The Concluding Fifty Second Week

Week 52

December 22, 2014

December 28, 2014

1.     Preamble:

This is the last week of the year 2015. Our Maple trees have still not shed their leaves but all of them have now turned red and soon they too would be blown away. Our Grape Arbor is now completely devoid of leaves. The fallen leaves keep piling up in the trench below or scatter around all along the drive way. The Apricot, Peach and Plum besides the Persimmon trees have all shed their leaves. The night time temperature has however still not dipped below freezing point and the scary frost too has not hit our region. We still have risked planting the seasonal spring flower saplings. These include Dahlia, Pansy, Petunia, Antirrhinum, Sweet Pea and many other varieties. Dreaded as we are, we have covered the planted beds with the cutup tree branches. During the previous week, we also finished planting the onion saplings  on a patch of land at the rear of our farmhouse. The winter rains anxiously awaited by all but more so the wheat growers in our area also are yet to arrive, 

The Fruiter and Mussambi Oranges have mostly been harvested but Kinnow and Red Blood Oranges have not matured as yet. Both of them presently are a tinge sour and awaiting as the locals say, a little frost to get sweetened. We will include some pictures of all these orange types in this and upcoming blogs before the season concludes in mid February. This year we had a bumper crop of Lemons and Calamondin too. We will include a word or two on them as well if not this time then in the next blog insha Allah.

The last  day of this week (28th Dec) also signifies for us (Iqbal Clan) the wedding anniversary of Saad and Sahar, which we can not forget to celebrate, as all sure will agree  in the right earnest. 

2.     Late Autumn:

Here at the Wakefield Gardens, we have full blown autumn now when we are already half way through winter. I don't remember if I have already talked about autumn, changing of the colour of leaves before they fall and perish for ever? But if I haven't, there it is in our own backyard. The Canadian (Silver) Maples that we have are now exhibiting heavenly foliage with reddish hue of its leaves. 

I consulted the ever available internet sources and was informed that the brightest red and purple colors appear when autumn days are bright and nights are chilly but not freezing, because these conditions increase production of the red and purple pigments. Orange and yellow colors tend to be fairly constant from year to year because the orange and yellow pigments are always present in the leaves. I wonder, am I not lucky to see it actually happening? Sure I am, the answer pops out instantly, right in front!

3.     Oranges Everywhere:

After we have had plenty of Fruiters and Mussambi of the season, we now have on our head the Redblood Oranges and the famous Kinnows. The redblood is changing its colour from golden yellow to reddish yellow, a sign of its maturing. The Kinnow in the meantime is enlarging and picking up its characteristic heavenly flavour.

4.     Family Event:

4.1.  Celebrating Wedding Anniversary of Saad and Sahar (28 Dec 2004):

We recently celebrated Saad's birthday (28 Nov). Sahar is his wonderful, constantly smiling life partner. This is going to be their 10th wedding anniversary. Wow! they are already married for a decade now! Time is flying so fast. Is it something to repent or rejoice? Without the slightest doubt and hesitation , I would chose to rejoice and at that immensely, for in between these very happy years they had masha Allah two lovely daughters who besides theirs, make our lives too ever so enjoyable week after week, when they  come to spend their weekends with us at the farm.

Saad was married in Karachi when we still maintained our Askari apartment (Askari-3H, school Road, Karachi Cantt.). Omar had suffered a severe leg infection soon after he had come down from his Baltoro Glacier posting. He had undergone a series of surgical operations and could not therefore travel with us to attend Saad's wedding. Anjum had already travelled to Karachi to make advance wedding arrangements. I remember taking a flight from Islamabad to Karachi together with Saad on a freezing cold December night. The wedding went through plentifully smoothly apart from one little thing, which makes us laugh even today. To remind Saad of that little thing, his brothers sometimes ask him, what happened to the cake? And Saad would chuckle, look around and wave the question away.

Even though they live in Chaklala, Rawalpindi, Saad, Sahar and their daughters Inaya and Ne'ma are integral part of our farm life. Had they not been around, our life would have been quite lonely and dreary. It's God's blessing that they are there to take care of us in our growing age.

