Satellite Photos of Japan, Before and After the Quake and Tsunami
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Go here and move the slider to compare satellite images, taken by GeoEye, from before and after the disaster.
Labels: Clicked This, Floods, Photography
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, March 31, 2011,
, links to this post
All roads lead to Mohali
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
If rain saves India and semi final cant be played, then the rain rule “If following a tie, weather conditions prevent the one over eliminator from being completed, or if the match is a no result, then the team that finished in the higher position in the Group stage shall proceed to the final” will apply.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, March 30, 2011,
, links to this post
What's cooking
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Let me start this with a confession: I have a very healthy appetite and I love nicely cooked food. I have a little experience of cooking though. Nevertheless, memories of one of my cooking adventure will always remain with me.
It was during our exercise in School of Infantry and Tactics. We were a syndicate of four. As a part of survival training, we were issue dry ration (pulses, condiments, floor, and vegetable oil and more) before the start and we were required to cook for ourselves for three days. First day we lived on cooked items (fruit, cookies and chips) we were carrying in our rucksacks. On second day we had no choice and when everyone starting have hunger cramps, we decided to cook.
That is how it started; we collected the firewood, put the fry pan (part of our rucksack) on fire, and as a syndicate solution (by all four) put vegetable oil in it. Someone suggested adding everything else in the pan. We did that. It would have been Ok but Khalid – better cook among us - suggested that instead of making bread (rooti), let us add wheat floor as well. And we did exactly that. Result: the fry pan got filled and we could not even poke a fork in the mixture that we getting harder and harder with every passing moment. Thinking quickly, amidst different advices, we removed the fry pan from fire and has a closer look at what we had prepared.
It looked like a burnt cake. It had a taste of salt, chilies and of uncooked wheat floor. Bottom line is that we survived on our half backed cake for the rest of two days in difficult terrain of Baluchistan.Other than that, my best foodie experiences has been up to visiting Food Street, that was capital of Pakistan food sometime back.
I was reminded of this cooking experience when I saw a new blog by Yaseer Ali, the Director Institute of Hotel and Restaurant Management, University of Gujrat, being born. This blog will display a lot for those who cherish culinary delights for professionals as well as for those who only keep asking what's cooking. What little I know of Yaseer and his background, he is a very innovative and has a lot of drive.
I wish Institute of Hotel and Restaurant Management, students and Yaseer Ali a great success. I am sure the Institute will go a long way in hotel and hospitality industry and, in the longer run, will boost local as well as tourism.
Labels: Food
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, March 29, 2011,
, links to this post
Celebrating Pakistan
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
On this historic day, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan and known as the Quaid-e-Azam, made this historic speech, “Muslims are a nation according to any definition of nation. We wish our people to develop to the fullest spiritual, cultural, economic, social and political life in a way that we think best and in consonance with our own ideals and according to the genius of our people”.
Due to the efforts of the leaders of the All India Muslim League under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, that the British conceded to the legitimate demands of the Muslims and allowed partition of the British India into two independent countries of Pakistan and India on 14th August 1947.
23rd March 1956 is also another day in the history of Pakistan and the entire Muslim world when on this day Pakistan became the first Muslim republic of the world. Thus the day combines two important events in the history of Pakistan and is celebrated with national pride and commitment. The day is observed as a public holiday and a military parade is held on the occasion in Islamabad. However due to the commitment of the Pakistan Army in the War on Terror, the parade has been suspended for the time being.
The day commences with a 21 gun salute as a salute and tribute to all those who worked for the independence of Pakistan and those who died and laid their lives to acquire this country and preserving its integrity. On this day, let every Pakistani make a resolve to work towards making Pakistan as one of the greatest nations of the world, as pledged by Jinnah and make an all out endeavour to make this country peaceful, progressive, tolerant and accommodative for all people of Pakistan, irrespective of their religion, caste and creed. We must also make a resolve today to rid this country of the menace of militancy and extremism, which has plagued this country for the last so many years.
Labels: Pakistan
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, March 23, 2011,
, links to this post
Female cabbie
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
From New York to Islamabad female cabbies are still news anywhere. And in Pakistan female cabbie is ground-breaking.
Remember how the New York Hack - blog by female New York cabbie Melissa Plaut – created waves before it died just after her fat book 'Hack: How I Stopped Worrying About What to Do with My Life and Started Driving a Yellow Cab' deal. Then we saw a book by a Pakistani cabbie titled For Hire. Cabbies always have interesting stuff to tell.
