Farewell

I made one decision and it is changing my life. I resigned from my job and joined a multinational company in Islamabad. Although it was a tough decision to take since I have been working for one of the best employers in the IT industry in Lahore, the decision has been taken. After thinking for weeks and spending sleepless nights, I decided to quit my job. The reason for leaving the job is quite stupid and foolish, as has been said by some. The reason was that I needed a change of work and wanted to test my capabilities and to see to what extent I could push myself. I am a person who loves changes and also a person who doesn’t easily get adjusted to these changes. I hope I made it an understandable statement for you. It’s been over a month since I joined my new company, which is again one of the best employers in the country. I can write about it later, but for now I just want to talk about my previous company. I spent more than 5 years over there, and now when I look back, it seems like such a long time, but in memories it appears to be such a short time. I wonder where the time got lost. 
Below is the excerpt of my farewell email. 

Dear All,

With this email, I am concluding one of the most cherished chapters of my life. Today 30-July-2010 marks my last working day at Redmath. It's been 5 years and 3 months since I joined this organization. From next week I won't be a part of it anymore. As most of you know, I would be joining in Islamabad. For me it wasn't an easy decision to take after I have been working at Redmath for many years; but the principle of evolution demands change, so that we can evolve and let others to evolve as well.

I am extremely grateful to Rxxx bhai for making me a part of Redmath. I will treasure all the memories of my stay at Redmath and for that I am thankful to every Redmathematician (now and once). I feel myself quite blessed since I've had the opportunity to work on some very interesting projects with great people. On personal level, I've made some quality friendships too.

I am not very fond of goodbyes and farewells, as for me they amplifies the nostalgia. Therefore, in the end I won't be saying goodbye to you. Because goodbyes are meant for those whom you think you will not be able to meet again. But I want us to meet again. I hope I'll keep in touch with a lot of you either in person or via networks like Facebook or LinkedIn. I am not hard to find. I can be reached at
MSN / Facebook / Linkedin: xxxxx@hotmail.com
GTalk: xxxx.xxx@gmail.com
Phone: 0xxxxx (for time-being, as it will get change)

Take very good care of yourself. May Allah bless you all.

Thanks & Kind Regards,
Arfan Ameer
- "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

What Your Name Means ?

You entered: arfan ameer

There are 10 letters in your name.

Those 10 letters total to 46.

There are 5 vowels and 5 consonants in your name.

Your number is: 1

The characteristics of 1 are: Initiating action; pioneering; leading; being independent; attaining; being an individual.

The expression or destiny for 1:

A number 1 Expression denotes a skilled executive with keen administrative capabilities. You must develop the capacity to be a fine leader, sales executive, or promoter. You have the tools to become an original person with a creative approach to problem solving and a penchant for initiating action. Someone may have to follow behind you to handle the details, but you know how to get things going and make things happen. You have a good mind and the ability to use it for your advancement. Because of these factors, you have the potential for achievement and financial rewards. Frequently, this expression belongs to someone running a business or striving to achieve a level of accomplishment through their talents and efforts. You have little need for much supervision, preferring to act on your own with little restraint. You are both ambitious and determined. Self-confident and self-reliant must be yours as you develop a strong, unyielding will and the courage of your convictions.

Although you fear loneliness, you want to be left alone. You fear routine and being in a rut. You often jump the gun because you are afraid of being left behind.

The negative attributes of the 1 expression are egotism and a self-centred approach to life. This is an aggressive number, and if it is over-emphasized, it is very hard to live with. You do not have to be overly aggressive to fulfil your destiny. The 1 has a natural instinct to dominate and to be the boss, adhering to the concept of being number One. Again, you do not have to dominate and destroy in order to lead and manage.

Your Soul Urge number is: 4

A Soul Urge number of 4 means:

With a soul urge or motivation number of 4, you are likely to strive for a stable life. You tend to follow a rather orderly pattern and systematic approach in your endeavours. You have an inner desire to serve others in a methodical and diligent manner. You want to be involved in solid, conventional, and well-regulated activities, and you are somewhat disturbed by innovation and erratic or sudden changes. You are excellent at organizing, systematizing, and managing. You have a way of establishing order and maintaining it. You are responsible, reliable, and, in the final analysis, practical. Highly analytical, you can see your way through all sorts of situations and generally have a clear understanding of the issues. You are a very honest, sincere, and conscientious individual.

