Interesting Channels on Youtube

I took a break from blog writing because these past few weeks have been so busy for me, and also because I was angry about a few things happening around the world. Then I took a much-needed road-trip vacation as I was fed up being stuck at home for so long. But now I'm back, and I should not break my promise of writing a blog post every week. 

The first time I went to the youtube website, it was 2006 - I was a student in Canada and I think someone pasted a Youtube link in a small group on a clunky social media website called Facebook. It is amazing how far social media and video-sharing websites have come in such a short time. I've always had a youtube account since back then, and wanted to list out some interesting channels that I have found and follow on Youtube over here.

Panacea81- Lauren Luke

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUmC122H07lU5BWK7XZimhg

This is probably the first channel I followed- Lauren focuses on makeup videos - she is amazing because she is also an artist and has a great command on brushes and esthetics. I learned a lot from Lauren, and she remains my favorite makeup artist to date. 

Nicko's Kitchen

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCffs63OaN2nh-6StR6hzfiQ

This is the second oldest channel I follow, I think. Nick is from Australia and focuses on delicious, easy meals and often copy-recipes from famous restaurants that we can make at home. His french fries and doughnuts are just perfect! 

Manjula's Kitchen

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb75CvYbm5BXpbEkGqFKABw

I learned how to make baklava, pistachio kulfi, veggie bruschetta and more vegetarian recipes from Manjula. She is simply the best for easy to follow recipes with such a sweet and humble presentation.

JennaMarbles

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9gFih9rw0zNCK3ZtoKQQyA

Jenna made me laugh with her 'how to trick people into thinking you are good-looking', and her Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber impressions. It's so sad that Jenna has stopped making new videos.

Ali's Tarot

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGS9evApv_T-ZZbSmHi4oBA

While I don't believe in predictions and horoscopes, tarot seems interesting and a way to get in touch with your intuition. It's also a lot of fun. I don't know why but Ali has quickly become one of my favorite people. I fell in love with her cat and her dog, and just her general positive vibe.

But First, Coffee - with Kallie Branciforte

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeDNVLP9jf9a2BDaLUQC7YA

Kallie's channel is great for tips and hacks for storage solutions, cleaning and other household chores. 

Dearly Bethany

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4HsumPi975_XPqpsU2tAqQ

This channel is great for learning about putting together a good outfit, and also great tips for petite/short people like me. 

Emmymade

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzqbfYjQmf9nLQPMxVgPhiA

Emmy is so cute, seriously cute, and I love her way of testing out recipes. Her voice is comforting, and I'm amazed at her knowledge of the ingredients and techniques that she is using. 

Justine Leconte Official

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChxkFSjTE7nLCHsDk8_pRhg

Justine is another great resource for clothing and outfits, what to buy, what to avoid etc. She is so good with describing fabrics, cuts and colors that look good and we should invest in. She has a bright smile and an adorable French accent.

Mary's Nest

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCepVey5oiinAQGgT06r-h5A

Mary is amazing with traditional food prep, how to build a good pantry, and how to avoid processed foods. Some recipes are so good and easy to follow. And it is always great to see Mary's big warm smile.

Refika's Kitchen

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCONn3cHs5mqgCMqf_a4fcSg

Refika is my favorite Turkish cook - I love her recipes and her good humor. 

The Icing Artist - Laurie Shannon

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC500_29hTGKAj6GBmSoMiBw

Laurie is based in Toronto, and does amazing things in baking - I was blown away by her experiment of turning a $20 grocery store cake into a stunning bridal cake with her expertise. It is always fun to watch Laurie.

Minimal Russian Girl - Vika

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7aXXn-FemVSl-NuScJxpIA

Vika is another adorable girl I follow - she lives in Russia and manages a minimal lifestyle with her husband and baby. It is a nice glimpse into every day Russia, with Vika taking us on a tour of her apartment, a grocery store, the books she read as a student etc. Incredibly interesting.