On this very special day, I would say to them: As your parents (Anjum and myself) we have seen how strong you fought this journey together. It was never easy but your love has prevailed in this family. Happy wedding anniversary Saad and Sahar! May you always be together smiling and laughing!

Eternally Haunting

Week 51

December 15, 2014

December 21, 2014

1.     Preamble:

This past week has been a hell of a harrowing week. I have so far not been able to write the blog. On Tuesday, 16th of December the terrorists barged into the Army Public School in Peshawar and began firing on all present there. They did not discriminate between the young and old and killed as many as 132 children and nine teachers during their eight-hour rampage. Some students, who were lucky enough to escape, recounted their horror and the massacre that unfolded in front of them. It is hard to imagine what they went through! We grieve with the mothers and fathers who lost their children in this most heinous and barbaric an attack on school. This isn't going to be the same world for a lot of families because they've lost loved ones. The nation after three days of official painful mourning has started business as usual but the anguish it went through and the misery and torment, it will continue to suffer will last an unending long long while!  Remembering the dead and praying for the departed  souls may however lessen the agony somewhat. I have selected some pictures for this blog that truly reflect this hope.

2.     Hope:

2.1.  Our Heroes:

Our heroes are the ones, who valiantly went through the ordeal. They include the Principal of the school who laid down her life while defending the children and the grieving parents as well as the students:

2.2.  Our People:

Our hope are also the people who sprang up against the dastardly attack and who will always be there to safeguard our freedom and way of life.

2.3.  Our Prayers and Vigil:

Our vigil against the tyranny and the prayers are the ultimate that insha Allah will lead us to the freedom from the clutches of cruelty, trepidation and fear of terror. 

     

3.     Eulogy: 

We conclude this blog by paying our respects and salutation to the little children and their teachers who were laid down but sure will live eternally in the realm of Allah Subhanahu. 

Birthdays Galore: Eemaan's and Hamza's Birthday

Week 50

December 8, 2014

December 14, 2014

1.     Preamble:

There is a saying,"A child needs a grandparent, to grow securely into an unfamiliar world". I know this couldn't be but true, for grandparents love their grandchildren more than their own children. 14 December is the birthday of two of our eldest grandchildren Eemaan (daughter of Hasan and Tania) and Hamza (son of Omar and Sadaf) with a difference of full one year in their ages. Eemaan will be fourteen and Hamza will turn thirteen this day today. We may not be rich and famous in actual sense but both of them together have made us feel that we are. We look at them growing up and marvel at our fortune and Allah's blessings. Eemaan lives with her parents in Lahore and Hamza in Karachi. We will try to relive and celebrate their birthday through this blog. Both Eemaan and Hamza have filled a space in our hearts, we never knew was empty. We, the entire family of ours adore them!

2.     Family Event:

2.1.  Celebrating Eeman's (Born: 14 Dec 2000) and Hamza's (Born: 14 Dec 2001) Birthday:

Eemaan's coming into this world was for us a special occasion as she was our first grand child. It also coincided with my promotion as the chief scientist in the PAEC. I also remember Eemaan's birth, for another reason, for it was soon followed by another family jubilation, the wedding of Omar and Sadaf. Happy arrival Eemaan into this world, for you and us alike.

The birth of Hamza too is fresh in my mind, for in anticipation of his impending arrival, we had travelled by train to Karachi from Rawalpindi, where like Eemaan, he too was born. On the train we had a particularly interesting gentleman travelling with us, who made us laugh (of course not on his face) a lot. He told us he had worked in France with Alcatel, which he persistently pronounced as Alqatil. That has engraved and etched so strongly on my mind that I can not possibly forget, it was Hamza's impending birth and that we were going to Karachi to be with Sadaf and Omar. We learned of Hamza's birth when we reached Hyderabad and when we finally alighted at the Karachi Cantt station, we were all in smiles ready to celebrate and have high five with the new comer. 

