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Saturday, October 16, 2010

Lovely Autumn in Tilburg, towards Tilburg West Station!



















Autumn, Tilburg and Tilburg University!
















Some motion moments of the autumn in Tilburg

Tilburg and Universiteit van Tilburg


On the Tilburg West train station - I know you will say dashing! It was really lovely sunny day!

Beautiful view from my office window. It faces


the south. The building shown is Cobenhagen building "often called C building".














The tallest building of Tilburg University!
Koopman's building!
















Tilburg University Monument (Really don't know what it stands for)















One of the fountains in the east side of university!

Ye Dolat Bhi Le Lo!!

One of the most favorite song of mine!

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Vertigo or Dizziness feeling

I have been fasting all days in the month of Ramadan since I was in class three or four. As I remember well, I never missed a day. Today, Saturday 21st Aug, 2010 (11th Ramadan) I decided not to fast because of my health. On Friday, after sehri when I got up and tried to come out of my bed, I felt a sudden fast round of the world. The whole world moved around me and I chose to lye immediately back into my bed. After couple of minutes rest it was alright. I chose to stay at home rather than going to university and work. In the mid-day, I went for Jumma prayers and then decided to go to office. In the evening, I had a long long chat with my family.

In the evening, I came back home. An hour after iftaar, I felt this jerk again. It was strong as in morning. After some time, I felt a small vertigo again. Then after this happened quite regularly. On my request, Faraz, who was near his place near City Center, came to my place. On the way to my place, he met and got advice from Ather's morrocan friend, Yahya that I could call Emergency and inform them of my situation. Yahya talked to me on mobile as well and I am highly thankful to him for all his support that he offered to take me to hospital at such late time (12 midnight) if emergency hospital asked me to visit doctor.

Well, after a long wait on emergency phone number, a person finally got a chance to talk to me. It was almost after 15 minutes of hold on phone. I told him the whole story that this dizziness/ vertigo started in morning, and happened again in late evening at 10pm. Continuously, I felt this dizziness/vertigo with small breaks of few minutes and I felt it specially when I turned from my one side to other side while lying on the bed. I also felt lightness while walking as otherwise when walking I usually have a firm footing on the ground. The woman on the other side of the phone asked several other questions about the story. The surprising thing is that I was fasting the whole day and I didn't feel it but I felt it only after iftaar when I had already eaten alot. When I informed her, she immediately was of the opine that I do not need to see a doctor and it was probably because of Ramadan/fast because she put forth the argument that during fast we don't eat and the dizziness could be just a cause of it. However, I also had a severe cold and sweating at the same time. I told her this several times but she was stubborn and firm that I can not see a doctor.

Well, by that time Faraz was already there. I took one paracetamol and decided not to fast the next day (that is today). I felt extremely bad about it but I couldn't help myself.

Today, after I got up in the morning (10 am perhaps). I felt the same thing again but I was not feeling cold as such. Then the vertigo/dizziness feeling remained still. Sadaf, Faraz and I searched on internet about the near by doctor. We went to see a near by house doctor. Unfortunately, the house doctors work from Monday to Friday and the house doctor hospital at Lage Witsiebaan 400, Tilburg was closed. We came in contact with Sadaf, Ather and Yahya again. Yahya called the emergency hospital and took me an appointment of 10 past 15. Ather was here before Yahya and then Yahya brought his car near the gas station at 15.00 hours. We went to the hospital (I dont remember the name, I will ask Ather again).

At hospital, doctor called me in. He asked me the story. After my narration, he took me to the diagnosis room. There first he peeped into my ear with a some device and told me that I don't have fever. Then he asked me to undress top. I took off my jacket, shirt and vest. He checked my blood-pressure and said it was normal. He then checked my breath, heart beat and lungs by listening to stathoscope. Later he asked me to do straighten my hands in front and by closing eyes, I should touch the finger of one hand to my nose and repeat for the other hand too. The next exercise was to walk towards him by closing eyes. The last exercise was to walk with eyes open but by putting feets in one line.

After such number of exercises, his remarks were that I was completely alright. He informed me he checked my fever, my blood pressure, my brain, my chest, my lungs and he thought everything was good.

