Smile Break - From Nita

Chris Rock's "Quote of the Year"

"You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss hold the America's Cup, France is accusing the U.S. of arrogance, Germany doesn't want to go to war, and the three most powerful men in America are named Bush, Dick, and Colon. Need I say more?"

Life Path Number

Your Life Path Number is 3

Your purpose in life is to express your unique self. You are a creative and artistic person with an interesting view on life. Witty and outgoing, you enjoy sharing your crazy ideas with anyone who will listen. A total social butterfly, you're the life of any party. In love, you inspire and enchant your partner. You are often an object of fantasy and desire. While you are very talented, you sometimes lack the ambition to put your talents in play. And while your wit carries you a long way, you occasionally use it to mask your true feelings. Your natural abilities can bring you all the success in the world ... if you let them

What Is Your Life Path Number?

Visa Half Time Report

Scores: Pittsburg Steelers 0 Cincinnati Bengals 17 – Half Time.

That was at the Half Time when Bill Cowers walked into the locker room. I was curious to see what kind of a game plan he is going to come up with, knowing he is down by 17 points against Bengal’s. And sure enough, he had a plan for victory when he walked back in to the field. Steelers made some changes in the line up, stopped the passing game of Bengal’s and viola. Bill Cowers not only erased 17 points deficit but went on to win the game by 31 – 17.

That is the power of a Coach, the power of adjustments, the power of clear thinking --- that is the power of a HALF TIME.

It is the half time that stops the game irrespective of scores and gives both teams to think it thru, Strategize and make changes. It is the half time that offers one last chance to get back into the game before its too late. It is the half time that some time decides the ultimate winner.

Some time life does not offer the luxury of having a great and inspiring Coach or a Team Manager or other monetary perks. It does offer a Half Time though. Some time it comes in the form of a Hospital stay for a surgery. Some time it comes from being alone and in pain, lying in bed rewinding and forwarding some important scenes of your life.

The SECOND HALF begins on Monday.

God Willing scores will have to change in a hurry!!

Shahid

Oh well....!

Shahid

For You !

If you're lost and feel alone
Circumnavigate the globe
All you ever have to hope for too

nd the way you seem to flow
Circumnavigate in hope
And they seem to lose control, with you

Everyone of us is hurt
And everyone of us is scarred
Everyone of us is scared
Not you

Your eyes closed
Your head hurts
Your eyes feel so low

Everyone of us is scared
Everyone of us is hurt
Everyone of us has hope
For you (x10)

(a song by Cold Play)

Last Night.......

The surgey was successfull and AL I am back home now. My freind Gandharv was present all 6 hours that I was at the Hospital. He took care of me and later took me to his house. I stayed there for a few days and asked them to drop me home as I waas feeling fine. More about that later ....Last night was special though. Last night this stanza from Faiz's potery was on my mind.

Raat yun dil mei teri, khoi hui yaad aai
jaise veerane mei chupke se bahaar aa jaae
jaise sehra mei hole se chale baad e naseem
jaise beemar ko be-vaj'he karaar aa jaae.

Jaise Beemar ko be wajah karar aa jaye ....!!!

Shahid

lights - Operating Table - Surgeons...

This is what's coming next Thursday. I will be in the Hospital for a Hernia Surgery. Dr. James Majors will cut a part of me to repair me. Doc says it should take 1.5 hours and I will be fine.

Am I scared? Of course I am. It%u2019s a lonely feeling to undergo a surgery in a distant land - away from home, away from family and friends. It hits deep down somewhere. Even though I have been preparing for it, there are many questions that have been playing heavily on my mind. What can go wrong? What if I do not wake up? What happens then?

Earlier I had postponed this surgery because I wanted to do it while I was in Bombay last month. I wanted my family and friends to be around when the Anesthesiologist puts me to sleep for four hours. I wanted some reassuring faces around me in this hour of my life.

That was not to be. I came back without the surgery from home, from everyone. I chose to live in pain but refused to go thru it while in Bombay. My reason for not doing it was that if I have to do it alone then I might as well do it in Atlanta.

Loneliness gave me comfort and strength. At least that%u2019s what I always believed in%u2026
-------Not anymore.

I will have to face reality come Thursday. I know what will be going thru my mind minutes before I am sedated. I will be lying under those lights wearing the usual surgical cap and gown. Everything will be well lit around me in the Operation Theatre that day. There will be so much direct light on my body and nothing will be hidden from the Doctors.

I am not sure if Doctors will notice the darkness descending on my heart as they try to repair me%u2026

Shahid

How do you fall in love?

