because of an unexpected blizzard , and realising you were out of milk for the kids, and the youngest one was on her last pamper. the grocery stores are all closed , and life has come to a standstil. Yes it can be a great site for photography , but what the people are going through to survive till the weather alert is over and they can mobilize once again , is no joke .``


Indeed, it ain`t a joke!

I have lived and worked in different states in the US[Midwest, South, WestCoast, EastCoast]. But I have lived in extremely cold states, so I am not at all new to what you are stating above. The very thought to move to a place like Florida, will kill me[I cannot imagine that.Ohoo!]. I think you mentioned that you live in B.C.? - I have heard the fall-season is very beautiful there. The New England fall season is amazing as well. Connecticut, Maryland and Virginia are a few states that are worth visiting in the fall. Michigan is fine too, but there is no comparison with the New-England Fall. Stude-Baker will agree with me, if he is reading this!

Take Care.

Zahra #

Visiting a place as a tourist is very different from living there as a resident.For a tourist everything is an enchantment , a discovery , glamorous.You have the option of going back to the place of your original destination , so everything is acceptable.For residents it amounts to the more serious stuff , daily chores ,to leave home before the light is out , shoveling the drive way, if the car is left outside scraping the window shield , every morning , before the ignition is turned on to embark on the early morning joy ride ! .Slippery roads, but driving them every morning to drop the kids , and then to work.Sometimes being stuck at home because of an unexpected blizzard , and realising you were out of milk for the kids, and the youngest one was on her last pamper. the grocery stores are all closed , and life has come to a standstil. Yes it can be a great site for photography , but what the people are going through to survive till the weather alert is over and they can mobilize once again , is no joke .

Yes .... after a while it does not seem funny any more , and just amounts to survival in weather conditions not fit for humans !!

Regarding the younger generation not knowing mehendi songs ! well how can they ? for most families who have immigrated in log, stock and barrell , they have no desire to go back to India / pakistan , as a result the children are deprived of the real culture ! what they see is a distorted form of it .They actually cannot be blamed , because anything which is put forward in a distorted form, looses its appeal. I srongly suggest if one wants their children growing up speaking proper Hindi / urdu or whichever language is their mother tongue ,along with being able to get the bonus of singng and enjoying mehendi songs , and if they can afford it , do make trips back home with the kids as often as possible .One thing that has always scared me living in the west is may i never have to face the day when my kids cannot converse in urdu ,with their aging Grand aunts and uncles ,[ who cannot speak english ] Thank God the trips back home have helped to bail me out of such a pathetic situation.

My kids love going back to pakistan, pick up so much , and the best part is their urdu gets a booster dose ! infact i am very proud to say that they speak without the obvious american / canadian accent , which again is to a large extent unavoidable , but not impossible !

Well all said , do enjoy the winters in Ottawa , and if you like rain , we have abundance of that , so you are very welcome to visit me !we can have `` chai and samosas ``!!

Take care , and no offence meant ! just a glimpse of the hard realities of life :)

Sohayl : anonymity and i dont go very well somehow ! thanks for giving me the liberty of calling you by your user name , backwards !! and now like others i am curious too ... i will just repeat a shair i posted somewhee else earlier !! kahin aisa to nahin hai , aap key sath bhi ...

`` Har Aadmee Mein Hotae Hain Das Bees Aadmee ,

Jis Aadmee ko dekhna ho, kai Baar Dekhna `` !!

Cheers ,:))

P.S. at least we are not newfies , so i am saved from saying `` EH `` !!

Dost Mittar:

Thanks for your sweet intro to Ottawa. I simply love the maple leaf. I guess I forgot to mention that :-) It reminds me of my favorite colorful fall season!


``So, you found Ottawa a dead city! I can`t let you get away with maligning our fair city in this way, and its negative effects on potential tourists (from all those well-heeled chowkwallahs!). ``

Well, it was interesting to see this side of you. Very protective and defensive :-)!


``Whether you find a city interesting depends upon what you like in it.``

I completely agree with you on that!


`` although we have a relatively small South Asian community .``

It`s amusing that you talk about South Asian Community. Few years back, I happened to attend a wedding in Ottawa. It was very interesting and ironical in a way. On the Mehndi, it was the elderly women who were actively singing and dancing; the aunts, the family friends and the relatives than the younger lot. The younger lot was sitting like ghosts. I asked my friend what the hell is this. She said that none of these youngsters know of the Mehndi songs or anything of that sort. I cross-questioned why are they doing this event then. Hain? No response. Anyway, I realized that it will be a sin for me to sit amongst the ghosts, therefore I suggested that we better join the action party. I came across some very nice/pretty sikh ladies. Extremely lively. I guess many of these families have been settled in Ottawa for quite sometime and want to preserve their cultural practices, but haven`t stayed in touch. So when they actually do such events, they aren`t well aware of the mechanics. Ironically, their kids have no clue. The Mehndi songs that we sang were from Ba-ba-Adam-Kae-Zamanae Kae. Anyway, it was an observation. The people were great. It was a Pakistani wedding, but had a lot of attendees from South Asian Community. I came across some very interesting and equally lively people and that was it!