Lastly, he mentioned that though he can write me desciption of medicines but he will not do that. He suggested I should not take any medicine and I should only relax and take rest and do things as normal. He informed me that this vertigo feeling could remain for some days and would reduce slowly and gradually. However, if I think that things are not improving then I can visit him after afew days, may be Tuesday or Wednesday.

This was the first time, I had such vertigo or dizziness feeling. I pray to Allah that this dizziness/vertigo feeling goes off soon. Amen.

I am thankful to Yahya, Sadaf, Faraz, and Ather for all the help they did. Thanks buddies. May Allah grant you Ajar. Amen.

I will talk about insurance / house doctor / hospitals in Holland in my next blog.

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Humans or Animals: Karachi Bloodshed

No civilized nation ever fights within its own circles. Killing a fellow human is the worst act a human can even think of. Blaming small groups over ethinic grounds as terrorists has been the playfield of the ethnic party of Karachi, MQM. With the huge size and population of city, approximately 18 million (many nations in the world even don't have such number of people), it becomes the utmost responsibility of the most influential party to maintain peace and show both the maturity and the patience.

MQM one one hand claims that they have not only the most middle-class/youth as their members but also the most-educated when comes to comparing with other parties population. Yet, they display no less than an uneducated mannerisms. The civilized people would never take law in one's own hands, rather they would respect the supremacy of the law.

On 2nd August, 2010, MP of Provincial Assembly, Mr. Raza Haider is shot dead by 'unidentified' men. After this news, in not less than two hours, the city of 18million goes to sleep for two complete days. Not only the city sleeps, but some again 'unidentified' men engage in the row of actual firing and kill five to seven dozen of people in just 2 days.

Simply terrorizing and killing is the price of the killing of some big person of MQM party. The price is not just six to seven dozen people but:
a. terrorizing the innocent citizens
b. disconnecting Karachi city from the whole world
c. losses from no economic activity
d. Not letting children and youth go to schools, colleges, and universities.
e. No social life.
f. Complete horror and terror.

This is the responsible action of the responsible party which makes tall claims about itself. This party is the coalition partner in the provincial government. The Governor of the province Sindh is the influencial member of the party. Education never teaches to create such environment, rather it teaches to use the best and optimum strategy that ensures the justice along with saving the environment from being suffered by terror, horror, economic loss, social loss, monetary loss and above all the loss of lives.

I hope the youth of Pakistan can make better decision as to what they want.

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Floods in Pakistan: A call for a change!

Record Floods in Pakistan
I remember from my childhood, when our elders, specially my grandfather Haji A. Majeed Shaikh and my mom, used to tell us horrifying stories of floods that swept away hundreds of villages in Pakistan during the era of ex-Prime Minister, Late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. I never knew the devastation, horror, terror, and deceases caused by such natural disaster. The odd memories of last disaster have not faded that the mother nature is testing the Pakistani people with its yet another horrifying calamity.

Everybody is well-known with the idea that a hard/solid stone can even be cut by the fierce force of water. The floods naturally cause the biggest disaster. Not only, they destroy the property, but they take with them all the essence of living - be it livelihood, agriculture, infrastructure, health, and above all the lives. The reconstruction of worldly things is delayed for couple of months but the resurrection of souls is not possible.

This natural calamity not only is the call for raising funds and helping those who have been displaced mainly but also is a big call for correcting our actions and bringing a educated revolution of mending our ways of development for the masses of the country. It now calls for thinking differently. Why we as a nation help our poor brotheren only when they are under the mercy of nature? Why we as a nation only come out and start raising funds to provide the people the basic necessity? Why we as a nation only think with a short-term thought and vision? Why we as a nation only leave our racism / ethinicity in the times of badly-hit times? Why we "educated class" ring the bells of the other friends for helping these calamity stricken people only when there is calamity? Why we call this is the time of the test for all of us?

I do accept that this is the time of the test for every countrymen, but I also think that mother nature wants us to think differently. When I say think differently I mainly mean two things. Why not we work continuously and consistently for building infrastructure that is not only strong but also viable for long-term like 30 to 50 years. Why not we voluntarily provide services to our country in various fields and build the strong foundation for developing. Just think of a building or a computer software, the higher you want to construct the building the stronger the base/foundation you need. Similarly, for computer software, the sophisticated software you want to develop, a comprehensive and clear architecture of software you need to design first.

