Frozen Thoughts.

This is the second in a series of articles by Shoaib Sumar about life and the contemporary world. In this light-hearted panorama, we discuss the world's most-loved dessert- Ice-Cream! I don't mean to be too figurative when I say this, but this one is miles apart from my last note titled "Earth to Self: "Its time to Joga Bonito!". It reflects the writer's versatility as it differs greatly in style and content.

I don't cry over spilt milk, but a fallen scoop of ice-cream is enough to ruin my whole day!

The Online Dictionary defines ice-cream as "A dessert made from frozen sweetened cream or a similar substance, usually flavoured" This definition, to me, seems rather incomplete. Under no circumstances can the world deny the sheer emotional value that comes attached to a bowl of ice-cream. Let me illustrate further. It serves as an incredible anti-depressant, an unbelievably good tear-stopper for kids, and a great companion on a Saturday night watching a game of football, and you know it! Yet, The Online Dictionary, in its definition, dismisses it as a mere physical commodity. To put it simply, Ice-cream can be defined accurately in two words "Happiness condensed"

Historically, the origins of ice-cream can be traced as far back as the 4the century B.C where Roman Emperor Nero ordered ice to be brought down from the mountains and served with a variety of fruit toppings. Not surprisingly, China too lays claim to the invention of the frozen dessert with records of King Tang of Shang (what a name!) having a method of creating ice and milk concoctions. Wow, so ice-cream too was 'Made in China'. Once ice-cream reached North America in the 1700s it really took off and became popular among the wealthy merchants. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson reportedly served it to all their royal guests. Only in the early 19th century did ice-cream parlors become popular with common folk. Okay, that's enough for today's history lesson.

Did you know that Chocolate Syrup is the world's favourite topping on ice-cream and Vanilla, the world's favourite flavour according to extensive surveys conducted world-wide. Vanilla? Yes, I'm serious.

Another popular myth surrounding ice-cream is that it can only be truly enjoyed in hot weather. Rubbish, in my opinion. Not just in mine, the list of 'Top 10 Ice-cream consuming countries' blatantly quashes this myth. Its no surprise that the United States tops this list- with a Hagen Dazs or Ben n Jerry's at every street corner, why wouldn't they? The surprise lies in the fact that 8 other countries on the 10-member list, (Australia being the one exception) are what we consider 'Cold Countries'. Yes, New Zealand, Denmark, Belgium/Luxembourg, Sweden, Canada, Norway, Ireland and Switzerland make up the other 8 countries. Clearly, ice-cream consumption has no relation to weather, the barometer here, is undoubtedly, economic prosperity.

As time progressed, ice-cream pioneers decided to penetrate into the more price-sensitive segments of the market. This, along with other factors such as the widespread availability of machinery and raw materials led to a sharp decline in the exclusivity of ice-cream during the 20th century. Soon every Tom, Dick and Harry (remember Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour in the third Harry Potter book?) was eating ice cream and loving it!

Now to the issue of flavours. My personal favourite is Baskin Robin's Gold Medal Ribbon- introduced in 1979, 'GMR' is undoubtedly a world-beater. Lets say, an ice-cream equivalent of the Spanish football team. The sumptuous combination of rich chocolate and vanilla enshrined by a ribbon of caramel is guaranteed to salivate the mouths of even a hard-hearted, ice-cream loathing Communist! I am an Indian citizen and am sincerely disappointed by the quality, or lack of the same, of Indian ice-cream. The only half-decent Indian chain of ice-creams is Natural's. Sad, but true.

At this point, I would like to reiterate in the minds of our readers, that Chocolate Syrup is the world's favourite ice-cream topping.

So next time you enter a Baskin Robin's or open a tub of Natural's Chocobite, take a moment to solemnly remember- what you are about to eat is something special. Treasure it. And don't regret the calories!
Good day.

The Fragrance of Forgiveness: A Short Story.

They traveled with the scorching desert sun overhead, their camels expertly maneuvering through the dunes. Two youths, best friends, on a journey through the Arabian Desert.
And as they traveled, they discussed their plans of starting a small carpet business in Aden. They had pooled in some dinars and had decided to open a small shop in the souq in the bustling Yemeni coastal town. Both Omar and Jafar came from poor families in the village of Al-Misrakh and were eager to earn some money to support their respective families. Omar was an orphan and lived with his uncle Ibn Jacoub and had recently been married. He was keen to start a successful business and ultimately ask his wife Maryam to join him in Aden. Besides, he wanted to thank his uncle for raising him by earning enough money to support him in his old age. Jafar, on the other hand had four young sisters to support and his parents were bed-ridden and unable to work. His father, Khalid had failed in several attempts at starting a business. Jafar knew that the reason for his father's failure was that their village was simply too small, and he saw the markets of Aden as a land of opportunity for any young entrepreneur.

