THE START OF MY LONG DISTANCE RUNNING/JOGGING/WALKING

I used to be somewhat serious about playing hockey, when i was in school. However since i broke my arm twice while playing hockey in 1972, so i had had to leave hockey for good. I started concentrating more on my education.

After qualifying as Chartered Accountant at the age of 24 in 1979, the desire to play some game once again showed its face. Returning back to hockey was almost impossible for me. Athletics had always been my second field of interest. I decided to enter the field of athletics.

I was working as external auditor at the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation , just behind the Elphinston Street. The nearest sports ground and centre was YMCA. So one evening after leaving from my office, i went to the  YMCA . It was the first time that i had gone there.  I met a very cooperative fellow, who was the incharge of sports there. I told him that i wanted to start athletics. He asked me if i had ever participated in athletics. My reply was a simple No. He asked my age. I told him that i was 26. He smiled and told me that usually at the age of 26 an athletes start thinking of retiring.

But as i always put it, i am a different person. I was keen to start athletics at the age when others usually leave. He advised me that long distance running would be feasible for me. He told me some basics of running, and i started visiting and running in the small YMCA mud track, almost daily in the evening. YMCA was at the walking distance from KESC.

I started running a bit in the morning in a park near to my house, and at the YMCA in the evening. I added some basic exercises for my fitness. However, since i was still carrying after effects of Tuberculosis, i was very careful about not to overdo anything. I may tell that i was a TB patient in my early twenties.(That's an another story).

I used to carry my sports shoes, short, track suit in a canvas bag, that i used to carry with me. The same bag used to carry my camera too. YMCA was also a talent hunting ground for me as a freelance journalist. The Arts Council too was very near from there, and i used to visit there too occasionally , to attend art exhibitions, after finishing my evening run at YMCA. From 9 to 5 i was the auditor. 5 to 7 i was a sportsman. From 7 pmonwards i was a freelance journalist, photographer, etc etc.

Now returning back to the topic. I attended a week long (evening) athletics camp in the YMCA, to have a better knowledge of athletics.

A day came when i was told that the Athletics Federation was organising a road race in karachi. I was more than excited . I decided to compete. The race was supposed to be started on the Shahrah e Faisal, in front of Hotel Mehran. My father accompanied me there. It was early in the morning (perhaps 7am). We were supposed to run from there till the turning towards Tariq Road, and then will have to turn from the next roundabout back towards the Numaish round about (Mazar of Quaid e Azam). In the above photograph i am the one standing, with green shirt. My chest number was 106. This photo was taken by my late father before the start of the race. The year was perhaps 1981 or 1982.

I started the race with great anxiety. It was my first race ever. I was going to be an athlete. I ran and ran and ran. But how long? A moment came when i had had to stop. I started walking, restarting running again. I kept on following the same slow process, till i completed the race.

When i reached the finish point, i found two persons waiting eagerly for me. They were none else but my late father and the athletics coach of YMCA. They both welcomed me and congratulated me for completing the race. I was the last person to complete the race. Most of the participants had already left for their homes, after completing the race. I was too happy. I had finished my first long distance road race. That was the start........and the race still goes on.

At the age of 56 i am still running, in the same way, in which i had run my first road race , some 30 years back. My running speed is still the same. I run , jog and walk. I no more participate in road races, because i am simply fed up of coming last in the race. I run/jog/walk for miles and miles. I enjoy running in my own style and at my own terms. I love it. 

WHAT'S IN THE NAME

I had always thought that the name of a person is something that one gets from his/her parents. You like it or not, but it is your name. You get this name when you even do not know who you are, where you are, and  what you are doing. But you have got a name. A name which , willingly or not, is going to represent you. Whether you are present at a particular place or at a particular time, your name is going to represent you. This is something i always wanted to think over. Why is it so?

I am sure there are quite a many persons who do not like their own or family name, but they continue with the one that they have been told to be theirs. But they just spend their lives with the same name , without finding themselves courageous enough to change it.

