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Vanity is My Favorite Sin

Humeira Kazmi June 4, 2005

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#1 Posted by nabeel.khan on June 4, 2005 1:23:40 pm
Well a reasonable article although i am a lil confused as to whether you tried to bring out the wonders of blabbering less or is it that people who talk a lot tend to give more info about themselves.. Clear that misconception please.
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#2 Posted by Nadia_Zehra on June 4, 2005 8:28:45 pm
Humaira,

How much you bribed Chowk Staff to Publish it out on Front Page. Whats the rate going?

Okay okay we will know laterz,

Cheers,

Anyways,

I wonder people nevr fashion the conversation that how they get it? As housewives and daughters of Maaldar Desis: these women are totally ignorant of the frauds, illegal means of getting money and 100001 ways of exempting taxes from business and private firms, giving less to labors. So they enjoy the outcome...Aam khao ...paiR kis nay ginnay hai.n?

I am glad that our parents taught us not to get impressed by such conversations rather ask them the cause of their overwhelming richness which mostly stops such filthy richs from being a pompous n show.
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#4 Posted by Nadia_Zehra on June 4, 2005 11:22:19 pm
Re: #3 by wcome2myworld on June 4, 2005 10:44pm PT
``pointing someone in a negative and rather offensive manner.``


This exactly comes under : ``Amr bil maroof wa nahi anil munkir``

My post was not an attempt to offense Humeira Kazmi but a general remark was intended, hope she agrees to this so as her article is meant to.
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#5 Posted by CoolHandLuke on June 4, 2005 11:34:21 pm
It is interesting to note that how many young people of today celeberate vanity as if its a new trend, even though its always been there but maybe didnt get so much air time.
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#6 Posted by rozaiba on June 5, 2005 12:39:13 am
incoherence, though not always a bad trait, should not predominate. this piece didn`t even try to go anywhere. Nadia is needlessly being apologetic as perhaps she has lived in the diplomats enclave called Islamabad for too long. Frontpage articles are always demanding brutal evaluations. Otherwise, Chowk`s prestige will go down.
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#7 Posted by Nadia_Zehra on June 5, 2005 1:02:17 am
rozaiba you know nothing about me and islamabad in first instance to be coherent.


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#8 Posted by rozaiba on June 5, 2005 1:09:29 am
Re: # 7

Come on, Islamabadis are rather diplomatic.

Your initial remark to this piece was good. Your tone backtracked later.

This trait is common in diplomats. They don`t stand their guard as backtracking is part of their life.
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#9 Posted by Nadia_Zehra on June 5, 2005 4:07:26 am
This article seems published without any evaluation and I still hold my grounds of pointing the loop-holes and the composure it is badly lacking and the worn out norms it is blindly stressing.

Rozaiba,
Islamabad is not at all a bounded Diplomatic Enclave which FYI has been sealed from rest since 9/11. Islamabadis are not diplomatic but they are weaker in stance of opinion making and being thoughtful. Reason being that state is directly responsible and authoritative in almost evey activitiy and procedure. Unfortunately our Diplomats have remained more Bureucrats than setting trends of Diplomacy. Being Diplomatic is not being dissembling a claim rather diplomacy looks highly appreciated when efforts are done for sake of country and its National interest. And Pakistan`s Diplomacy is nothing mere than an mutual understanding of Terms dictated by Our Superior Lord America.
Anyways,
cool judgemental observation .
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#10 Posted by alluring on June 5, 2005 3:59:03 pm
``Vanity is My Favorite Sin`` , That was claimed by A ``Devil`s Advocate``. I do agree with the logics and arguments in this post. But i wonder if someone can ensure consistancy in one`s attitude? worth ? relative phenomen... dont u think worth is something determined by a specific time n space....! well neverthless u presented urs thoughts in convincing manner.

Khuram Bukhari
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#11 Posted by alluring on June 5, 2005 4:01:32 pm
``Vanity is My Favorite Sin`` , That was claimed by A ``Devil`s Advocate``. I do agree with the logics and arguments in this post. But i wonder if someone can ensure consistancy in one`s attitude? worth ? relative phenomen... dont u think worth is something determined by a specific time n space....! well neverthless u presented urs thoughts in convincing manner.