The journey would take twelve hours and the two friends, exhausted by the afternoon heat, stopped to pray and rest under some trees.
Jafar said, "Perhaps you should leave your share of the money with me, Omar, four hundred dinars is a lot of money to keep hanging around your neck. What if someone steals it while you sleep? Give it to me, I will keep it with my money in this leather bag."
"But that bag will also go around your neck, won't it?" Omar replied, bemused.
"Just give me the money. I think we both know how capable you are of losing it."
"What do you mean by that? Are you planing to spend it while I sleep? Or worse, run away with it!"
"Is that what you think I am capable of? Your words are not those of a true friend."
There was a sudden tension between the two, Jafar's hazel eyes were now red with anger.
Omar retorted sarcastically, "I think your actions have proven what a true friend you are," referring to an altercation between the two a few months earlier where Jafar had cheated Omar at the ostrich races.
"Come on now, akhi forget the past, we have a business to look after together."
"What guarantee do I have that you will not cheat me, and that our business will not fail!" said Omar, "like all your father's failed businesses," he added.
Jafar, now greatly insulted by the mention of his father, said, "You really shouldn't have said that akhi." And in a sudden fit of rage, punched Omar hard on his face, "Go to hell!"
Omar fell to the floor with a thud, but said nothing. Slowly, he got up, picked up a stick and wrote in the sand- 'TODAY MY BEST FRIEND PUNCHED ME ON THE FACE.' Then, without a word, Omar began to prepare his camel for the journey ahead. Jafar was as surprised at his own actions as bewildered at his friend's response. Still, he said nothing and mounted his camel and with a click of his tongue, set out to face the Arabian desert.

The whistling of the wind was the only sound they heard for the three hours of travel that followed. Omar was thinking about the days when he and Jafar were inseparable, running around shoulder-to-shoulder playing football and racing camels with the other village boys. Jafar occupied himself with surly thoughts of ways he could make a quick-dinar in Aden, with gambling and hashish on his mind.
As evening fell, an oasis approached and the travellers stopped for rest and the evening prayer. Omar tied his camel and went for a swim in the spring while Jafar sat down to rest, lost in his thoughts. He was absentmindedly watching Omar swim when he realised that his friend was drowning! His right leg had struck against a rock and was bleeding heavily. Jafar leaped into the water before he heard Omar cry out for help. With strong strokes Jafar swam towards Omar, lifted his friend upon his back and swam to safety.

As he placed Omar down in the sand and began to tend to his wound, Omar picked up a rock from beside the spring and slowly etched into it- 'TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE'. Jafar looked into his friend's grateful eyes and asked, "When we argued earlier, akhi you wrote in sand, and now, why do you chose to write on stone?" Omar smiled . To Jafar, all the desert's harshness disappeared. Omar said, "That is because when a friend hurts you, we must write it in sand so that its memory can be blown away by the winds of forgiveness and by Allah, Jafar, I had forgiven you before I mounted my camel. But when a friend helps you, it should be engraved in stone so that its memory may last for as long as you live and Jafar, you know I wil be eternally grateful for your kindness and friendship."
The wound had healed on Omar's leg as on his heart as they set out on the final stretch of their journey to Aden.
Truly, 'Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.'

The Prophet Muhammd (peace be upon him) reported that the devil said to God: "I shall continue to lead Thy servants astray as long as their spirits are in their bodies." And God replied: "(Then) I shall continue to pardon them as long as they ask My forgiveness." -Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 742.

Did Barack Obama deserve the Nobel Peace Prize?

The following is an essay I wrote a few weeks ago...Hope you enjoy reading it...

‘All that glitters is not gold. Many a thought remains untold. Men have reached the Moon, yet our actions cannot be foretold’
Our opinionated planet was divided this January by the decision of The Nobel Committee to award newly-elected US President, Barack Obama with the Nobel Peace Prize. In some quarters, this decision prompted severe criticism of the Committee to such an extent as to even question their credibility. However, there remained an adamant school of thought who backed their decision wholeheartedly. Personally, I was shocked at how the President of a nation, clearly the antithesis of Peace - The United States, could be given such an accolade and justifiably so.
In the United States of America, the President’s decisions reflect the country’s policies. The fact that the country is involved in armed conflicts should be enough to rule him out of the running for such an award. If that isn’t reason enough, the fact that he has broken several promises made to the American people (evident through the plummet in his popularity ratings) should have prompted the Nobel Committee to have made a wiser choice.
The reason cited by his supporters was the ‘Hope’ he created during his campaign. Hope is not a tangible thing, worthy of a Peace Prize. The fact that he replaced George W. Bush is the main reason for the euphoria and joy among the people. Their celebration was for the outgoing villain, not the incoming one. After eight years of Bush’s tyranny, the world desperately wanted a change in leadership in the USA and that is why he received unlimited goodwill from around the world.
Obama is responsible for the death of thousands of innocent Afghan civilians and has failed to bring peace to Iraq. Also, his sanctions against Iran and North Korea, have affected world peace. He has also supported international terrorism through his support of Israel - a criminal nation and a violator of basic Human Rights? Furthermore, Guantanamo Bay is still a centre of vicious American brutality-and several promises to close the prison down have been broken time and time again.
Can such atrocities merit a Peace Prize?
I acknowledge the fact that Barack Obama is a great orator, an inspirational leader and an efficient Senator. Perhaps people expected more from him than he is capable of, and that plays to his disadvantage. As the saying goes –“Actions speak louder than Words” Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize based solely on his words. I sincerely hope that in the remaining years of his tenure, we see a drastic change in US economic and foreign policies so that we may live in a safer world, Insha’Allah. To conclude, I would like to point out that Barack Obama’s actions does not merit his mention in the same breath as some of his illustrious Nobel Peace Prize winning counterparts like Nelsen Mandela and Mother Theresa. If he were to win the accolade three years down the line for “outstanding progress towards achieving World Peace”, I am sure the international community would have no issues.