But Zahida Kazmi, a brave woman who have opted to drive taxi in Islamabad to support her family of six children - is by far only example in Pakistan as per my knowledge. She bought a yellow can on easy installments by a government scheme in 90's [when Pakistan was a little different and more tolerant] and started driving to pick the passengers.
Generally speaking, women in Pakistani society are perceived working as a teacher, nurse, salesperson or politicians but to deviate from the norm takes a lot of courage. To become a cabbie - a profession meant for the rough and tough and not the dainty - is hard but Zahida Kazmi took on the challenge. For a woman to enter the realm of men can pose a serious challenge to their monopoly. By becoming a cabdriver she is fighting the odds for nine years now. She has travelled all over the Pakistan and passengers feel much happy and comfortable to travel with her. “I am old now and I get tired. It's hard for me to drive all the time but what can I do, says Zahida Kazmi.
Labels: Life
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, March 22, 2011,
, links to this post
Spring comes to Dolls Village
Monday, 21 March 2011
Work is in progress at different projects in addition to electricity by kites project. Thekedar Iqbal from Harappa is busy in various the repair work, a group of students from Women College University is expected to come and spend a day in the village. Flowers and decorative trees will be handed over to residents under ‘one boy one tree’ program.
While this is happening in the village, dolls and toys from Thatta Kedona are on display at Alhamra Art Gallery with the collaboration of Daachi-Foundation. Large number of friends of dolls came to visit Thatta Kedona stall at Alhamra Art Gallery.
Daachi Foundation mela has a message to create an atmosphere of harmony, tolerance, unity among the nation by establishing a peaceful society and promotion of traditional art and crafts. The mela not only entertained the masses but also provided an opportunity to know about the traditional arts and crafts and to bring them closed the real culture of this land. A large number of Lahorites along with their families visited the festival with full zeal.
Labels: Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Monday, March 21, 2011,
, links to this post
Khanki Headworks and Lower Chenab Canal
Saturday, 19 March 2011
Read more »
Labels: Images
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Saturday, March 19, 2011,
, links to this post
University of Gujrat Second Convocation 2011
Thursday, 17 March 2011
The University of Gujrat Second Convocation 2011
The University of Gujrat Second Convocation 2010
Labels: Convocation, UOG
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, March 17, 2011,
, links to this post
Annual Get Together 55 PMA Long Course - 2011
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Previous: Annual Get Together 55 PMA Long Course - 2010
Labels: 55 PMA, Get Together, Men At Their Best, Sweet Tweets
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, March 16, 2011,
, links to this post
Images from The Apricot Road to Yarkand
Monday, 14 March 2011
Labels: Photographers, Photography, Photos, Salman Rashid, The Apricot Road to Yarkand
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Monday, March 14, 2011,
, links to this post
Salman Rasid in Dalbandin
In my six berth "First Class Sleeper" Agha sahib sat serenely and allowed the big, crinkly haired man and his friend to fawn over him. He wore the round black turban and the matching robe of the Ayatollahs of Iran. His chinky eyes, very Mongol face and sparse beard screamed that he was either a Hazara or a Chengezi, like his attendants, and claimed descent from Chengez Khan. He was a quiet man who did not speak much and when he did it was difficult to catch his soft whisper. Mostly he just sat there looking regal with his pout, occasionally flicking some unseen particle of dust from his robe with ring laden fingers.
The crinkly haired man said Agha sahib was returning to Qum in Iran where he was a teacher, after visiting with relatives in his native village not very far north of Quetta. The master spoke only Persian and I, despite my illiteracy in the language, was asked to see that he was not inconvenienced in any way during the journey because he suffered from a sick heart, high blood pressure and diabetes. I hadn't the faintest idea how I was to accomplish what was expected of me but the nod and the smile from the man of God assured me all was well. Then suddenly, as we sat their exchanging nods and smiles, all hell broke lose.
Labels: Salman Rashid, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Monday, March 14, 2011,
, links to this post
From From Chernobyl to Japan; The 10 Worst Nuclear Disasters
Josh Dzieza talks to Ron Ballinger, a nuclear expert at MIT about how the plants work, and how bad it could get here.
Labels: Japan quake-tsunami disaster
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Monday, March 14, 2011,
, links to this post
Fuel prices up by 10 percent
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Labels: Petrol
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, March 01, 2011,
, links to this post
