The Avoidable Void

I stared into space, tired of aimlessly leafing through a book, which was no longer interesting enough to hold my attention.

What to do? I wondered.

There was plenty all right. There was some homework, but I just didn’t want to go near my books right now. There was some typing my mother had asked me to do, but the computer was occupied and anyway I wasn’t in the mood for that as well. I know, suddenly a brainwave struck. There is still something called television. Soon I was sitting in front of the TV and watching “The Music Hour.”

For many of you, the above scenario should look familiar. It happens quite frequently that all of a sudden, even with many things to do, life suddenly seems to have this big void which nothing seems to fill.

There just seems to loom something in the air, beyond boredom of course, which is full of nothingness and emptiness. Time in these hours seems to pass by painstakingly slowly.

To pass this annoyingly slow moving time, you tend to do anything which seems the most interesting without thinking twice. Some of these “anythings” include: -

1. Reading a book especially a novel right from the beginning. The novel may be Stephen King or even Judith McNaught but who cares?
2. Calling up a friend to catch on the latest gossip
3. Opening the computer and starting to chat with anyone (preferably on mIRC [an Internet Relay Chat program]).
4. Sitting back on the chair and gazing out of the window, daydreaming.
5. Flipping through TV channels and watching any movie or music program or a play which can hold your attention.

Yes, time does pass more quickly when you indulge in such activities. But just think of all the time you have wasted in reading that Stephen King or watching the new music video by Destiny’s Child (uncensored) or discussing who was wearing what at the party last week.

Couldn’t this time had been more effectively utilized using the same means and the same devices? No doubt it would have been. So the next time you have these lapses of boredom, follow the guidelines given below. They will ensure that your precious time is spent in the way that will, God willing, earn you numerous rewards.

FIRST: At all times, remember that you will be held accountable for every second spent in this world. It may be all too well to yield into the temptation to indulge in gossip or read a trashy romantic novel. But think of what will be the answer to give to Allah (SWT) on the Day of Judgement as to why this time in the prime of youth was wasted?

If you emboss this fact on your mind that every second is to be accounted for, it is very likely that you will be able to control the urge to waste even a second of that time in any unproductive work.

SECOND: Get organized. An idle mind becomes the devil’s factory, its center of
attention.

At all times, keep a list of things to do. With schools reopening after vacations, you can easily allot the time you have in the evenings between studies and things you would like to do in the time which is left.

Regarding the latter, make sure you have a long enough list, so if you are not in the mood to do one, you can easily do one of the others.

FINALLY: Now comes the big question: How to organize that free time to ensure it is
not spent in any unproductive work which is analogous to wasting time. At the same time, how to avoid the unavoidable void as well? Here are a few suggestions: -

1. If you are a bookworm, get hold of some nice Islamic books to add to your library. With the advent of the internet and worldwide access to large databases, there are many websites which offer a free download of books.
2. Fancy yourself a writer? If you love writing, then you can have a very long list of things to do based on your passion:
   1. Write a review of your favorite Islamic website for any local internet newspaper/magazine such as SoundVision.
   2. Read newspapers daily. If there are any articles which seem to suggest measures contrary to the Islamic teachings, pick up your pen and write a reply to it. Numerous times we have seen articles bashing Islamic rulings as well. Write a counter to that as well. Or if you see an opinion which is in accordance with the code of life we call Islam then write something to strengthen the person’s argument.
   3. Write for Islamic websites. You have SoundVision’s own teenage page where you can write good Islamic articles. There are numerous other websites which would welcome similar articles. The research, which you may undertake while writing for some websites, will definitely go a long way in furthering your own knowledge about your religion. And think about it: the article you write and which gets published is widely accessible to a diverse audience.
   4. Join a website as a reviewer and link editor. You can help increase the volume of Islamic websites in that search engine.
   5. Join a local website and share thoughts and opinions on current affairs.
   
