Random Confessions…

Baby Baby?

Yes Mama.

Eating Sugar?

Yes Mama.

Now that’s the real way to confess, and that’s what I’ve done here. I got this idea of a post from Minerva’s blog about confessing about anything you like in a post. So it felt like a good idea and here I am with my list of some honest confessions…

…Of a writer/blogger

• I am always looking for stuff to put on my blog. Writing in my brain all the time,like many of the other bloggers.

• I like to post lots of videos and images on my blog. You are observant enough to guess that…

• Its always difficult for me to sit with Word Art at the screen and type in a post when I could’ve been at Facebook or reading others’ blogs.

• Once I get my lame ass on my seat and start typing a post, there’s no stopping me.

• Couldn’t decide between “Blogspot” and “WordPress” at first. Ding Ding Ding! But we have a winner now…

• I like comments and visitors. Who doesn’t? Although getting traffic is a hard task, I’m determined to get a heavier traffic then the Liberty market…

• I find reading blogs interesting as it lets me into the minds of different types of people gibbering away on different issues.

• I really don’t give a shit about the MTV watchin’, Yo kinda wusses who really can’t type in a comment without mentioning the F-word atleast once.

…Of a Book-worm

• My reading speed is slower than a snail, a fact I really, REALLY detest.

• I just hate the ol’ classics which carry there plot at a speed similar to my reading speed.

• I love Dan Brown in the thriller genre. All his novels I’ve read are in the 24 hour frame-time. If his novels don’t quicken your pulse, you surely need to check your meds…

• I like humorous novels, the ones which I can LMAO while reading. Without doubt, I love PG Wodehouse and Jerome Kalpi Jerome.

• I read Images by DAWN just for the movie and celeberity articles and not for the other social articles (Please don’t tell this to my Mom Dad. They wouldn’t be happy…Social ones are the ones they want me to read.)

• I don’t really like foreign bloggers. I find Pakistani bloggers similar in thoughts and tastes and thus enjoy reading’em the most.

• Nothing is sadder than a pile of unread books. So true…

• So much to read so little read.

…Of a Pal

• I really find myself too friendly and polite and its not rare that I find people taking advantage of this.

• Kehnay ko tau sab hi dost hain Dushman tau nahiin

• Almost every kid and elder in my school knows me. Once a teacher told me that when she asked one of his senior class to write about the most popular person of our school few of them mentioned me! No doubt I’m very friendly, meek and polite. This is NOT showing off, just simple plain truth. That’s what this post is about.

• I have a few friends ( If I should the word friends) who mutter rubbish of me behind my back. Jealousy is a bad policy. They’re usually mister-too-good-for-books kind.

…Of a 21st Century Dude

• I’ve developed a taste different from my peers and that doesn’t dissappoint me, because Ilove who I am.I don’t really like the new generation singers like Akon. I just hatem!  I like Bob Dylan, Beetles, Elvis, MJ, Lata,Rafi and all that type of oldies.

• Like every Pakistani I’m fascinated by Coke Studio

• I can’t start my day without checking my E mail

• I can survive without Facebook. I’ve done so. Cuz my net speed doesn’t allow me to even open Google. 

• I  ♥ my blog

• And all this is possible with INTERNET. So yes, that’s the thing which has got this 21st century dude hooked up.

So why not go ahead and try a similar post on your blog? I’ll be eager to read…

PS. You remember I love comments? So you know what you ought to do now 

The Day The Music Died…

I had always been planning to write this post, but because of my unstopable long reading periods and the loads and loads of homework still left to complete, I couldn’t find ample time to post anything. But yes, I’ve made a strong pledge to myself today: POST MORE OFTEN.

So after waking up all night till 6am ( reading Twilight) I got up at 1 o’clock in the noon and came downstairs where my family was sitting. Mom had made “Pulao” (rice) for my breakfast and everyone was quiet. The first thing Mom said to, even before Salaam was, “Usama pataa hai Michael Jackson mar gayaa hai!” (Michael Jackson dieid!).

The shock I got can’t be expressed. I had never been a BIG MJ fan but of course the death of such a big star can’t be less then a shocking news. If a gas pipe had exploded under my feet, I hadn’t been more shocked. I was like ” C’mon man! Why MJ?! And why when he was near his big come back performance!”

