Twitter Spinoffs – My Tweeting Two Cents
July 5, 2009
. In any case, the viral commotion surrounding Twitter has prompted me toThis post comes after observing how my favorite weblog, TechCrunch, has been lately hijacked by ‘Twitter-related’ posts.
In fact, I performed a search to find how many times the word ‘Tweet’ was used on the TechCrunch landing page and it came out to be 28! I guess I wouldn’t be surprised to see if they decide to cover Twitter separately altogether in an offshoot called TweetCrunch . In any case, the viral commotion surrounding Twitter has prompted me to finally shed my indifference towards it and give it a go.
Twitter Mania has gripped the world
So, yes, I’ve started…twittering. And since I’m not used to it yet, I’m forced to fabricate contrived messages currently. I guess i’m so used to writing verbose blogs that typing just 140 characters sort of puts a cap on my bubbling expression engine.
Twitter, to me, is simply the Facebook share panel along with a whole dictionary of ‘Tweet’ish terms and other bells and whistles. In fact, another instance of the Twitter essence can be experienced at cricinfo’s live ball-by-ball coverage where you get frequent status updates on what’s happening in the game. But even though the concept may not be outright novel, the Twitter folks have certainly nailed it. Its easy to understand why its causing a craze across the planet- its quick, to-the-point and effective. You don’t need to invest the time to read/write blog posts and at the same time you can be more expressive than you can ever be with status/mood msgs on IM apps. What matters is it works. Although the fad still hasn’t fully blazed across Pakistan as yet, but as Younis Khan said ’we’re slow starters’. Its only a matter of time before the Twitter infection spreads like wild fire in the Land of the Pure as well.
Anyways, I don’t intend to ramble on and do a full review on Twitter because its already been done and overdone. Inspired from the multitude of spin off applications that Twitter has been able to generate, I, too wish to catch a short ride on the bandwagon by offering my own ideas. But coming up with a unique twitter variation and naming it is HARD. After a prolific Googling session, it almost seems that every possible combination with the word ‘Twitter’, ‘Tweet’ and ‘Twit’ has been used up which makes me think that I might be putting down ideas here already out ‘there’. If you think so, please do leave a comment with info on where I could find the apps. And also feel free to add to the Twitter wishlist:
List of what I’d like to see:
1. Tweeviewz
Classified websites like e-Bay could have an option on the detail page of a product to tune into a Twitter stream related to the product and allow users to see what people are saying in relation to it. I’ve always felt that comments and reviews that are submitted to web sites usually have some bias attached to it. However, you’re bound to get more accurate views in a natural setting like Twitter.
2. TweetStory
This is a concept inspired from Ficly. It basically revolves around the idea of collaborative story making where writers can tweet one line of a story at a time and a controller bot stiches the pieces together for spectators to read and enjoy in real time.
3. TweetDumps/TweekNotes
Surveys are just one way of getting feedback about a particular product that your firm has released. To do more effective post-mortems of campaigns and to get ideas for improving your product line, I believe analyzing a huge collection of Tweets with your Product name can give you some cool ideas. Of course, with the sheer volume of tweets, a lot of sifting and filtering will have to be performed.
4. Twickr
Since there a lot of pictures uploaded surrounding a particular topic, it would be nice to have an app aggregate and tag pictures from public streams, for others to tap into and use as an alternative to Google Images.
5. SCRUMTweets
As a developer, I know that project managers are always hungry for little status updates on what the devs are upto, what kind of exceptions QAs are getting, when & what files are committed to the SVN etc. So if there was a way to integrate your dev environment with Twitter and have all major actions Tweeted (especially if the PM is remote) he might have a better chance of staying well-informed with how his/her crew are faring.
Let me know what you guys think and feel free to throw me a comment.
My first byte of the Apple
July 1, 2009
I finally took a byte of the Mac World
After years of denying the Mac a chance, I finally ventured a bite of the apple.
At my new job, I was given the choice to opt for a Windows machine or “a Mac”. I decided on the latter. Despite the fact that I was risking productivity because I had no experience with the Mac whatsoever, I, for some odd reason, still wanted to take a walk outside the Windows world for a change. Just a stroll. I had heard so much about OS X and what not from Mac Lovers and even felt immense peer pressure to own a Mac at U Penn where they were so common. So, I guess I decided that it was finally time to see what kind of air these so-called ‘User Experience’ gurus breathe and what makes Apple the king of design.