Q: How do you fall in love with life again?

Hum jis ke bhi kareeb rahe....

Apni trah sabhi ko kisi ki talash thi
Hum jis ke bhi kareeb rahe door hi rahe

Duniya na jeet pao to haro na khud ko tum
Thodi bahut to zahan main narazgi rahe

Badlaa na apne aap ko jo the wohi rahe
Milte rahe sabhi se magar ajanabi rahe ----Nida Fazli

Jaane kiya soch kar nahi guzra....

Jaane kiya soch kar nahi guzra
EK pal raat bhar nahi guzra !

Apni tanhayee ka shikwaa na kisi se karna
tum hi tanhaa hi nahi aur bhi akele hain
ye akela safar nahi guzra.....

Jaane kiya soch kar nahi guzra....

Woh Shahr ...

Chod kar jise log na kabhi jaate honge
Sari duniya main koi shhar to aisa hoga ! - Salman Akhtar

Question

How many folks really knows what goes thru a traveller's mind when he looks at things and people for the LAST TIME?
Can we draw a parallel between a traveller and a convict who is going to be hanged?
May be yes.

Hazaron Khwahishen aisi..

Yesterday I had gone to see Om Katare's play " Zara In se Milye " at the Prithvi. Normally I sit thru the complete performance even if I do not like it, simply to encourage the performers. Waise bhi kam log aate hain play dekhne. This time though I could not sit thru it and left it halfway. I liked a line delivered by Om and goes like " These days divorce shaadi se zayada costly hoti hai "....

On the way back a line form Ghalib kept reverberating in my mind " Hazaron Khwahishen Aisi ke ..."
:)
Shahid

Yellow - a song by Chris Martin

Coldplay the indie band has this song that my friend Gandharv introduced me to. It is an awsome song with deep words. Here is what other peole think of the song and of Chris Martin.
---
Here is the lyric

Lyrics for: Yellow

Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And everything you do,
Yeah, they were all yellow.



I came along,
I wrote a song for you,
And all the things you do,
And it was called "Yellow."


So then I took my turn,
Oh what a thing to have done,
And it was all "Yellow."


Your skin
Oh yeah, your skin and bones,
Turn into something beautiful,
You know, you know I love you so,
You know I love you so.


I swam across,
I jumped across for you,
Oh what a thing to do.


Cos you were all "Yellow,"
I drew a line,
I drew a line for you,
Oh what a thing to do,
And it was all "Yellow."



Your skin,
Oh yeah your skin and bones,

Turn into something beautiful,
And you know for you,
I'd bleed myself dry for you,
I'd bleed myself dry.


It's true, look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for,
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine.


Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And all the things that you do


AND this is what people think about the song, Chris Martin and the word yellow.


I had an interview with chris martin in canada last year and i had asked him what he specifically meant by using the word YELLOW. He said it means caution, he was doing all he could for the girl (in the song) but she was pusing him away because she was unsure or just being caution. and he drew a line at the end of the song just strongly realizing she is an unsure person.
- christine, toronto, Canada
One of the things I learned about songs is the best are slightly ambiguous - and thus allow for multiple interpretations, so you can personalize its significance to you. To me, yellow is the color of warmth, the color of the sun. The line "I drew a line" refers to the notion of drawing a line in the sand where you won't allow someone to cross (to defend yourself and those you love). [Again - these are my interpretations] I love the song - because it speaks to me - and I can relate to it. And that was nicely confirmed for me when I recently attended their Columbus Ohio Twisted Logic gig - and melted like all the rest of the audience.
- Robert, Pittsburgh, PA

a simple yet romantic love song. not too mushy, yet you can still feel goosebumps especially if someone sings this song to you. just love the reason why color yellow's used as the main color/imagery in this song.all of us are indeed cowards when it comes to revealing our true feelings, especially as far as love is concerned. oh well, that's how love is!!!it also brightens our day just like the color yellow!!!
- may, davao city, Other

this song is great. I think this song is about how you see things from a different prospective when you are in love and how he will do anything for this person. "for you i'd bleed myslef dry" I absolutely love the line "look at the stars look how thye shine for you" just great, words cant really explain the greatness of this masterpiece
- Dusan, Berkely, IA

I hadn't heard this song until recently. Very recently recovered from cancer myself, my love always called me sunshine. Everything around me was yellow. He played the video for me and I just sat there, tears pouring. To me, the song means the continuation of my life. Forever yellow. It is the most powerful thing I have ever heard, and felt.
- Susan, New Egypt, NJ

