INTERESTING LIVES and INTERESTING FACTS

Hangout GupShup Cafe
481

Management Stories

Story # 1

It's a fine sunny day in the forest and a lion is sitting outside his cave, lying lazily in the sun. Along comes a fox, out on a walk.

**Fox: "Do you know the time, because my watch is broken" **

Lion: "Oh, I can easily fix the watch for you"

Fox: "Hmm... But it's a very complicated mechanism, and your big claws will only destroy it even more."

Lion: "Oh no, give it to me, and it will be fixed"

Fox: "That's ridiculous! Any fool knows that lazy lions with great claws cannot fix complicated watches"

Lion: "Sure they do, give it to me and it will be fixed"

**The lion disappears into his cave, and after a while he comes back with the watch which is running perfectly. The fox is impressed, and the lion continues to lie lazily in the sun, looking very pleased with himself. **
Soon a wolf comes along and stops to watch the lazy lion in the sun.

Wolf: "Can I come and watch TV tonight with you, because mine is broken"

Lion: "Oh, I can easily fix your TV for you"

Wolf: "You don't expect me to believe such rubbish, do you? There is no way that a lazy lion with big claws can fix a complicated TV.

Lion: "No problem. Do you want to try it?"

The lion goes into his cave, and after a while comes back with a perfectly fixed TV. The wolf goes away happily and amazed.

Scene : Inside the lion's cave. In one corner are half a dozen small and intelligent looking rabbits who are busily doing very complicated work with very detailed instruments. In the other corner lies a huge lion looking very pleased with himself.

Moral : IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY A MANAGER IS FAMOUS; LOOK AT THE WORK OF HIS SUBORDINATES.
Management Lesson in the context of the working world : IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY SOMEONE UNDESERVED IS PROMOTED; LOOK AT THE WORK OF HIS SUBORDINATES

Story # 2

**It's a fine sunny day in the forest and a rabbit is sitting outside his burrow, tippy-tapping on his typewriter. **
Along comes a fox, out for a walk.

***Fox: "What are you working on?"

***Rabbit: "My thesis."

***Fox: "Hmm... What is it about?"

***Rabbit: "Oh, I'm writing about how rabbits eat foxes."

***Fox: "That's ridiculous ! Any fool knows that rabbits don't eat foxes!

Rabbit: "Come with me and I'll show you!"

They both disappear into the rabbit's burrow. After few minutes, gnawing on a fox bone, the rabbit returns to his typewriter and resumes typing.

***Soon a wolf comes along and stops to watch the hardworking rabbit.

***Wolf: "What's that you are writing?"

***Rabbit: "I'm doing a thesis on how rabbits eat wolves."

***Wolf: "you don't expect to get such rubbish published, do you?"

Rabbit: "No problem. Do you want to see why?"

***The rabbit and the wolf go into the burrow and again the rabbit returns by himself, after a few minutes, and goes back to typing.

***Finally a bear comes along and asks, "What are you doing?

***Rabbit: "I'm doing a thesis on how rabbits eat bears."

***Bear: "Well that's absurd !"

Rabbit: "Come into my home and I'll show you"

Scene : As they enter the burrow, the rabbit introduces
the bear to the lion.

Moral: IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW SILLY YOUR THESIS TOPIC IS; WHAT MATTERS IS WHOM YOU HAVE AS A SUPERVISOR.

Management Lesson in the context of the working world: IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW BAD YOUR PERFORMANCE IS; WHAT MATTERS IS WHETHER YOUR BOSS LIKES YOU OR NOT

482

Re: INTERESTING LIVES and INTERESTING FACTS

Aaaay kyah maza ayaa, glad to be back here on GS things like this make me feel really good sometimes. Thanks Arjay Saahaab

483

POWERPOINT SHOWS YOU SHOULD NOT MISS;

Click and download..now;

A COMPLETE HANDBOOK OF NATURAL CURES;
4shared.com - document sharing - download ACompleteHandbookofNatureCures1_1.pdf

============

WHITE HOUSE !
4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download Maison Blanche.pps

============

ASIA;
4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download ASIA.pps

HOW MANY DO YOU RECOGNIZE:
4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download HowManyDoYouRecognize.pps

============

HIROSHIMA:
4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download Hiroshima 1945 - 2008.pps

484

Re: INTERESTING LIVES and INTERESTING FACTS

Delightfully interesting thread. ;)

485

Re: INTERESTING LIVES and INTERESTING FACTS

^ so true

486

A VERY INTERESTING FACT IN LAHORE
AT MOZANG CHUNGI;

BASHIR DAR AL MAHI-Lahore of 1935;