Needless to say, the shift to the Mac was frustrating at first. The thing that threw me off the most was that the file menu came on the top of the screen and not on the window itself. I also didn’t fancy the fact that the ‘close’, ‘maximize’ and ‘minimize’ buttons were placed on the left of the window and not on the right. I was forced to retrain my brain to use the command key to “copy-paste” instead of the Ctrl key and struggled for so long to discover my favorite ‘Show Desktop’ shortcut (its Command + F3 btw). I was completely disgusted by the fact that my MacBook touchpad didn’t have two buttons.There wasn’t even a ’Home’ and ’End’ key which made things tedious. And now, I had an added worry while downloading freeware – does it support the Mac ? Plus don’t get me started on the fact that the OS didn’t come with its own “Paint” program. I was quite disappointed.
But what I failed to realize was that the Mac had its own personality. I was trying so hard to take the Mac and somehow map it to Windows somehow that I overlooked that this machine actually had its own way of living. Once I opened my mind then, slowly and steadily, the Mac started opening up to me as well.
For example, installing things was as simple as two clicks and ejecting a dmg file. The process was quick, clean and simple without many rude prompts. The spotlight feature (Alt + Space) sort of drowned Vista’s search in terms of speed and accuracy. I learned that a Mac user doesn’t need to know where his files are. In fact, he doesn’t need the desktop stuff either. Spotlight will do. I fell in love with the file preview shortcut (hit space while hovering over a file) – made browsing over files much easier. And common operations proved to be much faster too. So, with time, yea…the Mac started to grow on me.
So, should you consider me as a convert ? Not exactly. My brain’s still structured like a Windows machine and I still find Microsoft’s creation very natural for me. Its like asking a hardcore stick-shift driver to drive an automatic – he can drive it , he might even enjoy it but he won’t feel ‘right at home’. Finding my way through the control panel, playing with network configs, enjoying a universe of software etc. are actions that pull me back to my Windows machine at home.
In any case, I’m loving the experience. Yes, my first bite of the Apple was bitter-sweet but I’m looking forward to discovering more in the Mac world. And something tells me that I’m in for a ride. Time will tell.
Pakistan’s T20 Glory and my realization
June 24, 2009
Pakistan pulled it together and won the world T20 cup
The images were nothing short of stellar.
Shahid Afridi standing with his arms raised high in the middle of Lord’s. Younis Khan lifting the gleaming trophy with pure and pristine joy. Abdul Razzak marching around with the cup held high above his head. Umer Gul being greeted with a stunning roar to collect his medal.
It really is a moment of pride for Pakistan and a rare occassion for the torn nation to smile about something. Having said that, I still feel a little out of place.
Happiness is the obvious emotion that I share with the millions of other Pakistani cricket-crazy fans. But there is something else, something uncomfortable, thats filling the void as well. For quite a few days, I tried to figure out what was disconcerting about this great win of ours – why isn’t it sinking in with me ? And I think that its because I’m feeling this twisted amalgam of unpreparedness and embarassment along with my happiness.
Why, you may ask ?
First, noone expected the Pak squad to clinch a win when the tournament started. With calculated unpredicatability and a surprise element that would make Copperfield look lame, the Greenshirts gradually clawed their way out of the throat of death and clinched the prized trophy…and all of a sudden we realize there’s nothing more to wish for. It almost seems too good to be true.
The fact that Pakistan is so used to losing out on multi-nation tournaments had hardwired reactions of regret and heartbreak inside me, such that other emotions like elation were completely lost when they were being called for. We’re champions now, no doubt, but I feel I have to consciously remind myself of that fact. Its like I want to savor this unparalleled moment without restraint but that ’sweet feeling’ of pride remains elusive, for some odd reason. It slips through my hands like an eel. In other words, I was not prepared for a Pakistan win – if that makes any sense.
I’m also embarassed because of what I had reduced my own national team to be during the start. I never gave them a chance. I never stood behind them. I even thought they would lose against the Netherlands. But they managed to land a ferocious slap on my face by stitching a legendary story with twists and turns, eventually leading to a remarkable triumph. And nobody knows how they did it. Their story doesn’t even make any sense. The only good thing is that it doesn’t really have to.
Dominance is the last word to describe their achievements in this World Cup – they struggled and strived for success. One moment they looked like a team playing the wrong sport, the next they were beating the hell out of New Zealand. And I agree with the analysts. I strongly believe that it was Afridi’s magestic catch against NZ that sent energizing shockwaves throughout the team, magnetizing them towards a common goal powered by an rigid adamancy to win every match from thereon.
Coming back to my uneasiness. Distrust towards the team is a nationwide issue at times too. During this World Cup, there was a disturbing tendency (in cricket forums and debates over the lunch table) to switch to a mode of pessimism, the intensity of which would simply flatline all rays of hope and faith. After losing the initial warm-up matches and the game against England, the word in the air was prematurely dismissive. Conspiracy theories starting erupting about rifts in the team and political intervention. Abdul Qadir’s blow out didn’t help things either. Everyone thought we’d be seeing the lads back home soon enough and well to be fair, this wasn’t just blind conjecture. Things on the field were pretty much in disarray. In fact, the administration was asking the players when they wanted their flights booked for back home after the disappointing game against Sri Lanka !
