Satisfaction Lies in the Effort

Tell me, what do you do…. when after an arduous 2 hour journey through rough trunk roads, you get a phone call that the destination you are going to have been hit by a bomb blast 100m away from the site you are visiting?

Exactly…! I proceeded… because today was the ground breaking ceremony of an MSC building in Peshawar and after months of much debacle, piling works can finally start. I wasn’t going to miss out on this as a PM… in fact, I shouldn’t.

I got up at 7am and started my journey… reached at approximately 930am. It’s almost 5am now and I have just got home. It has been a freaking 22 hr rotation day for me.

Obviously, on first news that the bomb blast happened, I was a bit skeptical, but what can I do? I have done almost 75% of my journey there, I couldn’t turn back. Hence, I proceeded. After one hour on the site, I felt another tremor. It was the second blast of the day. I was stunned. Within 10 minutes, I heard sirens. It felt very close. Surprisingly, no one on site was bothered as much as I did. I asked the site supervisor, he told me that it was common. Probably once or twice a month. I was dumbfounded for a sec and soon, I sort of got used to that idea… in fact, I had to. There is no other way… Work continues. It could seem to be a surreal scene from Iraq, believe me, it does, but this is not Iraq. Its Pakistan after all we are talking about here. Life moves on. Thank GOD... again.

At 3am, after continuous pile motions and non-stop civil activities, the job was done. I am proud to have initiated and completed my first pile for this Media Gateway. Another 67 more piles to go! Hahahaha…. Nites everyone!... time for Indo Mee now… another 2hours of sleep, and I am back on again… to meetings with UFONE…. Life? Tell me about it…

Stoned on a Lazy Sunday

Two days of consequtive stoning does no good to brighten up a dull Sunday afternoon... but it does wonders when you are stressed! Again... in office on Sunday to review all documents, setting up plans for the coming week, making sure that the first thing tomorrow on Monday will be calm... because it really does suck when its already the Monday blues and people still screw up plans to give you shit.

Tickets have been finalized, all corresponding stopover taxes has been paid and my flight back to Malaysia is finally confirmed! Damn... cant believe its been almost 2 months since I have been in Pakistan which brings the tally to about 5 months already since last year! There'll be more to come as I will be returning back here after my short holidays.

One thing I have been trying to do these days is to forget... I am still trying. Its difficult but I'd rather have memories of infinite dreams put together than to have something else. It's definitely not easy both mentally and physically, but I've gotta try. Some people say I am chasing an empty dream or looking at a half empty glass... they are probably right. Some beg to differ. But I should be taking in a half full glass now. It hurts but I have still got loads to do.

Sunday... an expresionless and emotionless day engulfs my mundane soul. Stoning tonight? You bet!....

Fresh from Afghanistan

It's been donkey years since I last kept in touch with her... my word... she's been everywhere around the world and its so good to see her again. Coincidentally, Aszman knows her and where else better than to get together here in Pakistan where the stakes are high and pressure mounts everyday to an unbelievable frustration. It's nice to be stoned again... 8 years to be exact since the last get together..... Mary, you life saver! Its bad enough that Daniels is on holiday... cant wait to have him back in the fold the next time around.

Liverpool lost this week. I still havent recovered even though I hate to admit it. Its tough coming to terms with it. No one understands the anguish inside. The Pakistan people arent helping much with their illogical senses in the project... the Chinese have bullets but are misfiring... how else bad can it get? I have the logics but not the gun and the bullets. The Chinese doesnt want to share their guns... and the Pakistanis are boastful with nothing to show. As everyone calls it... the "NATO" (No Action, Talk Only). Hence, as a Project Manager specifically in Pakistan, I have got to learn how to live with it and join them. Principally, I cant because it is against all forms of integrity and character I have built over the years. What do you do in my shoes?..... hence, Mary... you have arrived at the right time and right place. Thank you.

Not Kopite's Year...

Unfortunately not this year... I am scripting this at 1.40am Pakistan time... 2-1 down... I have no comments on why Liverpool couldnt peak at this very crucial moment.

I am feeling a bit dejected...

But guess it has been written in the cards... its never easy as a Scouser to accept defeat this way... it will be a long day tomorrow... here I am staring blankly at the screen, thinking of a way to sum it up but I just couldnt find the right words.

In fact, its sad... it could have been better...