Khuram Bukhari
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#13 Posted by winterpk on June 6, 2005 7:44:53 am
hello readers,

i agree with husnaangelique. sadly this was the point of my piece which i failed to bring out properly.

as for Chowk`s rep...this is an open forum for novice writers who can hope to gather here to write, get better at the craft and create their own pool of readers. and i thank chowk editors for all the times they`ve been this generous to me.

this article may not be up to the mark but i`m no Banu Qudsiya either - not yet :)

one more thing, i didnt say the women i mentioned in my article were either housewives or rich desis` daughters. i said they were rich women who liked to show off their riches. in fact, most of them were working women with very promising careers.

anyway, i wont try to defend or explain my article any further as the piece should`ve been able to do that on its own.

take care,

Humeira
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#14 Posted by Nadia_Zehra on June 6, 2005 10:32:49 am
I have been listening since childhood about proper khandans and khandanipun and it had always sounded illusive to me. The criteria of being a pure khandani person is to be an elite enjoying luxury bestowed by “unknown kind “ means. The memons of Karachi, the Ismailis of Karachi, I think they are hubs not in Islamabad as husnaangelique mentioned. And we proudly alloy the presence of 21 the most elite Pakistani Khandans since becoming of Pakistan which are getting added with time and are obscured.
Moreover how much times has changed the Mahavara which once used to show an intellectual impotency by Saada Loh wa Safaid Posh but with intellectually stable Khandans is now tamed with price.
“the fuller the pitcher, the lesser the noise.”...“Thota Chana baje Ghana”…”Khali bartan Kharakta hai”…used to be pointed towards a talkative person with shallow exsistantialism.
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#15 Posted by Jami on June 8, 2005 11:56:36 am
Very well defind problem, Mrs Kazimi in your support I have a small little incident of my very young age. a birthday party was on. Ladies were sitting. All old friends, except one Who had just married and joined her husband at Islamabad. Lady was wearing big ``CHAADAR`` and bcoz of that,all others were making fun of her by asking her funny questions. You studied from village, have you seen some big city prior to this. Last question was that have you attended some school. The reply was ``Gee Haan`` I have done my masters in Chemistry and I am a gold medalist, I also topped civil service exam this year and then there was very long silence afterword.
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#16 Posted by Jami on June 8, 2005 12:11:07 pm
Re: # 12
once a politician asked the other that your father sells `PAKORAS` at a chowk he replied I am proud of him bcoz he was better then yours ``JO GOROUN KEY KUTTEY NEHLATA THAA``
i mean nothing by quoting this It is just a lighter part.
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#17 Posted by winterpk on June 8, 2005 7:12:27 pm
thank you for sharing jami :)
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#18 Posted by Jami on June 9, 2005 11:16:35 pm
Re: # 17

Somebody said for Chacha Ghalib and I am saying it for you

`` Hum sukhan fehm hain Ghalib key tarafdar naheen``
so do not bother and keep saying what you think is right, however one must be sincear in his thought and try to correct himself once proved that he is not right.
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#19 Posted by BeeJay on June 10, 2005 3:33:49 am

First of all, I like this piece. It has been said that any conversation is a great success if ONE person is a good listener. It’s also true what you say about a “pompous mouth” not necessarily indicating a snobbish heart – people talk about what is close to them, and gives them a sense of some reassurance regarding the importance of their own roles in the scheme of things. In reality, most people are just LIKE US.

Just to make it more palatable - here are a few things I would have done differently with it (disclaimer: my background in creative writing is ZERO):

(1) avoid straight quotations (for example, right in the beginning, you could have given some more depth to that quotation from your ammi perhaps by building up a little even/scene of sorts in which she says it. That way, it would have retained its message longer.)

(2) Consider being a bit more descriptive of the characters. It would make them more real and interesting to me, the reader. (Since you were present at the conversation you see a lot more than we do, and some of the external details which evoke little interest in you can really “light up” somebody else’s curiosity.)

(3) I personally like the way you sum up your own thoughts at the end, but I can also see how it can leave one with the feeling of having just been sermonized to! Maybe there are more subtle ways of conveying it – perhaps in littler dosages throughout the body, instead of all at once in the end.

(4) Try to be more FUNNY!

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#20 Posted by deja_who? on June 10, 2005 8:48:15 am
A word to Nadia Zehra -
How much money do YOU have to pay to chowk-staff in order to get your ``english`` interacts published?

You say in #9 ``I still hold my grounds of pointing the loop-holes and the composure it is badly lacking and the worn out norms it is blindly stressing.``

I did not notice you pointing out any loopholes in the article. Nor do you explain what ``norms`` you think the article is ``blindly`` stressing. All you did was ask a snarky question, and when someone challenged you, you tried to wiggle your way out of explaining your post. Even in #9, where you do have the opportunity to explain your criticism, you did not. Instead you launched into a long-winded and incoherent defense of Islamabad.

