Interview with Blogger Kaptain Mirza

By The Pakistani Spectator • Sep 22nd, 2009 • Category: Interviews • No Responses

Could you tell us what made you decide to blog, and what was the inspiration behind it?

I didn’t know, in school days, I could write. It was when I was graduating from High School that I struck upon some abilities which were later honed and writing was one of them. Other than these were Business skill; I started my own business at an early age of 17 but due to academic commitments, couldn’t follow up with it and that business concept flourished where I live.
Third was my Face Reading ability which I recently utilised for yet another business venture and is still going on; commensurate with that is Feng Shui.

Writing didn’t happen overnight, struggled with vocabulary and then off and on reading brought me ideas which then evolved to encourage me to venture for Newsletter writing at my university where it was frequent and also published in the newspaper once. Plus with this, I was nominated the best speaker at a Rotaract Member’s meet in Lahore. My blogging career started with this website, www.chowk.com where I published my own opinions and thoughts but in an informal manner which added fuel to the fire and commenced further with blogging.

Then it was no looking back. After I settled in the UAE, I took up voluntary work with Pakistan Association Dubai where I still write for their website in the Kaptain Korner section. My areas of interest in writing range from Youth development, Education for Adults, Business improvement, Socio-economic development, Semi-political opinion. Now I’m engaged with Bits and Brains (a company based in Dubai, spearheading projects for Character Development of our Youth in Pakistan.)

I’m also good at photography, of nature, but still that is another avenue which needs an expensive camera. So still on hold. Though I prefer Canon cameras.

What do you think sets Your blog apart from other blogs?

I don’t bore readers. Period. The attractive part is where the readers are presented with a serious idea without interlocking or confusing the brains. Writing doesn’t come easy, it takes 10 minutes to peruse whole of the article, but it takes days to compile such a piece. Blogging again, is never easy, it requires time, attention, concentration and the best frame of the mind. Stress kills the ideas and the words, thus boredom in the words could get reflected; thus slow and steady although loses contracts but the best icing comes in the end.

There is always something to learn from my blogs; either it is awareness, an advice (which most don’t understand, thus one has to be picky in giving advices), a strategy, hope to the readers. Pakistanis specially need moral support which is spiritually lifting and which is dominant in my blogs.

If you had to describe life as a blogger in a Twitter message (140 characters) what would you say?

Life is a conundrum and a chocolate. One never knows the secret until the wrapper is opened and the aroma is not felt and then tasted. The taste is the challenge, the aroma is the character of your life. One has to be careful in the options (roads to success) one has to opt for. Life is simple after the tests are through. Life and time are sisters, if one disrespects one, the other better half is also lost.
Life honours those who honour it with precious endeavour.
Life is a friendship in itself when one surpasses the emotions of letting oneself down and despondency takes over, that is when failure trips over fate. Fate is a move of chess, when one move gets stuck, the other option (way out) is there until Stalemate (death) has to intervene and no game of chess has no ending.

Pick the flowers of Life to support the old age; the loneliest of all phases of life. Support it with not artificial breathing oxygen tanks but firstly with happiness and countless number of successes in life.

If you could choose one characteristic you have that brought you success in life, what would it be?

Humility, which is rare nowadays. A blotch less character is seldom to be found nowadays which erodes trust and thus the failings of the system is before us. We are not humble onto ourselves where we have lost focus by focusing on economic gains. Success doesn’t come in short cuts. Much of humility is not taken seriously but laughed upon; but the endowment of pains and prayers is never missed in humility. The less fortunate give away their precious of their treasures in their prayers if approached with humility. But, alas, the glitter invites arrogance and social competition which forms the rotting of social degradation.

What was the happiest and gloomiest moment of your life?

