The IPL Experience!!!

This year the sweltering summer heat has lost its way to delhi/NCR…all thanks to the cool western disturbances which have brought unusually pleasant weather in April-May. Every few days we see light rain and thunderstorms……resulting in pleasant evenings……

feroz shah kotla stadium, delhi

and on one such evening faiz took me to watch the IPL cricket match between Delhi Dare Devils and Mumbai Indians at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium…….

jam packed stadium

I was not a very big fan of the Indian Premier League earlier but after experiencing  it….i can’t stop gushing with excitement………..this new format of cricket is super entertaining and watching it in a stadium is far far better than watching on TV….the atmosphere in the stadium is fully charged…..the big screens…banners, flags, drums, music, cheer leaders all add color to this extravaganza. I was a bit apprehensive of the crowd and the seating arrangements at the stadium…..we reached the venue early so did not face much crowd while entering…plus the free ride from parking lot at Shanti Van to the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium was such a relief…..

dirty seats at the stadium, it's difficult to find a clean one.

we made good use of free placards which were handed out to us for covering the dirty seats at the stadium…..……well u can say that everything about IPL is related to money, money and more money….the stadium was jam packed with almost 40,000 people…..and the tickets started at 750 Rs. We weren’t allowed to carry any food items inside not even water….so the vendors inside made good money as no one could sit there for six hours without water and food......each small glass of water cost 10 bucks and after a few glasses we stopped counting……So u can imagine the kind of money ppl spent for watching a single match and can only wonder how much money the IPL guys will make in the entire series….but the money spent is all worth the entertainment….the delhi dare devils were on fire…and the sixes and fours kept coming and thrilling the audience!!

match in progress

The Mumbai Indians and specially Sachin were a huge disappointment….the crowd cheered and bowed and stood up for sachin but the li’l master failed to create magic on the ground………….m glad that delhi won…….n won in style!!!  After six hours of cheering, shouting, waving and clapping…we were  so tired we wished we could just make a huge leap and land directly on our car seats….but then came the worst part…..suddenly all the 40,000 tired ppl at the stadium started rushing out towards the exit to be the first ones to get out…..n there was this huge human sea of ppl filled on the exit lanes……after walking a certain distance…...i realised we weren’t walking anymore…we were actually getting pushed…..we had three small kids in our group which made me panic even more…… thankfully we reached our cars safely……then a lonnnnnnng drive home……..we reached home at 1 in the night……..extremely tired but v v happy to have been a part of a spectacular event!! :)

For those who are planning to go to watch IPL at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, here’s a little info which you may find handy :

Try and reach the venue early and by early I mean atleast two hours before the start time of the match…..we started from noida at 4:30pm and reached the venue by six…n the match started at 8 pm. We found nicely placed seats and also got to watch the players’ practice session! Being late will make it v v difficult to find a good seat which means u will have to settle for the last rows n keep standing all thru the match to get a better view…..so better reach early!!! J

The parking facility at Shanti Van is quite good and there are free rides (bus) available from there to the stadium gate. There are several entry points so make sure u remember to get down at the correct gate no., else u may have to walk a lot.

Do not buy flags from the vendors outside b’coz the security ppl at the entry point throw away the sticks holding the flags to avoid any violence inside…….and in any case there is no point buying any placard as all these things are distributed free by the sponsors once u r inside the stadium. (we got placards of sixes and fours by Panasonic, and nice red color hoods by vodaphone……u can also get the flag of ur favourite team painted on ur face for twenty bucks!!)

four placard from panasonic

the vodaphone hoods

You cannot carry any food items or water inside the stadium. But u r allowed to take baby food and milk bottles, tissues, diapers, etc.  for infants. Remember that u cant take any plastic carry bag inside so please bring ur stuff in an environment friendly carry bag made of paper, jute,etc. Also purse, handbags , etc. are not allowed so either don’t carry any at all or leave them in ur car.

If u have hyper kids under three years of age then be prepared to spend all your time trying to keep them happy as they r not interested in the match and will get thirsty and hungry all the time giving u frequent trips to the food and water counters……u wud rather sit at home and enjoy the match on TV.

When the match ends, do not rush to get out of the stadium just wait until the crowd clears, else u will get caught in a human sea where there can be fair chances of a stampede..god forbid…..

Once outside the stadium, be prepared to walk back to the parking at Shanti Van which is a good 2-3 km. There are no rides or autos or rickshaws available at that unearthly hour.

But all said n done....u must must must go n experience the thrill n excitement of watching the match live in a stadium!!! it's all worth the pain!!  :)

it's me again...

