Tips for wedding decorations
Wedding is an important event in our lives. For most it�s a one time opportunity. So we wish to make it special and memorable. Simple living high thinking doesn�t fit in when it comes to an event like wedding. Everything has to be as beautiful and grand as possible. We would leave no stones unturned to make sure that every minute detail is taken care of to make it a memorable event.
Today almost all wedding ceremonies are either recorded on photographs or video films. This is to capture the memories of the occasion. So when we want to capture these moments we want it to look the best possible. And so decoration of the wedding venue becomes important. The decoration depends on the venue as well as the type of wedding. Let�s look at some broader issues to be taken care of in wedding decoration.
Traditional Wedding
� Space � The decoration may look good but if it hinders with the movement of the guests then it never serves the purpose. The decorations should be so made that there is enough space for the guests to move around freely and mingle with each other. The line of sight of the guests to the bride and groom should not be hindered. Everyone who has come for the wedding wants to see the wedding ceremony so it�s very important that they have a clear view of the proceedings.
� Preparations � make sure you get the estimates done for the budget as well as time required to get the decorations ready in time. If not planned properly in advance the expense may creep up and also the time required will be more. Keep a good track of the proceedings.
� Consultation - Consult with your photographer and video person as to the look of the decoration. Something may look very good in real but on screen it may not live up to the expectation. The professionals have a good knowledge of what looks better on a video and in a photo. So its imperative that their suggestions are given importance.
� Lighting � A very important factor is the lighting both in terms of the beauty as well as necessity. Again the photography and video shooting need good lighting. So consult with the professionals for that.
Themed Wedding.
� Choosing the theme � it is important that every participant in the event is comfortable with getting involved in the theme. So choosing the theme is a very tricky issue. While doing it consideration should be given to the profile of the participants, the venue and the weather etc. The theme should blend with the weather and the surrounding.
� The theme should not overshadow the meaning of the wedding day � This is very important as what is more important is the wedding and not the theme. The theme should be just to add uniqueness to the event. So it should be taken care that the theme fits in with the customs and procedures of the wedding ceremony. Decoration should be made to enhance the wedding ceremony by blending the theme with the ceremony. One should not compromise with the spirit of the event just to make the decoration better.
� Take professional help � Arrange for a wedding coordinator. Give your personal time to make sure everyone has got the picture clear. It�s important that the vision you have in your mind is communicated properly to the organizing people. Professionals have a very good idea about these things and can be of great help when it comes to decision making and budget planning for the event.
� The Look � the color scheme, materials used and costumes should all be in sync with the theme and also should not take the centre stage. While the theme should be reflected well in the decoration it should only compliment the wedding. You want the theme to add a surprise element to the event and not a shock.
It doesn�t matter what kind of a wedding you are planning for, decoration does give color to the event. If proper planning and execution is achieved the event can be memorable for not only the bride and the groom but also for the guests and the organizers.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Tips for wedding accessories
Tips for wedding accessories
Preparations for a wedding day is as hard as getting the right groom or bride to marry. All weddings might be the same as far as the general ceremonies are concerned. But the planning and focus on this day starts many months before. For some it is still worse as they have to plan it at least a year before as they start saving for their D/Day.
Wedding budget is what is taken into consideration when the wedding bells start ringing. Both the groom and the bride sit together and decide how much to spend on their weddings. It is a special moment and once in a lifetime celebration so many couples think of a very lavish and extravagant marriage ceremony. They usually plan beyond their financial capacity hoping to make up the deficits after marriage.
But there is actually no need to feel the pinch in your purse if you plan your wedding accessories properly. Getting the help of a wedding planner might be a great idea but still if only the couple had some time to spare they can easily cash in on the most affordable yet classic wedding collections they can possibly lay their hands on.
First sit together and start taking note of all the accessories you will both need for the wedding day. From the wedding dresses, to the hairpins and shoe laces everything should be noted down. Then carefully separate similar things together like dresses and its related accessories like veils, brooch, pins, bags etc together. Then put together your hair needs, shoes etc together.
Start shopping for the categories separately and do not go into a store looking for everything. First finish with the dresses, then the shoes and when you go for these things separately you might even knock on something important you had forgotten earlier. Search for budget stores or stores which might get you quality products for a fair price.