From her childhood, I can recollect that Eemaan was a particularly difficult child to be fed. Tania who had to endure it, would remember that more than any one of us. She was and is a lovely child never the less. Hamza had tremendous memory from a very young age. He remembered in those days every thing from the models and makes of the cars on the road to the type of cars different members of our family then had. Travelling with us in our car, he would keep shouting by looking at various passing cars, their names and makes. For example on seeing a Suzuki Cultus he would clap with joy and loudly proclaim,"Bari Mama's car". His love for cars have however shifted to the planes since! Now he maintains a collection of many a planes to savour his hobby. 

Eemaan is an avid reader of books. Both Hasan and Tania have helped developing and cultivating this remarkable habit in her from an early age. I understand that by this fourteenth birthday she would have already finished reading most English classics. It certainly has helped her in gaining knowledge besides enhancing her personality. In addition to reading books, she travels too. She has up till now been to Thailand and such European countries as France, Spain, Holland and Germany besides several times to Saudi Arabia to perform Umra with her parents.This too has served her well from the viewpoint of gaining knowledge. Hamza too would soon be going to perform Umra accompanied by his siblings with his parents. 

Both Eemaan and Hamza are doing very well in their studies. Eemaan is presently in class IX and goes to Lahore Grammar School while Hamza is in class VII and attends the Army Public School in Karachi.

Not too long ago, I came across a dictum,"Elephants and grandchildren never forget" and I couldn't agree with it more, as I myself have not forgotten even a minuscule of the sweet memories of my Nana Abba and Nani Amma. I never happened to see my Dada Abba and Dadi Amma but I'm sure had I seen them, the time spent with them too would be extremely cherish able and would have added to the treasures of my life. I can not find a picture of Hamza with Anjum and myself straight away but I have in my album a picture of Eemaan with me. Eemaan would tell me when and where this picture was taken. That would be the test of the above quoted adage!

Happy Birthday Eemaan and Hamza. I hope to be able to see both of you flying high in the sky and sure if I live long enough I will insha Allah. Keep smiling our very dear grand children. May you both have great future (Ameen).

Birthdays Galore: Zainub's Birthday

Week 50

December 8, 2014

December 14, 2014

1.     Preamble:

Our farm life continues to be on hold as we celebrate birthdays after birthdays. This week we will be celebrating Zainub's birthday on 12 December followed by Eemaan's and Hamza's on 14 December. We as such will be issuing two blogs this week. The first edition will talk about Zainub while the second edition will be reserved for both Eemaan and Hamza. Eemaan was born in the year 2000 and Hamza, a year later in 2001. Both of them are special as they respectively were first of our grand children. There would be interesting stories about them but now it is the privilege of Zainub to be our guest of honour!

2.     Family Event:
2.1.  Zainub's Birthday (Born: 12 Dec 2012):

As I prepared myself to write about Zainub, youngest of the two daughters of our youngest son Taha and Shaema, I asked Taha to send me the latest pictures of her for this blog. Following my request Taha and Shaema posted a couple of snapshots of her on the Facebook. The best picture that I could choose was the one used above as her portrait for this B'day celebratory note. Even though I had selected it, I couldn't make up my mind whether she was smiling or preparing herself for a crying binge. In the end I hesitatingly convinced myself that she was trying to manage a grin on having been prompted for this specific camera shot. Lovely isn't it! It certainly is!  It is unique and rare, so very different from a plain smiling face. Having decided that alright, I'm still perplexed however, what to call it, a grin, a sneer or an agitated,/distressed/rattled/fazed pose? Only the proud parents can possibly have the last word on it, I suppose!

Zainub has large almond eyes, identically the same as those of her big sister Ammanah. She has curly hair and looks so different from that of a Pakistani child. To me she looks like an Arab child,  perhaps an Egyptian!  I remember an Egyptian lady scientist from my days of RISO. She like us all foreigners, stayed at the RISO Guest House. She had a baby girl accompanying her. The little girl was of the same age as Zainub and looked exactly like her. Her name was Boosey. She was a bit more social however and got easily mixed with all the scientists of various nationalities. She must be over  forty years old now and should have children of her by this time! I wonder how she looks like presently?Just a curiosity to visualise how our Zainu would be like, when I will be there no more!