Meow Meow

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUU3hpbkGWpnNZJX4rSWidw

This couple lives in Istanbul and regularly go for walks to meet and feed stray cats. We get to see the cutest kitties and it is so nice to see them being fed and petted. 

Triggered Insaan - Triggered human (Urdu/Hindi language channel)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfLuT3JwLx8rvHjHfTymekw

Nikshay regularly roasts viral hacks, stupid Bollywood films/music/scenes/tv shows, and he is guaranteed to make me laugh with his expressions alone. Sometimes his parents and siblings also make appearances on his videos, which are not as funny as his solo roasts. 

CBA - Arslan Naseer (Urdu language channel)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAPKFEmtca1ptADaSiwaieg

Arslan roasts tv shows, stupid songs and movie sequences, and the best part is - he is an illustrator and always draws and animates his version of the celebrities he is roasting. Sometimes he makes fun of current affairs, but is always fun to watch.

Junaid Akram - Ask Ganjiswag (Urdu language channel)

https://www.youtube.com/user/man2die4

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy2QNyhhTND6hx80pHNB1zg

So Junaid has two channels, I am never sure which is which. Junaid is funny and started his social media presence by talking about current affairs, viral stupidities and roasting people in general. He has a common sense, to the point approach to many things, which is probably why people started asking him for advice. He opened his Ask Ganjiswag (bald-swag) channel to focus exclusively on his Q&A and Advice Podcast. Sometimes he brings on other people to chat about aliens, ghost stories, interesting business ventures, education etc. It is always interesting and also informative. 

Memories of Ramzaan and Eid

The month of Ramzaan (Ramadan) should not be all about food, but in a way at least in my memory, it is. 

In the country where I grew up, all regular routines were drastically changed as the holy month started. People woke up earlier, went to bed later, ate at off-times, and everything generally felt different. Many religious people looked forward to Ramzaan: when practicing Muslims fast (no food or drink/water) from Sunrise until Sunset, spending the day being mindful of their behavior, and the nights in prayer. Children like me were actually looking forward to celebrating Eid (the day after the month of Ramzaan ends) and being happy about all the festivities going on.

School and offices usually had reduced hours, and our school buses would either not play any music or would switch to religious hymns instead. The local Masjids (mosques) were abuzz with activity, specially for the nightly prayers (Taraweeh). Bazaars were full of street vendors - from fruit sellers to special stalls for Ramzaan foods, to those selling bangles, jewelry and Eid Cards (this was before the internet). Every bakery or grocery store had a free Ramzaan Timings calendar that they eagerly handed out to all customers. We would hang it up somewhere in our living room - it had daily times for Sehri, Iftar, and all the prayer times as well.

The Ramzaan I remember used to be during winter months when I was little. It would be very cold when my family woke up pre-dawn, with my Mom walking in to the kitchen to prepare the Sehri (or pre-fast meal/breakfast) and dad heading to the dining room to set things up. I would lie curled up in the warm blankets, half-asleep, half-awake, feeling the lights turning on in the dining room, hearing the plates coming out of the cupboard, smelling the delicious Sehri and tea being prepared. 

There were drum-beaters that would walk down the streets outside, beating a steady drum melody to wake the neighborhood up for Sehri. I remember crawling out of bed, wrapping the blanket all around me, and tip-toeing to the dining room where the fun was. 

Sehri items were usually tea, paratha (fried flat-bread) with omelette or kebabs, some yogurt (which helps people feel less thirsty throughout the day), and something sweet. My favorite was the sweet Jalebi soaked in milk - my dad used to break a few big juicy Jalebis into a bowl of warm milk before we went to sleep at night, so they were soft and plump by Sehri time. Every one also had a glass of water right before the Sehri siren would go off. There was a public announcement from our nearest Masjid - 'People, it is almost time for Sehri, please finish eating before the time'. Then it was time for Fajr prayers, and after that only an hour of sleep before getting up to go to school.