Happiest? It seems this the last question one should be asked at the deathbed; everyday should be searched and endeavoured for the Happier moments. No one in this world can be the happiest. Every passing day has to be history and that should be memorable and not laughable.
Happiest moment was when I started my own business which was initiated on my own. Great businessmen started their own venture out of their efforts and wit; without considerable income or maybe nothing.
And happiness is incomplete without solemn. The most solemn moment for me has been the passing away of my father this year. I still regret not taking much of the golden words he said in his life. Now we can only remember.

Urdu Blogs have got huge potential, when do you think they will really take on the online horizon in Pakistan?

Urdu is the epic of languages and shares the stage with Arabic and Persian. The poetry comes with respect and sections of the society are very much ingrained in this language. The very rich culture has to come with rich language which Urdu has much to offer.

Unfortunately, Urdu has taken a back seat since the onslaught of O’Level class of education where Urdu has been assumed to be a backward language which is not the case. English is yet another way of accepting the slavery but in a sweet corporate fashion.

Urdu Blogs can ensure a fan following; a gradual growth has to be maintained which would only come if the level of Urdu is kept from mediocre to complex level. It is then the interest would be flared up and people would want to improve their linguistic skills with Urdu. Blogs covering Urdu as language, so to speak, which engages learning Urdu, with online dictionary, would be a springboard to improve the intellectual edge Urdu has to offer. It would be a great jumpstart if Urdu surfaces with a great consortium of thinkers and writers through blogs.

India still maintains the edge in Urdu over Pakistan as intellectual usage is dominant in many areas, if not most, in India. Pakistan has to uncover its potential which hasn’t been lost but the dust has settled over this proposition.

If you could pick a travel destination, anywhere in the world, with no worries about how it’s paid for - what would your top 3 choices be?

London, Jinnah and Iqbal went to London and returned with the deep belonging for the homeland. London is a legacy not a Western city first, but a Legacy of the civilisations which took centuries, at least 3 for London.

Mongolia, a backward and undiscovered patch on this earth. Rich with civilisation with emanated with Ghenghis Khan and his followers, untouched beauty with such completeness should be explored, gently (not opening it up for tourism, where commercial motives kill the idea of assimilating and blending with the culture.)

China, for myself, for a reason. That reason is Feng Shui. Interestingly, China, whole of it is built on Feng Shui. The science of Feng Shui is complex and ancient and much has to be learnt from this newly commercialised (which it shouldn’t have been) science and art of Feng Shui which leads to the balancing of surroundings. Feng Shui, interestingly has been preserved for the last 2000 years.

What is your favorite book and why?

Friends not Masters by General Ayyub Khan. General Ayyub though was a military dictator, but still much of the progress Pakistan saw in its good times was in his era. Gawadar, Mangla and Tarbela, the victorious 1965 war, massive industrialisation which provided an impetus to the South Koreans to visit and research the secret of the Pakistani progress at that time. Need I say more?

What is your favorite meal, dress, and sport?

Favourite meal is the traditional Spinach and Meat with Rice.
Favourite apparel is contrast Shalwar Kameez, preferably of Junaid Jamshed with light to mildly heavy threaded embroidery.

Which are the top 3 places in Pakistan for honeymoon?

Lahore, Lahore, Lahore
Dera Ismail Khan, the evenings and the bazaar are worth to watch in DI Khan
Bahawalpur, the preserved architecture is still intact and should be imbibed with a walk down the lanes of Bahawalpur

What’s the first thing you notice about a person (whether you know them or not)?

The facial features. It helps to remember their names.

Whose Future is more bright in Pakistan; English blogs or Urdu Blogs?

If substance is as convincing as the rich literature and free libraries are set up for Urdu; Urdu can surpass the English language. Every high and low form of expression is ingrained within Urdu which English is bereft of.

How Pakistani bloggers can benefit from blogs financially?

