ChatGPT is Impressive

Today I asked ChatGPT to improve one of my old poems. 

Title suggested by ChatGPT: Blessed in the Storm: Reflections on Grace and Testing

Reflections of my past

And the sins I can't undo. 

But is it just my deeds,

Or the legacy of those before me too?

I've made so many mistakes,

Why am I blessed with so much grace? 

What I have is more than enough,

Perhaps I just lack human perception.

Tests come in many forms,

Not just in suffering and storms. 

Perhaps even reward can be a test,

A way for my creator to assess.

He has his own mysterious ways,

Ignoring him could bring us astray. 

But revenge is not his goal,

Even when we don't ask for absolution for our soul.

Why do I seek more,

When I'm already one of the blessed in his store? 

Why can't I see that this is enough,

That I'm one of the chosen, put to the test of love.

Visit this page for original version of my poem.

Jhoot ko sach dikhaya gya hai

Protest Against CAA at Jamia
Image credit:  Khanaa_Badosh

Mudda nahi tha mudda banaya gya hai,
Ek bade jhooth ko sach dikhaya gya hai.

Kuch log samajh gaye kya hai saazish,
Sahab ne unse bola tumhe behkaya gya hai.

Unhe qaabil kaha jo aa gaye baaton me,
Baaqi sabko anpad-berozgaar bataya gya hai.

Koi nahi bachega shehar me is baar zinda,
Nafrat ka zeher hawaon me milaya gya hai.

Ab kahan jayega mazloom faryaad lekar,
Muhaafiz se hi humpe vaar karaya gya hai.

Parinde gawah hain chaman me tabahi ke,
Khabar chapi sookhe patton ko jalaya gya hai

Is zamaane me umeed thi kuch naya hoga,
Phir se mazloom ko hi mujrim bataya gya hai.

Jo abhi tak so rahe hain aur bekhabar hain,
Is baar unke dar pe nishaan lagaya gya hai.

مدعا تھا نہیں مدعا بنایا گیا ہے۔

اک بڑے جھوٹ کو سچ رکھایا گیا ہے۔

کچھ لوگ سمجھ گعے کیا ہے سازش۔

ساحب نے انسے بولا تمہیں بہکایا گیا ہے۔

انہیں قابل کہا جو آ گئے باتوں میں۔

باقی سب کو انپڑ-بیروزگار بتایا گیا ہے۔

کوئی نہین بچےگا اس بار شہر میں زنرہ۔

نفرت کا ظہر حواعوں میں ملایا گیا ہے۔

اب کہاں جایگا مظلوم فریاد لیکر۔

محافظ سے ہی انپر وار کروایا گیا ہے۔

پرندے گواہ ہیں چمن میں تبآہی کے۔

خبر چھپی بس سوکھے پتوں کو جلایا گیا ہے۔

اس زمانے میں عمید تھی کچھ نیا ہوگا۔

اس بار بھی مظلوم کو ہی مجرم بتایا گیا ہے۔

خو ابہی تک سو رہے ہیں بیخبر ہیں۔

ہمارا جل چکا انکے در پہ نشان لگایا گیا ہے۔

lunch | Toronto, Ontario

Today's #lunch in sunlight. Baked Sweet Potato, Chicken nuggets and carrot. 🌞
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfIGnnQDuV6/

Dalchawal | Cooking | Toronto, Ontario

Korma and #Kebabs are fine, but what about #dalchawal ? 👨‍🍳🍛
https://www.instagram.com/p/Be04kPVDRxM/

Kebabs | Toronto, Ontario

#kebab ☑️
I am not going to call myself 'a cook' until I am able to prepare
decent #biryani .
https://www.instagram.com/p/BegJqs8jiI3/

Gajarkahalwa | Toronto, Ontario

When donuts and cupcakes couldn't fulfill the winter cravings for warm
halva, I decided to cook. #gajarkahalwa
https://www.instagram.com/p/BeLYyhTjb1P/

Snowfall in Toronto, Ontario

#Snowfall after Namaz-e-juma. #queenstreet
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd790xkjIxH/

Toronto Christmas Market

#torontochristmasmarket #christmas2017
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bdb_0vEjDnX/

Christmastree | Toronto, Ontario

#christmas2017 #christmasTree
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdKAqVOjqXo/

Roastedchicken

Never underestimate a hungry man away from home with no good #mughlai
restaurants nearby. 🍗
#roastedchicken
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdJzJNhj-6N/

How I built My Smart Mirror from scratch

It all started while learning JavaScript. I was looking for some practice projects. I wanted to build something which not just helps me in learning JS but is also interesting enough to keep me motivated. While reading a blog I learnt about the idea of a Smart Mirror. I found it very interesting so I instantly knew I am going to build one.