The fact the team was underplayed and lacked match practice were reasons thrown out of the window. I asked myself: if I was on the team, how would I feel if the nation I’m playing for is turning me to face the music. It’s only when the team reached the semis that the allegations turned into prayers.
What you have to give to the guys is that despite all the disparaging comments, they rose above the noise and won back hearts of many. The question is are these hearts worth winning over in the first place ? Hearts that oscillate from love to hatred in a heartbeat. Are we even true fans ? Like , look at us now. Everyone is not just expressing their joy but have the nerve to claim to have seen this coming and chanting ‘Boom Boom Afridi’ – the same Afridi that people had written off as junk pile of aggression a few years ago. Where are all our conspiracy theories now ? Where are Younis Khan’s critics now ? Where are those who rated our bowling unit as third class? Why have we changed colors now ?
Everytime the Pakistani team fails, the captain has to muster up the courage to come to the mike and reluctantly say that they tried their best but they apologize for the loss. I think this time we should shelve our ‘know it all’ attitudes and for once tell the guys: “We’re sorry we doubted you”. Let’s now cherish this sweet victory for a long time and PLEASE let’s be very very slow in forgetting it.
Anyways, my 10 pointers after this World Cup:
1. Pakistan’s biggest game plan is that they have no game plan. Caprice is scary enough.
2. Afridi knows how to bat sensibly. He knows how to take singles. So be Afridi. Very Afridi.
3. Umer Gul is a 2-in-1 brand: he’s as aggressive as Akhtar and as nagging as Asif.
4. Saeed Ajmal is our next Saqlain Mushtaq.
5. Younis Khan’s dismissal of Twenty20 cricket as ‘fun’…worked.
6. The ICL took in Abdul Razzaq, gave him a good polish and returned him back to us.
7. Misbah Ul Haq’s heartbreaking shot in the last final against India…just slipped my mind for good.
8. Intikhab Alam seems to be a lucky charm for Pakistan.
9. Now that Younis is retired, we need to put up a classified to recruit another Khan to fill in his boots.
10. Forgetting this WC will be like forgetting my name.
Pakistan Zindabad!
5 ways NOT to look like a tourist in London
June 14, 2009
Under cover in London ?
I wouldn’t say that I’m a prolific tourist but in my travels to England last year, I managed to catch some culture and in the process, got some insights on the art of ‘gelling in with the crowd’. I guess this ability to blend comes in handy when you want to avoid too much attention from those nasty pickpockets and muggers who consider tourists as easy and precious prey. Of course, the task is near impossible when you’re going to a country where the national language is not English. But even in an English-speaking nation like England, it takes considerable effort to pass yourself off as ‘one of them’. Here are some of my findings:
(1) Muck up an accent
Contrary to the common belief that your accent will the be the number one give-away,I came to realize that England has a rich variety of accents. Sure, the nationals are hardcore but having an ‘asianized’ accent doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a tourist because there are plenty of foreign-born British citizens faking accents in their own unique manner. What will help is that you listen to a national (or BBC) and try to mimic him/her. Just make sure you don’t sound like the Hulk while you’re at it.
(2) Pick the lingo
Every culture has it’s own characteristic jargon and the English are no different. A smiling ‘Cheers’ instead of the more common ‘Thanks’ is the way to go when you want to show gratitude to anyone on the streets. ‘How are you?’ is sometimes replaced with a quizzically-toned ‘Alright?’ and if someone asks you for the time, then instead of saying 5:20 pm, use the phrase ‘20 past 5′. Of course, there will be many more nuisances and it’s important you keep on including them in your tourist vocabulary as you interact with the locals.
(3) Tune your attire
If you want to brandish your love for London, please think of other ways than wearing a “I <Heart> London” T-shirt. It’s critical to keep your attire neutral and in compliance with the weather. Sparkling bermuda shorts and army bandanas will definitely stand out. Casual jeans, decent tees or collar shirts will do the trick. And in case your in the mood of looking like a professional, a smart crisp suit wouldn’t be too wrong either.
And yes, the youth of England has a very typical hairstyle – short, spiked and gelled. Of course, I can’t do much about that due to the rapid deforestation of my hair, but if you boast long curls, then a haircut is something you might want to consider before you head out.