A name usually exhibits the mood of the parents. There are some parents who leave the job of giving the name to a newly or about to be born baby, to their own parents. In such a situaiton, it needs atleast 4 persons (the parents of the mother and father of the baby) to find out a name. My experience shows that it is not that much easy for all to agree to one single name of the baby. At times such an exercise give birth to serious differences among the two families, which i time do effect the family lives of the parents of the baby too. But this is the system that a big number of parents usually adhere to, despite all possible problems that may come up.

In some families, particularly in Pakistan, the hard and fast rule is to find some suitable name from Quran. Under this practice, the parents usually have got no other way out but to accept the name, whatever that may be. Whether they like iit or not, they are not supposed to object.

Among the turkish people, finding a name for a newly born is very easy. Wast majority of the turkish people usually give the names of the grandparents to the newly born. A newly born male, for example is going to have the name of his paternal or maternal grand father. The same is for a newly born babygirl too. She is most probably going to end up with the name of her maternal or paternal grandmother.

Some parents however find themselves lucky enough to be given the right to select the name for their newly born themselves. That in fact is usually a big test for the parents, perhaps if it was their first chance. They usually do not agree at one single name. They usually end up arguing each other , for a long period. In the end they too agree on one particular name, but usually the party feels himself/herself overruled by the other.

Interestingly, with all this going on, nobody do care if the newly born baby, when grown up would be agreeing to spend his/her whole life with that particular name. But nobody thinks about this very basic problem. But it is a fact that quite many people do try but fail to find out why that particular name was given to them by their parents.

So what may be the solution?

The only solution in my opinion is to give the children a right to select their own name by themselves. But how?

Well do not expect everything to be answered by me

Let you too think and come up with your proposal.

THE GENERATION GAP

A couple of months back, i just mentioned in one of my posts, how my father used to teach me the basics of drawing and painting, way back in early 1960s. Mr. Qaiser Islam, a friend of mine , mentioned that now a days the parents who want to teach drawing and painting to their children, teach them how to use the photoshop program on the computer. Frankly speaking mentally i was not prepared  for such a comment. I had never thought that one day the computer would make so deep impact on our daily lives that it would even change the very basic things.
QAISER ISLAM

But, on the other hand it led me to realise an another fact. I now belong to the older generation. The new generation is fast adjusting their lives to the changed norms, whereas the representatives of the old generation , like myself, are trying but finding it hard to adjust themselves in the new setup. Yes, in other words we can say that there is a generation gap between the two generations. A fact that i always had in my mind, and waited for. The time has arrived ultimately.

It was the year (perhaps) 1968. The Pakistan Television had been working hard to put in the best of the programs, to fill the 4 hours evening transmission. The first episode of ZIA MOHIUDDIN SHOW had just started. It was a totally new sort of program for the viewers. Zia had been inviting his guests one by one on the stage. I remember the best of the best were there. Z.A.Bukharee, Josh Maleehabadi, (was Faiz also there?), Sabri brothers, Amanat Ali and Fateh Ali Khan, Bholu Pehliwan, Sadequain, Fareeda khanum, were there. Z.A.Bukharee and Josh Maleehabadı were specifically making the viewers laugh by their differing styles of very high quality humor

.ZIA MOHIUDDIN SHOW
ZIA MOHIUDDIN SHOW


At that time Zia Mohiuddin invited a young girl, who was a student of the Karachi University. It was her first chance to participate in such a show, and that too together with such stalwarts and established figures of respective fields. But the very reason why that young girl was invited by Zia, was her capability as a staunch debator. And she proved that instantly. The topic given to her was nothing else but GENERATION GAP. She explained and argued so proficiently, that even a young teenager like me very clearly understood what in fact generation gap is. She was none else but KHUSHBAKHT SHUJAAT, the present MNA and (perhaps) minister in pakistan central government.
KHUSHBAKHT SHUJAAT
KHUSHBAKHT SHUJAAT


Since that day, i could not forget this. However, the fact is that its not something new in our lives. Generation gap had always been there and would always be there. Usually at a particular time, we see three consecutive generations at the same place. The children, parents, grandparents. These three generations usually share the same time, same culture, same values, but each of them, having their own and usually differing views about them.