``Maybe you have come here only in winters when all we have to offer is skating and beaver tail, and the odd squirrel (isn`t that what gulehri is?).``

Indeed, I have been to Canada in winters (Nov, Dec, Jan) and I loved beaver tail. I have not seen any gulehris, I guess I will have to postpone my trip till they come out of their comfort zones. Kub? When?


``Very soon, we will have blue jays, robins and, unfortunately, the skunk too. You should come here in summer. If you like winter after coming here, you will start to love summer after visiting this place, faster than you can say Lahore.``

I guess I wrote in a hurry, but I haven`t experienced Lahore`s summers for the past 8 years or so. I won`t take a chance either. I have very little resistance for extremely hot weathers, therefore I try my best to avoid them.

``If you are coming at the end of April, leave your skating boots at home; better still, come in late May when our tulips are in full bloom and Dow`s lake is ready for boat paddling. If you need a guide, let me know and I`ll send you my email address.``

Thank You. I would certainly let you know. I am so used to seeing the ice-sculptures in the suburbs and the magnificient chateaus, therefore it will be very hard to imagine Lake-Ka-Pani :-)

``And finally, please avoid driving here from New Jersy in January, especially since you have to pass through the vast expanse of the New York State where people haven`t learnt how to clear the snow from their roads fast enough. I have had my share of minor mishaps. ``

Experiences...Experiences...We all have our own share of them! Mine was great! I simply loved it!


``And thanks for your post on the NFAK thread. I read it too late to acknowledge on that board.``

I would have appreciated, had you come back saying that you found those CDs/Audio Cassettes and heard them. Koi Baat Naheen. Let me know once you do find them or if you need any help in that regard.

Warm wishes.

Mixed Wishes :)!

Lyahus:

``Okay so Who is Lyahus, or what is Lyahus? ...I decided some time back to write as 2 identities, myself and Lyahus. Lyahus got away with some darker stuff, the opposite of what Suhayl felt. But that distinction has now blurred.``

You are not a Geminian? Are you? This was the first time I have ever read you, so obviously, I wanted to know the meaning of Lyahus. To be honest, I think it rhymes better than Suhayl. I have never seen Suhayl with a ``y.`` You should stick to your alter ego :-)


``I do live in Canada, I used to love the winter, but now I have decided that there is no use torturing the body with this harshness. I have a new love, Cuba the seductress, she beckons...I must heed her call.``

I have never been to Cuba. I think the unending fiasco involving the kid was more than enough! Personally, I feel unless you haven`t experienced the best of winters, you can never realize the beauty of summers. Similarly, if you`ve never seen the changing colors of autumn leaves with goldenish-rustish-reddish tinge, you will never have any appreciation for the blooming spring. I guess as I have grown up in extremely hot summers and had to stay inside to save myself from dehydration, therefore I have immense liking for the winters. I have beautiful childhood memories of winters in the mountains; Azad-Kashmir, Abbotabad, Murree, Swat and Kalaam areas[Up North]. But the concept was very different. It was more like one would go to these places during summer, spring, and winter holidays. One would not live in such cold cold areas to find snow all around. I simply adore that cute feeling. It reminds me of my childhood stories; little kids inside a hut, cold winters, a woodcutter brings the logs, lights the fire, concept of chimneys and etc etc etc. The smell of burning coal in chilly weather. The aroma of a good cigar in cold weather...Thah!

``Now back to the subject regarding Lahore...I have decided I will visit Lahore, after I go to Cuba of course. I`ll have nihari for breakfast, eat several times a day, visit during basant so I can fly kites, do some ``tarda tardi`` with the beautiful Punjabi girls, etc etc. I have lived abroad too long.``

Just to let you know that Lahore`s winters were/are beautiful. In terms of Nihari Eating and Kite-Flying, I am not at all a fan of either. I have only owned two kites in my life and that was also due to their pretty color-combination. There was no way that my father would approve of me or my brother thinking of kite-flying. Out of question. But we would celebrate the festival very joyously in our schools and colleges, not flying kites, but with colorful dresses/special themes/interesting programs. It`s the festive mood that captures everyone`s heart.

Nihari: Sorry, I think you are going to the wrong place to eat Nihari. You should go for Payas than Nihari(I cannot stand it.Ukh)! Then some people cann`t eat Payas. I do not eat beef, so there is no question of touching Nihari. Family Tradition!It was never cooked in our house. Also, I cannot take the spices they put in it. Sorry, for expressing my dislike. If you end up heading in that direction pretty soon, try Halwa[Suji]-Poori in summers and Payas in winters.

Suggestion and donations welcome ;)

I would never suggest visiting Lahore in June-July-August. It`s bad. But Oct-Nov-Dec-Jan-Feb-Mar-Apr are great. Specially Jan-Feb-Mar-Apr.!
Or you can spend the summers in Islamabad and Pindi and then go to Lahore in the winters. You can find some great eating places in Pindi as well. A lot of pathans` kabab house and qehwas and/or kashmiri tea.