My smart mirror looks like this:

My Smart Mirror

It displays current temperature, weather summary and humidity at top left. Time, day and date at top right and Namaz timings below it.

Main components:

A two-way mirror:

I couldn’t find any online options for buying a two-way mirror in Delhi. I went to a local hardware store on Vikas Marg and obviously they never heard of anything called “two-way mirror”. Then I explained them my requirements which they understood. They call it something else in India but it is readily available at hardware stores. I bought a 15X10 inches mirror and got holes drilled on all its corners.

An Android based tablet:

Many people have used an old monitor for building a smart mirror. However, I realized that using a monitor makes whole process a bit complex. If you are using a monitor, you need one more device where you will run your app and both of them need to be connected. I simply bought a 7 inches tablet and installed my app on it. It has a limitation that you only get 7 inches space to display content. Anyway, I do not wanted to display a lot of information because it may not leave any space for a user to view his image and it also defeats the purpose of a mirror. I found 7 inches space enough to display all I needed on my mirror.

An android app:

Developing a new app for my requirements was the most technical and time consuming thing. I used JavaScript for all the back-end processing. And later built an Android app using Phonegap framework. I used Openweathermap API for weather updates and PrayerTime API from aladhan.com for Namaz updates.

When the app is ready you simply need to deploy it on the Android tablet and fix your tablet at the back of the mirror. Also cover the unoccupied space with a black chart paper or paint.

Issues I Faced:

I faced issues with my application’s background not matching with that of my mirror. Adjusting background color and brightness fixed it. 

One issue was about installing and configuring my application on the tablet. You can connect a mouse with your tablet using OTG cable for interacting with it.

Also make sure the room/place where you install the mirror is brightly lit. Another drawback of using a display smaller than the size of mirror is that the display will be distinctly visible in darkness. One reason is that I configured it with lights on. You can try auto brightness feature of Android if it works for you.

What’s next:

I have a plan to add news headlines, calendar and traffic updates to my mirror.

Overall it was a great learning experience for me.

No Cure For Common Cold

I again became a victim of 'common cold'. And like always I got irritated, Mummy asked me to visit a doctor and take some medicine. However, there are more well-wishers in my life now. Like my mother this new well-wisher I am talking about has a big say in my issues now. She is my wife.

Sana, who herself avoids medicine especially antibiotics, advised me to consume home remedy instead of antibiotics. I used to take 'a citrizine' whenever I had cold. I must admit that I am vulnerable to it, I suffer from cold every two months. This time I also decided to avoid medicine. As a result I am sneezing for last two days. But I am sticking to masala tea, coffee and Unanai medicine.

I decided to Google and what I found not only validated Sana's insistence on avoiding antibiotics but also revealed that there is actually no cure for 'common cold':

Antibiotics have no effect against viral infections or against the viruses that cause the common cold.[67] Due to their side effects, antibiotics cause overall harm but are still frequently prescribed.[67][68] Some of the reasons that antibiotics are so commonly prescribed include people's expectations for them, physicians' desire to help, and the difficulty in excluding complications that may be amenable to antibiotics.[69] There are no effective antiviral drugs for the common cold even though some preliminary research has shown benefits.

:Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_cold)

Mulaqaat Ki Tamanna

Image Credit

Din me mulaqaat ki tamanna ne,

Raat ka sona kyu dushwaar kiya.

Dene waley bhool gaye apni hi naseehat,

Mohabbaton ne un per jab vaar kiya.

Ishq me zakhm khane ka maza vo kya jaane,

Jisne neend gavaayi na koi teer dil ke paar kiya.

Raat bhar jo socha tha unse kahenge,

Sab bhool gaye unka jo deedar kiya.

Zamaane ne samjha meri qayfyat ka sabab,

Unhone samajhne se magar inkaar kiya,

Doosro ke aasuon ko fizool kehne waley,

Us din bhut roye jab ishq ne beemar kiya.

Jawaab me vo bas ek aansu baha gaye,

Ek roz khayalat ka jab izhaar kiya.

Us khudgarz ko ishq ne sikhaya jab saleeqa,

Apni khwahishaat ko usne darkinaar kiya.

Vo raat muqammal ibaadat me guzri,

Khuda se bas ek hi sawaal baar baar kiya.

Ye ek mojza nahi to aur kya hai,

Unhone agle din sharma kar iqraar kiya.