(4) Sanitize your Touristy material
Everyone wants to take pictures when their in a new place but can that expose you as an international tourist ? In London, I wouldn’t say so. This is because there are a lot of nationals (and even locals) that are roaming in the outdoors snapping away pics with their friends and family. A key pointer here is to take out your camera only when needed. Avoid flaunting it like an Olympic gold medal. And if you’re traveling alone, ask other people with cameras to shoot your snaps. Then, pocket your camera as soon as the pic is taken.
Also, if you have to carry a bag pack (preferably a schoolbag or a cross-over) then, again, make sure it doesn’t have any UK souvenirs dangling from its zippers. Take care that you don’t over-pack; carrying a bag that looks like one made for a ten-day hike will kill your cover
(5) Avoid the ‘The Tourist Syndrome’
It’s always a good practice to plan a day’s trip the night before by looking up directions, transportation fares and chalking up complicated itineraries. So let’s say you’ve done your homework and are set to make the trip without much external guidance. That’s all good but the biggest give-away can simply be what I like to call the ‘tourist syndrome’ namely: frequently referring to maps, carrying printouts of itineraries, holding a deck of tickets in your hand, restless behavior on the train, constantly looking at what stop the bus has stopped at and walking like you have no clue where you’re headed. The resolution ? Memorize the itinerary as much as you can and whenever needed, use your reference materials in a casual manner (don’t be frantic). When on the bus or train, “glance” at the station signs and keep a keen ear for station announcements on every stop rather than looking abnormally alert. Reading a newspaper always helps. Look chilled out and indifferent. Act as if it’s ‘like any other day’.
Of course, these are just guidelines that will help you look a little less alien. Some locals might be more perceptive than others and will see right through you but that’s expected – you would have to live a few years in London to thoroughly complete the assimilation process.
In case you’re visiting abroad some time soon, do check out the following link for other handy tips: http://www.focusonstyle.com/touristfashionmistakes.htm
Bing Bada Bing – Just Another Search Engine ?
June 13, 2009
Microsoft is back with a Bing
For what seems like an eternity, Google has been ingrained in my browsing life as the natural response to all of my searching stimuli. Never has it even come across my mind that I would need anything else to hunt a piece of information down. And I guess this is the case with everyone else. The fact that the search giant’s name is used more as a verb than a noun in this era shows that they truly have swept clear the playing field with such deftness that ‘Google’ and ‘search’ have long become synonymous to each other. I doubt that any other product out there can come close to claim such an intimate relationship with the word ‘search’. But then the question that comes to mind is: ‘Has Google attained perfection?’. Can our hearts make space for anything else now? Can we put down ‘Google’ as a part of the universal equation of life? Well, maybe not.
One slow afternoon in my limbo period between graduate studies and a job, a friend of mine sent me an e-mail telling me how Microsoft has revamped their search campaign and released their latest brainchild called ‘Bing’. My first reaction, as I’m sure was the reaction of many other people who watch the TV series ‘Friends’, was ‘Bing? That reminds me of Chandler Bing. What a strange name.’ Two weeks later, I don’t think it sounds that horrible though. It’s actually kinda catchy.
Anyways, after reading the e-mail I kind of felt sympathetic towards Microsoft. They had been trying so hard to displace Google’s search market with no avail. Numerous updates to Live Search went unnoticed while Google dominated the arena with a whopping 70% share of the market pie. They even chased Yahoo! to buy them out in an effort to claim the 17% of the market that they had but that pursuit too went down the drain. A fresh start seemed to make sense for them. So, yea, I clicked on the link.
From the first glance, I didn’t see anything special at all. It was pretty much Live Search with a new name. The intro page talked about it being a ‘decision engine’ of some sorts and I was like ‘whatever that means’. I entered some weird search term hoping that Bing would pull out a rabbit from a hat while displaying the search results but I was disappointed again. Nothing out of the ordinary. Sigh. Its just another search engine. Close tab.
A few days later I was playing around with Google Analytics and musing over the horrible statistics of one of my blogs. During the search, I found a link talking about how Bing had started sending traffic to sites with GA plugged in and that Google posted a work around to include Bing as a traffic source in the GA reports. I was curious. Did I miss something? I thought I could spare a few minutes so intrigued, I opened up Bing again and this time started scrutinizing the engine. And boy, did I make some interesting discoveries.
First, I decided to take the ‘Discover Bing’ tour because I wanted to let Microsoft to show me exactly what made it a ‘decision engine’ and not a typical search application. I opened up Google in a parallel tab and thought I’d run a contest. Overall, I found Bing and Google coming up with great result sets but Bing at times had a little more oomph by offering more ‘action-oriented links’. What do I mean by this? Here are some insights:
1. For example, do you want to check whether your friend’s flight is on time? Typically, you would Google up an air traffic tracking site (like flightstats.com) to find that information out. Bing allows you to just type in the flight number and walah – real time status on the search results.