Early evening was when the Iftar fun started - people were back in the kitchen for more cooking. Our Iftar was usually some dates, pakora (fried dumpling) with either onions, potatoes or spinach with a sauce, a fruit 'chaat' (a sort of salad with mixed diced fruits in orange juice with salt/pepper and little spice), and one other item out of many available in the bazaars. And Rooh Afzah, because what is Ramzaan without a refreshing iced Rooh Afzah drink (no matter how chilly the winters are)? Kids would get Rooh Afzah in milk. Sometimes we had a yogurt lassi, other times my dad experimented with 'milk and soda' which was a popular trend back then. My favorite Iftari was dipping the pakora into the left over orange juice dressing from the fruit chaat. I never took Rooh Afzah in milk though. 

In the bazaars, bakeries and stores would often open up temporary stalls for selling Iftar items. My dad's favorite bakery on his way home from work had a special stall that made new items daily - some of them experimental which is why he liked them so much. There were mini-pizzas, tiny meat-pies with cheese toppings, deep-fried chicken spring rolls, fresh sweet cream rolls, chocolate eclairs, chicken patties (puff-pastries with chicken filling), tiny samosa (all kinds of fillings including sweet nut fillings) and much more. How I miss the special Iftari food!

It was customary to dedicate one day in Ramzaan to make a lot of Iftari (iftar food) to share with our neighbors. We'd have a giant serving tray loaded with all the delicious food, covered with a pretty cloth all over, and I would be sent to the specific neighbors' house to ring their doorbell and stand awkwardly with the giant serving tray for them. The neighbors were delighted, took the tray inside to transfer the items to their own plates, and returned with the serving tray with a 'say thank you to your Mother, okay?' 

This would be repeated multiple times as I ran from our house with the serving tray to each neighbors' house, frantic to finish my task before Iftar time. Of course, we would often get similar Iftari trays as gestures of goodwill and affection from our neighbors in return. I loved getting the different types of Iftari from our neighbors, it was like getting surprise gifts every week. Some neighbors even sent drinks in large jugs, those were amazing!

As we got closer to Eid day, the bazaars would start having extra sales so that people could get all their Eid shopping done (like Christmas shopping season). There were dresses to be bought and tailored, the right jewelry to match, the right shoes, the bangles, the henna. For men too, the suits and good shoes for Eid Day, and often a new wallet or handkerchief set to go with it. Before the internet and e-Cards, before the cellphones, we had Greeting card stalls. My dad would take me to the bazaar at night, there were so many stalls with colorful items, fairy lights hanging all across the market, people happy and bustling about. 

We would get a few beautiful Eid Greeting cards for family, my dad would buy me matching glass bangles for my Eid Dress, and a cone of henna for my hands. On the eve of Eid (Chand-Raat or Moon-Night), while some people mostly spent it in the bazaars getting last minute items, my parents were usually home preparing for our expected visitors the next day. After all the cleaning was done, dishes prepared, our guest serving trolley all set with the nice cutlery, my mom would sit down to put henna on my hands. It was always very late at night, and I was most excited about it. It was the last thing to do before going to bed. I loved the smell of fresh henna, and the pretty motifs my mom made, and how cold my hand felt afterwards while the henna dried. I went to bed without washing the henna (leaving it on overnight), and upon waking up on Eid morning, I'd rush to wash my hands and show my mom how dark the motifs came out to be.

My Dad was already at the Masjid for Eid Morning prayers, and my Mom would have Sheer-khurma (dates and vermicelli in milk) or Muzaafir (vermicelli with Saffron) with me for breakfast. Then we'd both get dressed for the day. My dad would always bring a large balloon that matched the color of my dress on his way back from the morning prayer. The Eid Day balloon is one of my fondest memory. Then we'd have a photo session so I could show off my dress in photos that my Dad would send to his mom and the rest of our family. I would also get my Eidi (customary Eid gift, usually cash) from my parents. Our first visitors were always our neighbors coming by to say hello and test out my Mom's Eid cooking from the guest trolley. The neighborhood kids would gather in groups comparing Henna or bangles, or Eid outfits, posing for photographs for my dad, and playing around. We got a lot of Eidi from the neighbors. Around evening, we'd go to visit other people: neighbors, relatives, and friends. 

