Motherland Tales Re Kiran #47

``Aur janab, mabadaulat aisay hi kisi ki taareef nahi kartey, don`t know if you read Mr. Tanveer Ahmed`s ``Cling Effect,`` I let him have it! (Mine was one of the last responses, filled with wrath)My compliments are only for the ones who deserve them.``

Notwithstanding that temporal`s writing had many positive attributes in it, your precious comments have raised it to the Nobel literary prize status. Furthermore, you have also highlighted yourself as a connoisseur of literature. Congratulations :).

Regards

Farzee

The Cling Effect Re Asif Naqshbandi 20 / hamidm 22

Your quotes on taqdeer or destiny especially 4 just make me think that since God knows everything that Zaid would do in this world.. why on earth Zaid has to be born on this earth ??? why he isn`t sent directly to hell or heaven... whats the point of justifying if everything is extremely accurately written for him (because God is aware of what Zaid will do)... what I mean to say is why God has to justify it to Zaid that though God was aware of what he`ll do still He let Zaid do that bad stuff and now he is to be sent to hell ?.. and whats the point of creating all the human beings if they`ll do exactly the same thing as written in their fate and will end up in heaven or hell.. agreeing with u on this hamidm.. why is Mr. Asif feeling sorry for that person who was murdered?? it was his fate according to u.. isn`t it ??... it was God`s will and its God`s will too to create Taliban right ?... it was bound to happen. He was aware of it from the beginning of the Universe about Zaid and Tom, Dick and Harry... and by the way Kiran- unfortunately most of the scientific discoveries have been made by non-muslims but according to you God chose it to be revealed on them (muslims aren`t doing a good job but still they atleast think and fear God relatively more than those making discoveries.. so ?... and Mr. Asif how the suicide is justified.. is it destined too ??... waiting for these queries to be resolved

Regards

Farzee

What’s Wrong with Pakistani Cricket Latif Chappu #17

I think some people just abhor mathematics (maybe they find it hard to understand). Its not their fault because they aren`t born with a built-in math coprocessor. Don`t waste too much energy in stooping down to their wavelength. It would be you who may lose something in the end. Contrary to Binifer`s views I found your reply to Bijli quite amusing. I appreciate your efforts in pointing out that success rates of individuals in every 6th game is quite a remarkable achievement. I would say one thing though. Maybe you would like to look at Half-centuries too as a partial success. One cannot totally discount them. Nevertheless a good attempt to prove your point.

Regards

Farzee

Paki Students in the US: a Female Perspective This article was referred to me by an email and I thank the sender for making me aware of the existence of chowk.com. It contains the kind of material that can easily be adopted for a good teatime discussion.

Enjoying a diverse social circle of friends and acquaintances of desi people (guys and girls alike) who can be most commonly stereotyped as (ABCDz, BBCDz, FOBz, IBMz, (whatever makes you happy)), I was able to initiate this issue successfully with my friends who belong to different schools of thought. After a thorough mix of colloquial and serious discussions with different people over this issue, I made certain observations that I would like to share with the readers. Since these observations are from my perspective, therefore I believe they are more subjective than objective. However, I hope the insight I gleaned by carrying out a brief survey on this topic is informative for everyone (to some extent).

General Remarks:

The undertone of psychobabble was generally quite sarcastic (for guys), with humour intended mostly for girls (unless guys have the courage to laugh at themselves). On a personal note I found it amusing. However, it appears to me that in order to prevent this article from becoming balanced only negative issues were stressed. If its title was Pakistani Students (Guys) in the US: a pessimistic female perspective I would’ve liked it even more (for the honesty at least). Hence I can successfully divide this into two portions.