Now, I’ve rarely every used FareCast and MSN Travel to make travel decisions and I’m guessing Bing simply inherits the terrific travel module from those sites. So, want to book a flight? Well, go to bing.com/travel and it pretty much does everything that other fare-hunting websites like Kayak.com would do by fetching the best fares that match your criteria. The 7 day price predictor was slick too as it gave you a crucial inkling (with some confidence) on whether you should nab the ticket now or wait for a bit to let them slide. So, in other words, Bing sort of centralizes your travel functions.
2. The same day I was sitting with my parents and my mom wanted to know about whether some specific food items had cholesterol or not. I Googled the information and it showed a web result that led me to a nutritional site. I ‘Binged’ it up and it actually included the cholesterol content (from USDA) in the search results.
3. Bing also inherits the cashback functions that Live Search had, making it attractive for shopping as well. Search for a camera model and it will include a mini-profile of the product including a picture, a recommended price and ‘ease of use’ and ‘affordability’ evaluations. Click on the summary link and it will list all the outlets that Microsoft has cashback offers with and links to buying them there and then. Although this feature isn’t robust enough to include a wide variety of products, I still feel that it expedited my objective to get the best deal along with a cashback incentive. And besides, it’s still Beta
4. What about Maps? Enter an address in Bing and it will come up with a map of the place. But Google does it better as it will also throw in a ‘start’ bar where you can type the source destination from where you want to get to that place. However, with Bing you can instantly get real time traffic conditions (only for the US though!) which adds a bit more ‘wisdom’ in planning your escapades to the new coffee shop in town.
5. I loved the conversion and mathematics engine that Bing uses. Type in a quadratic (I tried: a^2 + a + 100 = 12) equation in Google and it will spit out a bunch of web sites. Do that in Bing and it will solve for ‘a’! Of course, Wolfram Alpha goes one up on that and gives you graphs to boot.
6. Video Search in Bing seems more “organized”. For example, there is a section that deals with TV episodes on Hulu (which TV addicts will find convenient) and then other sections with results grouped by criteria like ‘most popular’, ‘most recent’ etc. Google Videos just shows you what’s popular right now on its home page. At least that’s what happened when I opened it up.
7. The image search of Bing with infinity pages (also in Live Search) beats the Google experience in my view. Scrolling down is faster than flipping a page.
8. Bing includes a useful search history and has the capability to remember you making it easier to find that site you wanted to visit but realized that the magic keywords that brought it forth had slipped your mind.
Of course this analysis isn’t comprehensive but in short my conclusion was that Bing effectively shortened the distance between one’s search entry and intended action for a variety of commonly used domains like travel, shopping, health etc. Now I know what it means by a ‘decision engine’
Also, Bing has introduced its own content ranking system called xRank (I wonder if LiveSearch already used this!) which is seemingly aligned to challenge Google’s PageRank which needless to say is the core essence of Google’s search app. I don’t know about the technical details but I love the fact that Bing offers you a convenient way to check out most frequently searched terms, search volumes and other information based on the xRank factor. Now, whether xRank is technically superior (or even different!) from PageRank is something I’m still interested to find out.
Phew. After a long trial run of Bing, I realized that Bing isn’t really ‘another search engine’. Bing seems to have these little tricks in the bag that makes some of your commonplace operations quicker and easier. Microsoft hasn’t focused on throwing in too much eye candy like SearchMe and Cuil did which is a good thing as spirited searchers are more concerned about getting their information-thirst quenched, not whether they get to see an army of pages lined up in flash-coated glass vessels.
Having said all this, to say that Google has serious competition is still like jumping to conclusions. Sure, MSFT has done a good job but getting the word out, convincing people to leave their ‘MSFT is evil’ beliefs and give Bing a chance will require some major marketing effort , rhetoric and personalized love. So, will Bing challenge Google in the upcoming years? I don’t know. I might ‘bing’ the question up in a few years though.
It’s good to be back
June 12, 2009
Its good to be back
After an uncomfortable last month in Penn, peppered with a mystifying illness and qualms about returning back to a homeland that had become conspicuously dangerous, I can rest on my comfy sofa now and say that it’s good to be back. I had my doubts on whether I would be able to settle down in Pakistan after having spent two good years in a place with high standards of living and an easy and fast-paced life. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long for me to get into the desi groove. I remember that on my way from the Lahore airport, I had started absorbing all the familiar sights and sounds of the colorful amalgam that Lahore is and my mindset was suddenly re-programmed in a way that Penn and America all of a sudden seemed liked a blurry memory.