Hello there!! back after quite a while......just curious whether i m back b'coz i m inspired to write again...or is it APRIL! uh-oh poor joke eh?!.....well, if u notice, my last post was in April 2010 and then i went into hibernation until the warm april weather forced me out again :)

So, what was keeping me away u might ask?....i had a pretty tight schedule running after my li'l naughty princess Rimsha 24x7.......whoever said it was easy being a mom at home..... but at the end of the day....my cutie pie's sweet jibber jabber and naughty pranks....wash away all the frowns on my face and put a big smile there...feeling really proud of how she's growing up and learning things fast..alhumdulillah!

The thought of getting back to work crossed my mind several times in the past year...but m still apprehensive about leaving Rimsha under anyone else's supervision....though i know my career is suffering real bad b'oz of this long hiatus from work but i would prefer this over losing my "peace of mind".....

This change in role from a "working woman" to "a housewife and a mom at home" has changed my perceptions about life and has left me reflecting over the way i have lived so far....i guess getting good education and living upto my parents expectations was a part well played at my end....next i went to esteemed workplaces and enjoyed excellent growth opportunities......got married to a decent guy....had a happy marriage....was blessed with a lovely daughter.....playing the best role of my life "MOM"............so many blessings n still counting............well, well, looks such a pretty picture so far.....but strangely enough i find a huge vacuum inside me...still struggling to find the meaning of my existence and though i have several roles to play now but i m yet to figure out the purpose of my life apart from being a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, etc.....

I jotted down this poem in urdu reflecting the unrest inside me.....it talks about the way i used to feel thrilled about the things in my life when i was a young girl....raring to go...ready to conquer the world, n then i dunno wat happened....i guess as i grew up i just settled down with watever came my way....i didn't really follow the roadmap i had made for myself as a young girl.........n perhaps i waited too long to arrive at the right point in life to start certain ventures....n now it seems that i don't have enough courage n inspiration left to go on the untrodden path..........but lately m trying to put together the pieces of this puzzle called life and make more sense out of my existence....


Vo josh e jawani vo walwala tha kabhi
Kehte the rukh hum hawaon ka badal dalenge
Hain ab zyada zaraaye aur aql bhi zyada
Par ab parwaaz ki sochein to laraz jaate hain


Hazaron pal hain chahakte, mahakte lamhe hain,
Magar ab choti si khushi ko taras jaate hain
Jo pal na lautenge, hum jitni koshishein kar lein
Vo ghataa ban ke ab aankhon se baras jaate hain


Tamam umr ka haasil ye samajh aaya hai,
Tum apne aaj ko jee bhar k jiyo chha jao
Na taalo kal ke intezaar mein bas kar jao
Zindagi ki daudti phirti rawan maujon par,
Na thaamo khud ko is tarah se, bhula do saare dar,
Khade rahe jo wahin doob ke reh jaaoge
Sivay bebasi ke, ranj ke, kya paaoge

Na khona maqsad ko raah e hayat mein Nauras,
Na apne khwabon ko tum yuhi bikharne dena,
Hai zaroori ke jiyo duniya mein is tarha tum,
Ke jaao bhi to tumhe yaad har ek fard kare


Some meanings:
walwala - vigor and enthusiasm
rukh - direction
zaraaye - means
aql - wisdom
parwaaz - udaan - flight
laraz - shiver
rawan - flowing
mauj - wave
ranj - grief
maqsad - aim
raah - path
hayat - life
fard - person

From Dams to Diapers

It was a sunny April Sunday, when Faiz n I got up to meet the most pleasant surprise of our lives. We found out that I was ‘expecting’ and our joy knew no bounds. Both of us looked at each other trying to reassure that finally the moment had arrived for which we had waited for 4 long years!!! I cud see faiz’s watery eyes thru mine…….tears of happiness rolled n we stood there speechless not knowing wat to say not feeling the need to express anything in words coz our souls were already congratulating each other.

It took me a while to sink in the new found status of “Mom to be.” An amazing phase of growing up began……physically as well as emotionally….. it’s really amazing how motherhood comes so naturally into ur system. From the day I realized that I was expecting till the time I saw my baby for the first time, I went through a transformation from a woman to a mother. My priorities in life changed. I had never thought that I will leave my career at a time when it was flourishing….but I didn’t have the heart to leave my li’l girl at home and go to work.

I can never forget the day when I took my li’l girl in my arms for the first time…..i cudn’t thank God enough for granting me this one wish of having a daughter( I always prayed for a girl…..not that a boy wud mean any less to me…but in my heart of hearts I always wanted a girl)…….
.n now that she was in my arms looking at me with the most sparkling eyes I have ever seen…..i didn’t want anything else from God……I felt so fulfilled........her beautiful face, her tiny li’l fingers, pitch black silky hair, flawless complexion……..awww…she looked adorable!!!

