Tour 2006

As promise, here are some of the beautiful pictures of the tour. Hope you like them. To publish them i have re-sized these pictures. However if you like any of these pictures and want to have them in their original size you can ask me.

A Walk in Clouds

Four of US

River Neelum

Breathless

Rise of Morning

Snakey Curves

3 Days in 8 Places

I am writing this blog while sitting in my office. Even tough I don’t have anything in particular in my mind at this time to write about, but still I would continue with something. Umm..mmm.. I love traveling. I like to see new places, experience new cultures and meet with people from different environments. In Pakistan, you can find many beautiful landscapes where culture, environment, language all are different. Once a year at least, I do travel outside of my city to explore different places within my country. Last year August, I went with my brother, cousin and cousin’s friend on a tour. We all went to Murree and its surrounding areas. We started our journey at 9 pm and headed to Islamabad via Daewoo bus. The bus entertained us with “Matrix Revolutions”. I haven’t seen the movie before, neither I intend to see it that time :P Meanwhile I passed my time while listening to the songs and by sleeping. We reached at Islamabad past mid-night. We took a taxi and reached Murree around 4 am. We took a room in a hotel, whose name is not in mind right nowL. After resting for couple of hours and having a brief tour of the Murree’s famous Mall Road, we again booked a taxi and began our tour. Our first destination was Patriata. It was not a new place for me. I have been there earlier twice. The only attraction at Patriata is the chair lifts and the cable cars. We traveled in them as the part of the holy ritual of our tour. After that we went to River Neelam base. It was the best part, since we have came across a different landscape this time. And lastly, we went to Bhurban, where the only attraction is PC Hotel. Again, as a sacred custom, we entertained ourselves with its food. That’s how the first day ended. For second day, we headed for Ayubia and Nathiya Gali. Nathiya Gali has beautiful landscape and is quite clean with respect to other areas. It was 13th August night that day. Around midnight the whole crowd at Murree accumulated near GPO and they celebrated their independence in their unique style by shooting fireworks, dancing and beating all the cars that passed through that area. On the third day, we went for Thandiyani, another tourist attraction near Abbotabad city. This place holds the national record for having the maximum rainfall, and we have experienced it ourselves too :P we were there, when it rained heavily. Abottabad is a calm and beautiful city. It’s the best city to live your retired life. It’s a proper big city having all the facilities that other cities like Lahore, Karachi etc have. After visiting the famous Ilyassi Masjid of Abbotabad and seeing little bit of the city itself, the taxi dropped us at Abbotabad Daewoo terminal. We want to travel back to Lahore on the same day. However we couldn’t get the tickets. We tried other bus services and luckily, we got the tickets for 8 pm and early next morning we were back to Lahore. That was the end of our exact 3 days journey. Overall it was a nice trip and nothing unfortunate or bad happened during its entire course. The healthy feeling of trip has lessened all the stress which gathered in my mind due to the work pressure. And one thing I learnt was that every person in the northern area is not a Pathan :P they are Pothohari and Kashmiris mostly ;)

The lunch break is over and I am back to work now ;) I will post the pictures of this tour later. So bye and take care ;)

Great Expectations

It’s one of my favorite movies. Though I have read the novel but I like the movie better than the novel. The whole execution of the movie is awesome. From actors to dialogues to music to visuals, the movie do touches the heart.

Synopsis
It’s a story of Finn; a modest guy falling in love with a rich girl. Throughout his childhood he loved Estella, but he was never sure whether she loves him or not. One day a secret benefactor helps him to achieve his dream of pursuing a career as a painter in New York. Finn believed, it had to be Estella and her aunt Miss Dinsmoor who has been guardian of Estella throughout.; since Finn poorness was the only reason why he can’t marry Estella; therefore they have been helping him. But on the day of his success, Estella marries another guy leaving Finn heart broken. And Finn realized all this expectations were false. He was seeing the life the way he wants to see, not what actually it was. And the secret benefactor was a criminal whom he helped once in his childhood. All of Finn’s expectations failed. But still it didn’t ended here.