Branded dresses are costlier and especially designer clothes cost a fortune. Look out for cheaper versions of the designer clothes you like. They are available everywhere so it might be a better option. Take special care while selecting the right hand bag, shoes, veils and gloves. It is one day in your life time where you are expected to be your very best.
If you have chosen a themed wedding choose the accessories keeping in mind the general theme. Coordinate colors too to give a feel of uniformity with the whole wedding d�cor. Take special care with the guest seating and dinning arrangements too must be the priority as they will all add up to the celebration mood.
Food is the most important component of any wedding celebration. The table setting, floral arrangements and d�cor will only make the food served more enjoyable and tasty. Select a menu to suit everyone�s taste and always add details. Sit with the chief cook and take personal interest to taste personally all the dishes before selecting them.
The wedding accessories of everyone in the family must also be taken care and chosen in accordance to the theme of the marriage after discussing with them. Try to design for yourself a custom made wedding invitation as that will give a personal touch to the wedding invitees. The guests will be enthralled with your personal touch and taste. Giving away small gifts to the guests will only express your deep thankfulness for their presence in the most important moments of your lives.
Choose a gift which will be cherished by the guests forever and will always keep them reminded about you and your wedding memoirs. Planning for before and after the ceremony is also essential as many guests might choose to stay back or might come in advance. Their comfortable accommodation and other needs should be looked into.
The place of the wedding if it isn�t the church should be taken care of with much detail. Always be ready to face the worst climatic changes if you want an open air wedding. The bride and the groom�s beauty treatment should be taken care off months in advance. Visit to beauty parlors for the monthly facial, pedicure and manicure is a must.
Make a contract with the parlor and get a special wedding discount for all the overall beauty treatment. Plan your wedding, discount the payments and enjoy the celebrations.
Preparations for a wedding day is as hard as getting the right groom or bride to marry. All weddings might be the same as far as the general ceremonies are concerned. But the planning and focus on this day starts many months before. For some it is still worse as they have to plan it at least a year before as they start saving for their D/Day.
Wedding budget is what is taken into consideration when the wedding bells start ringing. Both the groom and the bride sit together and decide how much to spend on their weddings. It is a special moment and once in a lifetime celebration so many couples think of a very lavish and extravagant marriage ceremony. They usually plan beyond their financial capacity hoping to make up the deficits after marriage.
But there is actually no need to feel the pinch in your purse if you plan your wedding accessories properly. Getting the help of a wedding planner might be a great idea but still if only the couple had some time to spare they can easily cash in on the most affordable yet classic wedding collections they can possibly lay their hands on.
First sit together and start taking note of all the accessories you will both need for the wedding day. From the wedding dresses, to the hairpins and shoe laces everything should be noted down. Then carefully separate similar things together like dresses and its related accessories like veils, brooch, pins, bags etc together. Then put together your hair needs, shoes etc together.
Start shopping for the categories separately and do not go into a store looking for everything. First finish with the dresses, then the shoes and when you go for these things separately you might even knock on something important you had forgotten earlier. Search for budget stores or stores which might get you quality products for a fair price.
Branded dresses are costlier and especially designer clothes cost a fortune. Look out for cheaper versions of the designer clothes you like. They are available everywhere so it might be a better option. Take special care while selecting the right hand bag, shoes, veils and gloves. It is one day in your life time where you are expected to be your very best.
If you have chosen a themed wedding choose the accessories keeping in mind the general theme. Coordinate colors too to give a feel of uniformity with the whole wedding d�cor. Take special care with the guest seating and dinning arrangements too must be the priority as they will all add up to the celebration mood.
Food is the most important component of any wedding celebration. The table setting, floral arrangements and d�cor will only make the food served more enjoyable and tasty. Select a menu to suit everyone�s taste and always add details. Sit with the chief cook and take personal interest to taste personally all the dishes before selecting them.
The wedding accessories of everyone in the family must also be taken care and chosen in accordance to the theme of the marriage after discussing with them. Try to design for yourself a custom made wedding invitation as that will give a personal touch to the wedding invitees. The guests will be enthralled with your personal touch and taste. Giving away small gifts to the guests will only express your deep thankfulness for their presence in the most important moments of your lives.