Zainub is a little shy but can get friendly after only a while. She is the darling of us all as the following pictures with Ammi (Dadi) and Mama (Shaema) suggests:

And those with Baba (Taha), Mama and Aapi (Ammanah) tells:

One of the most cherished and beautiful family video, which for technical reasons can not unfortunately be reproduced here, is the one in which Zainub shares a small water tumbler with Ammanah and when Ammanah goes out for a brief while to perform a chore of hers, she occupies the whole space in the small tumbler, completely refusing to withdraw from the occupied territory on poor Ammanah's return. The video makes us laugh so loud that  fast asleep neighbours (if there ever were!) would have jumped out from their beds wondering if the doomsday had arrived! Again, If there ever was the need to depict a 'Jew occupying a Palestinian's home' and adamantly refusing to vacate it, this video would surely serve the purpose.

Having accidentally stumbled into the word 'Jew', I may mention that all growing up children to start with are Jews (sorry about that!) in that they refuse to share their candies with anyone including their playmate buddies but our Zainu in all this wide world is a born Mussalman at heart too masha Allah! She very gladly would share what ever little she might have and quite often not even keep a little bit for herself. Here, a true example of benevolence and compassion! Wonderful! Isn't it?

Living so far away, what present can I wrap for you my dear little Zainu, except the words in this blog, which perhaps you will be able to read a few years from now! Both your Dada and Dadi wish you a very 'Happy Birthday' with abundance if goodies scattered and balloons flying, around you. Lots and lots of kisses with a tight hug, our little Zainu!

So long!

PS: Quite unfortunately, I don't have any snapshots of you (Zainu) with your loving Nana and Nani or even with your Dada. Had I them, those surely would have been included. Let's leave them for your next b'day insha Allah, only a year from now!

Celebrating Omar's B'day

Week 49

December 1, 2014

December 7, 2014

1.     Preamble:

This is second issue of the week: 49 and is exclusively reserved for celebrating the birthday of our dear second son Omar Iqbal. We will sketch here his complete profile from childhood to the current adulthood within the limits of available space. This, in our opinion is the best way to celebrate his birthday. The farmhouse diary will in the meantime remain on hold as there still are birthdays in the family to be celebrated. Next week we will celebrate the birthdays of Zainub (second daughter of Taha and Shaema), Hamza and Eemaan. Following that our usual blog on 'News From Farmhouse' will resume.

2.     Celebrating Family Event(s):
2.1.  Omar's Birthday (Born: Dec 7, 1973):

When we talk about Omar, we must also speak about Hasan, for the difference in their ages is not that much. After Hasan, Omar is our second son. He was born in Hyderabad Sind, where we had our parent's home. I was informed of his birth in Rawalpindi, where we had our own residence (335-D Satellite Town). I was then serving at the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology (PINSTECH). Hasan was then just over a year and a half old. He surely must have been excited to have a brother to play with. Our first floor apartment was on the 5th Road and both the brothers could be seen playing in the  balcony overlooking the road. In winter the sun was directly opposite the balcony and they mostly spent their entire day there. They would run their respective walkers helter-skelter all along the length of balcony on seeing me returning from office. We then didn't have a car of our own and almost immediately without wasting any time Anjum and I would take them out for our evening stroll around the commercial area with Hasan on his pram. Both the kids used to wait for this outing the whole day long, for this perhaps was the only recreation then in their lives. This sort of life which makes me overly nostalgic continued with subtle differences a lot longer at several places, including Hyderabad, Sudbury (Canada) and Islamabad until our finally shifting to Hawkes Bay, Karachi but there too it didn't finish abruptly and their childhood together lingered on. Here, however we will allow ourselves looking at certain specific episodes of growing up only of Omar and return to Hasan's in April, when we celebrate his exclusive birthday too insha Allah.

As it happens so often with growing children, Omar had a different personality of his own, which showed up vividly later in his life. He followed Hasan for a while before discovering his own path ways, equally interesting and scenic. If we follow the lives of both the brothers, of which we will try to have glimpses in this very brief write up, it would gradually become obvious but not necessarily in individual stories of theirs. I shall try to recount and reminisce about, a few of  them from here on.

