Wow, has it been THAT long since I "promised" to update my blog regarding this topic? Sorry guys, school work doesn't stop and I had been really busy arranging for yesterday's gig which I will write further about in another blog. Anyway coming to the album review..

Being an avid Noori fan and a family friend of Ali Noor and Hamza's, I had been waiting for this album for a long time like other Noori fans and that too very eagerly. Just as the date was announced I kept counting down the days to Saturday, 10th September. The big day finally came and I made sure nothing got in my way of getting the album that day. Although I had a feeling the album copies would arrive late in Islamabad as it always happens in this city, I KNEW I would get the album that day. Anyway I went straight to Saddar in Pindi and to the main video and audio distributors (Sadaf stereo) to get it. The moment I walked in, Noori posters were around and I instantly asked an assistant if peeli patti' available, and I got a very positive yes and followed him, and got 5 copies (2 for friends of mine) and 2 FREE posters! I paid up and gt in the car and listened. The music sounded very melodious indeed but I did not like it much at first, but as I listened to it again and again on my way to Islamabad, it grew on me and I began thinking 'man the 2 year wait was definitely WORTH it!'. Compared to Noori's first album 'suno ke main hun jawan', I feel this album is better music-wise and lyric-wise. There has been an improvement in guitars and vocals and the chemistry's really nice. There is more use of instruments and what I really like is that the album has many variations musically. What people did not really like was the less content in the album, well I have justified reasons to like the album on my part. Firstly, the album cover is very minimalistic kind and it is exactly what the album itself represents- not to look upon the album as a source of entertainment but to make one think. The renewed versions of 'khalla','saari raat jaga' and 'ooncha' are very decent however I still love the older and original versions very much. Although 'saari raat jaga' sounds cleaner and heavier this time.

When I was growing up, a lot of friends of mine from 4th grade wouldn't talk to me anymore, and in fact they wouldn't even sit together in the same groups as they used to back in Class 4. I would be like why is this happening and how can we be separate, being childhood friends?

Ali Hamza told me one thing- Friendships keep changing and with age you adapt to new people and stick with THEM! When you're young, you're excited and there are lots of common interests and its all about fun but as you grow up, your concepts, your ideas and everything change and you're no longer with the other group. However accepting this change comes when one is in his late teens and it is a hard change to accept, and this is what the song 'mere loag' is all about! From this, one should generalise most of the album is about expressing one's feelings when growing up and facing changes in life. That is what the beauty of Noori's music is all about. Suno ke main hun jawan was about having fun and it was a lucky to go album, and Peeli Patti aur Raja Jani ki Gol Dunya is about growing up.

This album is worth listening to. Get your copies NOW. After hearing this album, I say to myself, no wonder Mekaal Hasan works so closely with Noori.

Phheeeewwww!! These last 3 days were interesting AND one of the most hectic days of my life so far! I was mainly focused on making this movie for school, which was supposed to be shown at my school's founder's day celebration today, but couldn't be because there were some last minute arrangement difficulties which will be discussed in more detail later in the blog.

Yesterday as usual it was a normal school day, until 11 AM when we had to go to the girls' branch to rehearse for today's party, we all went in a coaster. However after the rehearsal ended I had to stay back for the movie thing. You see I had to make a movie based on 14 years of headstart, putting all the pictures from '91 to '05 and using windows moviemaker to make the whole thing. Since I only started using digital camera in 2001 I did not have enough material from 1990's (I came to Headstart in 96), I had to depend on my principal to give Sir Aamir Malik (an ex-coach and a computer administrator in my school who's helping me with the project) all the pictures. He would have to scan them and e-mail/give a burnt CD of them to me so that I'd start working on the whole thing. The principal was supposed to give the CD on Friday, but instead gave it on Tuesday so I was VERY short of time. Anyway back to the rehearsal, I had to stay back on sir Aamir's request, and we found out the CD was at boys' branch, so we drove there and unfortunately as the PC's there were very slow, we had to copy all the pictures into the network administrator computer, and then burn it from there..

Apparently I had to miss my business studies class because of this and I had to stay back even later than this, and finally sir Aamir let me go, only I had to come back to collect the CD. Next thing I know, was seeing about 3,419 pictures. Oh God, it was a nightmare. I had to guess which pictures belonged to which year, save them on my PC and THEN start on the project.. Man the whole thing took me 5 hours.. My head still aches from looking at those blurry, badly scanned pictures too much. But hey, the bright side of it was that I got to recall all the old days in school which kept me going.

Today was the deadline at 12 PM. I was given permission to miss all the classes and to be at the girls branch to make the movie. I was told the arrangements have been made for a windows XP computer, because thats the only PC where windows moviemaker's available. It was there, only it was very less advanced and none of my CD's which were working perfectly well) worked or played at all! Soooo.. Guess what.. I had to get my OWN PC!! That was all put there and about 80 percent of the movie was completed. Then something happened. It was a rainy weather outside and since the school could not afford to cancel the event they had to book a new venue; NIC building. And because of that and because sir Aamir was in such a rush, I was told the movie would not be shown. Wow.. I was really let down, and as you can read in my previous blog, I was also scheduled to perform. Two major things of mine got cancelled. However something amazing that night happened which made me forget everything and which made me smile, even now.