Choose a gift which will be cherished by the guests forever and will always keep them reminded about you and your wedding memoirs. Planning for before and after the ceremony is also essential as many guests might choose to stay back or might come in advance. Their comfortable accommodation and other needs should be looked into.
The place of the wedding if it isn�t the church should be taken care of with much detail. Always be ready to face the worst climatic changes if you want an open air wedding. The bride and the groom�s beauty treatment should be taken care off months in advance. Visit to beauty parlors for the monthly facial, pedicure and manicure is a must.
Make a contract with the parlor and get a special wedding discount for all the overall beauty treatment. Plan your wedding, discount the payments and enjoy the celebrations.
Spicing up your Sexual Relationship
Sex Lessons
Has your sexual relationship with your partner been less than average lately, less exciting or completely died down?
You are not alone! It is quite common for the sexual relationship between couples, especially married ones, to lose routine and the excitement felt in the beginning. Though there are several reasons of why your sexual relationship has changed for the less active and exciting, it usually has nothing to do with your love for one another (depending on the situation).
The first thing you need to find out is what reasons there may be behind this changed. Is it you who does not want as much sex or your partner? After clearing that up, then find out why you or your partner feels this way. It is easier to find reasons concerning yourself than your partner, so if it is your partner you need to find answers on, then you will need to be more observant of their behaviors, reactions to certain things and so on. Communication will also be plenty of help, so do not be afraid to ask your partner if there is something bothering them, or talking to them about what is bothering you.
Do not feel bad or guilty if you or your partner feels less turned on by things that used to be the biggest turn-ons. It is a perfectly normal and understandable to get less interested in routines. We all need variety and new things in our lives, so just look at it as a call for something new. Try a new activity in the bedroom that both you and your partner feel comfortable with. You can buy some new lingerie; music, candles or anything you feel will set the mood. Try dating each other again. Most married couples forget that is important to continue dating and living the romance after the wedding. They enter a new stage of comfort feeling secure and safe, making them feel that they do not have to try to impress each other. Marriage is supposed to feel safe and secure and you do have to be up on your toes all the time, but you do have to continue making an effort if you want the romance to live forever.
Go to the places you used to go to when the two of you started dating, to rekindle that new romance feeling. Book a hotel room for a night so the two of you are away from, with pure privacy and a new surrounding, which could very well mean a new experience! Touch each other and pay attention to the other�s reaction to certain caresses. By paying attention and keeping an open mind, your sexual relationship can reach places you never though possibile.
Sometimes spicing up your sexual relationship can be more difficult than you imagined. You cannot think of every new approach to try and heat things up. Which is why professional advice is so handy. Explain your situation to your relationship expert and ask them for ideas and suggestions of how you and your spouse can make your sexual bond stronger. You will not only learn new things, but also how to avoid entering this block in the road again. A healthy sex life has a big influence on your relationship as husband and wife. It is not everything, but does play a huge role, so never neglect such a problem, hoping it will pick up the pace again. It takes two to participate in such a relationship, so always talk to your partner about what is on your mind to avoid misunderstandings. You can have the sexual relationship you and your partner have always dreamed of and more, with the effort, care, patience and expert advice that your marriage deserves.
Has your sexual relationship with your partner been less than average lately, less exciting or completely died down?
You are not alone! It is quite common for the sexual relationship between couples, especially married ones, to lose routine and the excitement felt in the beginning. Though there are several reasons of why your sexual relationship has changed for the less active and exciting, it usually has nothing to do with your love for one another (depending on the situation).
The first thing you need to find out is what reasons there may be behind this changed. Is it you who does not want as much sex or your partner? After clearing that up, then find out why you or your partner feels this way. It is easier to find reasons concerning yourself than your partner, so if it is your partner you need to find answers on, then you will need to be more observant of their behaviors, reactions to certain things and so on. Communication will also be plenty of help, so do not be afraid to ask your partner if there is something bothering them, or talking to them about what is bothering you.