   
3. Keep some time daily for reading the Holy Quran. You will definitely pick up innumerable blessings. Try reading at least a page everyday. Set one time for this, so you can make it your routine. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) is reported to have said:

   “(The) heart also gets rusted as iron becomes rusted by water.” When asked, “What is that which removes the rusting of hearts?” The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) replied, “Rusting of heart is removed by constantly remembering death and reciting the Quran.”

   Also, read the translation and Tafsir of the section you read as well, since it will help you understand the Quran better.
4. Call up your friends, but refrain from gossip. Remember, small minds discuss people. And you can talk about so many other things: a book you’ve read, a program you’ve watched or a website visited. You can even share the knowledge which you have gained from reading those books or Tafsir.
5. Watch TV by all means. But watch informative stuff. No, I don’t mean that you should watch nothing but news. But there are thought-provoking programs which come at all times, ranging from discussions on current affairs to plays based on classical novels which make for an interesting watch.
6. Invocation: which is a lot better than aimless daydreaming. To remember Allah all you need to do is just recite the invocations you know.
7. There are always classes or Halaqas in which people learn Quranic Arabic or Tajweed (proper pronunciation of the Quran). Find out about them and try attending if they are in your vicinity. This is something extra you can do while you continue with your studies.
8. Volunteer for some organization like any hospital or educational institute. Many of these are understaffed and you will go a long way in gaining valuable work experience.

So there you have it, a whole range of stuff to do. Of course all of it does not mean that you sit back and wonder why Islam is such a difficult religion to follow and how you cannot do anything. Of course you can do a whole lot of things, but the important thing to remember is: do what makes the best use of your time. This is the key to avoiding the void in life.

The beauty of one’s faith is shunning away from all non-productive work.

Been there, bought that

There are many instances when we go to new places for shopping, window shopping, or visit a new restaurant. In times like these, we always look for those people who have already been there or at least can give an idea about the good and the bad features of the place.

My 3 Cents (http://www.my3cents.com) is one such web spot which builds on this very concept. The phrase ‘my 3 cents’ is indicative of the fact that everyone can contribute their opinion to this website for the benefit of those who are planning to buy something or have already bought. These opinions basically pertain to various products, retail outlets, websites of electronic shopping and much more.

The website features reviews of various products that different people have used and websites that they have visited. When you are about to venture into an unknown domain, for instance, Amazon.com for the very first time, you may not have an idea about how to navigate on the website. Here, you can read about the experiences other people faced with the same website. You will then have a better idea about the reliability of the publishers, what the payment options are, and of course, which scams to watch out for.

My 3 Cents itself is a very extensive website. The best place to start would be the drop-down box which reads ‘Reviews by category.’ Here, you can select the product category for which you want consumer advice. There are loads of products here from ‘Food and Health’ to ‘Travel and Credit cards’. Just select your desired category and read other consumers’ opinion. For your convenience the reviews are categorised by informative, compliments and complaints, so you immediately know which way the review is going.

Of course, it is important to remember that this is not a local website, which means a lot of reviews of products may not be relevant. But there are quite a few which you will discover as you probe deeper. Many different websites, where people do electronic shopping, are reviewed extensively as well. For example, eBay, Amazon and MacDonald’s have been covered here.

Other features of the website include consumer review updates, where follow-ups of the reviews are posted, so you can have an idea in case a product improves or declines in quality. There is also a consumer news blog, where you can post your comments and read others’ views as well.

Overall, this is a pretty useful website for anyone who wants a word of advice. Moreover, you can also share your experiences or reviews by creating an account here. This will give some local flavour and make it even more relevant to the people of this country.

To read consumer reviews of a wide range of products, log on to http://www.my3cents.com

e for election

The day of the elections – February 18 – is here. Some of us must be looking forward to casting our vote, while others will be resolutely planning to stay away from polling stations either because of indifference, or a belief that the result of the election is compiled elsewhere, irrespective of the majority votecaste. Whichever category you fall into, it is hard to stay away from election coverage. Political advertisements are increasing in frequency and a major chunk of any news bulletin is devoted to election campaigns of various political parties. Even talk shows are focusing on the different aspects of the elections, as well as different constituencies and their candidates.

