There is Always Tomorrow

There is Always Tomorrow, originally uploaded by !ShT!@Q.

There is certainly something calming that comes with nightfall and a beautiful sunset to sweep away the stress and adversity of the day. A sunset is a wonderful thing and as night approaches it signals an end and the hopes for a new beginning at sunrise. Watching a sunset is a good thing to do, but many people do not sit back once in a while to enjoy the luster and beauty of the setting of the sun.

The sunset to reset your attitude and to reflect “the friction of the day.” It is a time to clear your mind of all the sound and fury that really does not matter anyway. A sunset can be a symbol of the end, an end to any and all problems, all grudges and any sense of revenge. An end to hate, injustice or anger; it over day is done, gone the sun.

As nightfall emerges, all there is, is tomorrow; a new hope, a new start and something you can build and shape and mold into whatever you want. What a wonderful gift indeed; a new day. This is huge when you consider what it all means. You have a way to reset the fear, the pain and sorrow or anything else that is bothering you; because there is always tomorrow.

So many sunsets have come and gone. But today I feel the evening is special. It is still the same magical sunset after a while. The sky has the same tint of gold and fiery orange… The year 2008 is about to end… and there is a new beginning, a new hope coming our way, so it is up to us how we take ourself to the next level.

Good Bye 2008, Happy New year 2009.

Taken at : Where the tiny Kahan river meets another rainy stream called Parnal Khas and turns east towards Tilla Jogian Range. In simple words… from Rohtas Fort, Jehlum.

Langar

Langar, originally uploaded by !ShT!@Q.

Lahore’s fame has spread deep into the climes of Central Asia. Its old fortified city, the banks of a river Ravi and the motley collection of artisans, masons, artists, poets and musicians are all too well known.

I reconnected with the Data Darbar or the royal pavilion of the great saint of Lahore. Standing near the tomb is a fabulous experience, for it brings together the innate diversity of our cultures and faiths.

Langar, the distribution of food, at the Sufi Khanqah is a centuries-old tradition. It allows devotees to eat together, feed the hungry and attend to an exhausted traveler and is a means of redistributing wealth. Data Darbar is also an important location, for it feeds thousands of people every day through the complex networks of langar, its financiers, distributors and organisers.

“Sufism is the heart’s being, pure from the pollution of discord.”

~ Hazrat Data Ganj Baksh

Connect to Aspire

Connect to Aspire, originally uploaded by !ShT!@Q.

Since the dawn of recorded history man has been searching diligently for something greater outside of themselves to connect with and to aspire to.

This very thought crates a Legends like Shangri-La. A Mythical Place of complete bliss, delight and peace. Nature has always inspired us to make these kind of stories to be associated with the places.

Hitch Hiking in Hunza reveal many sides of nature before your eyes, with a rich culture and hospitable people this piece of land sure feels like the Paradise on earth.

This is one view of Boulter Peak, taken during the Walk in the Duikar Valley, in Hunza, Pakistan.

Inside Baltit Fort

Inside Baltit Fort, originally uploaded by !ShT!@Q.

The tour to Baltit Fort take you back 700 years ago. According to historical sources, the Hunza rulers initially resided in the Altit Fort, but later, as a result of a conflict between the two sons of the ruler Sultan, Shah Ababas “Shaboos” and Ali Khan, shifted to Baltit Fort making it the capital seat of Hunza. The power struggle between the tow brothers eventually resulted in the death of the younger one, and so Baltit Fort further established itself as the prime seat of power in the Hunza Valley.

The presence of the Dynasty can still be felt across the corridors of Baltit Fort. Dim Lights, Traditional Decor, Ancient Carving just play a beautiful drama with wonderful view of the Valley of Hunza and Nazar…

A must visit place…

Tools of Destruction

Tools of Destruction, originally uploaded by !ShT!@Q.

Weapons were in use from a long period of time, initially for self defense. Fanciful weapons like knives, daggers, swords, pole arms, maces, axes and other sharp things have been the weapon of choice for combatants and warriors of all castes, ranks for many years.

Most of these weapons are indeed tools of destruction. These weapons have today evolved as automatic rifles. And ancient weapons have today become obsolete, in terms of destruction. But still they are in use by many-some as collectibles, some as decorative pieces and some as just memorabilia of ancient weapons. A very interesting fact about such weapons is their durability, quality and artistic appearance . This definitely speaks of the standards of excellence set by our ancient craftsmen and artisans, in spite of their lack of modern tools and manufacturing methods.

