Faisal Qureshi

Smoking in public

I can not understand why people come to decent restaurants and smoke. It is really quite pathetic. I wish Pakistani restaurants, at least, get the sense to go smoke-free.

I must commend Avari Towers in Karachi to make all public areas smoke free. Just for this I think I will make it my regular hang-out. Kudos to the new general manager Gordon James, from Scotland, to take the step. Funny how we learn all the filth from the failures of industrialized nations but make no effort to learn from their successes and achievements.

Three cheers for Avari Hotels, Karachi.

Popularity: 41% [?]

Embarassment

You meet the strangest people on flights. I ended up with a young Pakistani who said he had been travelling between Thailand, phillipines, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, for almost three weeks, in relation to ‘trading’. Looked like a reasonable person.

I order special meals on all flights. Indian vegetarian meals are just too yum. Special meals are served before regular meals. So. I got my meal first. Suddenly he got really upset saying he wants his meal right now. He was calmed down and told to wait. When his meal finally arrived he started insisting that he had ordered a halal meal and should have gotten his food earlier. After another reassurance that all meals are halal he agreed to take his food. Next came the magic question. What would he like to drink? Answer? Yep. Red Wine. I guess a perfect choice to wash that halal meal down.

But then all of a sudden he started havin an argument with the steward saying he wanted pita bread with his food (my Indian meal came with pita). Took about 5 minutes of arguing with him pointing at my tray he backed off promising to complain to his travel agent about this. The airline crew was visibly terrified. Un hun.

A few minutes later, he was arguing with a very beautiful and very polite stewardess called Medina from Indonesia. This time he was VERY hungry and wanted more food. And again. He wanted pita. He was told to wait till all passengers were served and if there were any extra meals. He once again threatened to complain to the travel agent in Pakistan. I guess the crew got scared again, because few minutes later, he got his extra meal. Of course, he wanted more red wine to wash down that halal meal.

Now. Makes me wonder how people can come into reasonable money, travel around, and yet be completely moronic. I typically make every effort not to talk about people’s short comings, or about Pakistan’s lackings. But this definitely needed to be recorded.

As I’m typing this, we’ve started descent into Bangkok, and the good man is shaking the glass to make sure he’s not missed even a single drop of that Halal Wine.

Popularity: 11% [?]

My current location

lat=22.28858
lon=114.15945
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Faisal Qureshi
http://www.faisalqureshi.net

Popularity: 10% [?]

Wasted moments

It is so easy to let a few hours… A day… Slip by. But when u look back some time in thw future, every one of these wasted idle moments seem such a precious waste, a loss.

I have spent today in travel. Had no meetings this morning so ended up walking a miracle mile by myself. The weather in Hong Kong is quite beautiful today. Did a lot thinking. Tried to figure out wher I am going, and where I could have been.

A strange hopelessness surrounds me when I think of making a difference in the life of my own people. People I feel for so strongly. The country of my birth and origin. In my effort to even change my own street for better, I fear, I will be a great failure. The apathy and inertia of people is too strong.

How do I raise the people to make a difference? To make a change.

Help me God. No doubt you’re all powerful.

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Faisal Qureshi
http://www.faisalqureshi.net

Popularity: 11% [?]

Lay me down to sleep

Ya Allah,

I now surrender myself to sleep in your name. If I awake tomorrow, please bless me; and if I don’t, please forgive me. Without doubt you’re all powerful and all forgiving.

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Popularity: 10% [?]

Bags are packed

My bags are packed and I’m ready to go.

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Popularity: 9% [?]

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