487

Re: INTERESTING LIVES and INTERESTING FACTS

^it's been ages since I had their fish..super oily but yummy :)

Changes coming in for PCB
488

Which actually matters!:)

Upcoming mother's day May 08th
489

SAM’s Restaurant–
the restaurant that WAS! in late 50’s through late 80’s in Pakistan’s first ever summer retreat “MURREE HILLS” where—I won many cups and prizes on regular jam sessions and saturday night dance competitions held during those four wonderful months of summer ending by August after the final JASHN-e-MURREE…which is all gone now! :frowning:
***This clip shows you SAM’s and LINTOTTs…the two famous restaurants on main Mall Road-Murree of which the LINTOTTs survices! ***

Click on;
SAM’s Restaurant-Murree;

490

Re: INTERESTING LIVES and INTERESTING FACTS

Thanks for sharing Raju bhai. This brings back some very fond memories of Murree. We used to have evening tea at Lintott's during the summer vacation.

If you get a chance would you make a video of the Cecil hotel and also Lockwood? Are they still there? There was Marhaba on mall road as well.

I am surprised to see there is no snow on the ground although it is January.

I miss Murree...if I ever live in Pakistan, I would buy a small bungalow near Kashmir Point and spend summers there... oh dreams and more dreams.

491

Re: INTERESTING LIVES and INTERESTING FACTS

i always find something interesting and new here, keep em coming raju bhai.

492

Kuch Aur Maangtay Mian…:slight_smile:

CECIL HOTEL-Murree;

ARMAAN song at CECIL HOTEL;

LOCKWOOD HOTEL WHERE I STAYED
WITH MY PARENTS FROM 1957 through 1962 Summers
follows..as I stayed in the very room
I stayed in 1958-59…

and this is LOCKWOOD HOTEL of 1925…
Video clip link follows…

493

EVEN HE KNOWS THE SCORE–:slight_smile:

494

Re: INTERESTING LIVES and INTERESTING FACTS

Oh thanks for sharing the Cecil hotel video.
I dont even remember when was the last time I went there.Maybe about 10 years ago.
All I see around it are buildings/apartments now.Once it used to be such a beautiful scenic view from the upper balconies and even the lawns of the hotel.

495

Re: INTERESTING LIVES and INTERESTING FACTS

Raju bhai, you are AWESOME! Thanks for all the work you put in bringing such beautiful places to us.

496

LOCKWOOD HOTEL-MURREE
(14 January-2010)

497

I do not expect a correct answer...but anyone knows...

**WHO IS

NAZIA HUSSAIN**

ON GS ?????????????????

498

SALIM RAZA

Salim Raza was a super star playback singer, who dominated Pakistani Urdu film music from the mid 50s to the mid 60s. He was born in Lahore in a Christian family and his first film as playback singer was Qatil in 1955. He got breakthrough from his all time super hit song “Yaaro mujhe muaaf rakho, main nashey mein hoon…” (Saat Laakh - 1957)

***He sung many other super hit songs in many big films like Aas Paas, Do Rastey, Haboo, Hamsafar, Seema and many more (See the list to the right). ***

***His last big film was Pail ki jhankar in 1966.Salim Raza died in 1983 in Canada. ***

The mega Star-Salim Raza was one of the greatest playback singers of Pakistan, whose hundred percent songs (solo’s and duets) were either hits or superhits-he singer with whom every female singer of Pakistan considered an honor to sing duets–The singer who was the last word, when it came to sad songs. The singer about whom every music director in Pakistan was confidant that he is going to deliver the song as precisely as he is expected- The singer whose name once stamped on any movie, guaranteed its success-The singer whose singing records have not been broken to date. (meaning control on breathing, injecting pathos, correct pronunciation, knowledge of music, etc.) -

The singer whose songs are considered as precious today as they were four decades ago- The singer who remained unchallenged in his entire career-The singer who was, is and will be considered the king of sad songs-

***These are some of the comments which Saleem Raza’s attentive ears were accustomed listening in his day to day life and which obviously kept him happy, healthy and hilarious every day from dawn to dusk. Saleem Raza was a gem which have been lost forever. ***

***The most pathetic part of the story is that great singers of very high caliber like him are not born daily. In fact, the death of such artists is not the death of one individual, rather, it is an end of a grand era, a school of thought and an institution which could never be replaced, duplicated, equalled or substituted. ***

***Such great singers are extremely rare, perhaps, as rare as a century flower. In his illustrious singing career, he had generated two thousand memorable songs for six hundred movies. Amongst his most popular songs was: "Yaro mujhe ma’af rakho (saat lakh). One hundred thousand gramophone records of this song were sold and Saleem Raza was also presented a silver disc from the recording company in 1960 for this song. His songs were picturized on all great actors of his time. ***

***He had been residing in Canada for quite sometime for personal reasons. There, he had been providing training to young music lovers. He passed over in Canada in 1983 at the age of 52. The tremendous impact of “Shahay medina” (Na’at: Saleem Raza and fellow singers) on the Pakistanis was, indeed, overwhelming, an experience of a lifetime. Saleem Raza’s mere utterance of “Saray nabi teray dar kay savalee” in “Shahay medina” was enough to bring tears in the eyes of the people of all ages. I have yet to see an individual who was not moved or have not praised one of the greatest feat of all times.