I can’t really pin point each and everything that has changed over the past two years in Lahore since I’m still in the assimilation phase but I’ll try to list down some. First, where the headlines of newspapers talked about Musharraf’s latest moves, now have changed to become scorecards on the death toll in the Swat conflict. Market prices of nearly everything have shot up manifold such that a bunch of Rs. 1000/- notes don’t seem heavy in the wallet anymore. Lahore seems more crowded on the road and in the bazaars. Load-shedding, obviously, is on a 12-hour rampage everyday but the gross usage of a UPS (that can power fans and lights during an outage) is also new to me. Nirala Sweets was the king of the valley when it came to bakeries two years ago but now the landscape has changed such that Gourmet bakeries has completely annihilated competition to an extent they are now eyeing to take Nestle out of the Pakistani market. And I haven’t even gotten to the plethora of new cafes, restaurants and outlets that have erupted in the city. On a more personal note, my family shifted to a new house right after I left for the US so seeing my new abode was a pleasant surprise.
Two years is a long time, and things are bound to change. What was of more interest to me was what did NOT change. For example, my family was still the way it was and it was great to see good old friends in the same high spirits. Home still had to offer a five-star hotel service where you can everything from breakfast in bed and multiple helpings of any lavish sub-continental cuisine you desire. The passion for cricket remains the same as you see numerous cricket matches going on as one passes by parks along with the hype of the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup. I got to see the same impatient attitudes of people breaking queues and lines reinforcing the theory that Pakistan was all about the ‘survival of the fittest’. Cell phones were still as cheap as cheap can be and incoming calls are still free. I got to see the same brand of cars (Toyotas and Hondas galore) on the road along with our humongous and cloyingly colored buses that make those ‘Teedi Papa’ noises. DHA still was pretty clean and some other parts still were left decorated with plastic litter.
I guess I was ambivalent about coming back to Pakistan for no reason at all. After all, it’s home. Coming back has made me realize how much I really missed this place despite its imperfections. However, I wonder whether I will have the same sentiments once I start a job here. I guess time will tell. But yes. It’s good to be back. Alhamdulillah.
Farewell Rhymes
May 20, 2009
August 20th 2007. Boarded a 40 hour
flight
Ever tried fitting an elephant in a suitcase ? A rhino in a fridge ? A hippo in a car ? Well, writing about 2 years worth of some fantastic experience in a page or two seems to me as if I’m about to attempt to do something like that.
Standing at the center stage of Franklin Field with a Pakistan flag on my shoulders and a graduation cap on my head, I felt a surge of happiness and fulfillment. I couldn’t help think how these two years have been simply magical. They have changed a lot in my life. I found new friends. I travelled to places. I learnt about new cultures. I saw history being made before my eyes. When I think about the memories of my Penn years, a tidal wave gushes forth and floods my mind, disabling me to come up with any sense of organization or structure that a comprehensible essay or blog post would require. At the very least, I want to thank so many people for their great company. But simple sentences seem like an ineffective tool to convey what I really feel.
So, I thought I’d do this in a style that doesn’t demand any such writing ettiquettes. And there’s only one thing that I know that would fit that bill and save my face today. Yes, you guessed it. Say hello to some of the lamest rhymes you’ll ever come across. Behold:
Abdul Basit
Abdul Basit, you’re my Penn bro
From Pir Suhawa times, listening to After Glow
to Apt. 2008, staging a cooking show
to “as opposed to the general notion” – yea, you know
to the several short trips, on the go
to the magical Roadquest, to and fro
we saw through the heat and the merciless snow
thanx for every morsel of help when i was feeling low
I could go on and on but I shouldn’t, yo!
I know you will change this world and change its flow
but I know you won’t let the hair on your head ever grow
Abdul Basit – please take a bow !