There was a time, about four years when my brother had brought a USB full of Michael Jackson’s albums and he was the only english singer I only knew. (The case with most of us.) Because he was a music icon. Nobody was greater than him and he was not only the best in his period of time but the best of all time. Not only his singing was good but his dancing and stage performance was more than wonderful and was truly unmatched. He not only sang but also invented dance moves. Moonwalk, (which I just learned how to do!) Heel spin, Earthwalk, Airwalk, Zero Gravity Lean and uncountable other dance moves were introduced by non other than MJ. Almost all of his hits were my favourite: “Billie Jean” “Smooth Criminal” “Beat it” “Black and White” “They don’t really care about us” and of course “Thriller”

Thriller

There is a common perception, thanks to the Indian Comedy shows, that Michael Jackson was all about AAAOOOOooo EEEEEaaa WOOOHOOO YEEEEAAAHHH. Wrong. Utterly wrong! He sang the songs like “Heal the World” “Earth Song” which told us to save Earth from all the destruction it was headed towards even before the terms like Global Warming ware even familiar. Despite of all the controversies surrounding him like his harshness towards the children and God knows what, he was still the best. Having so many plastic surgeries had ruined his face, a fact not even his greatest fans resist to accept. He had earned my respect (although its not a solid reason) because he was great legendary Elvis Presley’s daughter’s husband. He was the best in the genre pop, which earned him the title: “~KING OF POP~”.

King Of Pop

After a long period, he had decided to return and claim his crown as the best singer, when suddenly, all of a sudden-he was dead. sigh sigh sigh. There’s a series you might be familiar with, named “Living with Michael”. I found it really interesting when I was watching the episodes at You Tube. (Yes. All the episodes are available at You Tube.) You’d surely like this. And then after his death there are countless rumors. One that MJ’s spirit was spotted on a BBC camera man’s documentary’s background. You can see it and decide for yourself, whether you believe it or not…

And here’s my favourite best ever Billie Jeans dance performance…

and his last performance (rehearsal)…We do really care about you!

His daughter. Aaaww poor girl…

Some say he had turned his religion to Islam while others say not. In my viewpoint he had turned to a Muslim because I’ve heard his Naats and his brother was a Muslim too.

Anyways Mj doesn’t need to be a Muslim. You don’t need to be his fan nor even a fan of music to mourn his death. He was just MJ. The music genius everybody loved. Our heart cries for you MJ.

RIP Michael Jackson.

**~RIP MJ~**

♥Dil Dil Pakistan, Jaan Jaan Pakistan…♥

I was unable to post it as soon as we were the champions because my cousins were here…

“Afridi hits the ball…final run…who cares(Malinga was asking for a LBW) …Big man ….Big Game….,” the commentator was speaking but who the hell was listening!?! We, the Pakistanis were the champions! T20 Worldcup Champions! The nation rejoiced this victory and finally our much tortured nation facing terrorism, energy crisis and God knows what, finally got a good news to celebrate. Going through the channels Pakistani channels were showing nothing other than the dancing Pakistanis. It was like after decades rain had pelt in a region where it was a miracle to see clouds…the entire nation celebrated with the Pakistan Cricket Team.

The Pakistani Men In Green lift the ICC T20 Worldcup

It wasn’t a single team playing on the pitch. It was the 16 crore Pakistanis who had left their works and I can bet not a single shop could be seen opened. The whole nation was glued to their TV sets and of course the joy was great when Pakistan had took a couple of early wickets and I myself was unable to stay in my seat. Then Sri Lanka which I forgot to mention were our opponents in the final had a comeback and when once I had had predicted a target of 110 scored 139. But their was still no stopping our Pakistani bowlers: Umar Gul, Abdul Razzaq and of course, BOOM BOOM Shahid Afridi. I really like the way he celebrates, Shahid Afridi, one or both hands raised towards heaven looking at the going-crazy crowd…Truly every such moment is magicall.

Boom Boom Afridi after taking a wicket...