Even though I was already told a week in advance I'll be getting a prize, getting up on the stage, being cheered by about EVERYONE in the auditorium, was just overwhelming. I had not been onstage and that too, with the principal, for 9 years, and just seeing all my old teachers' happy faces brought the good old days back to me. Even some old classfellows and family friends were there. Although, something extremely embarrassing happened just before I came onstage. After 9th graders and O levellers were given prizes, all the A levellers were asked to go near the stage, I was confused as I was getting the dedication prize, but I followed anyway. All my classfellows were getting onstage and I was getting soo confused, I asked Adnan (computer administrator for girls' branch) when is my name coming up, I took him outside the auditorium to talk about it, and just as I was outside my name was announced. Eeek! The moment I went in, a lot of sirs were standing at the doors pushing me onstage whispering 'jao jao tumhain bularahe hain', and the minute I stepped onstage, being handshaken by the principal and being handed the certificate, the cheers, the clapping and smiling faces overwhelmed me. From this event what I learnt was, even though your efforts are not shown or are not good, it is the hard work that matters and which counts most importantly. Now I can't wait to go to school tomorrow and show the certificate off :-D

P.S Why did my face come out so BLACK?! Because the lighting was low!

Man I'm really getting into the habit of blogging.. Lets hope it doesn't just become as bad as my orkut habit!! Anyway, this thought had struck me lately and I thought I'd share it with all. Whenever my brother used to come home from his university on weekends, he would sleep all day, watch 2 movies, play music and just stay home. I would ask him why doesn't he go out or maybe have KFC or something. Well he said that there's just so much to do and whenever he's home, its like he's here once in a blue moon, and just wants to spend time with his family. Now I've realised that too. I have never been really busy as I am now. My studies, my work and my exercise routine combined takes up all day on a weekday and there's so much on my hands, no actually on my shoulders ( like Obelix carrying a Menhir), that I can't get through with even one hobby as much as I used to before. When weekend comes, its time to get all my rest and to tend to things which you could not during the week. But I'm happier in this lifestyle. I feel more responsible and I learn to be more independent by the day. I was thinking of doing something I haven't done in ages. Whenever I had a stressful day I would climb the roof of my house at night and see the skylines and road to Pindi from my roof, and get my binocular and telescope to see what goes on. Oh boy, these apartments near F-10 markaz are amazing.. Whenever I go there I feel like I'm in Manhattan. Since all my cameras bring out very blurry pictures in a dark environment I guess I'll put up a very "irrelevant" example of what I see from my roof, through my binoculars.









Sigh.. Amazing.. In a way looking at all these office buildings, apartments, houses etc. during nighttime is much better than going for a walk to take the stress out. Anyway I'm sure I'm overdoing my blogger's debut, so I'll stop here. Until next time!

Well well well! This is my first ever blog. I've planned on having a blogspot amidst suggestions from a few friends and my brother, but sadly because of my affair with procrastination I never got around to doing it.

As most of you reading this know, my name's Mobeen Ansari, I study in Headstart school (Have been for 10 years) and this is (hopefully) my last year here and I have rather mixed feelings about this being my last year, which I'm sure most of you are already aware of; overwhelmed with joy and sadness.

Anyway, its been a really interesting week, good things turned bad on Friday though. Its Junaid Jamshed's birthday, I called him up in the morning and his phone was off, I found out he was in London, so I tried again later just like that and the ring went; however I didn't want a long distance call tolling on my limited credit so I decided to sms him. A reply came saying 'Jazakallah brother' and since then I've been trying to figure out what 'Jazakallah' is.

Mobeen says:
yaar what does 'jazakallah' mean?
~`*+¤´*+°Sarah°+*`¤+*´~ says:
emmmm

Mobeen says:
dude what does jazakallah mean?
Flu Man Vs. Commander Safeguard says:
errr yaar i dont know

Mobeen says:
btw man what does Jazakallah mean?
جل says:
aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh

Well 2 more people didn't know either, but finally a few guests came so I asked them. It means 'Ameen, thanks a lot and may Allah Reward you'.. Well thanks Junaid bhai!! Anyway, coming to what I was gonna talk about. I've been playing music for 5 years and have only performed in front of close family friends and family itself, and thats just a crowd of 4-10 people mostly. Now, there's a school birthday party coming up, and like every year they have a musical evening and school bands perform, I took this chance to come up and share my music. I even found an awesome vocalist and an awesome manager who does his job like we're a mainstream band (thanks Mujadil!). However, on Friday assembly we were told there's going to be no musical event and people who scored A's in their exams and their parents are invited to some tea party. What bullshit man. In urdu, yaar kya bakwaas lanat ki hai yeh logon ne!! Khair there's always next time. Anyway, I'm gonna go and have a second helping of Sin City. Love that movie. Thanks for your time and attention.

Man I miss my old look.. I'm seriously thinking of shaving the beard off now but I spent 7 months growing the one I sport nowadays, and getting it longer than one inch wasn't that easy.. Its really hassle to take care of your hair and then maintain the beard properly.. I wish I was a wizard.. Gandalf doesn't seem to be too bothered about his infamous beard and long hair. But then Ramzan's coming up, and if I shave now and start regrowing the beard by then it wouldn't look nice to appear stubbled on these Iftaaris, or for that matter, shaven. Plus people do take me more seriously with the beard so I guess the shaven look will have to wait for some time at least.