Corporate culture in Pakistan is quite rich and some sectors have flourished phenomenally. Also, fact is, majority of Pakistanis would prefer to read Urdu thus the coverage can be ensured. If the trend picks up which it would following the richness and regular updates, soon a considerable population would follow the Urdu blogs if the content is relevant, informative and enjoyable. Based on these developing statistics, companies automatically respond to oft hit content and Ads generation would be a matter of time then. But quality is the catch.

Do you think Pakistani bloggers tend to remain somewhat self-centered and really don’t go out of their shells? Is it the oriental style of blogging, or they are still unsure about it?

The reason being that the circle, the pool of Urdu bloggers is yet to expand and not enough competition is visible in this phenomenon. As and when new entrants make their mark, the precedents do have to make an innovative shift which is imminent. With competition, content generation would get dynamic, the stigma of monotony would eventually wear out.

What do you think where the Pakistani blogosphere is right now?

Unnoticed yet. Fact is quite a number of Pakistani bloggers are making their mark and quality is their forte. But their efforts need to be picked and pooled up.
Websites like www.urdupoint.com, www.ittaleem.com serve as a hallmark of the efforts drawn to conceptually centralise the Pakistani intellect and they are doing pretty well.
A central repository of Urdu bloggers would be a wonderful game plan to move forward.

Who are your top five favourite bloggers in Pakistan?

Seriously, I know of very few and enlisting 5 too is not possible. It could be my ignorance or the coverage still lacks. The appeal might be missing.
But a few of them can be enlisted here -

www.pkpolitics.com - a political blog where different writers pour in their work.
http://www.pakpositive.com/pakistanibloggers/
http://bloggers.pk/

Have you ever become stunned by the uniqueness of any blogger in Pakistani blogosphere?

The IT sector of Pakistan has improved and grown quite progressively and by far has maintained a quality which would surpass the others but due to the coverage yet again, the number game is where it lacks.
Although, one such blog which sits unnoticed is this one, where I was blown away by the professional linguistic; dajjalwatch.wordpress.com - the topic ranged from political to religious and scientific but the level of lingo was marvelous. For some time, due to improper facilities to project, the blogger went sullen and the talent sits idle. Proper projection should be encouraged and such a platform is needed on the fore.

What is the future of blogging in Pakistan?

Pakistani intellect doesn’t sit back to surprise many others. Blogging is just another arm of media where expression is not only uncontrolled, unedited, but it is the originality where the pickers and choosers are varied and grading is thus competitive.
Pakistani bloggers have a benchmark of great thinkers; that needs to be buildup and given this tool of expression. As soon as the platform is set and a considerable number of bloggers set the stage, not only they would attract readers but also quite a lot of input and propositions can be expected.

You have also got a blogging life, how has it directly affected both your personal and professional life?

Personally, blogging is responsibility when a number of readers are gained. Punctuality again puts one in the limelight. The moment there is a pause, the readers are pulled away to yet another agile and updated blog. Thus personally, blogger has to be very agile and updated with the events which need to be covered. Being informative, conducting spontaneous research add fodder to the requirements which renders blogging the dynamism to keep the readers glued or they have other options open always.

Professionally, its knowledgeable. Staying upfront with various ideas, knowledge and opinions does provide and impetus to think from a different angle which cannot be wronged but accepted with a tinge or pinch of salt.

Personally, keeping up with the schedule is challenging. But when the repute is built up, the readers are permanent.

What are your future plans?

In the future I’m planning to write blogs for Automotive industry as I’m moderating an automobile website as well, www.thecarlovers.com. Also, sports reviews too are in the planning phase but hasn’t been formalised yet.

Any Message you want to give to the readers of The Pakistani Spectator?

Innovation, research, invention is what our society is lacking in any field. Study, share, supplement knowledge. The more tangible is our effort and more unified, would we pass the leagues more steadfast and resolute which needs homework at the moment.
A small business consortium initiating any project would be highly encouraged. Business sets one free to innovate and support much more any ideas.

Study and generate business, money follows.

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Interview with Blogger Kaptain Mirza

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