I have seen a better fighting Liverpool side... where was the team of Istanbul 05' spirit? Tonight, there wasnt any sprint. Liverpool knew that was it and the pace just slowed down to an unbearable frustrating stroll along a park... but credit to Crouch, Gerrard, Caragher, Mascherano, Finnan. The back four was fantastic. Zenden and Kewell? nah... wasnt prepared.... my man of the match would be Pennant... he fought for every inch of the field... that was the spirit but in the end, there was only two players... the other being the passionate Liverpool supporters all over the world... especially those in Greece... who sang and sang their hearts out when it mattered most... but guess they knew it as well... its heartbreaking to see some of them crying their hearts out on tele...

It's gonna be a bad day... or week. I need time to recover...

Athens: KOP: Greek Gods

HERE WE COME ATHENS

99.9% Enroute to BKK-KUL

Since Saturday, I have been waiting for a feedback after striking a deal with the actor (my project director)... why do I call him the actor?... basically because he is good at acting in front of clients.

Anyway, there wasnt any feedback from him since he said 'Deal Done!'. Therefore, I am able to proclaim now that I will return soon to Malaysia by beginning July 07! You might also wonder, what deal?... well... a deal which has been so hard for me to make... not withstanding the days and nights of thoughts put in for this decision... which is, to make a return back to Pakistan after this trip back home. He is happy, I am OK, everyone else is. I figured there is no retaining power anymore in KL... why not make full use of it when I can although this is not really what I want!

I also left a 0.1% disclaimer just in case. :-)

As time goes by, its getting busier than ever. The whole story is the same. Clients will be happily dishing out harmful and provocative emails pushing you around, I will be calling my engineers, go on site for a while, check some status, have meetings, screw someone and by 4pm, I'd be looking at my emails and heave a big sigh because by this time, there will be at least 80-90 unread emails... most of them labelled with URGENT. Then by 6pm, it increases exponentially at a rate of 15 mails per hour... some who are on site will start calling you again... the whole cycle repeats. At this conjuncture, I would have changed into my second phone battery... by 8pm, I am sitting in my office alone... looking at at least 150 emails @ 80Mb + pictures of sites. Then I will go home, have dinner, short one, and continue on with work trying to filter out emails, delete those which I am on the cc list (cc list meaning I am in the email loop as an observer)... and try skimming through the rest, do a few replies, bathe, turn the music up, reply emails, write my blog and before I know it, its already 1am.

One day, Aszman was quite surprised why I had so many emails. Even he was surprised... I didnt know how to explain. When you are e2e (End to End in a project)... that's what you get because I am monitoring everything... so, all issues, problems will come to you.... from Outsourcing products such like ACs, gensets, fire fighting systems (M&E), civil works... equipment installations... to contract and BOQs. Its all a mind boggler. But today was a relatively fine day with not many big issues. Hopefully, the good run will continue...

Lucky Break...

Problems and issues amounting to an almost standstill since our first pre-test took off 3 days ago. Today I had to take action. Bilal and myself was about to take off to Kohat BSC to inspect the problem and find a solution to it TODAY until one phone call came and told us not to go because 5 engineers from another telecom company was kidnapped in that area. I hesitated for a while but decided to still go for it. I had to. Bilal had to. This BSC was our baby and we are not going to let this go unattended. We were waiting for the car and 2 emails came, again the same story. Aszman sent another email about the story of kidnapping in that area.

I was beginning to regret any action I would take. I stepped back and had a clear thought to myself for about 5 minutes and I told Mr Bilal of my decision and we both walked back in to the office. Cracked my brains a bit, called up my BSS engineers and we had a small meeting between CW and BSS…. And to my surprise, we came out with a solution!!! It was an out of the blue thing and hence, for my reason for not going to the site, we have found a solution to the pending problem.

Moral of the story is, GOD closes one door but open up a myriad of opportunity windows for you. The plus point here is, I did not endanger myself for the job, which I was willing to do NOT for the job, but for the profession I signed up for.

Thank you GOD.

Self Tributary

Alas... I have taken all I could have with my amateur camera... and soon, I will be upgrading to a better model and brand. I have added some photography links on my site... and one of them is my very own. More pictures from the yesteryears to come...

The Week T'was...

Its always strange how we look at things. Last week, I had a chance to experience what is it like having your hair cut under the tree a.k.a Malaysia ala 80’s. I have always walked pass this particular barber who runs his barber just under the tree… I was compelled to try but had no guts until that Sunday… and asked myself, what’s there to lose? I walked up, and offered myself as their celebrity customer. The barber was surprised but was more than willing to give it his best shot.