Salman Mehmood
Saloo mian you’re a super theeta
someday you’ll release an OS beta
Goldman Sachs is just the beginning of your CV
and I hope to see you soon with a brand new biwi
Mohammed Zohaib (zee)
Zohaib jigger, you’re a real believer
i can see u importing power with a wireless receiver
you’re hope for our country, you’re its future shaan
soon it shall be ‘all rise for the president of Pakistan’
semi-finals 2011, its a prediction I won’t alter
and bro, let your passion for Pakistan never falter
Vipan Kumar
vipan, yaar you’re a chaya hua group mate
loved the conversations at all the dinners we ate
Wonder when again I’ll see that afro and beard
Man, now that you’re shaven you look so wierd
I know you rigged the LinkBook ratings with a lot of pain
but here’s to a happy future in India at good old Bain
Arif Rashid (arifian)
Arif, dude, you’re a Halal chubby bear
you’ve got great potential so don’t let it wear
I owe you a debt for helping me when i was sick
love how Google and House, make ur doctor sense tick
i love your attitude and the “shizl” jokes we share
and please don’t mix up bikes when you want to fix a gear
Ahmed Loona (loonerz/loonster/lunacus)
Loonay,yaar, you’re my best jigger
kya photos atee hain when u press the camera trigger
you provided flair to our Roadquest bunch
your chussis added both kick and punch
was great fun to plan the trip on skype
ur video-editing has potential although now its ripe
buss graduation kay baad na ban jana nawaab
yaad rakhna gayay thay hum, akhattay MOAAAAAAAAAAABBBBB
Adeel Rizvi (adeel shaukat rizvi)
Adeel, yaar, you’re morale is high
so high that it is in the sky
on my return, a cricket match is in order
im glad that you got to see the Mexican border
I know you love RoadQuest, and I agree too
it was so frikkin awesome, just like T-2 !!
Kashif Tahir
Kashif, jigger, you’re a magnetic screw
You screw everyone yet they come back to you
from San Juan to Aunty’s, from Microsoft to kayaking
there wasn’t a single bit where fun was lacking
That Summer in Seattle, was the time of of my life
now i wish u best of luck with your lucky wife
Omair Gillani
Omair, boy, you’re the navigator
just don’t navigate into an alligator
may your recent happiness last for long
im still so happy i think ill break into a song
thanks for the numerous rides and your drivery skills
thank gOd I don’t have to pay any of your gas bills!
Ahsan Butt
Ahsan, dude you’re an intellectual
talking to you without logic is quite ineffectual
im trying hard to make this stanza rhyme
just remember that metaphor: salad with lime
those Delawarians were surely quite lazy
and that Penn fellow…man he’s kinda hazy
your improv pursuit is something i really dig
but im sure you’ll make it bigger with your writing gig!
Yang Zhang
Yang Zhang, you’re my chinese dude
glad RQ II introduced you to Paki food
great fun from montreal to niagara fall
now I want to see your fantastic Great Wall !
Mustafa Al-Ammar
Mustafa, my man, respect to your geek style
u gave me your bike expertise, always with a smile
was a treat to have you over for every Sunnah dinner
apply for Google bro – I’m sure you’ll be a winner!
Zeeshan Ali
Ali, boy, congrats on the quick degree
had lots of fun in Niagara, I’m sure you’ll agree
loved having the Sunnah Dinners, at your place
Insha’Allah if you land an internship, that would be ace !
Not having you on the flight with us is kind of a bummer
but Enjoy the rest of your stay and have fun this summer !
Ammar Zakiullah
Ammar , dude, you’re the Rubber ducky
Got to see Little Rock, coz of u I was lucky
Your my logo buddy, we should definitely make more
and Houston was slick, thanks for the tour!
miss those times with you, me and emad
but i hope you kick wehshi butt in avanade
Osman Ehtisham
Osman Ehtisham, you’re British – its true
thori lift karao and you latch on like glue
thanks for the english travels, loved it a lot
and helping me give my job hunt a better shot
hope to see you soon …. but not too SOON !
and I hope you’re in a law school by next June — Ameen
Nishtar Party (Majid, Raja and Khurram)
Nishtar say uth gay ayay mairay shezaday munday
lagtay shakl say shareef par hain saarey gunday
Allah jiza day ga, jo aap nay kiya bhaiyon wala salook
ab plan banaingay kabhi to jheel saif-al-malook
majid bhai rehna na shaadi mai peechay
raja bhai please rakhna nigahain neechay
khurram bhai, acchay doctor ban kay dikhana
and boys, Lahore ka chakr zaroor lagana !
Goher Nafees
Goher Sahab, ap kay roab kay kya kehnay
zabardast thay khanay jub may aya tha rehnay
ab chortay hain Amreeca, chaltay hain kaheen duur
roadtrip lagataya hain from Lahore to Kasur !
Paki Boys Dot Com (Taha, Shahwaiz, Shahid and Osama)
Taha, Shahwaiz, Shahid aur Osama
Koi Shahruk Khan hai toh koi Dalai Lama
ur like my little brothers, and your tons of fun
kabhi kabobeesh outings, kabhi cricket under the sun
kabhi PPS kay raulay, kabhi shaam mastaani
hain sub anokhay, par phir bhi dil hai Pakistani
Make no mistake. You are the reason why I shall remember these years as the most cherishable treasure of my life. I wish you all the very best of luck and I hope to see you guys soon again, Insha’Allah.