In 1975, I was awarded a one year fellowship to work as a visiting research scientist at the Danish Atomic Energy Research Establishment, RISO. Anjum and the two kids spent part of this period in Hyderabad and part in Sudbury (Canada). I went to see them in Sudbury when they were there. Omar was growing up. He could babble sufficiently well to sing:     

    ساین با با ایا میٹھے جاول لايا

with index fingers of both the hands pointing  skywards. He, then could also  toddle well enough to dance simultaneously on one foot. It used to  be exceedingly hilarious.  He used to perform the act when ever some  one asked him.  We took  special  pleasure in watching him doing that funny schtick. I had no idea where he picked  it from but  Anjum remembers it to be from a TV serial for children.

Hasan started going to school (Federal Government Intermediate Girls College in F-6) when we started living in Islamabad (No. 34, St:5, F-8/3). This was after my return from Denmark. A school bus used to take him to the school and bring him back. A country boy living in our servant's quarter with his father had the responsibility of taking him to the street corner to board the bus. One day Anjum discovered all of a sudden that Omar was missing and was no where to be seen in the house, which had an upper story in addition to the ground floor. He could not be found anywhere around the house either. A great calamity befell when she discovered from the boy that Omar too boarded the bus along with Hasan. It used to be an afternoon shift and there was no way for Anjum to go by herself to the school, some ten or so kilometres away. She therefore patiently but quite agonisingly waited for my return from the office when we together used to drive to the school to pick Hasan. That day as I descended from my own office bus at the same street corner, I quite unexpectantly found Anjum waiting bewildered with anxiety written large on her face. Together, we drove to the school, where we found Omar playing by himself in the school yard with Hasan still in his class. When school bell rang ultimately and Hasan came out of his class, he told us in his halting Urdu how anxious he was about Omar during the four hours Omar was not with him. But Omar quite oblivious of the concern of his elder brother remained apparently involved and preoccupied with what ever of his interest outside.

In the year 1980, I was transferred to Karachi Nuclear Power Plant and I was allotted residence at the KANUPP colony in Hawks Bay. Both Hasan and Omar were admitted to the nearby Federal Board Intermediate College at Masroor Air Base. Omar did his matriculation from that school in first division and got admitted to the Adamjee Science College where from he did his HSC in sufficiently high grades to get admission to the Dow Medical College in Karachi. In 1999, I was posted as the Director of Institute of Nuclear Power in Islamabad. By that time both Hasan and Omar had completed MBA and MBBS respectively. Soon after, Omar joined Pak Army as a doctor (radiologist) with the rank of Captain. He did his preliminary training in Abbotabad on completion of which he served at several places such as Guwadar, Sheikhupura and Gilgit Baltistan. His most cherished high profile posting was at Siachin Glashier, which alone might require an exclusive write up. He was promoted to the rank of Major in due course. His services were transferred later to the PAF and he initially served at the Rafiqui Airbase at Shorekot.

Omar was married on 16 February 2001 to Sadaf. They have masha Allah four children, two sons (Hamza and Yahya) and two daughters (Hiba and Rehma). Omar is now posted as Squadron Leader at the PAF Base Faisal, Karachi. 

Omar is gentle and a very humble son of ours. He is religious and possesses down to earth qualities. He is endowed with the habit of keeping and arranging his personal effects in right order at all times. I remember right from the very young age, he would himself make his bed after getting up in the morning, press and hang his clothes and shine his shoes. These self inculcated traits must have come handy to him in his life with armed forces. Omar is a duty conscious and hardworking officer. He is a loving father and caring husband. He is sensitive but understanding at the same time too. Omar likes to enjoy outdoors and like his father, he also has a green thumb. Omar is a star gazer but not an astronomer. He follows stars movement across the sky as a hobby. He is the source of happiness in our home. His birthday is the time when we get a wonderful chance to show our limitless love for him, though he quite knows our feelings for him.