And when Paksitan’s batting side had to prove themselves, they surely didn’t fail. Kamran Akmal and Sahzaib were very appropriate openers while Shahid Afridi (now in form) and Shoaib Malick’s partnership was one which ended up with Pakistan having the worldcup. Shahid Afridi was declared man of the match in both, the semi-finals and the finals oof the ICC T20 Waorldcup. He surely had listened to his dad’s advice ( as his father said in an interview on GEO channel,”I was telling him to hit for a six on an appropriate ball and not on every ball…”) and played a sensible innings as a batsman. As soon as he enters the pitch they play a short clip in which a player introduces and guess what Boom Boom Afridi says? “ Left handed batsman, favourite shot: ANYWHERE FOR A SIX!” hahaha… 

Umar Gul’s balling was once again remarkable and took the most number of wickets and also made record of best T20 bowling figure taking 5 wickets on 6 runs in 4 overs against the Kiwis. Same day, same stadium we were defeated by Aussies in a final but not this time. We crushed Sri Lanka and won…

Umar Gul

Once again the patriotism in Pakistan returned and all the patriotic songs were all over the TV channels. Man, it felt good, REAL good. Here’re some videos of flashbacks of the Pakistan’s performance in this tournament…

Some of my favourite videos:

GEO TAU AISE…

BACK IN ACTION…

BOOM BOOM AFRIDI’S FLYING KISS TO KALLIS…

This is the summary of the teams’ performances in the ICC T20 Tournament…

Younis Khan, the Pakistani captain has played a major role in achieving this success. Looking cool minded on the pitch and encouraging the team to play seriously yet take the matches as entertainment was his trick. The trick did work and the youngsters too were playing like well trained and experienced players. I still can’t forget the time when Misbah ul Haq played the wrong shot and we lost the last wicket and the Worldcup final too (which was against India). But this time we had reached the final again, and India hadn’t even qualified for the semi-finals. I could understand their shame because they had many adds all over their channels sayin “AANE DAI!” (come on!). But Pakistan’s most famous channel GEO too wasn’t far behind in this show-off. We had “Yeh Game Mera Hai!” (This is my game!). And really it was ours, not only the game but the Cup too…

Sitting with my family, glued to the TV, we were like 20 to win from 18 balls and like that. But finally the great Shahid Afridi who some say was an untamed lion, now tamed due to his good form, came to Pakistan’s rescue with a sixer and then it was like a dream…Boom Boom hitting the final shot…the last winning un and he, Afridi standing still, looking at the crowd, hands raised towards heaven and the team running towards him…and the prostrations to Allah Almighty because He was the one who had done this…

We had lost Worldcup the last time to India and this time we win against Sri Lanka, the team who had survived the terrorist attacks on their tour to Pakistan, only to be crushed in the final by Pakistan. These winning eleven had brought joy to all of our hearts and all the memories of Pakistan’s winning Worldcup under the captaincy of Imran Khan were refreshed.

In the end I would say I’m a hell proud of a Pakistani…Pakistan Zindabad.

Pakstan meri Jaan...

The Big Bang…

This is a personal blog of Usama Lali, also on Facebook, who pens down many hilarious as well as many dolorous events of his life in this small corner of  his world.  A book loving soul who is an avid reader as well as a insanely-interested-in-everything  male from Lahore, Pakistan finds out some time in his life to write for this blog, which’s the only thing someone can guarantee him can’t be taken away from him. So as keeping a diary is usually a difficult process, Usama keeps a blog, which’s no lesser precious to him then any thing in the world (except for relations, of course…). Read this blog and keep visiting for this blog can only get more and more interesting and better as I grow more and more skilled at the pen as I grow older.

Previously I had a blog at blogger.com (www.usamalali.blogspot.com) but I abondoned it and stated this blog after importing the data from my old blog. The tempelates and lack of flexibility in the blogger dashboard was getting me -BORED! So I’ve moved my blog or simply my diary here, to WordPress. Here’s a intro. of me…

You can send me friend request at Facebook too. My username is “Usama Lali” I’m at the top of the two results.

Funkies: the group.

