The Nation, Lahore

[cartoon]

Food for thought

Laughter the best medicine

By

Dr. Rana Jawad Asghar

It is very difficult in this highly stressful life today to get some laughs. You are so stressed as lot of people around you are doing the wrong thing. You can't do anything but just curse yourself and feel helpless.

Even home is not a safe haven for you where you can have some peace of mind. Every time the gate bell rings you are not sure whether it is your friend or some dacoit. Your utilities bills are going up very fast while your income is far behind in this race of inflation.

To relieve your mind from the worries of daily life, you try to watch something lively on the tube. But most of the times you end up watching some totally depressing drama serial. Even if you have access to the satellite TV you will not be spared from these depressing drama serials. Once one of my friend remarked that Zee channel is the only channel whose drama serials are so depressing that even the male characters in it are also shown crying. Maybe men here are also getting rid of their male ego. Though feminists in the West welcome a crying male, for us it is still a depressing thing to watch.

But still you can have some good laughs. if you watch/hear/read the following. Consider it as your laughing guide of the week.

* Watch Khabarnama on the PTV.

* Go to Parliament to hear some serious thought provoking discussion by your representatives.

* Hear Arif Nakal say that he is a powerful Chief Minister.

* Hear Noor Jehan say that she lives a simple lifestyle.

* Hear Mumta Kulkarni say that she comes from a very conservative family.

* Hear Madonna boast about her religious background.

* Hear the Commerce Minister of Pakistan tell The Nation that we don't have to worry about deficit as we have many printing presses in Pakistan and we can print as much money as we like.

* Hear the candidate who topped F.Sc. with99percentmarkspledgingto serve the nation when the fime comes.

* Hear the income tax officers who marry or choose not to marry top film actresses can do so in their modest salary.

* Hear Qazi Hussain Ahmad say that there is no difference between Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto.

* Hear Qazi Hussain Ahmad boast that his is the third force.

* Hear Nawabzada Nasrullan tell us that Kashmir Committee is doing fine.

* Watch "new and improved morning transmissions" on TV.

* Watch the PM tell us that disturbance in Karachi is confined to just three districts.

* Watch the PM sign MOUs worth millions of dollars.

* Watch any old movie of Munawwar Zarieff.

* Watch any PTV discussion on current affairs.

* Watch Umer Sharif, Amanullah or Sohail Ahmad live.

* Read any official prospect us of any government college or university, (especially the section containing rules and laws concerning discipline).

* Read the inside pages of Urdu newspapers.

* Read Atta ul Haq Qasmi’s column.

* Go to a public toilet and read what's on the walls.

* Go to Badshahi Mosque on Friday and listen to the speakers in Baradari (Hyde Park Pakistani style).

* Meet your old school friends and have long discussions about the girl you really loved at the age of 10, 12 and at the most 15 years.

* Go to some government official's conference informing you of the great progress we are making.

* Read government's Five Year Plans.

* Visit zoo and watch the monkeys.

* Have a serious conversation with kids.

* Have a serious discussion with some MPA/MNA.

* Discuss technical things with ministers about their ministries.

* Watch some serious Pakistani film.

* Read this article again and again.


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March 13,1996, Lahore 

Pakistan 
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