Dinshaw Avari- Trying my Hand at Blogging!

March 24, 2019 Recently there has been a lot of news about South Africa (Cape Town actually) running out of water soon. I believe Pakistan – and Karachi especially - is almost in the same boat- international organizations have repeatedly been warning us about the impending water shortage, as soon as the coming decade. There are many many articles on water saving but the government cannot do this on its own- we as citizens have to help out too. Some basic water saving techniques which can PRACTICALLY be instituted are – Like Hawaii, the government should create water catchment areas for rain water – especially in Punjab and KP provinces; Water faucets can and should be changed to modern fittings/devices which save water.   I saw a very very interesting concept at https://www.alteredcompany.com/ .   Their water aerators/nozzles give a mist – they claim 98% water saving - giving you the same cleaning effects but at a fraction of the water wastage. ...

March 15, 2019 (Image courtesy "https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwin9JW8qYPhAhWIzaQKHcY_CEAQjhx6BAgBEAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fboldomatic.com%2Fview%2Fwriter-feed%2Fswag-fiir3&psig=AOvVaw22OoZgoM_sG5bt0ZPQKbzy&ust=1552711021351225")   March 15, 2019  Does one really need to have “common sense” not to throw trash on the road from the car?  What about a car tail-gaiting a motorcycle?  How about when I take my mother in law to the Gym at the hospital and every single time , I open and close the physiotherapy door on my own with no one helping an attendant pushing a wheel chair – not the nurses walking by nor the people sitting inside!?  Hey, how about spitting beetle nut on the side of the stairs? OR, the worst, urinating on the side of the road? Do we really need to be taught common courtesies - isn’t it ingrained in humans since we are born?   NO .   Thinking back, I...

March 8, 2019 I am impatient, many times, and I do interrupt – especially when I try to finish someone else’s sentence (isn’t that annoying!) … not a good thing.   Short attention span!  What else … umm, let’s see … I tune off in a conversation!  When I can’t work further, I pack up and leave for home! … and I can go on and on. However, when we’re interviewing candidates (and these are “Executive” level people) and my colleagues or I ask them about their weakness (and I still believe this is an important question … tell you why in a moment), answers range from –       Oh, I can’t think of any off hand       Lies irritate me       Impatient when the work isn’t done on time       Honestly, I don’t have anything major (…and I can go on and on) So, we’re human and does that makes us … perfect?  Errr, I don’t think so! Don’t “lies” irritate or gall most of the 7 billion huma...

March 4, 2019 So, the 10 th Karachi Literature Festival (#KHILF) ended happily & successfully in spite of border tensions, transport disruptions and stoppages. I found this event quite different from the previous eight KLFs I’ve been to (these last seven at Beach Luxury Hotel @beach_luxury itself) – it truly was targeting the “younger” literary mind!   You could tell with this by quality of the audiences – while I met so many of the associates and friends I have made over these eight years - there were newer & younger faces too.   Also, the authors who were presenting various topics and book launches were a younger lot.   I enjoyed Haris Khalique’s book launch on his poems - I never thought I would actually like poetry or prose but there were short poems aimed towards the humanitarian crisis around the world. The Chief Minister of Sindh, Murad Ali Shah’s, presence (alongwith Dr Shamshad Ahmed) for Dr Ishrat’s Hussain’s book launch on the...