What, after all, was the secret of Saleem’s sheer sadness, which was of such magnitude that on the one hand touched and melted even the most stone- hearted person and on the other, captivated the hearts and minds of innumerable listeners for the past fifty years (1950 to almost 2000). Perhaps, at this point in time, the only plausible explanation is unexplainable. Some of his superhits are listed here for his innumerable admirers round the globe:

Some clips of SALIM RAZA;

**Na aye aaj bhi tum : Saleem Raza, Mala: Dewar Bhabi.
Bhool jao gay tum : Saleem Raza: Seema
Meray dil ki anjuman : Saleem Raza: Qaidee
Jaan-e- baharaan : Saleem Raza : Azra
Zindagi mein aik pal bhi : Saleem Raza: Hamsafar
Ghari ,ghari yoon :Saleem Raza : Salma
Jhatak kay daman : Saleem Raza : Haaboo
Aye nazneen tujh sa : Saleem Raza: Shama
Ye naaz, ye andaaz : Saleem Raza: Gulfam
Tujh ko maloom nahi : Saleem Raza : Aanchal
Magar aye haseenai nazneen : Saleem Raza: Raah guzar
Bana kay mera nasheman : Saleem Raza : Dau Raastay
Husan ko chand jawani : Saleem Raza : Payal ki jhankar
Zindagi majboor hai: Saleem Raza: Barsaat mein
Aye dil kisi ki yaad mein : Saleem Raza , Naseem begum : IK tera sahara
Kaheen dau dil jo: Saleem Raza, Naseem begum: Saheli
Bay dard zamanay walon : Saleem Raza: Aas paas
Kar saree khatayein : Saleem Raza: Daata
Badalon mein chup raha hai : Saleem Raza, Naseem begum
Ye na thi hamari qismat : Saleem Raza, Noor Jehan: Ghalib
Chand takay chup chup kay : Saleem Raza, Zubeida Khanum : Ishq-e-laila
Meri tauba tauba : Saleem Raza and associates : Tauba
Aao baccho sair kara ain : (National song) **

Saleem Raza is no more with us, but I am pretty sure that he is looking down at us with eagerness, from far, far away, smile smeared all over his face, and at this very moment, when we applaud his magnificent songs, this is what he has to say: “To all my fans: Salutations!”

499

THE GIGANTIC REPLICA OF
HYDERABAD DECCAN’s
“CHARMINAR”
AT KARACHI’S FAMOUS
LOCALITY
“BAHADURABAD”
(Named after Bahadur Yar Jung)

500

Mehdi Hassan-King of Ghazals- The Ailing Legend

Mehdi Hassan, TI, PP, HI is a Pakistani ghazal singer and a former playback singer for Lollywood. He is famously known as "King Of Ghazal". Along with Ahmed Rushdi, he has ruled Pakistan film industry.

Hassan was born in the village of Luna in Jhunjhunu district in Rajasthan, India in 1927 into a Sunni Muslim family of traditional musicians. He claims to be the 16th generation of hereditary musicians hailing from the Kalawant

He received his musical training under his father, Ustad Azeem Khan and his uncle Ustad Ismail Khan who were classical musicians, well-versed in the dhrupad style of singing. They instructed him in classical music and voice production within the framework of classical forms of thumri, dhrupad, khayal and dadra, from the age of eight.

Hassan started to perform at a young age and the first concert of dhrupad and kheyal with his elder brother is reported to have been held in Fazilka Bungla near Ferozepur. After the Partition of India, 20-year-old Hassan and his family migrated to Pakistan and suffered severe financial hardships. To make ends meet, Hassan began working in a bicycle shop and later became a car and diesel tractor mechanic.

Career
The struggle ended when Mehdi Hassan was given the opportunity to sing on Radio Pakistan in 1952, primarily as a thumri singer, which earned him recognition within the musical fraternity. At the time, Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, Begum Akhtar and Mukhtar Begum were considered the stalwarts of ghazal gayaki.He also had a passion for Urdu poetry and began to experiment by singing ghazals on a part-time basis. He cites radio officers Z.A. Bukhari and Rafiq Anwar as additional influences in his progression as a ghazal singer.