Earth to Self: "Its time to Joga Bonito!"

The following was written on 9th June, 2010, shortly before the start of he FIFA World Cup. I wrote it as a sort of Preview to the tournament. Okay, "What's the point of a preview, wehn Spain won the World Cup last night?", you may ask. Truth is, there isn't. Its just a nice article and I wanted it on my blog. A more relevant 'Review' may be on the cards soon. Anyways,I hope you enjoy reading this.

This is the first in a series of articles by Shoaib Sumar about life and the contemporary world. In this article, we discuss the FIFA World Cup and its profound impact on people from different parts of the world....

Earth to Self: "Its time to Joga Bonito!"
With the planet gripped in World Cup fever, I lay in bed one night, thinking. Thinking about what it is that makes this event unite all the nations of the world. Thinking about why it means so much to so many, everywhere. Thinking about something which I think about almost every minute of my humble existence- Football.

Call it soccer, futebol' or association football, the sport is undoubtedly the most popular game in the world. Pick up a newspaper anywhere in the world today, and I can bet my life there will be a section dedicated to the World Cup. In some countries, like Italy, even international news features forlorn somewhere in the back pages. Its football that dominates the print and visual media.

What fascinates me no end is how the same event can be viewed in different countries in so many different ways--with fear, excitement, hope, nervousness or indifference. The common denominator here is an unique sense of anticipation which even the Olympic Games fails to generate.

England: Hope.
The typical British sense of hope and loud confidence surrounds the English media. 1966 was the last time they won. But their fans remain confident that "this time, our lads will bring that trophy back to Wembley Stadium!" and with a galaxy of stars like Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, who can blame them?

The European Power Houses: Euphoria.
Intense political activity, media frenzy and public gatherings are characteristic of this time. Politicians use the sport to further their interests and use the national teams to increase their Vote Banks. Its crazy, as if the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (who owns the country's biggest club, AC Milan by the way,) is going to put his boots on and get on the pitch. Yet, if the team wins, it'll probably be his biggest Pay-Day. Ever. Drugs, Drink and Illicit sex will be at an all-time high in the next month.

Asia: Its Party Time!
For those in countries like South Korea and Japan who have qualified for the Cup, its a chance to see their boys on the World Stage. Playing side-by-side their more illustrious European and South American counterparts, who they watch religiously week-in-week-out on the telly.
As for us, who have no representation (or no hope of any, in the near future at least) we watch as neutrals or sort of adopt a nationality for a month or so. Its humiliating how a country, One-Billion-strong, can fail to develop the talent, on account of lack of infrastructure! But India's misadventures on the sporting front is a story for another day.
Moving on to the Arab peninsula, who will be disappointed that Algeria is the only Arabic-speaking representative, but will nevertheless enjoy the spectacle in their usual way, Cafe's will be packed, roads bustling, children on the streets of Jordan and Qatar will be seen sporting their Ronaldo7 and Rooney9 shirts. Many a Sheikh in Dubai and Saudi Arabia will be scratching their beards, thinking about how all the money in the world cannot buy a World Cup team?

The United States: What? soccer? Your kidding,right?

Although I will admit that thanks to the large number of immigrants in the US and David Beckham, 'soccer-awareness' is growing. Yet, the vast majority of Americans are happy in their own little sporting world, where they refer to their baseball final as The 'World Series'. I didn't know the 'World' spread from New York To Los Angeles!Superbowl and the NBA mean everything to them. You can just imagine two fat white guys sitting on a couch talking in their Homer Simpson-ish voices,
"Hey Charlie, wanna watch soccer? I've heard its the most popular sport in the world!"
"Well thats why THEY don't need US watching them!. C'mon I'll buy you a beer. Lets go watch the Lakers game!"
"Beer! sure dude, c'mon screw soccer. Beer and the Lakers game. Hell Yeah!"

And Finally, the World descends on South Africa.....

Ecstasy is the word that best describes the feeling in Africa on the eve of the World Cup.The first one to be held in the Dark Continent will surely be an amazing spectacle. There are smiles and streamers on every street in Jo'berg and Cape Town.People sing "When i get older, I will be stronger, they’ll call me freedom
Just like a Waving Flag"


Its that time when thousands starving in Africa will forget their condition and cheer Humanity. When Palestinians will set aside the pain inflicted upon them unfairly, and cheer Humanity.As for us, we're just thankful to ESPN-STAR Sports for showing us The Beautiful Game and hope that the players do as Nike says in Portuguese- Joga Bonito.Play Beautiful.