دن مےملاقات کی تمنا نے

رات کا سونا کیوں دشوار کیا

دینے والے بھول گۓ اپنی ہی نصیحت 

محبتوں نے جب انپر وار کیا

عسق مے زخم کھا نے کا مزہ وہ کیا جانے

جسنے نیند گوای نا کوی تیر دل کے پارکیا

رات بھر جو سوچا تھا انسے کہینگے

سب بھول گعے انکا جو دیدار کیا

زمانے نے سمجھا میری قیفیت کا سبب

انحونے مگرسمجھننے سے انکار  کیا

دوسروں کے آسوں کو فزول کہنے والے

اس دن بہت رعے جب عشق نے بیمار کیا 

جواب مے وہ بس اک آنسو بہا گعے

اک روز خیالات کا جب عزہار کیا

اس خدگرز کو عشق نے سکھایا جب سلیقہ

اپنی خواہشات کو اسنے درکنار کیا 

وہ رات مقمل عبادت مے گزری

خدا سے بس ایک حی سوال بار بار کیا

 یہ ایک معجزہ نہیں طو اور کیا ہے 

 انہونے اگلے  ہی  دن شرما کر اقرار کیا

Why have a family and friends?

A video describing what addiction actually means. Also describes why it is necessary to have family and friends:

Wedding On The Cards

It turns out that I am getting married next month. See the countdown on the right in web version.

All of my friends find this news a little difficult to digest. I think I am one of the reasons for this. I kept this news secret from most of them and when they directly receive invitation they get surprised. Many of them feel its not my decision, I am being forced by my parents. I will answer this in FAQs below. Even if I wanted to tell some of them, I could not meet them in last few months. After switching to this new company I have worked either from home (Amroha) or Bangalore office.

Another reason for their indigestion is that I am the first guy in our college group who is getting married. Everyone had this Bollywood thing in mind that weddings are some form of extravaganza lasting a few months. But it doesn't work like this in our culture. They are generally a private affair in which the family gets more involved. I must confess, in my case, because of living away from home the Groom's friends and he himself had missed even those preparations in which there was a chance to get involved.

There are a few questions which most friends asked me when they heard the news. I felt rather than giving all of them different answers I should think and create a list of answers so that I don't get confronted when they meet me/each-other on the wedding day. Below are some of the Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Are you being forced by your parents?/Are you sure you are doing this?
Ans: Yes, like all arrange marriages it was initiated by parents, they asked me the Wedding question and found the Answer for me as well. However, it was me who took the final decision.

Q: Who is she?/Where is she from?/Her education?
Ans: Her name is Sana Aziz. She lives in Delhi with her family. She has a post-graduate degree in English literature from Delhi University. I have already posted how my mother found her here.

Q: Is she a working woman?
Ans: Yes, she works. But for herself, on her hobbies and not for money.

Some awkward questions:

Q: Show me her picture?
Ans: Come to the wedding, I will make you meet her/ You know her name, you are a computer guy, go and find yourself. :P

Q: So, our friendship ends?
Ans: I am not shifting to another planet. But you have to invite one more person in your party next time. ;)

Q: Did you invite him/her?
Ans: Dua kar de jab tera bhai bada aadmi ban jayega he will throw a big party at Taj for everyone / Unfortunately, even if I want to I cannot invite everyone but we definitely remain friends. :(

Please remember us in Dua.

Two Religious Men

This morning while waiting for my train on a cold bench at Amroha railway station, I observed something strange. A man wearing a white kurta-payjama, having well trimmed clean beard and a skull cap was running towards another man. The other man was sporting a big red tilak on his forehead and a beard. He was walking in front of me towards the other end of the platform wearing knee length saffron dhoti. By their looks it was clear that the first man was a Muslim and the second was a Hindu.

When the Muslim man came closer, I observed he was having a few coins in his hand. The other man wasn't begging but he looked poor, he was probably a saint. He gave a blank expression when the Muslim man stopped him. The Muslim man smiled and offered him the coins. He accepted them and smiled back. I was watching them curiously. Later, both of them moved on to their business.

I felt good after observing this inspirational gesture by a human for another human. I also felt that this is the idea of a true secular country, a Muslim helping a Hindu, and vice versa. I regretted that I couldn't capture that moment on camera.

I also tried to analyze why such a small and normal incident stirred me so much. I realized its because of the communal tension we are facing in India now a days.

Shopping With Women

Last month, I went to shopping with mummy and Maria, my cousins. I was accompanying them to pay for their shopping and carry their stuff. I had no idea about women stuff so I had nothing to say, I only observed. I found their shopping very different from the way men shop and it was also funny.

It's not just women who make strange faces, doesn't get impressed easily and simply walk away before listening anything if they doesn't like the stuff, even the shopkeepers behave differently with women customers. They make sure to use an adjective with everything they show. They use finest, exclusive, behetreen, umda, different, latest and best, interchangeably with everything they show to customers.

At one shop, the shopkeeper said, "Baaji it is something really exclusive, it's imported stuff. It is the best item in my shop". It looked nice to me. Mummy and my sis did not even cared to look at that. While he was giving speech in praise of his stuff. They turned around and pointed at something else, "Do you have any other color in that design?"
I felt that was the worst response to someone who is showing you something with such enthusiasm. Just to keep the shopkeeper's heart I nodded and touched that cloth to unsuccessfully feel the fabric. But I observed he was not offended at all. He behaved as if it's a routine, he showed them other stuff with equal interest and enthusiasm.

