Respite.

I decided to do something different today. Spend some time with myself in public. To experience getting lost in a whirlpool of bustling activity. I made my way through different patients and their attendants to find a place for myself in the middle of the waiting area for patients in the Orthopedic department. I looked around- to my left was a woman lying on the couch, three attendants crouched over her, trying to make sure she was okay. In front, I saw a man arguing with someone on the phone, begging the other to give him a chance to explain. To my right, sat two kids, who kept playing with each other...giving each other high fives, laughing when the other missed and trying to climb over the back of the seat. I sat there trying to absorb it all in me. I stared at the wall clock in front of me...it was 12:45 P.M. There was a lot of time before dissection started. I let my head roll back and fixed my gaze at the ceiling. I tried to busy myself in counting the number of tiles. Then I started scrutinizing the light fixtures. While I was busy trying to count the number of dust particles on each little bulb, a middle-aged lady came and sat beside me. I was totally oblivious to her presence until she initiated a conversation. It started with, "Kya aap doctor hain? Ya yehan parhti hain?" (Are you a doctor here? Or do you study here?) After I answered her question for her, the conversation just kept rolling. Before I knew it, she told me about her four sons, who were becoming engineers, her sister's daughter, who was her future daughter-in-law and her house in F-10. Before I got up to leave, she smiled at me and said, "God bless you betay." I smiled back meekly. Sometimes this is all you need to feel better.

100 Watters and much much more!

This world is SO small. That's what hits me between the eyes whenever I end up seeing so many mutual friends with different people on Facebook :P... I'm enjoying the signature-style Islamabadish winters. I like, I really like. Things are cool so far, alhamdullilah. We are doing airy fairy concepts in our foundation module, which I won't call "useless", but just a lil too overboard maybe. The only reason I go to college daily is to meet my friends. lol. I'm glad that I made a lot of good friends in such little time. It seems like we've all known each other since a pretty long time! At least that's what we wanna tell others :P haha. I guess it's because all of us are starting a new phase in our lives and we're all so very new to the whole "college experience"..it's nice actually, I didn't have to sit down in a corner and brainstorm about way to barge into cliques to make some space for myself :P Things just naturally fell into place instead of falling apart. So all's great, alhamdullilah. And I really hope it stays this way, insh'Allah.

Changing tracks, I installed a hardware device in my laptop for the first time in my 18 year old life. I can so imagine Haseeb laughing his guts out at this! But it's not all that hard as it seems :P I did have a hard time putting in the ink catridges. I was paranoid that I'd damage them in some way while trying to force them into the socket. I did a lot of important kaam yesterdayyy! I read through EBM, Evidence Based Medicine, I folded all my extra clothes, installed my printer AND talked to Naseeha on the phone! So I'm very happy with all my accomplishments! :P I got a lot done! The weather gets so nice around the afternoon. I really like it! It puts a 100-watter on my face :P the mornings and nights are TOO cold, you don't want to step out of the covers. I'm in my favorite pink sweatshirt with its hoodie and socks when I go to bed, it's THAT cold. I miss the way winters were back home. lol. Even the slightest drop in temperature was considered "COLD" and would force everyone to visit Rashid or Mall of Dhahran to update their winter wardrobe! And of course, who can forget to mention the countless photo sessions we conducted in the winters! And the garam garam spring rolls with pools of ketchup and chilli sauce from the canteen! And the nasty mile we had to run in the cold, which we tried to cheat at :P haha. I'm in the mood of writing a GOOD poem. I have a few ideas, but I'm just trying to put things together for a while. Sighs. When I mention to anyone over here that I've never seen snow in my life, they all give me THE look. I tell them that the only snow I saw was in "Snow World"...lol...a synthetic ice/snow arena in an amusement park back in Saudi...haha. I basically prove that I'm such a sad, sad person. =P I got off early today! Like around 12. It was just so cool. I came hope and took a much-needed power nap and enjoyed lazing around with no assignments to worry about. But honestly speaking, my minds craves some amount of stimulation, academically speaking. =/ Ah, enough bakwaas. I will add more later.

I was told.

I was told if you hold tightly onto dreams,
You could shut your ears to the ghastly screams,
Of the past and of the haunted memories,
Of terrible mistakes and treacheries.

I was told to look at life verily in the eye,
To hold my chin up and reach for the sky,
To spread my wings far and very, very wide,
To let the winds carry me side by side.

I was told to creep into the darkness ahead,
To make way for light to enlighten the dead,
To discover a horizon and name a star,
To witness a miracle and heal all scars.

I was told to tread a path, nobody ever took,
To never look back, even if my knees shook,
To strengthen my soul and my heart,
To immune me from breaking apart.

I was told to always look ahead,
To follow life no matter where it lead,
To accept my fate and my destiny,
To smile and face any adversity.

I was told to feel the rain drops on my skin,
To let them seep into my flesh within,
To feel the cool breeze rustle my hair,
To let my heart dance, without a care.

I was told to savor every breath of mine,
To thank the Lord for every dollar and dime,
To spill fountains of love and of charity,
To alleviate pain and all tragedy.

I was told to cast shadows on the empty path,
To guide people away from a fiery wrath,
To mold and kneed the hearts around,
To spread love in the surround.

I was told to curl my lips gently into a smile,
To lock the happiness and eradicate the vile,
To secure the peace and sanctity of brotherhood,
To do it in the name of universal good.