Hardly did I know that this hydropower engineer designing dams would soon be changing diapers with as much ease. I always dreaded the diaper changing and potty cleaning stuff…even the thought of it wud put me off and I used to wonder how will I do it when my own child is born.

But believe me, God instills so much love in a mother’s heart that she can go to any extent to take care of her baby……sleepless nites, diaper changes, feeding sessions, n every other task that’s part of the baby raising package is too less a price u pay for such a precious li’l reward!!!

To Faiz on his b'day!

Once upon a time, when ‘You’ and ‘I’ became ‘WE’
Life took a fresh start on a brand new journey,

The path was unknown and the challenges great,
But with love in our hearts, n no place for hate,

We set out to conquer the world together,
N stood by each other through all sorts of weather.





There were times that were happy and times that were sad,
N many a times when we got oh-so mad,





With countless desires and a hue of emotions,
We kept moving on with all the devotion,
Our faith in each other has brought us to a place,
Where soon we will find our lifetime solace,


A gift from the Almighty to represent ‘WE’
N to be the source of joy in our journey!!!

Fresh ho jaao!

Wonder how sometimes a few ads make a special mark on ur mind??! u instantly connect to them n get hooked on!

One such ad i cant keep my mind off from is the Limca commercial it's one of my hot favorites!!!



The lyrics are so refreshing u just can't stay untouched by the mood of this song!! the song goes like this.......

Phuhaarein, bauchharein, nazaare chura lo na,
kuch boondein chura lo na;
Thaki si zindagi se, ruki si zindagi se,
kuch lamhe chura lo na;

Kuch yaadein, aur sapne, apne chura lo na;
Ruki si zindagi se, thaki si zindagi se,
raftaar chura lo na...

lukka chhupi khelti hai,
bheed mein hazaaron galiyaan;
galiyon mein yun bheed banke,
chhup gayi hain saari khushiyaan;
Khushiyon ko bula lo na,
muskaane churalo na
sulagti pyaas hai toh,
machalti pyaas hai toh;
ek limca churalo na....

Kuch yaddein, aur sapne, apne chura lo na;
Ruki si zindagi se, thaki si zindagi se,
raftaar chura lo na.....

here's the song for u!! get mesmerised by the melody!


-->>

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Color Splash!!

It's WEEKEND!!!!!!!!! wow m I happy or wat!!! Feeling a sudden rush of happiness and excitement...no specials reasons....just feeling good!! :-)

It's when u feel like u wanna dance in the rain......smile in the sun and get splashed with lots of colors!!

here r a few pics speaking my mind rite now!!

The Arabian Excursion!!

A recent pleasure trip to the UAE accompanied by Faiz and my parents has relaxed my senses and rejuvenated my spirits to the core. The Arabian experience has left a mesmerizing effect on my mind and I am sharing here some wonderful moments spent there.

We landed at the brightly lit up Sharjah Airport at 9:30 pm on 8th Nov 2008. The moment we entered the airport premises a gush of exotic fragrances welcomed us to this mysterious land of deserts. Had heard about the perfumes of Arabia but wud be exposed to its effect so soon was unexpected. I knew that pleasant surprises were in store for rest of the ten days I was to spend in the UAE. The first surprise came in the form of an Arab officer speaking to me in crystal clear hindi, he took me through some sort of eye scan security check. Arabian women, wearing abaya and head scarves, efficiently handling the helpdesks at the custom counter broke my myth about them being "conservative n suppressed".....

Both my elder brothers and bhabhi’s alongwith the kids had come to receive us. My excitement levels were brimming with the realization of the fun we were gonna have in the next few days over this family reunion....an amazing feeling Alhumdulillah!!

We stopped to have some refreshments on the way to Al Ain from the Sharjah Airport. In the UAE, one can find ADNOC petrol pumps at regular intervals on the highways. They are unique in the sense that each such station will have a restaurant, washroom, shopping outlet and a masjid. All the roads are radar controlled and u better mind ur speed here coz it can cost u heavily if u get clicked!!!
On day one, we visited the Jebel Hafeet in Al Ain. “Jebel” is an Arabic word for “mountain”. The road leading to Jebel Hafeet was artistically lit and winding upwards like a creeper clinging to the night sky. Felt like the path led straight upto the heavens!




The Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road extends for 11.7 km up the mountain, rising 4000 ft. With 21 corners and three lanes (two climbing and one descending), the immaculate road is called one of the greatest driving road in the world. The road scales the mountain and ends at a parking lot with only a hotel and a palace belonging to the country's rulers. The "Mercure Grand" hotel atop Jebel Hafeet is a hotspot for famous movie stars from Hollywood n Bollywood, who come there to relax and unwind. We drove the roads where the climax car chase of the recent movie “Race” was filmed. The view of Al Ain city from top of Jebel Hafeet was breathtaking!!