Happy birthday Omar! We wish you will always have good health, a great career as our armed forces officer and a highly competent specialist radiologist insha Allah!  We all love you and wish you will always take very good care of yourself. This life profile of yourself will tell you and your kids:

The little boy you were,
The special man you are now,
And the precious son you will always be

So long!

Hello Avizheh

Week 49	December 1, 2014	December 7, 2014

1.     Preamble:

As mentioned earlier in this blog we are completely preoccupied with birthday celebrations of our dear ones during November and December. Therefore barring a few items worth talking about in reference to the farmhouse itself, we mostly will be conversing about the real flowers in our lives, whose birthdays we will celebrate during this month. At the farm the autumn time has arrived in reality. The grape arbor is now barren of grape vine leaves and trees of Apricot, Plum, Peach and Persimmon too are shedding their leaves. Our much revered citrus trees are however bowing low with loads of lemons, tangerines and oranges of different kinds. So bountiful is the fruit that we keep harvesting them, without ever seeing them depleting. We will keep including some of their pictures in this blog as we go along. The weather is sufficiently cold to force me to put on woollen gloves and long socks in addition to sweater and a jacket that I must compulsively don before going out for my daily early morning walks.

We celebrated the birthday of  our son Saad Iqbal on November 28 last week. This week we will eulogize our grand daughter Avizheh and son Omar on their birthdays falling on December 2 and December7 respectively. In this first issue of the blog of this week, we will recount the sweet memories of Avizheh's childhood as well as in growing age. On Dec 7, our guest would be Squadron Leader Omar Iqbal insha Allah.

2.     Celebrating Family Events:

2.1   Avizheh's Birthday (Born: Dec 2, 2007)

I had gone to Vienna to work at the IAEA for a four week assignment to review the IAEA Guidelines on nuclear security at the invitation of DG IAEA. As usual, I stayed at a hotel near the workplace: The Vienna International Centre (VIC). It was the first Sunday of December 2007. Being an off day, I planned to spend it, seeing places within the precincts of the Vienna City Centre.  I had taken the UBahn from Keiser Muhlen Centre to the Vienna city centre, when I received the happy news of Avizheh's birth vide a text message on my mobile phone. It was an overwhelmingly happy news. I read it again and again. It made me homesick. On my way back I returned to Islamabad via Karachi where Avizheh was born. She was masha Allah a healthy and wholly lovesome baby. Over the years she has acquired an exceedingly adorable persona that pleases every one around masha Allah. All the infants occasionally suck at their thumb. Among the peculiarities that come to my mind, was her sucking at two of her fingers rather than just the thumb. I inquired about the meaning of her name and was told, it meant 'pure' in Persian and so she is in her temperament. What she is, she is and you can not change that. She on occasion can be extremely agitated and angry and at other times she can be endlessly jollyfull and happy but whatever mood she is in, she remains love of lives. Here is a lovely picture of her with her elder sister Eemaan  from their trip to Europe last summer.

She calls me 'Abbu' and Anjum 'Ammi'. That pleases us no ends. When we meet after a long while, she would rush to us in our open arms for a very warm hug and embrace and that too would make us very happy. She is intelligent and very good in her studies, scoring 100 out of 100 in most subjects. Before she was enrolled in a school, Tania occasionally took her along to her teaching classes at the LSE and there she would invite attention of every one, her colleagues and students boys and girls alike, so popular she was and still is! 

Avizheh like us all, can get tired and that is the time when she would refuse to participate further in any of the activities how so ever interesting those might be to others. One of my most favourite of her pictures is the one in which quite oblivious of the surroundings she is fast asleep on the bullet train between Amsterdam and Frankfurt. There is one other picture of her which I like and that is with the daughter of one of Hasan's and Tania's friends in Amsterdam.

When ever she is at the farm, she would enjoy her time with her cousin sisters. This is plenty fully obvious in the following pictures:

Before closing, it is our privilege to wish you Avizheh, a very happy birthday.  Wish we could join your party and spend a festively joyous day with you, which we so much wish you to have! Cheers!