Okay so I don’t admit that I’m a totall nerd as I appear to be ( look at the length of that post man. this guy oughta be a goggle-wearing geek). I have my other side, and that’s not the dark one, mind it! Ha! I mean I also like chilling out and believe it or not, my pals admire my dance a lot ( Dunno if they really mean it or just want me moving my silly ass like a gone-mad weirdo…) A few months back, probably in April, the Coke company visited our school and had set up a stall. Boys were going in wearing a costume provided by them and dancing inside a closed area with their desired song, witha n artificial background. We also decided to show our talent and got a video ourselelf’s. I decided to take only a (Ray-ban looking) sunglaseses while others (Wattoo, Muaaz and Ans dressed up as they willed). We are ” Wattoo, ME, Ans and Muaaz” from left to right. Here is the video:

http://usamalali.blogspot.com/2009/06/funkies-group.html

Exams Stress…

My final examinations finally found me staggering with the weight of all the studies in mid May. The preparations had begun a month prior to the exams and my birthday unfortunately happened to be during this most-cursed-by-any-student period. Anyways, I took a day off on 5th May to enjoy the blissful feast and the chocolate cake with my family. I often muse that why do we celebrate a birthday? On each of our birthday one year is deducted from our lives and one year has been lived by us. We should be sorrowful that we are growing older and closer to our death day by day. Ask if growing older is fun from an agedly person and he’ll surely tell you no…

So as the month of April was drawing to an end and had proved to be a good one, they gave us the date-sheet and syllabus for our final exams. All the novels and the other magazine-reading was immediately abandoned. Although even during the exams I sneaked out some time from the nerve wrecking process for preparing for an exam to go to the bathroom accompanied by an issue of Dawn’s magazine “Images”. Kept reading it for about 15 minutes before returning to the painstaking task of studying. (Not for a class test, in which’s case we need not study at all, but for the exams.) The two weeks between 25th May to 3rd June were the weeks I was determined to study as my entire summer vacations depended upon the finals’ result.

Straight As: Scene on hai!
More than one B: Grounded!

It was on our third last exam that our co-ordinater Madam Subhani announced in our class that the remaining two papers (Geography and Arts) were being post poned due to some terrorist threats. A huge uproar of amusement went up as the students began to celebrate—in the middle of our mid year exams. And in the process the poor pupils to whom the “Booties” were not proving to be helpful found an opportunity to exchange “an answer for an answer”. Haha.

But upon thinking a bit further, later on, I perceive that this delay of exams is something we shouldn’t be happy about. We are not free although the summer vacations have started. Whenever I’m surfing the net or reading out Deception Point by Dan Brown, I feel kinda guilty that I am not studying for Geo. Although I’ve got plenty of time, I can’t even go out of the city in case the school announces the exams date which has a few days to go.

Anyways the summer vacations have begun and the Fun (not Batman!) has begun too. As I’ve already read Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons by Dan Brown, I’m currently reading, as I mentioned earlier , Deception point. This will leave me with only Digital Fortress after which I’ll be waiting for the much anticipated follow-up of Da Vinci Code—“The Lost Symbol”
On the other hand I tried to weaken the Great Wall Of China-esque determination of my Mom of not letting me go out to DHA for the movies like “Terminater: Salvation” “Transformer: Revenge of the Fallen” “ G I Joe” and other releases in Pakistan to follow in other months of the summer vacations. My cousin Musab will be coming soon to Lahore and I hope we have a great time as we always do whenever we are together, like traffic and weather.

A Trip To Puppets…

I shiver as I type this post as the weather today is really cold, with showers of constant rain. Lahore has been having a pretty good weather lately…

Last weekend I visited the “Museum of Puppetry” here in Lahore (I dunno the exact location) and there was also a free-entry puppet show arranged for all. I really enjoyed the Italian show “Poochilaila & Teresa”. When the next one started, me along with my elder bro. and cousin got out to feed our grumbling stomachs. We weren’t in a mood of going back to a bit dreary puppet scene ( I saw one uncle dozing off in a deep slumber!! Haha..) and headed towards the main door of the “Museum of Puppetry”. Inside, I sauntered through the museum looking and admiring the different types of puppets fetched from far away places like Holland, Iran, Uzbekistan, India and so on…

I think this was a very good puppet show which was a, as I told, free entry puppet show because many poor children who couldn’t afford to buy a ticket to a puppet show were also watching them along with the rich students who were on a trip there. This showed a type of equality among all human beings as they laughed and enjoyed together in a jovial mood…