The negative side of the 4 is rigid, stubborn and somewhat narrow-minded. There is a tendency to hide feelings or to not be aware of real feelings. Avoid being too rigid and stubborn in your thinking and try to always see the big picture rather than becoming too involved with the details. Don't be afraid to take a chance occasionally.

Your Inner Dream number is: 6

An Inner Dream number of 6 means:

You dream of guiding and fostering the perfect family in the perfect home. You crave the devotion of your offspring and a loving spouse. You picture yourself at the centre of a successful domestic unit.

Commemoration of the Taken

Why did it happen? It hurts that what was ours was not given to us. It’s hard to say if it's taken. The heart is sobbing. The world doesn’t matter. Life has been cruel. This grief is never ending.

If we keep on lamenting the misdoings and tragedies which life has offered us and indulge ourselves in the graves of self-pity, the pain will still not lessen. It will grow exponentially with every passing day. To heal this pain, first let it go. Believe what happened was just a pit stop in life. Life doesn’t stop at this pit stop. It invites us to continue our journey accompanied with hope and faith, and to move on with the belief that it is not finished yet. Only what wasn't ours has been taken. Every day could begin the course of a brand-new future. After all, it comes along with the new dawn after every darkest night. The content, the peace, should always remain within us. And graciously, this journey should be completed.

I wrote this when my wife suffered her first miscarriage. I now realise how ungrateful I was. I should have believed in the will of Allah. I am thankful to Allah for what he has blessed me with later in life.

Run away

Sometimes I feel like running away; running away from this vicious daily routine; running away from the lights and noise of the city; running away from these people; running into the mountains to find peace; to find my soul; and to find my life. 

Do you feel the same too?

Bye Bye 2009 - I have been Taken

Pardon me for being a little late in putting my reminiscences of the past year on my blog. I was preoccupied with the changes that 2009 had brought into my life. The inevitable change which has changed my life altogether; Guys, I am not a carefree single soul anymore. I have been taken. I now have a mate. I got married in December 2009. I don’t feel comfortable putting my marriage details here. I can only say that "IT ALL WENT FINE". The last two months of 2009 have been really busy; the wedding preparations; shifting to a new home; guests; wedding events; in-laws; dinners; it all consumed me. Finally, I am back to routine and preparing for a new horizon of dreams and challenges in life. 

Apart from this, there were some other events which took place in the past year. 

• I visited Dubai, Amsterdam, and Berlin. 
• I faced a life and death situation at Liberty Round-about when the Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked. I was there too, on the incident site of the incident.
• Two of my uncles (my father’s brothers) died this year. This was a huge loss for our family. 
• I am still working for the same company, but on a different project this time :P 
• Like always, I have wasted this year on useless future planning :)
• I met my sister and her family after 2 years.

Catharsis

It’s been quite many months since I last shared myself on my blog. At times, there was so much to write about the things that were happening in my life; in my mind; in my heart; but somehow, I couldn’t get myself into writing it. The possible reason which I can think of for this anomaly is that maybe I have started trusting people. For quite some time, I have been sharing my thoughts and feelings with people around me; thoughts that accumulate inside me and which, previously, were expressed by me through my blog. After all, we humans need to express our emotions and thoughts. If these are not expressed, then like an unhealed abandoned wound, they accrue inside us. And slowly and gradually, they start destroying our lives and the lives of other people. Personally, I feel I have opened up a bit. Earlier, I used to confine my thoughts just to myself. Now I share most of it with the people close to me. But still, some of these are left un-expressed; they can’t be expressed in words or in writing. They can only be felt.

 

I am a very bad liar. I cannot carry a lie for a long period of time. If I try so, then it can easily be caught. If someone asks me something, I always prefer to answer honestly. Sometimes, if I don’t want to answer, I try to avoid it by saying something stupid or idiotic, or even come up with a lame excuse. At this point, I don’t care if the other person doubts my mental capacity or not, but at least I have saved myself in one way. People say my face is a reflection of my feelings. If I feel bad about something, then the other person can easily see it on my face. I am a bit naïve in this sense, therefore I try to overcome this modestly with a smile.