By night on the first day of Eid, I was thoroughly exhausted - having played all day, collecting Eidi and stuffing all the money in my little bank box, eating too much food off the Trolley, and watching cartoons or terrible old movies on tv. I would fall asleep with my henna and bangles still on, wearing a huge smile on my face, content in the knowledge that we had 2 more days of holidays ahead. What times!

Seasons of loss

There are no happy thoughts today, and no energy that can bring up past memories as compensation. I have heard of multiple deaths in the extended family over the past week: some who I knew well, and others who were names and just a memory of how they were related to me. I tried to avoid talking about the pandemic here, because it felt like Covid was everywhere and all we were talking about. But today, I don't see an escape. The pandemic has crept into every aspect of life, like water seeping into the foundations of a building and creating ugly stains on every wall - we cannot ignore it for long.

It is also the month of Ramzan (Ramadan) and somehow that has made the pandemic more difficult, specially for people observing fasts in countries like Pakistan. Ramzan is already difficult due to sky-high prices of necessities, but the added burden of Covid - I don't even want to go there. I don't know how people are surviving it. I do know how people are dying: deprived of medication, medical attention and even oxygen. And I don't know how to help.

We were lucky in the US to be able to get vaccinated and have a government that is actually functioning since January 20th, 2021. Some of us are lucky to be able to work from home, lucky to get groceries delivered, I guess just lucky to be alive. I wonder what people who thought the virus was a hoax think of what's happening in India? Is it still a conspiracy spread by the 'left'? Is it Bill Gates trying to manipulate and microchip people around the world? Are these patients struggling to breathe, gasping for air, are they all paid actors? Is wearing a mask such a terrible idea? Is following precautions that much of a burden on their 'freedoms'?

I hate to ramble, but I have a lot of anger and frustration at those who never took this pandemic seriously. They were, and are, the reason for a lot of the damage that has been done around the world as this virus spreads. Their misguided beliefs in not wanting to wear a mask, not following precautions and not taking a vaccine are more important than someone's right to breathe or survive. How pathetic these idiots and how pathetic their lives...

We lost so many, and the scariest thing is - we don't know the extent of damage done to those who got sick but survived. We don't know how many more we will lose by the time the virus subsides. I just hope we don't hear of another loss at all. 

Signs you belong to the Earth Element

Just for fun...

the most earth sign dwelling possible

- You are a little old-fashioned and so what if you are

- You would never do THAT new thing everyone's harping about, I mean come on

- You just can't believe people can be that stupid and you say this around 5 times a day

- A dying plant depresses you more than a sad song

- The rage you feel when you see/hear about someone hurting a wild animal or a pet is indescribable 

- You have an intuitive sense about when something will turn into a disaster and you are wrong 30% of the time although this statistic is still hard to accept

- You believe animals & plants are much better than humans and love Mother Earth with all your heart (you care deeply about the environment and animal rights)

- You hate surprises and last minute changes because it throws off your agenda/routine for the day

- You wonder why logic and common sense is so scarce

- Sure, you will hang out on Friday after work, if you have been asked/warned at least 3 days in advance

- If you don't know many people at a party, you won't go

- You'll feel guilty for not going out and not being social enough but then you're home right now and comfortable so there's that

- You like confirming plans/appointments multiple times to feel better

- People cutting down trees for no reason or pulling grass out from the roots makes you angry and upset

- It takes time for you to accept and adapt to new things, you are cautious and like to wait to see how things play out

- You're* (because grammar and spelling matter)