For grandparents, their own children did not and do not share their views fully. The parents complain that their children do not understand their points of view. Its a fact, whether complained and expressed or not. So what's the problem. Generation gap is just there to exist, the same way as it had been among two generations a thousands years ago, today and perhaps after a thousands years from today too.

So the generations must look at it as something to be accepted.

I am happy with the gaps that i found between my parents and myself, and between myself and my children.
What about you?

There's nothing new

AHMED ALAM THE EX PAKISTAN HOCKEY CAPTAIN.....IS HE THAT BOY?

Perhaps it was my psychological tilt since i was a child that i remained interested in hockey. Unfortunately i could not do anything in this field. My interest and participation in the game could never rose beyond being an irregular member of the B team of the Nazimabad Mujahıd's (Karachi), during late 60s.

Although i have never played hockey after 1973, when i was 18 years old, yet i always feel a desire to play hockey again. I did play cricket a bit, but my first priority remained hockey. Unfortunately none of my children have got much idea of what hockey is, since we do not have hockey here in this part of the world (North Cyprus). Sometimes i think that i must do something here to introduce the game of hockey here, but i do not find myself confident and competent enough to do some breakthrough.

Luckily mine is a sports loving family. Over years i have developed habit of jogging for long distances (around 40km per week). My wife did venture in local long distance races, and has got a medal for being second in a 5km race. She became a national badminton referee and volunteered  as referee in athletics also. My eldest son is a second don black belt in kickboxing. My other son is fond of playing basketball. My young daughter used to be the national junior champion of badminton. Later on she became more serious about basketball, and is now playing at the school level. Lately she has been selected in the national team. (Unfortunately, my present country is not a recognised country, so the only country where our national team can go is Turkey). even then being a member of a national team is an honor of distinct.

Since late 1970s when i entered into the field of journalism, as a free lance journalist, hockey remained the centre of my interest. Since, for over 11 years in that field i wrote hundreds of articles about Pakistan hockey, a s a regular feature writer for DAILY NEWS and The MAG and quite a few magazines of that time.

I remember, way back during 1980s, a hockey loving son of my distant relative, approached me to introduce a tall very young boy, who had just started his hockey carrier as a goalkeeper in some local hockey club. I decided to write an article about him. The other morning, quite early in the morning, (because i did have to go to office at around 8am), i went to his house in Paposh Nagar (Nazimabad) and together with his goalkeeping gear and hockey we went to the nearby hockey ground. I spoke to him at length He wore his goalkeeping pads and guards, took his hockey in his hand and wore a cap. He was all ready to be photographed. His inner emotions were more than evident from the expressions on his face. For the first time, that young boy was being interviewed. With my Yashica camera ready, i was all ready to take his snaps. With my every yes, he gave a different pose in front of the goal. Clearing the ball, diving right or left, hitting the ball with his boot. With my deep interest in hockey, i took quite too many photos of him.  That particular interview was published in the Youth Page of The DAWN. The editor of the page decided to publish his one photo , standing in front of the goal.

I had almost forgotten that boy, but quite some years, after being totally out of touch from Pakistan hockey for years, i found out that a young goalkeeper (Ahmed Alam) had risen to be the captain of the Pakistan National hockey team. Unfortunately, i failed to recall the full name of the boy whom i had interviewed.  What i could recall as his name was Alam. Is Ahmed Alam the same boy who represented Pakistan in the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympics, and rose to be the captain of the team.

 Is he the same young boy whom i had interviewed way back in early 1980s, and that was his first introduction in the press. I am not sure.

Can anybody clarify? I am just curious.


AHMED ALAM

http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/al/ahmed-alam-1.html

WALK, WALK AND WALK

According to the news Senad Hadzic, a 47 years old Bosnian, has started off on foot, from his hometown, intending to cover a total distance of  3,600 miles, to reach Mecca, to perform Hajj. A very commendable feast indeed.
FROM BOSNIA TO MECCA ON FOOT

Here you can see the route map of Senad Hadzic, from Bosnia to Mecca.