 

I am not an emotional person, but I am sensitive. This coldness makes it hard for me to express love. I love my parents a lot. I am grateful to them for the good education they have provided me against all odds. I want to give them equal happiness and comfort. I love my sisters and brother. I love them for the affection and care that they have always given me. I love my nephews and nieces. The smiles on their faces make my heart happy. I always want to be surrounded by my family. It makes me feel safe and carefree.

 

I never understood what life was. I am still disillusioned about the purpose of life. The 16 years of education didn’t teach me what life is, or at least I couldn’t understand it properly if it had. Why is there so much classification of humans when the basic necessities of life for everyone are the same? Why do we classify humans on the basis of their race, ethnicity, religion, country, monetary status, physical outlook, intelligence, education, family? Why don't we obey what the Prophet (peace be upon him) has asked us to do? "All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also, a white has no superiority over a black, nor does a black have any superiority over a white, except by piety and good action."

 

I am worried about the future. I tried not to think about it, but I couldn’t help myself. The crisis through which our country is going through worries me. Lawlessness, insecurity, inflation, poverty, and frustration make me depressed at times. I am hurt when I see little children doing laborious tasks to earn money. It makes me sad when I see the contrast of situations. Some people spend so much money on one meal that it is equal to the monthly expenses of one whole family. People are becoming more materialistic and greedy day by day. I don’t know what future we are going to give to our children. Maybe they are facing the worse. But I pray they have the best of all. I pray my country will become safe and sound. I pray my country becomes prosperous and an ideal place to live in the whole world. InshaAllah.

Brain Drain

 (I presented this topic as a part of my communication skills course last year.)

 "Brain drain" means the emigration of trained and talented individuals to other nations.

The reason for leaving the homeland could be any of these.

First, going abroad for higher education

Second reason could be that the person wants a better job. The opportunities in his country are limited, and he is unable to earn good money for his living.

Third, the country's worsening political, social, or economic conditions compelled him to make this decision.

Fourth, there are family issues.

Fifth, one of the causes of brain drain could be travel.

Sixth, health risks could be the cause.

Finally, you despise being in your home country.

Many developed nations have immigration and work permit programmes in order to attract talented and skilful people to their countries. In return, they promise them a better life, security and opportunities that they don’t find in their own countries. Programs like the H1B visa, HSMP, and Australian and Canadian skilled immigration are widely popular. Therefore, if one is skilful and talented, then he can easily avail of these opportunities.

The phenomenon of brain drain is perhaps most problematic for developing nations, where it is widespread. In these countries, higher education and professional certification are often viewed as the surest paths to escape from a troubled economy or difficult political situation. The country’s investment in higher education is lost when a trained and skilled individual leaves and does not return and contributes to its economy. Instead of this, he uses all the education and skills that he acquired from his home country for the betterment and economic boost of an alien nation.

Brain drain is becoming a global problem these days for developing countries. Every nation is facing it. Countries in South Asian countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India are mostly affected by it. The economic and political situations of these countries are fairly poor. Let me make one thing clear. A common conception is that only South Asian countries are affected by it. But the reality is that brain drain is a problem for every nation. Many European and Middle Eastern countries are also victims of it. Europe has been losing talented people who are being lured to immigrant countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Many of Europe's best young scientists now live in the United States. A survey released by the European Commission found that only 13% of European science professionals working abroad intend to return home. Eastern European countries have expressed concerns about brain drain to Ireland and the United Kingdom. Portugal is the leader in brain drain. Yugoslavia, Romania, and Bulgaria followed it. Germany faced over one hundred thousand brain drains in 2005 due to economic conditions. Nigeria, Kenya, and Ethiopia are also thought to be affected. A high percentage of Egyptians, Palestinians, and Syrians leave their country upon completing their higher education for other countries, particularly the countries of the Persian Gulf. China, the Philippines, Venezuela, Iran, and Iraq are also facing it. In Malaysia, the government is trying to lure back these people. Most people opt to migrate to Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, believing that they will have a better life than if they stay in Malaysia.

The only solution to this alarming situation of brain drain is that every nation should treasure its skilful people and should provide ample opportunities for them. Better living, security, and a free environment where a person can breathe is ultimately what every person wants and it’s his right to have this. So, a government should provide this to its human capital. And another point is that we should all realise our responsibility towards our nation, and we should strengthen our nation instead of leaving it.