- You love the mountains, forests and wooded areas - they feel like home

- You will never run after the shiny new things as a matter of principle

- You have anxiety and are a little OCD about some things

- Your brain suddenly remembers that one email you haven't responded to at 2 am and now you can't sleep

- That person wronged you, and now you hold a grudge for life - not really, you're a good, forgiving person and one day karma will show them, but... okay, you will hold that grudge for life

- You'd happily choose to live in a little cabin in the woods rather than a top-floor luxury apartment in a high-rise building

- You like traveling by road or trains - air travel or boats/ships aren't exactly your thing

- You 'feel' the height of a place you are at - the more distant you are from the ground level, the more uncomfortable you feel 

- You are friendly but prefer to stay out of drama and don't like attention

- You prefer things made out of natural materials: wood, cotton, stone etc

- For a choice between something cheap & a quick-fix, and something expensive & durable, you'll always go with the expensive & durable even if it takes longer to get

- You'll give yourself multiple justifications about the expensive thing you got and still feel guilty, but then so what, but then you should have saved that money, but then so what it's my money

- You were probably the kid who worried so much about the school group project and ended up doing most of it and those thankless friends of yours took the credit too, shame

- Emotions catch you off-guard and so you try your best to stay in your serious poker face phase but sometimes you fail and wow the embarrassment

- Working and being of use makes you the happiest version of yourself

- You like natural colors - browns, greens and blues and grays

- You feel guilty about taking time off and being lazy/resting and doing nothing

- You have a to-do list, complete with short-term and long-term items and you enjoy checking things off it

- You'd always rather be home 

- You like knowing about where you came from and your family history - it is important to you and makes you feel connected and a part of something bigger

- You'll probably pass over that sky-diving/bungee-jumping invitation, thanks

- You have a soft spot for old things and may even collect or preserve/rescue them

- You often catch yourself feeling nostalgic for the past

- The future makes you worry but you've got plans and are prepared for anything

- You don't allow yourself to be carried away by fantasy or get too optimistic about things, sometimes creating your own suffering and obstacles in the process

- You are generally defensive about a lot of things and opinions you hold dear, even if you don't express them

- You tend to be more pessimistic about everything while telling people you are just being a realist when you know that's not true

- You are the same person inside as long as you have known yourself

- You are not afraid to sit with the negative sides of your personality and face them honestly and courageously but still won't do anything about it 

- To most people you are boring, but that is perfectly okay with you 

I want to end with the most Earth Sign lines ever written (by an earth sign himself)

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

JRR Tolkien

How I learnt English by reading books

For every Urdu book I have read in my life, I must have read over 80 English books. But that wasn't always the case. When I first started school, my Kindergarten teacher told my mom that I struggled the most with English. Later my Class 1 teacher suggested that I should read more books to get better at it.

My first English books in school were Peter and Jane (Ladybird). At one page, I got stuck on 'This is a tree'. I kept looking at 't r e e' and I didn't know what it was and it didn't make sense. I didn't like that book or Peter or Jane or the 't r e e'.

Once, a lady at a dinner party asked me in English 'how do you do?' and I had no idea what that meant. I was only familiar with How are you. English was a strange language to learn and understand and school mainly focused on limited reading/writing/grammar and rehearsed conversation. 

I loved listening to stories that my parents read aloud to me, but I didn't actually read by myself yet. Then one day, as my mother was reading a story to me in the afternoon, she stopped abruptly at an interesting turn- to go and check on something cooking in the kitchen. I was so desperate to learn what happened next with the story that I picked the book up and forced myself to read. Something just clicked - the words came together with a meaning, and English felt easier to read than Urdu so I kept going. 

As an only child, books became my favorite past-time, my escape and my adventure. My mother encouraged reading as a treat, almost like chocolate or ice-cream, and a book was often a reward. She would get books for me and hide them somewhere in my grandfather's room. She called it the 'Treasure'. I did my best to track it down, following my mom around the house, searching Grandfather's room when no one was looking, but I was small and she hid the books on top of the cupboard that was out of my reach. One of the great mysteries of my childhood was the Treasure, and where it was hidden, and what amazing books were waiting for me if I was a good girl. 