There have been hundreds and hundreds of people , from each corner of the earth, who walked through the world. There are quite too many people who are walking on foot, right now, with the intention to cover the whole and if not a big part of the world.

Looking , while sitting in our drawing rooms, we usually consider long walk as something very difficult. But in fact it is not. Everybody can walk long distances. Apart from a bit of physical fitness, whats needed the most is self confidence and will power. You must set a goal, commit yourself to it, and go. That's all.

Believe me it is not a big issue. All we need is strong will power. I know most of the friends can do wonders in this world, only if they can build a strong will power.

It^s true, that most of those who want to walk for big adventures, cannot do that due to their commitments in daily lives, viz. job. But , atleast they can maintain their daily long walk ( a few kilometres), and a longer walk (10 km for example) on the weekend. It's not something very extra-ordinary. It does not need a body of steel. Its just very simple. Start walking. The rest will come by itself.

But i think the best time to venture on such adventures, is after the retirement from active jobs. At such a stage, one can spent more time on long walks, and may plan for a world tour on foot. Believe me it is not that much a big issue. Think of it as something within your reach. Yes it is.


A SITE WORTH READING AND FOLLOWING

WALK, WALK, WALK

THE MAN WHO WALKED AROUND THE WORLD

STANDARD OF EDUCATION IN KARACHI

Just today i got a chance of speaking to one of my school days' friend. It was a short chat on the net. I asked him about his children, and he told me that the eldest one is in the university and the other one is doing his O level. My friend lives in Pakistan and i am out of Pakistan. We both had done our matriculation from the Government Boys Secondary School No.1 Nazimabad, Karachi, way back in the year 1969.

He told me that now no one wants to send their children to a government school in Karachi. I do know that.. In his own words,"it has now become a fashion to send the children, for A or O level education". I joked that perhaps we in our days did not need such schooling, because we were all LEVELLED: We both laughed.

In fact, what he said is true. I have spoken to quite few people in karachi, who laugh at the idea of sending their children to a government or urdu medium school. I wonder, why the mentality of karachi people has so grossly been changed . Why our parents were not so curious about our education? Why they had not thought of sending us to english medium school? Why they had not thought of sending us to the A or O level?

Our parents, were not penniless. They were not too wealthy too. But i am sure they were able to manage sending us to english medium schools. Why did they opt to send their children to an urdu medium, government school.

Getting admission in a government school was not that much easy during the 1960s. Why? The reason was very simple. The top positions in the matriculation examinations in karachi had usually been won by the students of government schools. Actually the standard of the government schools used to be very high. Honestly i put it that way. Some may argue that the overall education standard of karachi schools had been so low in those days that a government school student could get the highest marks. But i do not agree with such logic. It was not like that. Mr. Zeeshan Qureshi, who was my senior in the Government School Nazimabad, had topped in the matriculation examination. He later on went to UK and got the highest marks in the Chartered Accouıntancy examination. Later on i came to know that he had become a senior partner in A.F.Ferguson & Co. Chartered Accountants, Pakistan. He was just a simple boy from a government urdu medium school.

I know quite a many karachites , who had studied in urdu medium government schools, but later on succeeded in acquiring advanced education in pakistan and foreign countries. Quite a many had made their marks in foreign countries.

We all learnt english through the same book, with the characters of Ali and Jameela. I myself and quite many good friends of mine, never went to any tuition centre. I myself and many of my friends never thought of learning english language from some institiute with big name. We were simple people, and we used to concentrate on what we were taught by our honest teachers.

We did enjoy innumerable social and sports activities in our school. Debates were common. Drawing competitions were there. We used to compete with other sections of the class in making the most beautiful small garden in the school ground. We used to have our cricket, hockey and basketball teams. I remember that our school had once invited one of the famous celebtrities of the then most hit TV program KASAUTI, to our school. I remember, we had been running from here to there, just to get his autograph.