My Aunt also gave me an idea of writing a novel on a boy trapped inside that museum, all night and the puppets coming to life… scary haan? (Unlike “Night at the Museum”! haha) Good idea, isn’t it? I just finished the novel “Angels & Demons” by Dan Brown and started “The Prince & The Pauper”, a classic novel by Mark Twain. He, Mark Twain, is proving to be a real master and I also got many other novels written by him like “ A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur’s Court” and “Tom Sawyer”. I will also buy Huckleberry Finn his master piece…

My cousin took many snaps of the puppets with his mobile camera. Here is the batch…

Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow…

…and that fellow is none other than me. I know it’s the title of a novel written by one of my favorite humorists Jerome Kalpi Jerome but I can’t help it, can I? Because I am also an idle fellow with idle thoughts. Once again I find my 13 years old self in my small bedroom ( what else size can you expect from a room in a 5 Marla’s house?) The usual traffic on the road rolls on as I type this post.

It’s a glorious night. The moon has sunk and left Mother Earth alone with the stars. It seems that as we, the children of the Mother Earth are in a deep slumber in the darkest hour of the night, Earth had been talking to the stars about the long forgotten legends in voices too deep and vast for us, the small creatures to listen, let alone understand…

It would be a sin to start talking about things like movies straight away after mentioning such sacred things as Earth, Stars and Moon. And what do you see in all these things? What is the force behind all this? Who is the creator of these things? The Divine Voice itself seems to speak in everything present on Earth. The rustling of the leaves, the howls of the wind, the murmur of the troubled lakes water…

Despite all the rush of the traffic on the roads my little house seems to sit, unaware of all the frays and conflicts of the city and snooze and nod away…

Watchmen ™, a movie by the visionary director of the film 300 is out and I’m the only one unlucky enough to watch it. Looks like a really good movie. My cousin Musab will be coming over to my place near 21st and I’ll be a bit busy kicking it with him. Maybe we can watch it together in cinema but the problem is that due to Lahore’s bad reputation cause of terrorism wouldn’t let our parents go to a cinema. I’m really interested in Dan Brown so that’s the reason why I’m also waiting impatiently for the release of a movie based on his novel “Angels & Demons” this summer. I’m also reading this novel currently. Read half of it in 3 holidays. I was saving some money to buy “Race to Witch Mountain” too. Other awaited movies are “Transformers: The Revenge of the Fallen”.

“Marjaani” a song from the Bollywood movie “Billu Barber” is playing on my MP3. I’m really awed by the stupid lyrics of this song although the music is great. “Ro Ro kai Raaton ko, Aankhain bhii Kaali Kiin…” Now can anybody tell me can the eyes go black because of crying?! They can become white, which is also a bit too “over” to believe…

Manchester United were beat 4-1 by Liverpool which kept me alive, or else I would have been bored to death. Really enjoyed the match and it was very good seeing that red card go up! (poor Vidic) And it was also very satisfying watching Arsenal return to their brilliant form by beating Blackburn 4-0. And I am also waiting for Arsenal VS Chelsea semi final. And there’s another dilemma too. Champions League’s Final is going to be held on 27th of May and the negative point is I HAVE AN EXAM THAT DAY!!! Last year I managed to watch the final as my parents weren’t at home! (Plz don’t tell them this!)

Okay so now that it keeps getting darker and darker and the clock is still ticking the time away, I’ll better finish this post here and pick up my novel instead. Another post pending…

The Sri Lankan Team Attacks…

(No No! Team doesn’t attack! It had been attacked I mean!)

My nerve wrecking formal assessments are over and I’m finally free. It was this stressing hell of exams that had kept me away from many things, especially my dear blog J. I am listening to my new favorite song “Lag Jaa Galaai” by Lata. It’s so melodious! Okay so I’ll be trying to be less poetic in this post as the mood or the surroundings of mine are not suitable. No fused lights and typing under a lamp light or rain etc. Infact a 100 watt bulb is shining into my bare eyes, dazzling me. So I’ll start off straight by cursing the Sri Lankan Cricket team’s attackers.