Do not feel bad or guilty if you or your partner feels less turned on by things that used to be the biggest turn-ons. It is a perfectly normal and understandable to get less interested in routines. We all need variety and new things in our lives, so just look at it as a call for something new. Try a new activity in the bedroom that both you and your partner feel comfortable with. You can buy some new lingerie; music, candles or anything you feel will set the mood. Try dating each other again. Most married couples forget that is important to continue dating and living the romance after the wedding. They enter a new stage of comfort feeling secure and safe, making them feel that they do not have to try to impress each other. Marriage is supposed to feel safe and secure and you do have to be up on your toes all the time, but you do have to continue making an effort if you want the romance to live forever.
Go to the places you used to go to when the two of you started dating, to rekindle that new romance feeling. Book a hotel room for a night so the two of you are away from, with pure privacy and a new surrounding, which could very well mean a new experience! Touch each other and pay attention to the other�s reaction to certain caresses. By paying attention and keeping an open mind, your sexual relationship can reach places you never though possibile.
Sometimes spicing up your sexual relationship can be more difficult than you imagined. You cannot think of every new approach to try and heat things up. Which is why professional advice is so handy. Explain your situation to your relationship expert and ask them for ideas and suggestions of how you and your spouse can make your sexual bond stronger. You will not only learn new things, but also how to avoid entering this block in the road again. A healthy sex life has a big influence on your relationship as husband and wife. It is not everything, but does play a huge role, so never neglect such a problem, hoping it will pick up the pace again. It takes two to participate in such a relationship, so always talk to your partner about what is on your mind to avoid misunderstandings. You can have the sexual relationship you and your partner have always dreamed of and more, with the effort, care, patience and expert advice that your marriage deserves.
Wedding Disasters
Wedding Disasters: The most disastrous things that could ruin your wedding day!.
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A Wedding is a dream come true for all of us- it is something each one of us has been looking forward to all our lives and no wonder this is one event where we wish nothing goes wrong. Wedding means guests, lists, some confusion, wedding cake, wedding gifts, venue planning, decorations, wedding dresses, etc. With so many things to take care of, no wonder the bride, the groom and their families are one hassled lot.
It is necessary to take care of so many things if you wish to invite all your near and dear ones at your wedding. Things can go wrong from lists of guests to the venue chosen. Your wedding can become memorable for its blunders rather than the style and success. Here are some of the wedding mistakes that you need to be careful about so you do not ruin your wedding day.
1) Wedding planner: One of the most important persons whenever a wedding is in the offing is the wedding planner. Make sure your wedding planner is an experienced one; this could cause lesser confusion and better order at your wedding.
If you wish to carry out your wedding all by yourself, you should ensure you are taking care of all aspects of the wedding methodically. This begins from planning the venue and decorations to planning food, guest lists, gifts, etc.
2) Making guest lists: Guest lists are most important. At times with so many people to be invited, it is necessary that you bifurcate all those you know on certain criteria. This would be useful especially if you are interested in inviting only a handful of people and you have large numbers of people to choose from. Another confusion that could result among guest lists is when both the bride and the groom do not calculate how many people each would like to invite. You could end up inviting too many or too little, if your calculations go awry.
3) Inviting wrong guests: If you or your fiancé are not on talking terms with certain people, you need not invite them. Their presence would damage the wedding rather than enhance it; these are the wrong guests to invite.
4) Food preferences: if you love a certain type of food but no one else shares the passion for it. Planning this food for your wedding day could be one of the most disastrous wedding choices ever. It could happen that people either love your choice or the food goes to waste and people go back hungry without eating their fill. Public consensus is the best when it comes to making the choice of food.
5) Wedding Day: Wedding planning requires that you do not just ensure that the day you choose for the wedding is comfortable, preferably a holiday or a weekend. This is necessary if you want your guests to attend your wedding with peace of mind and enjoy themselves.
6) Gifts: No one in the civilized world would make any noise for not receiving a gift. However, it is important that you pay attention to pay attention to the fact that you are giving gifts (if your budget so provides) to everyone, especially to those near and dear ones.
7) Wedding Ring: Do not forget the wedding ring! Keep it with you or your best man/bridesmaid during the time of your wedding. This is necessary to avoid last minute confusion and waste of time and sending someone simply for fetching the wedding ring.
8) Wedding dress: Avoid another wedding disaster by taking trials of your wedding dress. This also includes whether or not you have decreased your weight. This will avoid last minute repairs and adjustments and you looking tacky in your wedding dress.