(a) What Women Hate (Categories #1 - #4)

(b) What Women Want (UFO Category #5)

Though I value the information provided in (a), it has become common knowledge, courtesy the existence of feminist camps. What I really appreciated is the description of what women want (or dream), nevertheless in a pejorative and skeptic fashion. Psychobabble successfully convinces most of the readers (most of the girls is more apt) about her observations by describing (categories #1- #4). Some of them, get allured by the feeling that psychobabble is acting like their spokeswoman and infer that category #5 would be impossible (as suggested by her). They usually tend to ignore the gamut of myriad positive characteristics of men that Psychobabble ‘skillfully’ ANDed together and NEGATED their existence (by reducing the probability to the level where sample size (the guys population) has to be billion times more than what we have on earth to find such a guy (not a good application of probability theory by myself)). Thereby making it almost impossible (from a women perspective) to actually find a guy with all those traits. For those women who became despondent about their ultimate fate (related to men) by such a piece of writing, read on (hopefully no one actually did :)).

Specific Instances:

Here I would briefly describe some of my real world observations and try to comment on them. I asked several girls to categorize me (no point asking guys). Though, I observed that most guys did actually believe they are UFO’s i.e. #5 category. Some of the comments were,

1. One friend straight away put me in category #1/#2. Ironically, she still considers me one of her very good friends.

2. Another friend mischievously smiled and said, ``Don’t you even think you can make it to #5, you are #3!``. Apparently, this girl believed that if she would put me in #5 my reaction would contradict her judgement the very next moment.

3. Another good friend told me that I am definitely #3 category as I cannot be #1, #2, #4. She said, ``#5 doesn’t exist and hence you are #3``. After querying her she told me that my disposition has given her indirect hints of #3. She couldn’t recall any specific instances though.

4. One good friend however seemed convinced after using process of elimination that I cannot be #1 to #4. She looked at #5 closely and seemed to reach the same conclusion that it certainly is a UFO. But the only thing different she did was to identify me as a subset of #5. She said, ``You are #5 if we subtract secure/ enlightened/ willing to communicate/ mature part``. I wasn’t quite sure if I should feel happy about it or not. In retrospect, I think it was still better than (#1-#4).

Many other girls that I didn’t know very well mostly put me in #3. They said that after the non-existent UFO category #5, this is what one can have best. While getting involved in a group discussion I told my friends about the kind of responses I got and showed my bewilderment at the vast range of female perspectives that existed. Some good points came up. The point I liked best was the idea that it is the girl’s behaviour, which dictates our own, towards them. While keeping exceptions aside, most men respond to females in a similar fashion as those females treat them. How else girls like psychobabble would be treated by most guys after she has shown her deep contempt for most of them (making the existence of sanity in men a physical impossibility). I have no intentions to suggest here that Psychobabble gives a damn about what paki guys think of her.

I happened to meet a real world psychobabble a week ago (let me stereo type too please). She was quite happy discussing how Maleeha Lodhi has been mistreated by her husband. Then came a universal quantification based on this observation. She went on like ``All Paki men are A$$ H *!£S``. After some questions she said that she has not been in any relationship and trying hard to find one ‘decent’ guy. Remember the UFO category?

Conclusion:

There are many psychobabbles out there. So are men like Maleeha Lodhi’s husband. However, categorizing guys in that way would only lead to the state of hopelessness and doesn’t serve much more than a quick thrill at first and despair for the rest of the time. Girls and guys who can only think about each other negatively ‘come to terms’ with the ‘fact’ that a decent variety of the other gender is non-existent. They will either stay bachelor for the rest of their lives or may have to make more compromise to live with their spouses (then they should). I certainly agree that #1 category for guys does exist but may I equate that category with Psychobabble who is one of those girls just possessing totally negative thoughts about virtually ever men (and a decent guy would be a UFO). Maybe girls are reactions to Men’s actions (but it’s a loss for both if such feelings of animosity prevail in the opposite sexes).

Its not so bad to stereotype. It is the fallacy of committing misrepresentation that has given psychobabble’s article (probably a more caustic touch). I guess, if she would have given some thought to the formation of decent or half decent categories and had not made a totally ideal men category, she would have done much better (my opinion strictly). Maybe Paki men would also find a Gal as beautiful as Helen of Troy / intelligent as Marie Curie / benevolent as Mother Teresa / mature / willing to communicate / secure quite impossible. I think I used these names deliberately to make it sound even more impossible than a UFO. I guess, I would let you make your own opinion about it.

Ciao!

Farzee