The cyber world, as usual, is not to be left behind. Pakistan Elections 2008 is one website which is totally devoted to disseminating news and views related to the elections. This website is a joint venture of Pak Tribune and Pak Cyber, the two well-known news portals.

If you are planning to vote, you can use this website in various ways. To begin with, you can check whether or not your name is actually present on the list of voters. When you point and click on the relevant section, you will be asked to select your province and then enter your NIC number. If you do not have an NIC number, you will have to enter your name and the name of your father/husband. Moreover, you can also use this website to discover and memorise the symbol of your preferred political party. The names and symbols of all the parties have also been displayed here.

There is a section on key contenders, where detailed profiles of many key political figures are displayed. So you can read up on the likes of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Nawaz Sharif and Maulana Fazlur Rehman if your wish. The profiles include the candidates’ political careers, and you can also access their individual party websites and find out the number of seats they are contesting, both in the national and provincial assemblies.

One of the most interesting features of this website, which will come in extremely handy on the day of the elections itself, is the result category. There are two sections dedicated to results. One section will contain a summary of results, while the other section will contain results of individual seats. You can, hence, log on to this website and find out the results as they come in.

This website also features news, articles and editorials which will definitely leave you with food for thought. Moreover, you can also subscribe to a newsletter, which will be e-mailed to you. As with most websites, there are forums here as well. You can make an account, log in and discuss different issues related to elections. And for those who want a good laugh, check out the section on political cartoons where you will find quite an assortment.

So there you have it – a website which is devoted to election coverage. Whether or not you are voting, this is the place where you can keep yourself updated on all that is happening on the election front.

To access in-depth election coverage, log on to http://www.elections.com.pk

Colour 'em red

There has to be at least a few people in the country who will breathe a sigh of relief when the first half of February gets over. And as long as these people exist, there is hope that sanity will prevail – eventually.

Come February, and all the major malls of the city deck themselves up in as much red, pink and white as they can cram in. The balloon-sellers and flower shops charge an exorbitant price for the demand of the day, the perfect long-stemmed rose and the red, heart-shaped balloons. Even beggars, especially street children, turn Cupids and sell red roses at impossible prices.

That of course is how things go about in the ‘offline’ world. But cyberspace celebrates the much-awaited (or much-dreaded) Valentine’s Day in a number of ways as well. Just enter ‘Valentine’s Day’ on any search engine and you will get whopping thousands of results. And these are not the type of results which would be totally useless and make you want to bang your head against the wall. These are specific websites totally related to your search term. For the sake of simplicity, these websites can easily be categorised into two sections.

These websites include regular e-card, forums, discussions and gifts. One of the well-known website for e-cards is 123 Greetings http://www.123greetings.com where you can find numerous e-cards adorned with mushy, sweet messages. In fact, for Valentine alone, 123 Greetings actually has revamped its entire layout in red and white, and not just the section on Valentine’s Day e-cards.

Another such website is of course Hallmark (http://www. hallmark.com) – the unofficial synonym of Valentine’s Day to say the least. Log onto the website, and the first thing that hits you in the face is the awful amount of red. And if you are one of those people on whose list of favourite colours, red does not even deserve to find a place, then be prepared to get some real red shocks.

Hallmark is an amusing website to browse through. The most revolting of gifts bear the label ‘sold out.’ Whether they really have been sold out or Hallmark has decided to put an air of importance is something that can be left to your imagination. But one cannot imagine who in the heaven’s name would want two stuffed monkeys hugging each other with a background of two red and white vases, complete with red roses in them. Of course, if you want to play a practical joke on someone and can dish out enough money, then that is a different story altogether.