I hope you will accept the sincere suggestions, in lieu of any donations :-)

Take Care.

Suhayl,

the quote by Chris Rock, i dare say holds some truth in it !

And BTW, thanks,

Shirin

Regarding names , something funny ..

A friend of my mothers met a chinese women in the rest room of a resturant. The chinese lady asked my mothers friend

``What is your name ``?

the reply was ``Taji `` see such a short and easy name to remember , only 4 letters T-A-J-I-

The chinese lady replied `` Nice to met you Taji , i am Leo ,L-E-O !!

Take care ,

S-H-I-R-I-N-

re: Post#29

Shirin Ji,

Dear Lyahus,

//As far as the ``Red necked species ``goes , we dont have them here in our town [City of Gardens ]!//

Well you guys are lucky then :)

//and of course our good ol native indians are in abundance ! the real endangered species !//

This reminds me of a Chris Rock piece on Racism etc in his HBO standup ``Bigger and Blacker``. Mainly addressing black folks he goes ``The indians have it worst. When was the last time you saw two indians together? I have seen a polar bear ride a tiny bicycle but I haven`t seen a native american family enjoying a nice dinner at Red Lobster!``

//ya sohayl chal sakta hai ? //

Apki farmaish per, sirf apkay liye Suhayl chalay ga :)

Suhayl

Dear Lyahus,

No i was `` not rubbing it in your face ``!! I have been to Ottawa in Summer , and it is a lovely city !As far as the ``Red necked species ``goes , we dont have them here in our town [City of Gardens ]! however they are more scattered in the northern areas of B.C. towards the prairies !We have more brits. settled here! and of course our good ol native indians are in abundance ! the real endangered species !

Enjoy southern california , and i am singing ``Oh canada ......

take care , and really your nick name is the most difficult one encountered so far , can it be trimmed to a shorter version , ya sohayl chal sakta hai ?

Shirin

Dost-Mittar,

I am curious, who is the third Ottawa Chowk resident?

--cheers

Lyahus

Re:Post #25

Shirin,

Thanks for your feedback on the poem.

And shame on you for rubbing ``Beautiful British Columbia`` in my face ;). No matter, I am taking off for Southern California next week, when I get back to Ottawa, it will be sunny! Ottawa is extremely beautiful in the summer.

I am sure us Ottawa`ns wouldn`t mind sending you some of the snow. But I hear BC has a pretty severe case of rednecks! You can continue to hold on to those fine specimens of humanity ;)

Alright, here is a call to all Canadian Pakistani`s on Chowk, please stand up!

--cheers

Lyahus

It seems that I have touched a few sensitive souls :-) I do not have the time to write more kahaniyaan at this time, so I will just add that inspite of my dislike for the overall impression of Ottawa, I have been visiting the city and its suburbs for the past 4-5 years very regularly. Great People :-)!!! And I will do that pretty soon again :-)


Dost Mittar:
It`s lots of fun driving in snow :-) and hail-storms and the hide`n`seek playing clouds :-) If it is snowing only then there is monotony, but if it`s a combination then it`s a KILLER! :-) Simply love the feeling of passing through all the interesting phases of environmental tubdeeleyaan :-)

later,

Hello Layahus , though i wish you would abandon anonymity , and stick to ``Suhayal ``.

loved your poem !!

ha ha .... i live in ``Beautiful British Columbia ``, where there are flowers all year round , and you know what? we feel deprived of the snow !! Wish we could trade our rain for some snow !! however the emphasis is on ``some ``!!

Well the cherry blossoms , tulips , daffodils , are beginning to blossom, so spring is very much here !!

take care

Shirin

Lyahus:

I will get back to you and your list of questions later. Stay Tuned!

later,



A General Request:

If I ask a question, I will appreciate if the interactors let me know in reasonable time than leaving my inquisitive senses in lurch. :-(!

Thanks.

Post#17:

Dost Mittar; This poem was submitted last spring :)

Zahra bi bi, What a small world, you talk of dissapointing city called Ottawa, Dost-Mittar lives in Ottawa, and so do I (for half of the year). I used to *love * the winter. I did crazy things like pack a backpack with two thermos of coffee and go walking in.... -50 (yup we had that one year :). But since then I realized the cold weather makes for cold impersonal people...or people too worried about not slipping on the ice and desperate to get into a heated place. It is good to visit but not to spend 10 years of your life in:)

Dost-Mittar, it was still lightly snowing today, but you know Ottawa, we will get a freak snow storm at the end of april just to piss everyone off!

Zahra Ji, I believe I answered yet another question of yours!!

--cheers

Lyahus

Sameer#18

That was simple indeed:-) Remember Sherlock Holmes saying to Watson,`` I think I give myself away while explaining. Results without causes are more impressive.`` How is your mother doing. I am not glad that you returned back to chowk:-) Just when I thought it was time to cut down on my interacts drastically and leave chowk to Urstruly with his periodic Hindu bashing weeks, you came back. Anyways welcome back.

Cheers