This beautiful Commando Dagger is made in Darra Adam Kheil, North West Frontier Province of Pakistan.

Rohtas

Rohtas, originally uploaded by !ShT!@Q.

Jhelum is located at the base of the Potowar Range, overlooking the endless green fields of the Punjab. Alexander the great crossed the river at this place and fought with Raja Poras, whom the famous quotation is related to, when he answered the Alexander,

“As a king would treat a king”
The famous Rohtas Fort, built by Sher Shah Suri is also located here which, is still standing against all odds. only 7 Km drive from Grand Trunk Road to this gigantic fort. Founded on steep rocks jutting into the river Kahan. Sher Shah Suri named Qila Rohtas after the famous Rohtasgarh Fort in Shahabad district near Baharkunda, Bihar which he captured from the Raja of Rohtas Hari Krishan Rai in 1539.

Sher Shah Suri died before the completion of this magnificent structure.

A Day trip to this place is always a delight, specially in winters when mists are around. Here is what I saw on the North-West side of the Fort. Its hard to visit all the fort in one day.

Dedicated to Amer Raja a.k.a Rohtas… A friend from Jehlum, Pakistan.

Pathways of Our Lives

Pathways of Our Lives, originally uploaded by !ShT!@Q.

We all have been running a series of pathways throughout our lives.

Each time we have a choice to make, we’re in effect making a decision to take one pathway over another.

When we look back over our lives so far, we can see the pathways we’ve taken with much more clarity. Choices we’ve made that may have surprised us at the time, turn out to lead to greater opportunities we may not have come to otherwise. And choices you may have thought were easy options at the time turned out to be anything but…

A view of the Hidden Paradise from the Traditional Restaurant in Karimabad is one pathway, which took my breath away at the breakfast, wishing to be there… Next day trek to the water channel behind Baltit Fort while taking a look at breathtaking Ultar Glacier, Ultar Meadows, & Ultar Peaks leading to Duikar and then Eagle’s Nest. On the way back, this was the path Me & Mrs passed after 5 Hours of total lost into the nothingness of our own self… The pathway I will never forget.

Thoughtful Candles

Thoughtful Candles, originally uploaded by !ShT!@Q.

Candle burning has roots stretching back to ancient times as a part of both religious ceremonies and magical rites. It is also believed in some cultures to burn small free-standing candles or “lights” of various colors to draw luck, love, and money; for protection from evil; and to wreak vengeance or exert control over others.

So Candles are believed to create the serenity in environment, mood and art… Art stimulates different parts of our brains to make us laugh or incite us to riot, with a whole gamut of emotions in between. Art gives us a way to be creative and express ourselves. For some people, art is the entire reason they get out of bed in the morning. You could say “Art is something that makes us more thoughtful and well-rounded humans.”

A piece of art with sculptures, candle light and Artists at “The Phantom of the Opera”: the biggest Theatrical production of Pakistan.

Majestic and Graceful

Majestic and Graceful, originally uploaded by !ShT!@Q.

Peacock, Majestic and graceful, with a beautiful form and charming colors, it caught the fancy of the artisans from early times, who used it profusely in their artistic creations. From the Harappan period to the present day, in every art expression the Peacock is beautifully portrayed.

Peacock found an honorable place among the decorative motifs of arts such as pottery sculptures terracotta, bronzes, textiles, paintings and applied arts- ivory, jewelery, metal ware, etc

It has been depicted as a sacred bird.

Celebration of Life

Celebration of Life, originally uploaded by !ShT!@Q.

I am guilty. I am guilty of forgetting how precious one moment in time can be. It is so easy to forget the blessing God gives each day. I can’t believe how swiftly I can swing into a negative attitude, forgetting how far I have been brought.

Let me encourage you to celebrate the moment. This second, the next second is not yours until it arrives. Celebrate this breath not the next. The next may come and then again it might not. We have so many reasons to celebrate the moment. Celebrate yes celebrate who you are. If your day is not going good, celebrate anyway. Count your blessing, name them one by one, and see if that doesn’t change things. How can you be sad when life if so good?

How have you celebrated being alive today?