Archive for April, 2011
April 30th, 2011 | 
Author: 
Sacrifice – A Lesson From A Japanese Boy
THIS letter, written by Vietnamese immigrant Ha Minh Thanh working in Fukushima as a policeman to a friend in Vietnam, was posted on New America Media on March 19. It is a testimonial to the strength of the Japanese spirit, and an interesting slice of life near the epicenter of Japan’s crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. It was translated by NAM editor Andrew Lam, author of “East Eats West: Writing in Two Hemispheres.” Shanghai Daily condensed it.
Brother,
How are you and your family? These last few days, everything was in chaos. When I close my eyes, I see dead bodies. When I open my eyes, I also see dead bodies.
Each one of us must work 20 hours a day, yet I wish there were 48 hours in the day, so that we could continue helping and rescuing folks.
We are without water and electricity, and food rations are near zero. We barely manage to move refugees before there are new orders to move them elsewhere.
I am currently in Fukushima, about 25 kilometers away from the nuclear power plant. I have so much to tell you that if I could write it all down, it would surely turn into a novel about human relationships and behaviors during times of crisis.
People here remain calm – their sense of dignity and proper behavior are very good – so things aren’t as bad as they could be. But given another week, I can’t guarantee that things won’t get to a point where we can no longer provide proper protection and order.
They are humans after all, and when hunger and thirst override dignity, well, they will do whatever they have to do. The government is trying to provide supplies by air, bringing in food and medicine, but it’s like dropping a little salt into the ocean.
Brother, there was a really moving incident. It involves a little Japanese boy who taught an adult like me a lesson on how to behave like a human being.
Last night, I was sent to a little grammar school to help a charity organization distribute food to the refugees. It was a long line that snaked this way and that and I saw a little boy around 9 years old. He was wearing a T-shirt and a pair of shorts.
It was getting very cold and the boy was at the very end of the line. I was worried that by the time his turn came there wouldn’t be any food left. So I spoke to him. He said he was at school when the earthquake happened. His father worked nearby and was driving to the school. The boy was on the third floor balcony when he saw the tsunami sweep his father’s car away.
I asked him about his mother. He said his house is right by the beach and that his mother and little sister probably didn’t make it. He turned his head and wiped his tears when I asked about his relatives.
The boy was shivering so I took off my police jacket and put it on him. That’s when my bag of food ration fell out. I picked it up and gave it to him. “When it comes to your turn, they might run out of food. So here’s my portion. I already ate. Why don’t you eat it?”
The boy took my food and bowed. I thought he would eat it right away, but he didn’t. He took the bag of food, went up to where the line ended and put it where all the food was waiting to be distributed.
I was shocked. I asked him why he didn’t eat it and instead added it to the food pile. He answered: “Because I see a lot more people hungrier than I am. If I put it there, then they will distribute the food equally.”
When I heard that I turned away so that people wouldn’t see me cry.
A society that can produce a 9-year-old who understands the concept of sacrifice for the greater good must be a great society, a great people.
Well, a few lines to send you and your family my warm wishes. The hours of my shift have begun again.
Ha Minh Thanh
Compiled by Mrs. Fauzia Faisal
A Golden Chance to Retrieve Ill gotten Wealth of Pakistan From Abroad – A Request To The Chief Justice of Pakistan
A.O.A.
Respected Sir,
Firstly, I will beg excuse for taking your valuable time, for inviting your kind attention, towards the subject matter. The moment I read a news on Friday, 08 April 2011 titled “India to get Swiss bank info for cases dating from Jan 2011” on Times of India Website, my mind immediately went towards your honors’ pain staking efforts, in getting back all the looted money of Pakistan, from corrupt persons whether, in Pakistan or abroad.
Sir, although, getting rid country of corruption, is the duty of every Pakistani and more so of the ruling elite yet, the prevailing atmosphere is such, that whenever, there is a news on a corruption scandal, whether big or small, the general public only pins its hope towards the judiciary. In fact, the present judiciary under your ‘DYNAMITE’ leadership is the only and last hope for the survival of the Pakistani nationhood. However, there is no denying the fact, that this situation has unimaginably burdened the judiciary, beyond its resources. I firmly believe that our judiciary will not be tired down, by this enormous task lying before it. I am also of firm belief, that the battle of survival of Pakistan, will only be fought and won, in the superior courts and nowhere else.
Under the circumstances, if your honor deems it appropriate, it is earnestly requested that some kind of government to government protocol may be initiated by Pakistan, under the watchful eyes of the Supreme Court, with not only Switzerland but all other such countries & Islands, where our looted money is stashed by the corrupt people, whom I consider traitors, as well.
Sir, the economic situation of Pakistan cannot be sustained, by just increasing the taxes on those classes who are already, honestly paying taxes (particularly the salaried and middle income group) or constantly increasing POL, electricity and gas charges etc. The gravity of the economic misery can be easily gauged from the ever increasing suicide incidences in Pakistan. Now, the time has come, when business as usual cannot be run, any further.
Sir, corruption is the biggest danger to the survial of Pakistan.