Visuals
The whole movie is green. In the visuals the green color is shown in abundance. Green is life. Abundant in nature, green signifies growth, renewal, health, and environment. On the flip side, green is jealousy or envy and a dark and cold side of a person. The girl's character in the movie is she's a cautious person and not inclined to trust others easily. She’s an observer in life, but not wished to get involved more than she wants. She’s cold, classy and needs a person to release her from her past. But she's struggling from within.... and doesn’t know what to choose. So I feel...the color GREEN is a sign of nature, inexperience, beauty and most importantly HOPE.... which the movie tries to convey.


Dialogues

Finn:

I'm not going to tell the story the way it happened. I'm going to tell it the
way I remember it.

Ms. Nora Digger Dinsmoor:

She'll only break your heart, it's a fact. And even though I warn you, even
though I guarantee you that the girl will only hurt you terribly, you'll still
pursue her. Ain't love grand?

Finn: What's it like not to feel anything?


Estella: Let's say there was a little girl, and from the time she could understand, she was taught to fear... let's say she was taught to fear daylight. She was taught that it was her enemy, that it would hurt her. And then one sunny day, you ask her to go outside and play and she won't. You can't be angry at her can you?


Finn: I knew that little girl and I saw the light in her eyes, and no matter what you say or do, that's still what I see.


Estella: We are who we are. People don't change.



Finn:

The night all of my dreams came true, and like all happy endings,It was a
tragedy, Of my device, for I succeeded. I had cut myself loose from Joe, from
the past, from the gulf, from poverty I had invented myself. I'd done it
cruelly, but I had done it. I was free!

Finn:

It's my heart, and it’s broken.

Finn:

I did it! I did it! I am a wild success! I sold 'em all, all my paintings. You
don't have to be embarrassed by me anymore, I'm rich! Isn't that what you
wanted, aren't we happy now. Don't you understand, that everything I do, I do it
for you. Anything, that might be special in me, is you.

Main Sadiyoon Sey...

Main sadiyoon sey sitaron main bhatak raha tha
Tanhai ki aag main akela hi sulagh raha tha
Beetay waqt key samunder mai aaj phir
meri ankhon sey aik fasana chalak raha tha

Jab ek nazar nazar sey ashna hue
aik awaz jab dil sey rooshanas hue
kinara mila uss talaash ko yun laga
manzil wo mili, thi barson se jo khoye hue

Magar saraab tha sab, sach kuch na tha
Rooh to thi par, jism sey uss ka nata na tha
Khawab jald hi woh toot gaya
Woh lams hamesha key liye wafa na tha

Har kahaani adhoori reh gaye
Har dastaan ajnabi reh gaye
Bahut kuch guzar gaya uss rait mai
Bus chand dhundli yaadein reh gaye

Mai phir Sadiyoon tak sitaron main bhatakta raha
Yaadon ki sooli pe akela hi latakta raha
Dasht-o-Sehra paar kiye aik talaash mai
Pahaar-o-dariya sab main khojta raha

V for Vendetta

Some days ago I saw this movie. I actually liked it. Here are some of its interesting dialogues.

- Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is it vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.

- Good evening, London. Allow me first to apologize for this interruption. I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of every day routine- the security, the familiar, the tranquility, repetition. I enjoy them as much as any bloke. But in the spirit of commemoration, thereby those important events of the past usually associated with someone's death or the end of some awful bloody struggle, a celebration of a nice holiday, I thought we could mark this November the 5th, a day that is sadly no longer remembered, by taking some time out of our daily lives to sit down and have a little chat. There are of course those who do not want us to speak. I suspect even now, orders are being shouted into telephones, and men with guns will soon be on their way. Why? Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the annunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance, and depression. And where once you had the freedom to object, think, and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillence coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn't be? War, terror, disease. There were a myraid of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you, and in your panic you turned to the now high chancellor, Adam Sutler. He promised you order, he promised you peace, and all he demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent. Last night I sought to end that silence. Last night I destroyed the Old Bailey, to remind this country of what it has forgotten. More than four hundred years ago a great citizen wished to embed the fifth of November forever in our memory. His hope was to remind the world that fairness, justice, and freedom are more than words, they are perspectives. So if you've seen nothing, if the crimes of this government remain unknown to you then I would suggest you allow the fifth of November to pass unmarked. But if you see what I see, if you feel as I feel, and if you would seek as I seek, then I ask you to stand beside me one year from tonight, outside the gates of Parliament, and together we shall give them a fifth of November that shall never, ever be forgot.