These are just some of the wedding day disasters that could happen. There are some disasters that only luck can save you from and over which you will have absolutely no control over. These are something like sudden rains, floods, earthquakes, riots, wars, cold wave, etc. Overall if you plan well, there are few reasons for a disastrous wedding.
It is however, important that you be sure that the person you chose to wed on your wedding day is the perfect one. You should take care that on your wedding day, you simply do not just fulfill your wishes, you also fulfill your beloved’s wishes and plan the wedding accordingly. Make sure you display your feelings not just to your beloved, also ensure you play the perfect host. As a host you should be able to take care of any disaster that could disturb your peaceful wedding.
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A Wedding is a dream come true for all of us- it is something each one of us has been looking forward to all our lives and no wonder this is one event where we wish nothing goes wrong. Wedding means guests, lists, some confusion, wedding cake, wedding gifts, venue planning, decorations, wedding dresses, etc. With so many things to take care of, no wonder the bride, the groom and their families are one hassled lot.
It is necessary to take care of so many things if you wish to invite all your near and dear ones at your wedding. Things can go wrong from lists of guests to the venue chosen. Your wedding can become memorable for its blunders rather than the style and success. Here are some of the wedding mistakes that you need to be careful about so you do not ruin your wedding day.
1) Wedding planner: One of the most important persons whenever a wedding is in the offing is the wedding planner. Make sure your wedding planner is an experienced one; this could cause lesser confusion and better order at your wedding.
If you wish to carry out your wedding all by yourself, you should ensure you are taking care of all aspects of the wedding methodically. This begins from planning the venue and decorations to planning food, guest lists, gifts, etc.
2) Making guest lists: Guest lists are most important. At times with so many people to be invited, it is necessary that you bifurcate all those you know on certain criteria. This would be useful especially if you are interested in inviting only a handful of people and you have large numbers of people to choose from. Another confusion that could result among guest lists is when both the bride and the groom do not calculate how many people each would like to invite. You could end up inviting too many or too little, if your calculations go awry.
3) Inviting wrong guests: If you or your fiancé are not on talking terms with certain people, you need not invite them. Their presence would damage the wedding rather than enhance it; these are the wrong guests to invite.
4) Food preferences: if you love a certain type of food but no one else shares the passion for it. Planning this food for your wedding day could be one of the most disastrous wedding choices ever. It could happen that people either love your choice or the food goes to waste and people go back hungry without eating their fill. Public consensus is the best when it comes to making the choice of food.
5) Wedding Day: Wedding planning requires that you do not just ensure that the day you choose for the wedding is comfortable, preferably a holiday or a weekend. This is necessary if you want your guests to attend your wedding with peace of mind and enjoy themselves.
6) Gifts: No one in the civilized world would make any noise for not receiving a gift. However, it is important that you pay attention to pay attention to the fact that you are giving gifts (if your budget so provides) to everyone, especially to those near and dear ones.
7) Wedding Ring: Do not forget the wedding ring! Keep it with you or your best man/bridesmaid during the time of your wedding. This is necessary to avoid last minute confusion and waste of time and sending someone simply for fetching the wedding ring.
8) Wedding dress: Avoid another wedding disaster by taking trials of your wedding dress. This also includes whether or not you have decreased your weight. This will avoid last minute repairs and adjustments and you looking tacky in your wedding dress.
These are just some of the wedding day disasters that could happen. There are some disasters that only luck can save you from and over which you will have absolutely no control over. These are something like sudden rains, floods, earthquakes, riots, wars, cold wave, etc. Overall if you plan well, there are few reasons for a disastrous wedding.
It is however, important that you be sure that the person you chose to wed on your wedding day is the perfect one. You should take care that on your wedding day, you simply do not just fulfill your wishes, you also fulfill your beloved’s wishes and plan the wedding accordingly. Make sure you display your feelings not just to your beloved, also ensure you play the perfect host. As a host you should be able to take care of any disaster that could disturb your peaceful wedding.
Congratulations, Sania and Shoaib
Sania Mirza’s decision to marry Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik could not have been plain easy. Nor could she have taken it without courage, scruples and a clean conscience.
