Farewell Nausheen

Summer 2002: I met Nausheen in Bahria University during the admission interview session there. We had a pleasing conversation, gave our respective interviews and parted ways. I opted for NUCES-FAST while Nausheen joined Bahria University.
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4 years later
Summer 2006: One fine morning I was walking towards the kitchen at my work place (Elixir) when I spotted two new employees who were gossiping and giggling away. I moved towards them to greet them. One of them was Sundus, the other was Nausheen; Both did a good job in confusing me with their names, (see old post) and then moments later Nausheen pleasantly reminded me that we had an encounter years ago. =).
Luckily, this time, I got to know her more.
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More then a year ahead
Sept 2007: It’s time to part ways, but hopefully to meet again. InshahAllah. I wish her all the success and happiness in this world and more importantly in the hereafter. Nausheen, it was lovely knowing you. All the best in your future endeavours.Keep in touch. God bless you.


Elixirites, here is a little treat for you.

Chit Chat with Nausheen

Syra: What did you like about Pakistan?
Nausheen: I moved to Pakistan around five years ago, and now as I head back to my former home in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, I contemplate about all the things I love about Pakistan and will sorely miss:
· The opportunity to work professionally
· To be able to actually drive a car
· Enjoying the presence of abundant family members and relatives
· The lush green environment
· The cloudy weather and rainy days (perks me up a hundredfold)

Syra: What did you not like about Pakistan?
Nauhseen: Pakistan is a great country, but not without some major flaws. And I’m being positively critical when I say that the flaws lie mainly in the people of Pakistan. There’s a lot of fraud and deception here, and that makes it very hard to trust people. Based on my personal interaction with the people (and I’m being very general here), I found many Pakistanis to be proud, lazy, unfriendly, unpunctual, and are scared of hard work. But if Pakistani people can recognise and accept their flaws, I’m sure we can improve so much more as a country.

Syra: Do you feel there is a lack of religious awareness in Pakistan as compared to Saudi Arabia?
Nausheen: Yes, definitely (though I find Elixir to be an exception). I’ve noticed that Islam is not properly taught to young children by school or by their parents. And as adults they venture of either towards total extremism or modernism. It is the least we could so as Muslims to read, understand and apply the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah in our daily lives.

Syra: Describe your stay at Elixir?
Nausheen: My stay at Elixir has been exceptionally enjoyable and fruitful. And I’m very grateful to Elixir for giving me my first opportunity to work in the professional field. My job has always been challenging and interesting at the same time. I must say that working as a Technical Writer has generally helped me to express myself in better and clearer ways. I love the environment at Elixir. I have learned a lot through work experience which I know will facilitate me greatly in my practical life.

Syra: Most memorable moment at Elixir?
Nausheen: When I was given a raise; it was quite unexpected but very gratifying.

Syra: What will you miss the most about Pakistan and about Elixir?
Nausheen:
What I’ll miss about Pakistan:
· Economically priced DVDs
· Economically priced fast internet.
· A wider collection of books esp. at Saeed Book Bank
· All my cousins, esp. the younger ones who have labelled me the best storyteller of all times.
· All my friends from Bahria University.

What I’ll miss about Elixir:
· The particularly friendly and comfortable work environment
· The outings to Kim Mun, Café Grind, Hotspot and QAU.
· The birthday parties.
· The common room discussions (there is no topic left untouched….)
· The secret hair styling parlour and photo sessions in the common room.
· All the wonderful friends I made at Elixir

Syra: First word that comes to your mind when I say the name: // Nausheen's reply ahead of name
Asma: Email-Forwarder (or Lizard-lover?)
Isbah: Orkut/Facebook
Memoona: Witty
Saira Andleeb: Chic
Saira (me): Warm & Friendly
Sundas: LUMS
Tayyaba: High-spirited (Not Jamia Hafa)

Syra: What are your future plans?
Nausheen: No definite plans as yet. I would love to study further (maybe MBA or MS) and then work again. However, I do currently plan on studying the Quran and further trying to comprehend Islam.

Syra: Recommend me a book to read.
Nausheen: Can I recommend three?
· The Giver by Lois Lowry – Extremely thought provoking
· A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini - Extremely touching
· Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte – A wonderful read with an unconventional but powerful female protagonist.

Syra: Recommend me a movie to watch.
Nausheen:Signs – starring Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix.

Syra: What's your favourite hangout place in isb?
Nausheen: Probably, Pizza Hut. I’ve had such good times there with friends and family. (And it’s so close to Saeed Book Bank).

Syra: If you were to write a book, what topic\story would you chose?
Nausheen: I would absolutely love to write a book in the near future, and I hope to God I find the opportunity to do so. I love the fantasy genre because you are allowed to break all rules of empirical, testable (even magical) protocols and stretch imagination as far as you want. Other than that, I would also be thrilled if I wrote a book on Islam especially on women’s rights/equality and what the Pakistan society needs to do in order to eliminate some detrimental cultures (esp. against females) which are thought to be Islamic.

Syra: Which one of the Harry Potter books did you enjoy the most?
Nausheen: Definitely, Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban is my favourite. I absolutely loved the way JK Rowling builds Sirius Black as an evil character in the book (we learn to hate Black alongside Harry) and then suddenly everything turns around when we learn that Sirius Black is not only innocent, but he is Harry's Godfather and was not evil as we were led to speculate. And the time-turner scene with Harry, Hermione and the Patronus spell was nothing but purely ingenious.

Syra: Your favourite quote:
Nausheen: "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." Albus Dumbledore from the Harry Potter books.

Syra: Any message for my blog readers?
Nausheen: Please excuse my spelling and grammar mistakes within this interview. (I was typing really fast.)
Thank you all (elixirites), for the fun times we’ve had during my stay at Elixir. I wish everyone the best in life (and in the hereafter). If you plan on visiting Jeddah, then please don’t hesitate on giving me a call or something. My personal email address is nfr_212@yahoo.com.
Goodbye and God bless.