In the end, it was ok. I’ve got nothing to complain about except for a few flies buzzing around and it was hot! Now, that’s what I call a blast from the past! Check this out.

The ol' skool accessories of a make-shift barber stall under the tree

yup... that's me... the celebrity customer for the day. Believe me, there was plenty of onlookers... they were as confused as I am. I dont know what made me do it.

The full picture...

On the other front, I visited a site recently and it wasn’t long before I noticed the drastic change in weather which completed had me uprooted and in an awe… within a space of 10 minutes… the transformation of clouds was….. simply magnificent, yet threatening, yet beautiful. Here are the shots!

The beginning of a somewhat amazing formation of clouds from a perfectly fine day

Beginning to look threatening but it was amazing how it all took place very rapidly... this was 8 minutes after the intial 2 shots

This 2 snaps were 3 minutes after the previous 2 shots.

This was the penultimate image which speaks a thousand words. It didnt rain at all, there was strong gusts, it looks as though the sky was about to crash onto you, or a heavy storm or tornado was heading our way but nothing happened out of it. It reminded me of how Mom used to illustrate the anger of God by slowly stirring a glass of tea with some condensed milk in it. The changing face of the tea into milk tea was fascinating then. But this... this snapshot reminds me of how times have changed and the ferosity of nature, yet, so sublimely beautiful.

My Visual DNA

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Champions League Finale 2007

Liverpool FC v AC Milan

Champions League Finale

23rd May 2007

The Olympic Stadium (Ολυμπιακό Στάδιο)

(also known as the Athens Olympic Stadium),

Spiridon "Spiros" Louis Stadium,

Athens. Greece.

Current Tenants

AEK Athens

Capacity
71,030

Its game on... a repeat of Istanbul 2005... it's bringing back memories.

LIVERPOOL IN ATHENS...

Liverpool 4 - 1 Chelsea [on pnt.aft aet][agg 1-1]

Liverpool goes to Athens

*All pictures courtesy of Liverpool FC Website

The *picture says it all and I am truly estactic over it! I am not about to lose sleep over it because Athens is waiting!! It truly does bring back memories of 2 years back, then, I had only returned from UK after 7 years there and I was watching the finals of Istanbul in KL, then, without a job. It was the Liverpool v Milan final! Aahh... how can I forget. Thanks Michelle for your crib back then... unfortunately, no one was there to watch it with me... I still remember feeling dejected at half time, why not... when Liverpool was 3 down to Milan... I nearly cried... I nearly switched the God damn tv off... but I hung on. What happened thereafter needs no explanation. The very next day, I have never ever been prouder than to wear my Riise signed jersey out to town to show off Liverpool's prowess even though it was hot like hell!

Liverpool is in me... I have lived in the city for only 7 years and it felt as though I have lived there all my life! It runs in me, to be at Anfield sends chills down my spine every time the fans start singing You'll Never Walk Alone! In short, it's in my blood.

I love this banner...

... and this as well.

There is just something about Liverpool that amazes me... the song, the fans and their history. Most importantly, its the passion! I have been a supporter for 18 long years ever since I watch my first Liverpool game on tele... back then, it was only an hour slot on "Road to Wimbledon".... still remember the anthem? My first exposure to Liverpool was the match against Nottingham Forest. I still remember sitting there with my uncle and I was just blown away by Liverpool... and I have never looked back ever since. Come end of May, will be the penultimate finale and it will never get better than this!

You'll Never Walk Alone ...

Part I: Karachi Moonlight

Right... its Karachi in a nutshell... 4 parts to this edition.




As the sun sets, it begins to all slow down... an almost empty beach says it all, the best part of the day for me.





A bit of a change perhaps from the usual sunset shots that I love... however, today I was at the other end, nope, not sunrise, but when the full moon beckoned... coincidentally.


Fisherman cleaning up their nets... ready to retire for the day...

The chronologies of a moonlit sea... this was a first for me... never under a full moon before and it was so serene and beautiful... the sea was calm, it would have been perfect. I just love these moments and I am not afraid of basking in it... who would? At the end of the day, it was just me... as I looked out into the opea sea... I wondered... where would that take me? .... Tonight will be my final night in Karachi as I head back to battlefield Islamabad. I have done my dues here, its time to head back HQ.... but I will be back in Karachi... that's for sure. Sunset is beckoning... and I will not miss it the next time around! Ciao...