That said, I can make some fair guesses. The India-Pakistan divide must have crossed Sania’s mind at least once. Indian Muslims are required to be seen as disdainful of Pakistan. Even passing admiration of a Pakistani cricketer could be a test of patriotism, let alone getting married to one of them. Sania could not have been unaware of this.
Moreover, the 24-year-old must have thought of the poisonous criticism that awaited her from the Hindu lunatic fringe. Her ability to play for India could be under cloud. Her family may face threats. Worse, her loyalty could be called to question. Radical Hindu groups could use her case to target all Indian Muslims yet again.
Some Muslims in the western UP town of Bijnore on Sunday protested against Sania’s choice of a Pakistani. It is a clear effort on the part of a threatened community to prove its loyalty.
The Hindu communalists, from Bajrang Dal to Shiv Sena, did make a meal of Sania’s decision. Yet, the bouncy tennis sensation took the plunge. Why? Simply because, deep in her heart, love for a Pakistani and being Indian need not necessarily be a conflicting experience.
What can Indian Muslims learn from Sania’s very personal decision? It is this: never be apologetic about Pakistan. Do not be needlessly cynical about that country out of fear of being dubbed a traitor. You are not.
On the other hand, Sania’s decision mirrors something I have long been convinced of. Ordinary Pakistanis and Indians are friendly, respectful and really fond of one another. I have seen this at work many a time.
Such meetings turn into epiphanies of reunions so warm that it is difficult to distinguish the different nationalities. No Indian blends more easily with people from other countries.
Soon after 26/11, I wanted to report on the effects of this terrible terrorist attack on ordinary Indians and Pakistanis. I went about gauging ties between ordinary citizens of the two countries. I expected cross-border travel to have dropped sharply. It would have made a great newspaper story.
The first place I went to was Delhi’s Ambedkar Bus Terminus. I found the bookings full up. When the Delhi-Lahore bus pulled in, as it does every evening, and the passengers alighted, a carnival broke out.
I then did the rounds of some of the city’s private hospitals. Pakistanis are known to flock them, unable to get advanced healthcare in their home country. At Delhi’s Escorts hospital, I came across a young Pakistani father whose six-year-old daughter had a congenital defect. I forget his name but remember asking him if he felt unsafe in India after the Mumbai attacks.
As Ajmal Kasab and gang went about their deadly raids, cardiac surgeon Ashok Seth repaired a hole in the six-year-old Pakistani’s heart. Hugging me, her father from Lahore said: “Some Pakistani terrorists have killed so many Indians. But an Indian has given life to my daughter. Please come visiting us in Lahore and stay with us.” A strange feeling suffused me.
Some time after 26/11 again, a Pakistani delegation comprising journalists and intellectuals were invited to India. They were here to discuss the future of people-to-people relations of the two countries and how to save it from politics.
Every Pakistani embraced every other Indian when they met up at Delhi’s Constitution Club. In a closed door meeting, set up to discuss the strategy on keeping people-to-people relations alive, several Pakistanis slammed their government and the military establishment there.
Over tea, I talked to Asma Jehangir, the leading Pakistani lawyer. I had read about how she would take the near-dictators of her country head on. She indeed is a pint-sized woman with a big voice she is not afraid to use. “General Kayani, I can’t stand that man,” she told me. A women writer from Swat agreed. Another Pakistani writer slammed the Indian government for what he believed was Indian-sponsored terror in Pakistan.
Personally, I am convinced that India’s intelligence agencies too sponsor terror in Pakistan. But that’s how it goes, with governments being governments and politics being politics.
Ordinary Pakistanis and Indians have never been strangers nor will they ever be. Congratulations, Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik.
That said, I can make some fair guesses. The India-Pakistan divide must have crossed Sania’s mind at least once. Indian Muslims are required to be seen as disdainful of Pakistan. Even passing admiration of a Pakistani cricketer could be a test of patriotism, let alone getting married to one of them. Sania could not have been unaware of this.
Moreover, the 24-year-old must have thought of the poisonous criticism that awaited her from the Hindu lunatic fringe. Her ability to play for India could be under cloud. Her family may face threats. Worse, her loyalty could be called to question. Radical Hindu groups could use her case to target all Indian Muslims yet again.
