Crow's Nest...

I am moving a bit ahead of the actual time frame on this blog. My orientation officially ended today. I am on one of the so called non-call months in ED. It therefore was not part of my duty at the end of the day to get the sign off from the senior G1s. I left the place earlier than most of my fellow interns. ED begins tomorrow and there is said to be a tnesion between the my parent department and ED bunch. And we are therefore relegated to seemingly trash work. But lets see what happens once I begin ED.

I have finished configuring my home network for the notebook and the all in one printer machine. It was a cumbersome process involving more than one software but everything worked out just fine. I was out buying a wireless router yesterday and the Best Buy guy wanted to sell me a Linksys G router with Geek Squad installation support for 108 bucks. I opted for a cheaper alternative instead. It is a wireless Linksys G router with no Geek Squad support. I am my own Geek Squad. Configuring the network took me sometime but saved me quite a lot of money. I mean connecting the router and enabling wireless access for the notebook was a walkthrough process which is self explanatory and that is what most of the home users use their networks for. Why on earth anyone would pay an extra 70 bucks for connecting a computer to the network. Connecting printers to the network is a bit complicated but not very difficult. If I can do it anyone can do it. So there is no point in paying any Geek ...

The orientation week is almost over. Just a few nitty gritty stuff left to do and then I am all set to go and launch in the world of medicine. Looking forward to the coming Monday. The system here is pretty different and that is something not very unexpected. But its all the technology that is taking it away. The system is paperless and thus very new for me. I am used to our very own and old tried and tested way of writing down everything about the patient on the paper and then making sure there are a million copies of each thing floating around in the air. Kind of messy but that's something I am used to back home. Here everything has to be done through computers or if possible at all through COWs (Computers on Wheels). These cows do not moo but move and this is something unlike all the cows we know of back in Pakistan. Anyhoo I am starting my rotation in ED and that should be fun to work in.

I plan to march out and march on to the land of opportunity before the long march of the lawyers reaches the capital and upsets the mundane routine of the bureaucracy . There are a few last minute things to be done before all is set to fly off.

Just recently Mothers' day was celebrated in the country with some fan fare. Media was all abuzz with mother's day celebration this Sunday. A seemingly western tradition that would be more suitable for someone who likes to remember his/her mother on one single day of the year. Islam is a beautiful religion. It taught its followers the special importance of mothers when no other philosophy dared to give them their due. Even a cursory look on the teachings of Islam would reveal the extra ordinary importance that Islam gives to the mothers of the world. The Holy Quran teaches us to respect our parents at all costs even if they are non muslims. In chapter 17 verse 23 and 24 the guidelines for respecting parents are outlined very clearly. We are asked to respect our parents and if either or both the parents reach old age then do not disrespect them and do not scold them. Instead we are asked to talk to our parents, who reach old age, in a comforting tone. We are asked to pra...

PML-N has decided to resign from the cabinet. They seem to have made the popular move and tried to win a larger vote bank from their natural opponents PPP. But is it really the case? I don't completely agree. Undoubtedly the decision is a popular move but it has been disconnected from the dictator. It seems that the independence of judiciary is an independent cause from that of independence from the dictator. PML-N has, in recent past, admitted to their inability to get rid of Musharraf and this will turn out to be a disastrous admittance on their part. I think the people of Pakistan supported the cause of independent judiciary more so because they interpreted it as a revolt against the dictator. In itself the stand of the chief justice, or for that matter that of 60 other justices, carries little meaning if it is not understood in the context of the person against whom it is being made. PPP, JUI-F and MQM are happy to play down the role of Musharraf in the public. All th...

"O ye who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor speak aloud to him in talk, as ye may speak aloud to one another, lest your deeds become vain and ye perceive not. Those that lower their voices in the presence of Allah's Messenger,- their hearts has Allah tested for piety: for them is Forgiveness and a great Reward. Those who shout out to thee from without the inner apartments - most of them lack understanding. If only they had patience until thou couldst come out to them, it would be best for them: but Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [Surah Al-Hujurat: 2-5]