As-salaamualaykum & Laterzz,
Aatir
Postcards from England
August 28, 2008
One thing I made sure in my recent England travels was to have lots of photos taken – photos with me in them for a change (unlike the summers where I’m mostly featured behind the camera). And England didn’t disappoint in offering me plenty of picture opportunities either – lots of history, scenic locations and beautiful landmarks. And FYI to what a few of my mistaken friends – London is not like Lahore and England isn’t that boring. In fact, I feel England has a more fascinating outlook than any of the modern cities I’ve visited in the United States. Don’t get me wrong ; I’m not saying America has no taste. I’m just saying England might just have a tad bit more
To give you a visual perspective on what I witnessed, rather than me rambling on with a typically verbose post, I’ve selected the best pictures from each of the 5 cities/towns that I managed to visit. Behold:
The Postcard Bridge
Tower Bridge, London
Note: Contrary to common belief, the London bridge is quite ordinary compared to it’s spectacular neighbor (Tower Bridge)
Doors of Tradition
City Hall, Leeds
The Real Green Mile
Scarborough Castle, Scarborough
Church Alpha
York Minster, York
Note: York Minster happens to be the oldest Church in England
Man U, Can U?
Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester
(Courtesy: Choi)
End of the Redmond Trail
August 16, 2008
It seems as if I slept a few minutes ago, had an eventful dream and then was impolitely woken up. That’s how these 11 weeks at Redmond have whooshed past. And at this point, it’s still unclear to me how so many experiences and so many memories were registered in a single summer. Sigh. As I’m on the verge of leaving this city that has taught me so much, words seem like a useless tool to express what I’m feeling.
I stumbled into Microsoft as a naive boy who thought he knew a thing or two about software. But today when I stepped out from Building 17 for the last time, I felt I had aged a bit. I had seen how the big leagues work. I had seen how the smartest people in the world thought. I had realized how your critics are actually doing a service to you. I had realized that accepting your own ignorance is the first step to wisdom. I was shown how assumptions are an evil, professionally and personally. I had learned that communication is not only about talking but also listening with an intent ear. I was introduced to the Office culture which I learned to love. I had learned how to write a spec for a feature that was going to be truly global. I learned no matter how well you prepare for a presentation, a manager will always come up with an innocuous question, the answer to which you will have no idea about. I learned its okay to bring your nation’s flag to the office on it’s independence day. It’s ok to wear a reverse cap and jeans in a presentation with all the top officials of your org. It’s ok to work with your legs up on the office desk. Fact is, none of this matters as long as you fulfill the work you signed up to do. Yup. Today, I felt I had worked somewhere special.
But along with the great professional experience, my social circle outside of work was nothing short of intense. It was like LUMS transported to a different city. Each person in the group brought a unique and eccentric flavor which made the chemistry very interesting. There were no insipid personalities. But along with the general ‘hanging out’, I got a chance to stand back and come up with a few pointers on life & people I know:
- I crashed at Kashif’s place for the summers and I finally figured out how to treat him when he’s playing DOTA. Just assume that he’s asleep.
- i found out that diving into an argument with six people with different opinions on where to eat is considered ‘fun’.
- Hanging out means eating out.
- You will curse the person who planned a day-long trip when you have to wake up at 6 in the morning on a Saturday. But you will feel happy you did get up once you come back home in the afternoon with enough time to watch a movie later in the day.
- Man shops out of necessity and women shop out of the pleasure of having spent money – money spent ‘on what’ is considered secondary.
- ‘Brand is prime’ and yet ‘cheap is sexy’.
- The trailer of a movie can sometimes be all you want to see of that movie. In some mundane cases, the trailer ‘is’ the movie.
- The ‘dangerous-looking’ is fun (bungee jumping, white water rafting) and the safe (kayaking) is, well, not dangerous enough.
- In a restaurant, avoiding the menu and simply ordering two of what someone else has ordered has its advantages. If the choice was good, well, you did a good job in conserving brain power. If the choice was bad, well at least now you know whose choice you don’t want to trust anymore.
- Being the most prolific photographer in the group means you’ll be the least remembered. No one thinks about the person behind the camera.
- To strike a good conversation, you need to avoid agreement. When everyone’s reached the same conclusion, there seems to be little to talk about.
- When organizing a potluck, avoid volunteering for desserts with fancy names. The name can set high expectations at times and if you’re not a good cook, you don’t want to be attracting too much attention.
There was more from where these came from but I guess I’ll spare you the lengthy read. Anyways, now that I’ve wrapped up a terrific summer (Alhamdulillah), I’m trying my best to avoid nostalgia and look forward to the next destination lined up for me. My next adventure will take me across the Atlantic to the land of royalty and football. England it is.
I’ll update you guys about England travels once I’m back in Philly in early September (Insha’Allah). Till then, KIH !