Following a severe illness in the late 80s, Mehdi Hassan stepped down from playback singing. Later due to severity of his illness he completely departed from music. He now lives a secluded life in Karachi which he has made his permanent residence. Nevertheless he often visits Lahore where he spends most of his time with his children and other family members.

Awards
He has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions: the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz granted to him by Gen Ayub Khan; the Pride of Performance bestowed on him by Gen Ziaul Haq; and the Hilal-i-Imtiaz conferred by Gen Pervez Musharraf. Besides the Nigar Film and Graduate Awards from Pakistan, he was presented the Saigal Award in Jalandhar, India, in 1979, whereas the Gorkha Dakshina Bahu Award was given to him in Nepal in 1983. Recently, he travelled to Dubai to receive yet another award.

The music of Khan Sahib Mehdi Hassan Khan has been the backdrop to my own life as well as of so many music enthusiasts in Pakistan. Cliche as it might sound, there is no one - and i mean no one - who is in the same league as Mehdi Hassan. Just as Noor Jahan was just ‘Madam’ for her fans, Mehdi Hassan was just ‘Khan Sahib,’ and he will always be remembered as such.

***Khan Sahib has been an indelible influence on me for as long as I can remember and I have long wanted to write something about his life and craft but have not found myself equal to the task. A performer of his caliber needs an in-depth and first rate evaluation. Sadly, to my knowledge, no such effort has emerged, at least in English or on the internet. Finally, a recent conversation with Adil Najam has prompted me to at least share some of my favorite Mehdi Hassan pieces in this post. These can at least be my humble personal tribute to one of the greatest sub-continental singers of the post-partition era.

It is deeply sad that even though his music still has many passionate devotees only the bare bones of Mehdi Hassan’s biography are documented. The most comprehensive facts on the internet have been collected by Mr. Anis Shakur whose biographical sketches (even if somewhat unsystematic) of many Pakistani artists and musicians are an invaluable contribution for the preservation of Pakistani cultural memory.***

Mehdi Hassan was born in 1927 in the town of Luna, district Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan. Luna is about 100 miles from Jaipur. He was born in a family of musicians and his father Ustad Azeem Khan and uncle (’chacha’) Ustad Ismail Khan were notable classical singers of their time. Mehdi Hassan started learning at a very young age from his father. It is said that his first public performance was at age eight at the palace of Maharaja of Baroda.

Mehdi Hassan moved to District Khushab in the Sargodha region in Pakistan after partition and worked as an automobile mechanic for some time. Eventually, to pursue his life’s calling and seeking a career in music he moved to Karachi. Here he made his debut from Radio Pakistan in 1952 singing one of his best known ghazals (by Faiz Ahmed Faiz), “GuloN meiN rang bhare baad-e-nau bahar chale”. The composition is by Pandit Ghulam Qadir, who was Mehdi Hassan’s older brother and an exceptionally talented composer. I have not been able to find even rudimentary information on Ghulam Qadir other than Mehdi Hassan’s statement in a TV program that his older brother was also the composer of two other masterpieces; Hafeez Hoshiarpuri’s ghazal “Mohabbat karne waale kum na hoNge” and Razi Tirmizi’s “Bhooli bisri chand umeedeiN”.

And now for my selection of five personal favorites. With one exception, I have tried to choose some of the lesser known gems in the Mehdi Hassan oeuvre. The last video is the only non-ghazal piece I have included. That semi-classical composition in Raga Tilak Kamod demonstrates Khan Sahib’s virtuosic brilliance like few other performances. The effortless beauty of the vocals are mesmerizing and for those who enjoy classical music this is the piece de resistance of my selection.

First off the most well known of my selections is Ahmed Faraz’s
“Ranjish hi sahi”:
Ik umr se hooN lazzat-e-girya se bhi mehroom
Aye rahat-e-jaaN mujh ko rulane ke liye aa

Next is Aziz Hamid Madani’s ghazal “Taaza hawa bahaar ki”:
Taaza hawa bahaar ki dil ka malaal lay gayee
Paa-e-junooN se halka-e-gardish-e-haal le gayee
A ghazal by Hakeem Momin Khan Momin,
“Navak andaaz jidhar deeda-e-janaaN”
Phir bahaar aayee wohi dasht nawardi hogee
Phir wohi paaoN wohi khaar-e-mugheelaN hoNge
Bhooli bisri chand umeedeiN chand fasanay yaad aaye
Tum yaad aaye aur tumhare saath zamaane yaad aaye