Some Muslims in the western UP town of Bijnore on Sunday protested against Sania’s choice of a Pakistani. It is a clear effort on the part of a threatened community to prove its loyalty.
The Hindu communalists, from Bajrang Dal to Shiv Sena, did make a meal of Sania’s decision. Yet, the bouncy tennis sensation took the plunge. Why? Simply because, deep in her heart, love for a Pakistani and being Indian need not necessarily be a conflicting experience.
What can Indian Muslims learn from Sania’s very personal decision? It is this: never be apologetic about Pakistan. Do not be needlessly cynical about that country out of fear of being dubbed a traitor. You are not.
On the other hand, Sania’s decision mirrors something I have long been convinced of. Ordinary Pakistanis and Indians are friendly, respectful and really fond of one another. I have seen this at work many a time.
Such meetings turn into epiphanies of reunions so warm that it is difficult to distinguish the different nationalities. No Indian blends more easily with people from other countries.
Soon after 26/11, I wanted to report on the effects of this terrible terrorist attack on ordinary Indians and Pakistanis. I went about gauging ties between ordinary citizens of the two countries. I expected cross-border travel to have dropped sharply. It would have made a great newspaper story.
The first place I went to was Delhi’s Ambedkar Bus Terminus. I found the bookings full up. When the Delhi-Lahore bus pulled in, as it does every evening, and the passengers alighted, a carnival broke out.
I then did the rounds of some of the city’s private hospitals. Pakistanis are known to flock them, unable to get advanced healthcare in their home country. At Delhi’s Escorts hospital, I came across a young Pakistani father whose six-year-old daughter had a congenital defect. I forget his name but remember asking him if he felt unsafe in India after the Mumbai attacks.
As Ajmal Kasab and gang went about their deadly raids, cardiac surgeon Ashok Seth repaired a hole in the six-year-old Pakistani’s heart. Hugging me, her father from Lahore said: “Some Pakistani terrorists have killed so many Indians. But an Indian has given life to my daughter. Please come visiting us in Lahore and stay with us.” A strange feeling suffused me.
Some time after 26/11 again, a Pakistani delegation comprising journalists and intellectuals were invited to India. They were here to discuss the future of people-to-people relations of the two countries and how to save it from politics.
Every Pakistani embraced every other Indian when they met up at Delhi’s Constitution Club. In a closed door meeting, set up to discuss the strategy on keeping people-to-people relations alive, several Pakistanis slammed their government and the military establishment there.
Over tea, I talked to Asma Jehangir, the leading Pakistani lawyer. I had read about how she would take the near-dictators of her country head on. She indeed is a pint-sized woman with a big voice she is not afraid to use. “General Kayani, I can’t stand that man,” she told me. A women writer from Swat agreed. Another Pakistani writer slammed the Indian government for what he believed was Indian-sponsored terror in Pakistan.
Personally, I am convinced that India’s intelligence agencies too sponsor terror in Pakistan. But that’s how it goes, with governments being governments and politics being politics.
Ordinary Pakistanis and Indians have never been strangers nor will they ever be. Congratulations, Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik.
Federal minister to deliver PM’s special gift to Shoaib and Sania
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani is sending a special gift to Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik and Indian tennis star Sania Mirza on their wedding scheduled next week. “I am going to Hyderabad on April 14 to participate in this grand celebrity wedding and I will deliver the Prime Minister’s special gift to the couple,” federal Minister for population and welfare Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan told Daily Times on Thursday. Dr Awan, who is a member of the parliament from Shoaib’s native city Sialkot, said many other members of parliament and federal ministers had also contacted her to attend the wedding. “I can take a parliamentary delegation to this wedding but I am not in favour of taking many people along because it will be a burden on the hosts in Hyderabad,” she added.
Dr Awan said however she would request to Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif to accompany her on this wedding because he also belonged to Sialkot. “Sports minister Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani has also shown interest for the wedding ceremony but I am not sure about him.” To a question about the special gift of the Prime Minister, she said that it was yet not decided what the Prime Minister would send to the newly married couple but it was confirmed that she would represent the federal government in the wedding ceremony. Dr Awan said she would also give a reception in the honour of Sania Mirza in Sialkot.
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