Part II: Local Fine Diner

To a certain extent, Karachi is similar to the Malaysian lifestyle... almost near. Infrastructure wise, its about 10-15 years behind, but lifestyle wise minus the alcohol, the night life here rocks! I had a glimpse into one of the eateries by the beach ... I wasnt really expecting anything... but I was quietly impressed.

This was the entrance of the eatery, adorned by classic east meets west decor

Kerosene Lamps and Bull carts at the front porch with serene uplighters, I have always had a fascination with these uplighters... isn't it just pretty?

Once inside, you are greeted by the traditional Urdu-Turkish array of colors in every corner of the wall

Now now... isnt every eatery's speciality is the kitchen itself? And what with food being cooked right in front of you? (L) Prawn Massala (R) Roti and Prata...

(L) BBQ Batair (R) Sashmi Kebab




















Some Pakistani intermediary soup + dairy stuff which looks to me like some ice kacang thingy.. I skipped this as there was a distant fear just days ago when I was down with diarrhea.














(L) Ice Cream a.k.a ice-cream potong ala Msia. (R) See what I mean by Ice Cream Potong? ... but the Pakistani way... please be advised that it contains high level of sugar... !

What is better than to have some artistes serenade a few loving Urdu songs?

Its spacious interior and superb lighting brings a very harmonious yet fun atmosphere and yeah, check out the musician on the left... table service for us!

Yes... in case you were wondering, it was my CW Manager's first wedding anniversary. No, the boy in the picture isnt theirs although they have a baby. I was invited as an honorary guest... and not one second I wasnt made to feel that way. Thanks Bilal!

Well... as the Pakistanis always say, what's better than to have something sweet to remember the day by?

Yes, they call it the Panwala... with a bit of 'daun sirih', cloves, cinnamon stick, spices, etc, and voila... you get some sweet dessert that is good for health. Accordingly, it's pretty famous in this part of the continent including India, where experiment on the Paan was found to be good for digestion when chewed. The tradition of eating Paan was popularised by Queen Noorjehan, the mother of King Shahjehan who built the world famous Taj Mahal for his Queen. I think it is also widespread in Malaysia... shame on me for knowing nuts about this. In older days women used natural elements for makeup and cosmetics. Queen Noorjehan discovered that by adding some particular ingredients to the Paan and eating it gives a beautiful natural red colour to the lips. So along with it's taste the Paan was eaten by women for reddening the lips.

What is a paan?
A Paan is a leaf from a creeper called the Paan creepers. There are different types of Paan creepers. These different types of Paan leaves are made into many different varieties of Paan by adding various different ingredients and then folding into triangular shaped Bidas.

Well, so much for understanding the finale of this great night out with Bilal... it was a truly sumptuous dinner, not to mention dragging me out of the guesthouse to feel the cool sea breeze as well!

Part III: Karachi Rocks

Visible moon on a fine evening in Karachi. Not the best of pictures... damn the noise distortion/ input.. wished I had my EOS here with filter.

As I continued on with my evening stroll on a Sunday evening... couldnt help but noticed that I had the blardy galls to walk about in Karachi where almost everyone eyes you... especially when I was alone... the guards with their M16s and Kalashnikovs, some royal guards and rangers with machetes in their 4WD's, but then, all that soon vapored out. I knew, it was what I wanted and had, and that is what aspires me to be wanting more and more out of traveling... the adventure, photops, writing, experience and the knowledge!

Nearby to my guesthouse, is Clifton Beach and a park, Bagh Ibne Qasim... not the ordinary park but an extremely huge park located by the beach (mind you, I had blisters by the time I completed the park stroll...). Started restoration and building works in 2006, 300 days later, 73 acres of land and PKR 600m, it has turned to be quite a spectacle. It was only opened recently on the 27th February 2007.

Stroll at the park somewhere near to Clifton Beach. It was indeed a massive park spread over 3 football pitches... carefully chereographed and decorated. The picture is only showing half of the park's width... further afield where the horizon is, is Clifton Beach.

Proper uplighting brings the park to life in the night. When I was standing there, it felt more like a coliseum runway... or stairway to kingdom.

Commemoration tablet engraved onto the Park's Entrance











Just adjacent to the park is a shopping mall... yes!! A shopping mall! My first walk into a shopping mall in Karachi after 4 months! Splendid! Name of shopping mall... Park Towers in Karachi! That's why, Karachi Rocks!