Another category has websites designed exclusively for this day. (The amount of free time some people have on their hands is actually incredulous.) These websites actually feature hundreds of love stories, love poems and other mushy stuff.

For some people, occasions like this are a waste of time, but for others they prove to be meaningful since there is so much apathy in this world, and festivals like this are a welcome waft of fresh air. There are yet others who like to think that these festivals are pretty harmless and who are unable to fathom what the fuss is all about. More people fall in the latter category. They just do not think anything is wrong with it.

But consider this scenario. You are a young person and a member of Orkut, Friendster and Naseeb – regular social networking websites. You have a number of friends in the opposite sex, people you have never met in real life but know only through these websites. Come Valentine’s Day, and you suddenly realise that there should be something to express your ‘sentimental feelings’ for at least some of these people, and then you start dreaming of nice mushy stuff (say, hugging monkeys?)

Sorry to interrupt those dreams but have you stopped to wonder that the person you are fancying yourself in love, may not be the person he/she claims to be? This is actually a regular warning that is given out to all chat and social networking addicts. But February 14, somehow has really weird effect on people – nothing sensible makes sense. And all warnings seem to evaporate in thin air. If someone tells you they are ordering something for you from Hallmark, will you be naïve enough to give them your postal address? And what sort of consequences would it have if you are actually that naïve?

Worse case scenario is when you actually believe that the sender of those over-the-top sappy e-cards truly believes every word written in it. Hence, you swoon and you remain on cloud nine for an entire week. But wait, these cards are virtual! If you are on the receiving end, you can have no way of knowing if the sender actually meant each word, or was simply sending the same e-card to fifty more people in the address book.

However, most people in this country do not have the kind of money that is needed to throw around at Hallmark. And if they do throw away money, then that should be your warning signal to stay away from such people in the first place. No sane person would need hugging monkeys to make their point.

But, as mentioned above, words of wisdom stop making sense on February 14. At the end of the day, guys end up in heavy debt with all the mental stress that comes with it, and girls most of the times are miserable because they didn’t get anything or got something which was not expensive enough. So what sort of happiness and breath of fresh air is Valentine’s Day spreading especially through websites? If love needs stuffed toys and red roses on February 14 to survive in the first place, then the world is much better off without it.

It's the slang, stupid

“Wassup? ’S ok if you don’t wanna reply.” Sounds familiar? These slang words are no longer confined to our MSN, Yahoo! or Gmail chatting windows. In fact, in this fast-paced life, language has become so colloquial that some people have actually started using these words as regular figures of speech. But to those who are not familiar with such words, they may as well sound Greek. Who knows, you may think someone is complimenting you when they are actually taking a jibe at you.

So, if you fall in the category of people who are completely baffled by these slang words, Slang Site is the website is for you. This website will, hopefully, at least familiarise you with certain slang words even if you cannot or do not want to use them.

The website is totally dedicated to slang words and their meanings. All you have to do is point and click on an alphabet, and it will display an entire list of slang words beginning with that alphabet with its meaning on the side. Of course, it is quite likely that some words will sound totally alien to you, but you must remember that these slang words are used all over the world, and are not restricted to this country. Some words will sound more than familiar, like ‘hellooooo’ or ‘okei.’

A very interesting feature of this website is the facility to submit a slang word used in your surrounding or in your group, along with its meaning and an example in a sentence. This ensures that the website is interactive and you can help expand it, rather than just sit back and skim through the list of words.

You must remember that the use of slang words is acceptable among your age group or friends, or where such language shares the same mind and thoughts. However, in front of elders, it indicates disrespect. Moreover, there are words which are not only offensive but plain obscene – you have to know the meaning of these words and avoid using them.

So basically, you can use this website to learn about new slang words and you can certainly find out who means what when they use a particular slang. But even if you use it to add new words to your slang dictionary, make sure you only use them if they are appropriate, at the right time, and with the right people.

To decipher the meaning of commonly-used slang words, log onto http://www.slangsite.com