At the foothill is a place called the Green Mubazzarah. Hotsprings along with green meadows spread like a carpet are truly amazing and a major tourist attraction. We had a nice picnic there and enjoyed yummy homemade food, especially my favorite koftas.


While in the UAE, I also tried a few Lebanese and Arab delicacies like shawarmas, khaboos, and hamoos. Umm yum yum yum….muh mein paani aa raha hai na?!!!!




Our next destination was the Sheikh Zayed Masjid in Abu Dhabi. This shrine is a brilliant illustration of Islamic architecture and artistic excellence. The carpets in the prayer halls are woven with superb finesse and lovely patterns. The galleries with mirror polished marble floors have a synchronous arrangement of pillars which are adorned with gold plated leaves giving them the typical palm look! The colored stones inlaid in the marble remind u of the craftsmanship in the mughal architecture of the Tajmahal. Truly this place is worth visiting as it not only is an architectural marvel but also exudes a sense of tranquility and peace!!





Some trivia regarding the masjid (source: wikipedia)
Sheikh Zayed Mosque is the third largest mosque in the world, located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan the founder and the first President of the United Arab Emirates, who rests in peace in the mausoleum in the same campus. The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority announced that tours of the mosques will be given to both Muslims and non-Muslims in order to promote cultural and religious understanding.

The Sheikh Zayed Mosque made some world records:
• The carpet laid out on the vast expanse is the "World's Largest Carpet" made by Iran's Carpet Company and designed by Iranian artist Ali Khaliqi. This carpet measures 5,627 square meters, and was made by around 1,200 weavers, 20 technicians, and 30 workers. The weight of this carpet is 47 tons — 35 tons of wool, and 12 tons of cotton. There are 2,268,000 knots within the carpet.



• This mosque also holds the largest chandelier. There are seven imported chandeliers from Germany and are copper and gold-plated. The largest chandelier has a 10 meter diameter and a 15 meter height.

Phew!!!!!! :-)

Destination next was Hatta, near Oman border where we experienced the magic of the Desert with an adventurous motor bike ride on the magnificent red sand dunes. While heading towards the desert, we were caught in a sandstorm which reduced visibility dramatically. We had to pull up in a corner until the visibility returned to normal. Luckily, the weather turned quite pleasant by the time we reached Hatta. There was this amazing safari ride available but we decided to go biking instead.It was so much fun to ride the 4-wheeler desert motor bike….I bought a small alladin style lamp as a souvenir of this land of sand dunes n mystic folklores. The ambience was perfect....straight out of an Arabian Nights Fairytale---- desert, camels and falcons, sandstorm brewing at a distance…all things together added up to my imagination n I rubbed the lamp hoping a genie wud appear and grant me a few wishes!! Alas! It was an ordinary lamp after all.

In Dubai, we visited several interesting places like the Jumeirah Beach, Burj-al-Arab Hotel, Atlantis Hotel at Palm island, Ibn Battuta Mall and the Gold Souk. I would like to make a special mention of the Ibn Battuta Mall, which is one of its kind and the world’s largest themed shopping mall. It is an absolute “must visit” spot when u r in Dubai. The mall depicts the life instances of the great arab traveler Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta also known as Shams ad - Din, born at Tangier, Morocco, on the 24th February 1304 C.E. (703 A.H.).

Each region Ibn Battuta explored – Andalusia, Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India and China – is reflected in the architecture and theme of the mall’s six courts. These courts strongly project the historical and cultural richness of this Arabian icon’s life, serving as inspiration to all those who visit.










Ibn Battuta Trivia:
Ibn Battuta started on his travels when he was 20 years old in 1325. His main reason to travel was to go on a Hajj, or a Pilgrimage to Mecca, as all good Muslims want to do. But his traveling went on for about 29 years and he covered about 75,000 miles visiting the equivalent of 44 modern countries which were then mostly under the governments of Muslim leaders of the World of Islam, or "Dar al-Islam". The accounts of his travels and excursions can be found in the famous book “Rihla”.

Click on the link below to follow Ibn Battuta on his travels from Morocco to Mecca, Turkey, India, China, and beyond. Includes many maps and modern day photos of ancient landmarks.
http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/ibn_battuta/Ibn_Battuta_Rihla.html

Well, well, this trip has certainly become one my most precious memories and I shall be relishing the wonderful experiences and tales of the UAE for a long long time…..there is much more to share but may be in some other post. For now, I sign off on a note that traveling does make a person wiser and opens the windows of the mind to a world of knowledge. And I pray to Allah that I get more such opportunities to travel around the world and realize and appreciate the unbound beauty and marvels of this planet. Aameen!!