I believe that the first lines of this song outline what comes throughout the rest. Stars symbolize hope, wishes, dreams.. so in turn the world "yellow" throughout the rest of the song refers to a dream or wish. This dream/wish is someone who he loves. He does everything to reach her and in the end everything was always all "yellow." The stars shined for her because he was so in love with her that his wish was to reach her.
- KT, NY, NY

The "yellow" in the song comes from how the person being sang to is a drug user, more specificaly a heroin addict thats my opinion and im sticking to it
- Hans, oakdale, CA

Looking outside the "Jaundice" theory, here is something to think about; Yellow has a lot of meanings in certain cultures. It also stimulates the nervous system and envokes wisdom. Buddha dressed all of his priests in yellow to show intellect. To be "all yellow" means you are quick witten because your nerves are in an active condition throughout the body.
- Amanda, tampa, FL

Some moments ....

Well, I do have some pleasent update after a depressing posts. The city did come to " life" and I felt so home. I am not authorised to share all the momnets, but a few I can list without the fear of being sued...

1: We, 12 of us from the class of 1989 visited college last week. Satish wanted his Leaving Certificate after 17 years He wanted a proof that he fianlly left college. Iqbal the co-ordinator called everyone. All except me were suppose to be officially on jobs. We met and visited all the spots we can. The college has changed and looking better now. I am not sure about the academics but the students and the buildings were looking great. Everyone has retired except a few lab attendents and peons. To my surprise a peon A.V. Naik called Iqbal by his roll number. I was surprised. I asked him how he could remember Iqbal's Roll number after so many years? The reply was " Bas Kiya Shahid - Tere Roll Number 27 tha na..."
Man - that hit me. This is India - This is Home. This is what keeps NRIs attached to the homeland. I felt so connected in a heartbeat. Later they told us about thier sons and daughters that are on thier way to becoming Engineers and progarmmers. Thanks Naik - Thanks for touching my heart buddy. You rock!

2:I was waiting for a bus at the kemps corner area and an idea descended on me about my next project. I did not have a pen to write it down. I asked this Chanawala if he has a pen that I can borrow. He did not. I sat down to memorize my idea and then realize that chanawala was asking every customer if he or she has a pen. Unbelievebale! I did not even buy anything from him. The guy wanted to make sure I get the pen to write.

We all know how these scenes would have played out in other countries.......!!!

Shahid

ps: My friends have not changed. Infact speaking with some of them I felt like we never left the College. Wohi bad tameezyan and wohi ladkiyon ki baaten.....sudhar jao Iqbal and Raees.

Awaazon ke bazaron main

Moonh ki baat sune har koi
Dil ke Dard ko jane kaun?
Awazon ke Bazaron main
Khamoshi pehchane kaun? - Nida Fazli

Der Na Karna....

Der Na Karna Ghar jaane main...
Warna Ghar Kho Jayenge ...!!! - Nida Fazli

Imagine....

Imagine
Coimng home after seven LONG years
only to realize
Why the hell you came here in the first place?

Imagine...

Benaam sa ye dard thahr kiyoon nahi jataa?
Jo beet gyaa hai woh guzar kiyoon nahi jataa?
Main khud apni uljhi hui rahon ka tamashaa?
Jate hain jidhar sab udhar main kiyon nahi jataa?


Shahid

Kis ka rastaa dekhe..?

Kis ka Rastaa Dekhe - Aye dil aye saudayee
Meelon hai khamoshi , Barson hai Tanhayee
Bhooli duniya kabhi ki tujhe bhi mujhe bhi
Phir kiyoon aankh bhar aayee?

Kis ka Raste dekhe aye dil aye saudayee?

Lonely in India..

It is such a strange feeling to come back the roots, to the beginings, and wonder what would life would have been had you chosen a diffrent path. There is no easy answer except a constant feeling of uneasiness. A feeling that no one can truly understand, no one can share.

All this makes you feel lonely. Home does not know how to deal with you and you do not know either. There is a disconnect that creeps in and you live with that while conveying to everyone that you are hapy to be back. You start living in a vaccum.

But inside ----you wait - either to go back or for that moment of time when "Home" will connect with you. That moment of time after which things, place and occassion would not matter.

I do not know which moment is going to come first - my departure for good, or a re-connecteion with home.....

Till then living life in a vaccum...

Shahid

Tanhayeee ki ye kaun si manzil hai rafiqo
Taa - Hadde nazar ek bayaban sa kiyoon hai?