In my school today my last exams went very well and got 24 in Urdu and 25 in Science out of twenty five. In the break time some parents were taking the students to their homes. Some people said that there was a bomb blast in Liberty. Then I understood that that (Is two thats right? Appear to be peculiar though…) why we were given the papers in the third and fourth lesson instead of fifth and sixth as parents might had insisted to take their children away. Terrorism is in Liberty and the children are being imagined by the parents to be kidnapped or bombed to pieces in schools! Or do they think the terrorists are tracking down everyone who had bought tickets for the match (including the very-much-concerned-and-worried parents) and killing them?! God knows…

My elder brother came to pick me up from the school. He was talking to me about some kind of an attack on Sri Lankan team. When I reached home The news were telling the same tales but in a serious way unlike my brother ( “Murli Dhahran ki taang ko goalie lagii hai woh kehtaa hai mujhai tau naeen taang chahiiyeh” and “Sri Lanka ka aek player mar gayaa hai who kehtai hain hamaara player tau pentees ‘35’ Saau ka thaa”). Bwaa haa haa! My brother just read out a very funny message he just received: “Breaking News : Pakistan cricket stadiums are now available for marriage lawns. For booking please contact MLB (Marriage Lawn Board) former known as PCB”

I was amazed by watching the footage of the two terrorists roaming around freely on the roads. It seemed that they were trained terrorists and were under someone’s protection from among the government as they weren’t afraid at all! Some people I heard were saying that the Government had done this to divert the public’s attention from PML-N Nawaaz brothers’ issue and to impost fear into people. That can be true. And in somewhere deep in my heart I have the feeling that that (2 Thats for the second time!) Mr. Ten Percent, Mr. Smiling-Face Zardari is after all this. The terrorists kept on firing for about 15 minutes and yet no police arrived. Why? And when the so “your majesty” police did arrive they were unaible to attain the hand prints! WHY?! All of this is because Government wanted this to happen and is defending the culprits. Their faces can be clearly seen in the footage. They should must be captured and punished along with all the forces after this incident. Congrats India and Australia for refusing our invitation.

I was listening to the bus driver’s interview on Geo News. He was saying that at first a white car overtook their bus in which all the team was and started shooting from the front. The players got down in the walking narrow corridor to take cover from the bullets sailing over their heads. Someone launched a “Mini Rocket” or whatever it is called. It fortunately hit the road and missed the bus. The grenade was thrown towards the bus but it missed the bus too! Lucky were they as it seems impossible to escape such a planned killing attempt. The driver which I think was really brave finally got to the Gadaffi Stadium securely.

And then somebody kills 5 people through firing in Queta. They are all psychos I think. If a terrorist attack is happening upon a team then what is the cause of these killing people? Now-a-days killing people has become a way to protest, you know…

And so this is the condition of our country. Not even the sports are acceptable by these terrorists or Government’s trained people. LAMENTABLE. That’s what our country’s situation is. God, bless us with your mercy as we are surely the ones who need it desperately. Here is a picture of the two out of nine terrorists attacking and shooting at the buses.

Do Not Try This At Home!

My brother is in A Levels, LACAS, Burki Road. The day before he came home and told me something I did not believe. He said that the boys in his school were doing a trick in which a person was fainted for a while. And it was very simple too. When I asked him how it was done he was reluctant to tell me. When I kept on insisting, he told it to me after making me promise that I wouldn’t try it on anybody. He told me that first a person sat down and breathed heavily for a while. Then he had to stand, hands spread out as though he was to fly. Then a person standing at his back would have his hands locked around his chest and would lift him. After a moment you feel like you are soaring and then you have fainted for some time. When you are fully conscious again you couldn’t remember anything that was going on after that arm spreading step. Many of the students were beaten up too by the other boys while he had fainted and when he would fully recover he hadn’t had any idea what was going on or what had happened to him. The trick done on my brother Ali Abbas Lali was fortunately a mild one. He told me that when he held our breath and the other boy lifted us. Our lungs were compressed and the heart was unable to pump blood to the brain. This caused the brain to become numb and a person was unconscious for some time. This can also harm a person permanently and can cause even death!!! If the blood isn’t pumped to the brain for a little longer it would stop functioning and a person can die!!! So I repeat that DO NOT TRY THIS ON ANYONE!

This is a small clip of what they did to my brother. Thank God he exhaled and the trick wasn’t a complete one.