Sir, there is a saying of Hazrat Ali RA, that a system of ‘Kufr’ can sustain but not a system of ‘Zulm’. And in my opinion, the biggest Zulm with the poor after injustice is corruption. In fact, injustice stems from corruption. The monumental increase in corruption has tremendously increased poverty which in turn is now breeding terrorism.
Hoping to be excused for this trouble.
Regards,
Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad
As Long As – A Poem By Prof. Shaheena Asif From Her Book “The Ordinary Woman”
“As Long As”
What I wear
You don’t care
Talking to me
But looking
At the car key
Tired too busy
Business dinners
Late nights
Where you go
I need not know
Too long to be mine
The black hair
On your shoulder shines
The lipstick shade
Though light
On your collar so bright
On your body
A strange perfume for days
Lingers on in many ways
I shall ignore this
And much more
As long as
You are kind to the children
And pretend to like me
On Hysterectomy – A Poem By Prof. Shaheena Asif From Her Book “The Ordinary Woman”
“ON HYSTERECTOMY”
Like dried branches
Like earth hard and cracked
Like grass turned brown
Lifeless but alive
Scared for life
Pretending smiling
Exhausted insecure
Secretly terrified
Dear womb
The surgeons knife
Cured the disease
But
Left me dying inside
Love – A Poem By Prof. Shaheena Asif From Her Book “The Ordinary Woman”
LOVE ?
Who will love me?
When I am –
Beautiful and dutiful
Joking and laughing
Healthy and wealthy
Kind and helpful
Just any body and everybody
Who will love me?
When I am –
Sad and bad
Demanding and commanding
Lazy and crazy
Fat and ugly
Unwell and poor
Just no body and nobody
Cricket – Pakistan Must Aim For Winning 2015 Cricket ODI World Cup
Pakistan cricket team always had the potential and talent to win any and all of the past cricket ODI world cup tournaments. As such, there should be no doubt about its chances of winning the next cricket ODI world CUP scheduled in 2015, to be played in the down under.
In this regard, PCB must prepare a plan named ”Vision 2015″. This plan should be a fool proof strategy with specific focus on winning the 2015 tournament, considering all risk factors, like sudden unavailability of any player due to various reasons, at least five umpiring decisions going against us (two in batting & three in bowling innings), dropped catches/missed run outs and failure of main bowlers and batsmen etc. We should remember that plans never fail, we fail to plan. Moreover, the PCB “Vision 2015″ must state that “You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.”
The broad outlines of the “Vision 2015″ are defined as below.
1. A visionary person of a ultra high calibre, should be appointed the coach of Pakistan cricket team. We should also set a new trend and hire a full time mentor, for which I recommend Sir Alexander Chapman “Alex” Ferguson, CBE who is a former Scottish football manager and player who managedManchester United from 1986 to 2013. His time at the club has led to Ferguson being regarded as one of the most successful, admired and respected managers in the history of the game. PCB must ensure that in the hiring of Sir Alex Ferguson, money should not be a barrier, notwithstanding any amount demanded by him. PCB should consider this expense as an investment in 24K gold. The mentor should be specifically responsible for making our players mentally the strongest in the world, along with his other defined duties.
2. A young person should be appointed captain to lead the team for the next 5-7 years.
3. All cricket playing centers of PCB in Pakistan, should remodel the boundary distances to 90 meters (matching the size of Australian grounds) and batsmen should practise taking 5 runs, in case, ball is fielded before it reaches the rope.
4. Any player who is not of age and fitness to serve the country for next 5 years, should be discarded now, for ODI and T20 games.
5. A world class fielding coach of the calibre of Jonty Rhodes, be appointed for the team, alongwith the head coach.
6. We must find more than five bowlers from the tribal belt or any rugged area of the country, who should be able to bowl at 100 MPH speed. To attract the country talent of fast bowling, a handsome prize should be annouced, as an incentive for this speed bowling.
7. Cricket academy at PCB HQ Lahore, must be headed by a world renowned batsman.
8. The team of selectors should be tasked to locate 50 talented players, with potential to deliver at international level.
9. PCB should take on the challenge of round the year cricket (in summers, games starting at 5 PM) playing arrangements of local and foreign teams in Pakistan. And in summer 2011, PCB should pioneer night Test/ODI/T20 matches in Pakistan.
10. All PCB grounds in the country (even in smaller cities/towns), should be provided with lights for night games.
11. In order to prepare fast and bouncy tracks on all PCB grounds, suitable soil and if possible prefabricated pitches may be imported from abroad.
Golden Words – Famous Pearls of Wisdom
“The world suffers a lot.
Not because of the violence of bad people,
But because of the silence of good people!”
“If friendship is your weakest point then
you are the strongest person
in the world.”
“Opportunities Are Like Sunrises, If You
Wait Too Long You Can Miss Them.”
“When You Are In The Light, Everything
Follows You,
But When You Enter Into The Dark, Even
Your Own Shadow Doesn’t Follow You.”
Cricket – India Wins ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2011
Heartiest congratulations to India on a well deserved and well earned cricket ODI world cup 2011 victory achieved for the 1st time by any nation on its own soil.