- Her compassion,her hope,her faith given to someone she doesnt know, through a little toilet paper!..and even dough she knows death is certain..she hopes someone will survive trough it! to save the world she once loved!If people could be a little bit like it,..caring about each other,not mattering who or what they are...we would reach harmony!

- Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici

By the power of truth, I,while living, have conquered the Universe.

I, Me, Myself

Just another post about the person I am.

I have Abstract thoughts. I am a person who absorbs a lot from his environment. The people around me; the situations around me, influence me and mold me. I have split personalities. One side of me is somewhat reserved and doesn’t open up much with people. This part is socially shy and feels uncomfortable in public comprising of strangers. Whereas the second part contrasts deeply with the first one. It makes me extrovert and endlessly exuberant. It all depends on the company I am having. This makes me weird but I am born with it, cant help. I love to read people and am a silent observer of people and situations. You can say I am a bit abnormal person in this so-called normal world. I mostly like to be contained in myself and always prefer to achieve or do things on my own. I am honest and controversial in my thoughts which are hardly appreciated by others therefore I just keep them to myself. I am a very optimistic person. If I couldn’t get something I wanted, I would not lose hope. I would regard it as something, which might not be any worth to me at the moment, and if it is of any worth to me, I will find it later in my life. This makes me a believer of destiny. Now it all depends which route we take; the longer one or the shorter one. I am bit weak ethically and morally, even though I try hard to be best in my ethics and moral beliefs, but a certain quotient of deficiency is always left, which always makes me feel guilty at the end. My brain and heart both are quite strong enough to make decisions. In most of the people, either of them have the caliber of making a decision but in my case I have both to do the honors. The tragedy is nearly every time, they both decide in opposite direction to that of each other, which confuses me and sometimes I end up with a wrong decision and regret is what I meet up with afterwards. I am a freedom lover and am rebellious when restricted. I don’t like myself to get bind with one situation or with one place or with one person for a longer period of time. I like to discover myself periodically and want to experience new things in life and to learn new things in life.

Friendship

I might not be the friend who is willing to give his life for his friend. But I am quite honest in my friendship. I would certainly love to listen my friends and I always try to give honest advices to them. I can help them in any possible way, which I can. For me if you are my friend then you are my friend for lifetime. I like my friends to be part of my life forever.

Career

I have been confused all those years for what I wanted to be. Either to be a doctor or an artist or an astronaut or an engineer or a chartered accountant or a scientist or a CSS officer or a teacher or a computer engineer; I was never sure what I want to be. But still I don’t have any regrets. I have been in a good shape of my career right now with good bucks. In Pakistan, earning good bucks matter, what work you do, doesn’t. But the best thing is that you work what you wanted to do and earn good bucks with it; but it hardly happens. Money corrupts our minds and interests and career. Anyhow I have some dreams regarding my career and I am quite passionate about them. But that thing will take time but I know, that’s what for which I am born for and ultimately I will land up there soon InshAllah.

Your Name is Actually You

It’s been couple of years since I joined this blog world. If you have checked my blog you must have noticed that I have written nothing about myself yet. My blog consists of poems reflecting blues and some random thoughts about life and world around. Let me introduce myself to you. My name is Arfan Ameer. “What?” Well this is the question which people ask me when I tell them my name. I have quite an unusual name. Its not like the regular names that people have. There is another name which resemble my first name like Irfan, therefore mostly people say to me its actually Irfan, I am making it wrong. In other words they meant I have a wrong identity. When I was young and such remarks were given to me I felt like I have a very wrong name. And I changed it to Irfan actually in my school life. But then I realized what am I doing. Why am I running away from my name? I am just allowing myself to flow along with instead of standing in front of it. My name is actually me. Why am I forsaking it? An honest answer to all these questions was that I want to change my existence just on the will of others. This thought shocked me and it stopped me to precede any further. Since then, I stopped caring about the comments of others regarding my name. I love my name and I feel I have a conspicuous name in the whole world.