At school, we graduated to Ginn 'Reasons for Writing' Anthology after Peter and Jane:

I looked forward to getting these in my course every year in Primary school, and I would read them right away during summer vacation. The first story I remember was 'Mrs. Long and her car'. Mrs Long bought a car that spoke in a commanding voice, screaming 'TURN LEFT!' at every traffic light, finally landing into a ditch near a train station. Mrs Long was obviously very upset, but the car was probably predicting the wide-spread use of the GPS systems of today. I recall this story each time I drive with the GPS on. 

Then we moved on to Wide Range Readers in school, these were by far my favorite. Some of the most wonderful, lovable stories that I have read in my life were found in these books. I somehow memorized them, and I think I'll put them in another blog post. These stories taught me so much about life and being a good human.

While school focused more on grammar, subject/object/verb agreements, present/past participle etc, I simply loved the stories. Over time, I just got a 'sense' of whether a sentence was grammatically correct or not, just by reading it. Even today, I cannot tell what the subject-object is in a sentence, but I can read or think it in my head and know if it is incorrect or what needs to change. I got better and better at reading comprehension and writing English, even speaking, and I could pick the correct tense in a grammar exercise, but I couldn't pick out if it was a past participle. I really didn't care.

At home, the Treasure was still waiting to be explored, one book at a time. Once I was sick with fever, and my parents were invited to a party, and I was crying about being stuck at home in bed and not being able to go to the party. I wailed and complained while my mom got dressed and to console me she surprised me with a book from the Treasure. It was called 'The Hot and Cold Summer' - I still remember seeing the title and choking back my tears. It was a good story, and I was glad I didn't go to the party after all. 

By this time, everyone in our family knew about my love of reading, and I began to get books as gifts. I got classics like Black Beauty, Treasure Island, the Pied Piper of Hamelin, the Borrowers, Tom's Midnight Garden, Little House on the Prairie, but I also got my hands on my Grandfather's old collection. I got Don Quixote from his shelf, I read 'Short Stories by Modern Masters' that I also borrowed from him (without his knowledge) - these included stories such as Dubliners, the Outcasts of Poker Flat, the Yellow Wallpaper and the Horse Dealer's daughter. I rescued 'Great Expectations' from a discarded magazine pile at my aunt's house. I read the Exorcist found in another discarded book pile. These were clearly meant for adults, but I was addicted to reading and just couldn't stop. 

When I struggled with difficult words, I would drag out the big Merriam-Webster college dictionary and look up the meaning. If there were hard words in the meaning, I would look up those words to get their meaning to make sense of the meaning of the first word. But other times I got lazy and just inferred the meaning by context, sometimes incorrectly. Dictionary-browsing was another favorite past-time for hot summer days during a power outage. There was so much information about everything imaginable in that big red book. Of course, this was life before wide-spread internet availability and Google.

One day, my mom got me a book called the 'Flying Saucer Mystery'. I was obsessed with Space and Aliens during this time, and a flying saucer mystery was exceptionally exciting. It was the beginning of my Nancy Drew phase. Over the next couple of years, I had read about a 100 Nancy Drews. 'The Ghost of Blackwood Hall' and 'The Clue in the Camera' remain my favorite Nancy Drew novels. Nancy Drew introduced some American history, culture and locations (states) to me. I had a book called 'the 50 United States' that someone had given as a gift, and I could look up state maps to see where Nancy was solving a mystery. 

We got Enid Blyton's from the used book stall one summer. I read them all, the Five Find-Outers and the Secret Seven, and the Famous Five and more. All about summer hols, and beaches, and picnics with potted meat sandwiches, some of the dialogue and themes a little dated (a little racist at times) but fun nonetheless. My favorites were the Five Find-Outers and the Ship of Adventure.