If I feel sufficiently bored, I will analyse your #9 line by line and prove what a shitty writer you are.
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#21 Posted by deja_who? on June 10, 2005 9:02:57 am
A note to the author -

This is a good piece, I like the social comments it makes. However, it needs some work. A topic like this can be handled in two ways. One, you can write a long and serious article on people`s tendency to be pompous and how it negatively affects the society, how the poor are getting poorer while the reach are getting richer, etc. However, that would be a pretty boring piece. Also, it has been done.

Instead, you can follow the comedic angle of people flaunting their _inherited_ wealth and feeling superior solely because they happen to have a rich uncle / aunt / grandmother etc. That can be riotously funny and very biting satire.

Your piece, dear author, falls somewhere in between. IMO, you started out trying to write a satire, but then lost your way somewhere trying to be rather serious. This is a pitfall you should try to avoid next time. You do write well, only you need to organize the thought process a little better.

Cheers and good luck for your next literary venture!
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#22 Posted by Nadia_Zehra on June 10, 2005 9:40:47 am
Mr. / Ms. Deja_Who?:

I think the message is rightly conveyed by me. This piece is not worth enough to consume any time on it as self explanatory it is speaking the state of mind of the ignorant Humeira Kazmi along with her flattering Jamaat.

Or you are lacking some muscles in your brain to interpret the flawed message wrapped in this incoherent piece of fiction.

You are most welcome to prove it a highly standered stuff by your shitty interacts & by using slang you cheapster and piece of shit & a DUM ASS....
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#23 Posted by BeeJay on June 10, 2005 1:11:03 pm

Nadia:

Take it easy on the author. This work is not bad, as first pieces go! Any new writer should be encouraged, since (if truth be told) literature is not like math and any piece of work can always be improved (think back Nadia – think of the first piece of computer code that you wrote!! (Hint: Bugs? BUGS!!!)).

Disregard this deja_vu guy/gal.

Here is my rule of thumb.

Never pay any attention to any interactors who do not use their full name and instead use meaningless or abbreviated terms or just (real or made-up) initials!!!

Hmmm, that perhaps did not come out quite right!

Sincerely,
BeeJay.

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#24 Posted by deja_who? on June 10, 2005 11:04:39 pm
Never pay any attention to any interactors who do not use their full name and instead use meaningless or abbreviated terms or just (real or made-up) initials!!!

By that token, you should ignore yourself. There! I just told you the secret of a blissful life !
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#25 Posted by BeeJay on June 11, 2005 5:22:06 am

Dear Deja_who.

You are absolutely right again, of course (or should I say “it’s you all over again”)! Thanks for revealing the secret of a blissful life to me – I have been yearning for it since time immemorial, but alas, unable to find it until now – and how much have I looked! Like the old song goes, looking for IT in all the wrong places and too many faces! Finally, I seem to have at long last stumbled upon it, and it’s all thanks to you! And in the shadowy corners of the chowk, too! Who would have thought!

I knew that someday it WILL get revealed to me. I feel so thankful that I could die! However, following your advice – to follow my advice – to ignore myself – I think I will ignore that advice. I must also reluctantly confess that your advice is a very hard one to follow!

I hope that makes you feel better. Let’s not take the focus away from this nice article, though. Thanks.


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#26 Posted by winterpk on June 11, 2005 11:49:16 am
beejay & deja_who...these were real nice pointers!

i enjoyed what u said abt feeling sermonized and i agree but i didnt know how else to put it...my bad :P...anyway thanks for giving me something to work on :)

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listing 1-16   1 2

Interact Index

    #26 winterpk
    #25 BeeJay
    #24 deja_who?
    #23 BeeJay
    #22 Nadia_Zehra
    #21 deja_who?
    #20 deja_who?
    #19 BeeJay
    #18 Jami
    #17 winterpk
    #16 Jami
    #15 Jami
    #14 Nadia_Zehra
    #13 winterpk
    #11 alluring
    #10 alluring
    #9 Nadia_Zehra
    #8 rozaiba
    #7 Nadia_Zehra
    #6 rozaiba
    #5 CoolHandLuke
    #4 Nadia_Zehra
    #2 Nadia_Zehra
    #1 nabeel.khan

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