Another lesson I learnt was that we men should never argue about colors with women if we don't want to get embarrassed. The color we call red is not red. Actually when you are with women do not call anything red, green or purple. Its not that simple. You better ask them because its definitely going to be some other color. Or probably learn the below chart if you really want to discuss colors with women.

How women and men see colors.

After checking out more than two dozen suits women simply get out of a shop and walk away without any guilt or sympathy for the shopkeeper. If they decide to be very humble they sometimes add, "pasand nahi aaya" before walking away. At times I used to whisper "thank you" to the shopkeeper while leaving. However, I observed they don't expect any courtesy. Rather, they always behave nicely and show as much variety as they can to women customers. They know a woman will never buy stuff from same shop again and again. If they want to buy three suits they will pick them from three different shops. So behaving nicely will give them a chance in future.

Qata: Shab Bhar Neend Nahi Aati

#urduPoetry #poem #poetry

Posted by Syed Ali Rizvi on 12 July 2015

Flying Towards Bangalore

I suddenly got up and started searching for my phone. I barely slept for 2 hours that night. I checked the time, it was 3:45 AM. I got up fifteen minutes before the first alarm out of a series of three was to start ringing. It was excitement and concern about my first air journey to a new city that gave me sleepless night. I got ready and boarded the cab I requested earlier that night for going to IGI Airport. My first checkin at IGI T3 was really smooth. I was amazed by the size of T3 terminal and the number of shops there, its like a complete shopping mall.

Source: Wikimedia.org

I would be lying if I say I was not at all nervous about the air journey. After boarding the aircraft initially I was very excited. It later turned into nervousness and fear once the aircraft hit the runway. I always thought an aircraft to be a very high performing, efficient and smooth machine. When it started running it made strange "khad-khad" noise and started trembling like an old bus. I doubted if everything is ok with it and if it can really take me to Bangalore safely. I found relief in fellow passengers on whose face there was no sign of panic. And by looking at the faces of Air hostesses with heavy make-up whose smiles were becoming more wider on every passing second, I convinced myself that its normal. As soon as the aircraft started flying the noise and vibration reduced. Within a few minutes things outside the window started to grow smaller as if someone is zooming out the view.

If you have ever used google maps you will not be very amazed by the view outside. It looks very similar to the satellite images when you do maximum zoom out. Its flying above the clouds that was breathtaking. On looking down from the window you realize there is nothing outside, its just one big white cloud expanded till the end of the sky.

It took us just 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach Bangalore.

The Wedding Answer

It took my mother just a few days after asking me the Wedding Question to actually come up with another shocking revelation. While I was busy checking out the number of "likes" that my new facebook DP fetched, my mother interrupted and handed me a cup full of tea.
She asked me about the work I was doing. I said, "Nothing, just reading something."
She ignored me and continued, "We have found a girl."

I was still busy thinking if posting a new picture fetches more "likes" on weekdays or weekends. Within  seconds I calculated and concluded that posting on weekend is better. Then I took a sip and discovered how a perfect tea tastes like. I looked at my mother out of love. She raised her eyebrows. I realized she is waiting for my response about something she said a few seconds ago.

"What did she say", I tried to recall. "About something... a girl... she found a girl !" Suddenly, I put the cup down on the table.
I asked surprisingly, "You found a girl?"
She smiled and said, "Yes, this is what I just said."
I became nervous, "But you said it takes a lot of time to find a nice girl. Please take your time and find someone nice."
She smiled again and said, "Yes, it takes time. We had several girls in our mind and recently we heard about another girl. Your father and her father were classmates. We have known their family for years. We think she is perfect for you."

She told me about her family and education in detail. All that sounded good but I was not ready for such a news. I reminded her about the promise that they will not force me for marriage anytime soon. To which she replied that even they are not in hurry, it takes at least one year for preparation.

She called my younger brother, "Hamza, show him the pictures which they sent."
"Without my confirmation you even asked for her pictures," I was more surprised.
"You don't know anything, this is how it works. Just have a look. Isn't she beautiful. MashahAllah," her eyes lit up on seeing the pictures.
I looked at the picture with disgust, "Yes, she is. Do you want me to finalize her just by looking at this picture?"
She gave an angry look and added,"Its almost final. What else do you want to say? You know nothing. Actually, boys have no idea what to actually look for in a girl. Still you can tell me if you have any concerns."

In the next few days our parents set up a meeting and as obvious they liked each other. Few more awkward discussions, meetings and events later, everybody happily agreed.

This way I found my answer to the Wedding Question.  :)