Around this time, my uncle was visiting from Canada, and brought a ton of books from a library book sale. I got Anne of Green Gables, Sarah-Plain and tall, Who Stole the Wizard of Oz, Ramona the Brave, the Cartoonist, Harriet the Spy, and many more. His daughter, my cousin, was reading a book at school in Canada those days, called Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which she had brought along to read on vacation. So while she was busy playing- I finished that book in record time. This book was like no other I'd ever read - it had magic, and giants, and wizards and good friends and terrible teachers, and a castle with moving paintings and staircases. I have no words to describe the wonder and excitement I felt when reading it. I asked for nothing more but the next Harry Potter book whenever my relatives were planning to visit from US/Canada again. 

I started my journey struggling with the easiest word, and out of boredom reading adult novels, and then finally around 12 years of age I found Harry Potter. I read the Lord of the Rings after I saw the first movie, some time around 15,  in order to understand what the movie was about. I have never looked back, but I know I might still fail a grammar quiz asking me to find that pesky past participle. 

Nostalgia Part 2: Urdu Books I've read as a child

Following the theme of nostalgia these days, I'm writing about Urdu language books and magazines I read and enjoyed as a child. There seems to be a general dearth of good Urdu literature, specially for young readers, and most of the books that are available are either preachy, (shoveling nationalism down our throats unnecessarily) or too bland. But some were absolute gems. Here are the ones I remember:

1- Magazine: Children's World بچوں کی دنیا

This was probably the first thing I started reading - it was a kids magazine with stories for both very young readers and those a little older. There were genies, ghosts, fairies, witches and wizards, poems, and jokes to enjoy. There was one particular story that I loved the most from one of the magazines called 'Talaash' or 'Quest' - an evil fairy had stolen a little princess' heart and a brave Prince went on a quest to get it back. I'm probably going to re-tell that story in a future blog because it was amazing, I hope to one day tell it to my kids.

2- Amber, Naag, Maria عمبر ناگ ماریہ book series by A. Hameed 

I remember some of my older cousins reading these books, and I borrowed a few to read. These were a kind of mystery novel with three strange characters trying to solve them. Amber was probably a girl, Naag was a magic talking snake and scared me a lot, and Maria was also a girl but could be invisible at times. It was a really weird series, and I would get confused about who was who and sometimes the scenes/themes were pretty morbid. Definitely not my favorite though.

3- What happened to Aali... عالی پر کیا گزری novel by Aziz Asri

Aali is an obstinate boy who rarely listens to what his elders say. One day he befriends a stranger on the street, who is offering him something like candy or a toy, and gets kidnapped. He is held for many days and manages to escape, and makes a long journey back home, meeting several characters (both good and evil) along the way. The novel was a sort of warning tale for kids to listen to their parents' advice and to be wary of strangers. I got pretty scared after reading this one, although some of the kidnappers were pretty funny and the dialogues were hilarious.

4- Inspector Jamshaid انسپکٹر جمشید  Detective series by Ishtiaq Ahmad

This was a detective series clearly inspired by Ibn-e-Safi's novels (see No. 5 below). These were nicely written: there was the patriotic Inspector Jamshaid and his three kids, but they were too perfect and too preachy that sometimes I used to roll my eyes while reading these novels. Some of the ways in which these characters got out of trouble were incredible and really bent the rules of physics and human capabilities. I had a friend in Grade 7 who was obsessed with these and we used to exchange the 'Special Numbers' from the Inspector Jamshaid series - these were extra long novels with grand complicated plots, and sometimes were cross-overs with Ishtiaq Ahmad's other series. 