We must mend our ways to build the country. A sudden help to poor because of natural shock will never build the country stronger but it will take our country back something like 10 to 20 years in development everytime a natural calamity hits us. We now know on average in every decade, we face 2 to 3 natural shocks and each shock takes us 10 years back. These habits will not change our future at all.

Let's hold our hands together and promise for untiring and endless efforts and hardwork for building our country each and everyday. Let's promise that we will not only act during the times of natural shocks but we will act more during our daily lives.

May Allah rest the bereaved families struck by the calamity. May Allah build the hearts of our people stronger to help eachother in everywalk of life. May Allah purify our hearts so that we can think of eliminating evils rather than fostering them.

Sunday, August 01, 2010

Holland Vs Spain Worldcup final WK-2010!

This is Liedseplein, Amsterdam. Around are the coffee shops, bars and discos showing world cup final match on big screens in and outside their restaurants.
That day, in Amsterdam, more than 80,000 people came to watch the final between Holland and Spain with the hope of winning worldcup for the first time in history.
Their team with aggressive and kicking approach didn't reach upto the high-spirited fans clubs in Amsterdam.


This is Museumplein in Amsterdam where big concerts are organized. There were three huge screens showing the world cup final. People from far areas came to watch this match. I myself came to Amsterdam to watch this match.
There were more than 80,000 people at this place. It was great fun. The mood was gloomy after the dutch team lost the match.

Amazing fun!
I really enjoyed alot.















Saturday, July 31, 2010

Ills of our society

Everyone likes to share his / her thoughts about ills of the society. Everyone tries to highlight ills of the society. But no one, ever wants to look at him/herself. I am trying to highlight the weaknesses of the human souls on this matter.

In our society, things are drastically changing. Some decades back, if you looked at the living style of the people, they lived together as big families. Most of the times, there would be more than 15 people living in the same house. These people would be dependent hardly on one or two individuals making living for the whole family and still living very happy life. Everybody cared for upholding the respect of the family. If anyone ever talked mis-sense or tried to cause problems, the whole family as united stood against those odd people.

What is happening now? Lets talk about Education. I don't want to give exact statistics, but at least five decades ago, less than 20% of the population was educated. The literacy rate today is boasted, based on being able to sign one's name, to be a little higher than 50%. Before providing the education to masses, making the people literate and preparing for competing with the other same human beings living on different corners of the technology advanced world, we never actually educated our souls to acquire good values of the other societies without loosing our own valued customs, manners, and civilization. With the education and easy and almost free access to many cultures / norms / styles of the other societies, we have forgotten that our culture's strength is value of our families.

Nowadays, within a family, you will find almost everybody makes living but still not able to live a peaceful, successful and joyful life. Why? Education? Yes from among many reasons, one reason hits me hard! Everybody talks about XYZ is MS, MBA, MA or some other degree qualified. He has got education from the best institutes. He spent alot of money for his education. HECK! These people spent money for mis-eduation. The mis-education was that after graduating, working for some successful firm, and making money will be the only thing that will succeed one in life. But do you really work for the improvement of society. The people paid their taxes to government to spend on making lives of the common souls liveable. However, this was not utilized well. Educated people after seeking never educated other souls, they did so for making money. Look at the schools boasting to be the best schools of the country and you will have a compelete idea yourself.

With education comes the status. Over years, I have felt that there is another huge ill in our society which is highly significantly correlated with mis-education ill. This ill is the status. Just for a second think that you are in a setting where there are all students or currently graduated students from various institutes. One student introduces the other, Hi I am ABC and have done my 'degree' from Government College. The other student introduces himself as if he is god that oh! i have done my 'degree' from some lavish private school. After several students have introduced with eachother, the students from private lavish schools corner as a group and talk to each other and give a feeling as if they were more qualified with better education. Trust me, with this obvious behaviour these students are signalling to the man of understanding that they are mis-educated. They are simply creating a crater from which lava of grim problems or ills of society generate.

I call this the very basic beginning of the decline of social values, respect, and civilization. With this kind of attitude and norms, societies perish.