The Power of Repetition

Repetition helps you master things. When we perform a task again and again, we get the knack of doing it right with more ease.

Repetition helps you achieve big goals. If you get stuck, try again and again till you finally succeed in attaining your objective.

Repetition creates habits. If you repeat tasks often enough, you get the hang of it, and the task becomes more and more automatic.

Dedicated to my Friends

I am rich because I have many loved ones around, thankfully. And I am even richer because I have a multitude of good friends around the world!

A big THANKS to all my friends! :)

Be Grateful

IT IS NOT HAPPY PEOPLE THAT ARE THANKFUL.

IT IS THANKFUL PEOPLE WHO ARE HAPPY.

Be THANKFUL, even for the little things.

The Metro Bus Ride

One Sunday morning, I dragged my husband to take me to Minar-e-Pakistan via Lahore's Metro Bus. I wanted to ride the much hyped bus venture before it was subject to atrocities of misuse.

I was fascinated by the construction of the Metro Bus infrastructure. The system has been built with great care and insight. Metro stations have been built above, below, and parallel to the accompanying road network. Even the opening and closing of the Metro bus doors have been meticulously coordinated with the opening and closing of the Metro station doors. There are, however, certain shortcomings.

For one, I did not appreciate the coin system, and wondered why they had not initiated the card system instead with a card to top up the credit.

To ride the Metro Bus, people need to purchase coins for every one-way journey. Currently, it costs one coin worth Rs. 40 to ride any length of one-way journey via the Metro Bus. Since the Pakistani populace is well-acquainted with mobile phone technology and phone credit options, I believe introducing the card system shouldn't be too difficult for the masses to comprehend.

To date, the government has been subsidising the project by charging a flat fare for every XYZ metres journey travelled. Such subsidies have prevailed for over two years now since the project's commencement in February 2013. These munificent discounts - though appealing in the short term - could have dreadful impacts on the project's sustainability and viability in the long run.

I also found the bus service to be pretty time consuming as it halts at every Metro bus station every few hundred metres away. However, I do understand that public transport is usually a tad slower in an attempt to offer more convenience and accessibility to the masses.

The worst part is the congested reality of the buses, even though the congested reality incredibly depicts the true, sad face of poverty, populousness, and lack of education in Pakistan. I feel that the congestion and 'consequences associated with congestion' would deter some users from considering the Metro Bus over other available means of transport.

However, there is room for improvement if a greater number of buses or larger bus sizes are managed. Moreover, there is an urgent need to implement a fair bus fare so that people are consciously made accountable for the length of journey they ride.

In a nutshell, the Metro Bus venture is a pretty commendable effort that extends a neat and well-managed bus service to the masses who do not have the resources to afford and experience quality transport. Yet, the project needs to be urgently secured by taking appropriate steps crucial for the project's long term viability and sustainability.

NIKAH - The Real Marriage

My mehndi, shaadi, and walima functions were hosted in extravagant marriage halls with flamboyant dresses, lavish foods, and ornate decorations. These were mostly in line with the wishes of my family and inlaws alike, perhaps to simultaneously satisfy societal expectations.

However, I insisted in organising the most essential part of my wedding, the Nikah ceremony in a mosque on a holy Friday before the other wedding celebrations commenced.

Adorned with prayers and blessings to start a happy married life, I was touched by the simplicity and purity of the Nikah rituals. Moreover, my tender spiritual faith in Fridays - inculcated by my grandmoms and mom - instigated me to pledge my companionship journey on the mega blessed day of the week (according to Islamic traditions).

I revere the sanctity of the marriage henceforth announced, and hereby pronounce Nikah to be the real marriage ceremony amidst the amalgamation of ostentatiously displayed events.

To this day, I celebrate my wedding anniversary on the date of my Nikah. However, my dad tends to differ as he considers my rukhsati day - the day I left my parents to join my husband - to be my true wedding anniversary.

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