Underground Trains and Weather Apps.

So sometimes things just happen differently than you imagine them to be. Case in point a underground train that just pops out of the ground and goes some 20 feet above ground. and then stays there for two or more stations only to dive sub earth level again later.. Pictured above is a view from 'an underground' train that does such a thing. 

Most people I now know dress up in the morning AFTER taking a quick peek at the weather app in their smartphones. and then they ask me how I do it. So I tell show them a picture of my weather app(pictured above).

I have found it to be most accurate. Its easily accessible(right next to my rooms window), shows the temperature and also "shows" if its raining or not or whether its a sunny day or not. I have noticed that every time it shows its raining , I have found( on my leaving the house) that its always raining. As can be seen in the picture. Its about 9 degree Centigrade and raining(the ground is wet)

Sports; and why it matters.

When I caption this post "why it matters" Its not a rhetorical phrase because I really want to know why it matters. I really dont understand why people AROUND the world follow some sport or another. Its quite natural to enjoy something when one is actively involved but when he/she isnt. then well.

What prompts me to write this, is the upcoming Champions Leaque Final between the two German teams. I can see the same excitement in the air here as I did back in Pakistan during an India-Pakistan cricket encounter. Here its football, there its cricket. but people are putting up statuses, sharing links, talking about it all the time.

I will leave it till here because this isnt the only thing I dont understand or approve of... 

Reviews by the Critics

So its about a certain TV series that I have been watching( which I will not mention(unless they start paying me for it(which they wont because they don’t know I exist(lets face it they wouldn’t even if they knew it( think I closed  all the parenthesis that I opened or else Excel will pop out a syntax error))))) ANYWAY.

So in it and like in most other TV series there are two sisters. One is shown to be pretty and the other is “shown” to be not pretty(and yes she has those nerdy glasses so essential to look not pretty these days). The story progresses and often the pretty one( who is also very social) tries to “help” the not pretty one with social interactions the “not pretty” one is about to have.

Now do I need to watch the TV series if I know that sooner or later the NP one is going to realize that she is indeed P and that bla bla and bla. ? and then her self esteem gets a boost and then she will start dating and all? And then blab bla and bla?

Did I wake up today in the right century? Because I remember being told that the Neanderthals read this story to their kids when they wouldn’t sleep at nights. (don’t ask me who told me).

But I guess I know why it is the way it is. Its easier to look good than it is to become smart. So lets sensationalise that. seems easy enough but the problem with looks is that well by definition its superficial. But that doesn’t matter. Humanity might not be as evolved as we think it is. 

And Now I must leave because the new episode is ready to be streamed.

On our language and the language of our dear beloved neighbours

So when I came in contact with people from Germany I was surprised to find out they didn't know that spoken Urdu and spoken Hindi were very similar languages so much so that we can understand each other completely. I dont blame them. I mean after all everybody knows we dont have the best of relations. But its quite fascinating to be cursed and hurled abuses at in your own national language. It adds quite a flavour to it. I kid here, because on the people to people level. We couldn't be a more similar bunch of people

There IS one difference that I have noted and will like to jot down here. Some Indian people I have met have remarked on my Urdu that its quite "respectful" or "it has some unique words" and that the "pronunciation is beautiful". But I think that's the result of years of reputation held by Urdu as that stately, very civil and "cultured?" language because I think I speak quite normal and not at all well or beautifully

BUT it has led me to something I never thought I would. Now when I meet Indians I actually try to speak those heavy duty, hard sounding, clean throated "pure" and extremely Urdu sounding words and I make the structure of the language as the one in Mughal times. :(.  Hey I am not proud of it but I do it. The last time I did that I even told myself that its crazy and that it doesn't matter. and in any case I am making myself harder to understand. but hey. Put me and an Indian in the same room. and just see how nicely I speak Urdu.

I found myself using words like "tamaddun" "tahzeeb" "khalis" "muttafiq, Taluq and ittefaq" and heck even "yalabari. Quite some words I wouldn't use otherwise. But hey, a mans gotta boast sometimes on some things. This happens to be weird but thats my "that sometime".

p.s If you are an Indian and reading this. I am so sorry :( "mein yeh amal dobara hargiz nahin duhraonga"

Bitte Aufsteigen "please leave the bus"

So I decide that I want curtains for my room. and off I go to find them. There is a shopping centre nearby so that happens to be my first choice. But when I reach there, an interesting thing happens. A bus stops just besides where I am standing(nothing personal its just a bus stop). Its interesting because no that I have to take the bus, but the bus(which is going to Lichtenberg) looks at me with those eyes that I just cant resist in buses. What can I do she has me with that look.  I hop on the bus with one and only one thing in my mind " well! lets check out where it goes". 

It takes me to places I have never been before. To bus stops I never thought I would stop at in my life. I reach Lichtengberg in sometime. I make it a point to not look at my watch on such excursions. I think its an immense waste of "time", a pointless distraction and quite frankly I dont really have a watch.  

Once I am there. I know I think about the curtains I had to buy. and what better place to buy curtains than Alexanderplatz, and well I am already at Lichtenberg. All I need is just to take my trusted old S7 "Line". With this thought "in mind" I hop on.  