5- Jasoosi Dunya جاسوسی دنیا  detective series by Ibn-e-Safi 

My number 1 most favorite of all the Urdu books I read as a child. Ibn-e-Safi was a prolific writer during my parent's childhood, my mom grew up reading his novels and I was really excited when I got my hands on these at a used book store. There were two main characters, Colonel Fareedi and Captain Hameed, who solved mysteries ranging from the supernatural to international crime and espionage. The plots were intricate and detailed, the dialogue crisp and at times hilarious, and all the action took place in a sort of fictionalized country that was a mix of both East and West (almost like 60s Karachi was mixed seamlessly with NYC or some other American city). I tried reading Imran series by the same writer, but I never liked it as much as I liked Jasoosi Dunya. I wish these were translated into English, and the rest of the world could learn of the genius of Ibn-e-Safi.

TV shows I watched as a kid

Recently, I saw a post on Facebook where people were listing all the shows, cartoons and movies they watched as kids. I got inspired to write down my own list, and it kept growing and growing until I decided to add it here as a blog post. I was able to track down a few of the opening credits/themes on youtube for some of them, so I'll add links where possible. I don't know why once I read a few of the names, my faded memories just kept coming back -  I'd like to document them here so I don't forget them again.

Growing up, we had just one state-owned tv channel called PTV. It is surprising how many international shows PTV aired at the time in addition to our own dramas and news shows. But people in our country were either lazy or didn't have the resources for dubbing, so all shows were shown in original English.  Here are the children's shows and cartoons, and other shows that I remember:

- Fraggle Rock (usually shown early morning on weekdays): very faded memory of watching this show when getting ready to go to school

- Wind in the Willows (the BBC TV series): the song is so hauntingly beautiful and sad! My dad loved this show and made me watch it in the mornings when I was having breakfast before going to school. It is a stop action animation, and my dad's favorite

- Thundercats (usually shown in the evenings on weekdays): I loved snarf so much. But I was scared of Mumm-Ra - I once had a nightmare where the vacuum cleaner in the corner turned in to Mumm-Ra and my grandma just couldn't understand who/what it was while she was trying to calm me down. 

- Silverhawks: very faded memory of watching this show, some older cousins probably watched it and I remembered it when I saw the opening credits again

- Chronicles of Narnia (BBC TV series): Loved this show so much, it was generally shown on weekends

- the Jetsons: my Mom loved this show and would put it on for me. I was fascinated by Rosey the robot

- Gumby: another one of my mother's favorite show that we watched together

- Rentaghost (BBC series): when I got a little older, I was really into this show - it was such fun

- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: I remember for some reason I wanted a Ninja Turtle, the red one, Raphael... and I was very ill those days and kept asking for it. My parents got a Ninja Turtle pencil sharpener from a stationery shop for me. I didn't particularly like it, but at least I had a Ninja turtle that was a pencil sharpener from the waist down, and it was cool to show off at school. 

- ALF: I didn't understand English very well, but I loved the alien and thought it was hilarious.

- Amazing Stories: my parents watched this series, I think it used to air on the weekends and I watched it with them

- Ainak Wala Jin (the genie with glasses): the only Urdu tv show for kids back then, and I think still the best one created by PTV. A Jinn is banished from his tribe because of his failing eyesight, and ends up alone in a busy city among humans. A young boy and his dad help the Jinn get eyeglasses so he can see better, and he becomes friends with the boy and his little sister. There are other Jinns, a Wizard and a Witch racing to catch the near-sighted Jinn and trap him in a bottle, and fairies who travel on clouds. So much fun!

- The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest: I was a little older when this show came on, and I was obsessed with it! The Intro theme is still my favorite

Here are some other cartoons and shows that I used to watch on PTV: Tom & Jerry, Looney Tunes, Sesame Street, Captain Planet, Smurfs, Dexter's laboratory, Addams Family, Simpsons, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Full House. 

PTV also aired news slots from BBC, CNN and Deutsche Welle. We got a Hollywood movie on Saturday night and a special movie (either Home Alone or Honey I shrunk the kids) around Christmas and New Years. Shows I was absolutely allergic to were Miami Vice and the Flash that were shown on weekend afternoons.