The government schools, in those days , used to TEACH and EDUCATE the students. That was all. In fact that was all that we needed in those days. There had been so beautiful atmosphere of harmony and co-operation among the students, and between the teachers and students, that we had never thought of being a mohajir or sindhi or punjabi or pathan. We were all students and that was all. We were neither shia nor sunni in the school. We were not the activists of any political or religious party or group. We were students, who were their to gain knowledge from our teachers. There had been an indepth relationship based on respect and love between the teachers and the students.

True, that everyone misses one!s past. But what my generation is missing is not just missing, it's more than that, just because we feel bad seeing how the education system of karachi has deliberately been spoiled by the vested interests.

Here i would like to give a small example, which would clarify what i want to say. The Karachi Circular Railway was a very brave and perhaps the best solution to help solving the karachi traffic problem. But once the vested interests saw that the general public is prefering the circular railway instead of their mini-buses, they started letting the criminals and the well known drug users (heroinchis) sit and settled in the railway wagons. Their very presence , and the problems that they used to create in the railways wagons, forced people to use mini-buses instead of the circular railways. The ultimate position os the Karachi Circular Railway is known to everybody.

The same technique was applied to divert general public from the government schools, towards the schools with big names and big fees. Groupings, in the name of politics and religions, was deliberately inducted in the government schools. Every day problems of law and security were deliberately created in the government schools, just to fill pockets of vested interests. The vested interests once again succeeded in achieving their goals. The already filled pockets are still being filled. Thanks to the political and religious leaders of karachi.

30 YEARS AFTER

It was a wonderful and unforgetable evening yesterday. I played on drums after a long gap of 30 years. I played to my best, yet i could not do much. I failed to do the rolls. I had forgotten almost all the beats, except the Jerk. Yet it was wonderful. I was there for around half an hour, and i enjoyed every moment of that. That was wonderful.

The son of my boss has started learning playing drums. He bought a new drums set. Last evening i visited them and got the chance to play. It was a brand new Yamaha. Wow, a dream for me, because i had always dreamt of playing on yamaha, but in my days, we never had had that much money. I played on my drums for around 13 years on local made drums, with animal skins. I remember, that i had saved some money to buy one plastic skin for my snair drum. But last evening it was all plastic skinned brand new Yamaha.

My adventure with drumming started way back in the year 1969, when i was in class tenth. My father had come across Joe Fernandes, the guitarist of the group THE COSACKS. That group used to be one of the leading musical groups of karachi in those days. They used to play in Hotel Mehran.

One evening, my father asked me if i would like to play on drums. I did not have much idea, yet since i am an adventure loving person, i agreed.

The other day my father took me to Misquita Gardens, just behind the Plaza cinema on the main M.A.Jinnah Road, where used to be a workshop for the trams. . It was a small apartment. I used to be shy of speaking english with him. My father introduced me to him. He spoke to us and told my father what type of a drum should he buy for me. Just a small snair drum and sticks, the one that you see in school bands.

Although it was my father who spoke with him, but i had felt myself thrilled, not by getting the chance to play drums, but b y getting the chance to speak english. I just could not speak to him, in front of my father, but in fact there was nothing for me to talk about. It was just a meeting for a couple of minutes, where my father introduced me to him. A few sentences , and that was all.

The other day i went to him, alone. He showed to me, a beat of drum, on a snair drum. There was no drumset in his house. He was a guitarist. He gave me the address of the drummer of their group.

I was too happy. For the first time in my life i had spoken  to a english speaking person.

That's how i came across with Richard D'Souza, the then drummer of THE COSSACKS musical group. He was a well known person among the music circles of Karachi. He was known as Richie. His peculiarity was his ever smiling face. Whenever i saw him he was smiling.

http://youtu.be/7kCahl0eQgw
musicians of karachi....1
musicians of karachi....2
musicians of karachi....3
musicians of karachi....4
musicians of karachi


to be continued...............