In another few minutes(time being of no importance to me once again) I find myself standing in front of the TV tower(pictured above) at Alexanderplatz. Thanks to my photography I seem to have completely missed it. 

But there are people there. and I am happy to see that. The sun has no plan to set any time soon So I think to myself "well sherry boy. You have got time. Lets shop for curtains". BUT while I am thinking that, a thought strikes me( and I say "ouch"). This bus I have heard of (line 100) starts from here and legend has it, that it takes the commuter to all the good places in Berlin. Well. Allah de aur banda le(God gives and the man takes happily) I, with no regard to worldly things,  find the bus and am inside. 

Truth be told its a good line for new comers to Berlin and sadly I do not consider myself as one any more. All the things it shows I have seen already. But its still good. I recommend it. I see places here and there. The bus stops an innumerably inhumane number of times. But well I got to stick to my decision. Finally it takes the bus to say" Bitte Aufsteigen! please leave the bus here" to get me to get out of it. and I gracefully do....

I have come a long way from home I find out and it starts giving me the chills. I immediately arm myself with a map of the lines and aha. I am close to Charlotenburg palace( palace made by a king for his wifey or girlfriend or something like that). "Lets just go back" A voice tells me from within. "oh what the heck! you are close lets get it done with" I tell the voice. After the dialogue with myself I decide to go. on my way I see this.  

I would like to inform here that I do give photography lessons for those of you who are photographically inclined. I see this antique car. Beautiful and graceful. A car that has its steering wheel on the right, living in a swarm of cars with steering wheels on the left. "How lonely must it be feeling" the voice tells me. and finally I come across this

The CharlettonBerg Palace

And Then I try to take a better picture. 

And then this man comes along

and finally when I have seen this "sight". which must look better in the morning "light". I plan my return trip. I find a bus which will take me the longest to get back and I take it. I see a major train station and plan to try my luck because "I am feeling lucky"

and lucky I definitely get. because I am just in time for a faster than light train(with speeds reaching upto warp 8) and take it. I have not taken it before and thats the reason I do..Here is a picture.

 The train has a stewardess who comes out every time the door opens for commuters to step in. I think this is extremely sweet of her. With this my adventure ends. The window still needs a curtain. and here I am writing about it. I would curse myself tomorrow in the morning when I wake up early because of the light entering the window. But its okay.

Pakistan General Elections 2013

So the Pakistan general elections took place on the 11th of May 2013. and unsurprisingly for most people , the PMLn came out on top with a clear margin in Punjab. Pti would form government inx KPK and Karachi as usual fell prey to the MQM.

I dont want to focus much on what happened but only what the repercussions as per me could be. PTIs chief and former captain Pakistan cricket team is given one province to show what he can do. Social media, in fact Facebook had been simmering with support for PTI which didn't really translate into IKs victory. Its quite understandable because a vast majority of Pakistan does not have access to clean drinking water let alone internet and Facebook and the views reflected on my Facebook timeline are anything but representative of the general population of Pakistan.

One thing I would like to point out is that it saddens me when people express their support or resentment towards a party by bringing up things that have nothing to do with the partys manifesto at all. Like the hair on Mr Nawaz Sharifs head( or lack thereof) or the "face" of Imran Khan.

But then I see this behaviour exists in a vast array of other things we do as well. It is quite sad and uncalled for. and I hope it ends

Personal Take on How to Educate Students

Unsurprisingly I think there is a better way to do alot of things than how they are being done now. Surprisingly I have decided to write about them now. One such thing is education.

When I imagine myself teaching students something from scratch like an academic subject I feel like taking a different approach. My background of course being that I have been and am still a student. I think I know what things work well and what things dont. and allow me to hit the nail when the iron is still hot, I think this style where this person(teacher,professor,lecturer etc) stands in front of you and begins a presentation of facts is quite an ineffective way to teach students anything.

After 10th grade(or even before that but definitely after) this style of teaching should essentially end. Because by that time , all students have a very reasonable command of the language that the instruction is in. So they should just read the facts from the book. Most do that at the end of semester anyway.

Tell the kids what chapter to read, and by the time they come to the class all must have read it. The professor makes group of 5 to 6 people(on the spot and at random) from a total no more than 40  and asks them to present on spot for 10 mins on one aspect of the chapter. They will suck at first but they will catch up pretty soon. There could be a 5 minute discussion WITH THE PROFESSOR( only time this guy comes in handy). All the kids study because the selection is random. and since 5 or 6 people present at the same time. Its easier and faster than if the people presented individually. and I hope all of them get to present.

and don't dare give me that thing about certain subjects being technical or not. The books nowadays are exhaustive, with details explanations illustrations self assessments short quizzes summaries and what not.

Ofcourse the students are going to hate such a teacher DURING the semester. But towards the end they would be in love with that teacher because for the final exam type thing they wouldn't need to open the book. and because they have learnt it themselves and produced in front of an audience. and will be tested on that at the end of term. The learning stays. AND they learn how to present.
Bingo. There you go world. Dont thank me. its okay