This blog is no longer being updated. Last post was “Farewell”.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Originally written: March 14, 2003
1st revision: March 14, 2006
2nd revision: July 19, 2010
It was a fine afternoon of summer 2004, and I was attending the weekly lab of Artificial Intelligence.
We were given a program named ELIZA to study. “This program”, our instructor had said, “chats with its user. But before we understand how it works, you might find it interesting to have some conversation with it for a few minutes.”
I, along with Imran and Wse, ran ELIZA. The cursor started blinking. I typed and the chat went like this…
Me: “Hi”
ELIZA: “Hello”
Me: “I am Saadat.”
ELIZA: “Why are you Saadat?”
Needless to say, Imran and Wse kept laughing for 5 minutes after reading that. Me? I am still trying to find out the answer to this question.
I have always wondered, though, if text-to-speech software can pronounce my name correctly. In my experience, even humans get confused while pronouncing my name when written in English. But then came Google Transliteration, and watching it transliterate my name correctly from “Saadat” to “سعادت” was a moment I felt should be recorded in history as the moment computers started taking control over sapless humans. And since transliteration is now accomplished, I guess it won’t be long when correct machine pronunciation of my name will also be possible. I am not too sure about humans though, who (actually, only some of them) advise me to write my name as “Sa’aadat”. But those are too many a’s if you ask me, and besides, I like the way it already is. Saadat.
Anyway, by now you must have concluded that I love my name, so let’s move on.
I was born in Rawalpindi, and the day was 8th of June. That makes me a Gemini. Don’t know if I have a(n evil) twin, but I like it, nonetheless. As the lore goes, Geminis multitask, are full of mood swings, and get bored easily. I’ve been known to be a fan of multitasking on occasions, which basically means that I almost always never complete any of my simultaneous tasks (or at least, finish them in time). Geminis also like to talk, but I like to talk nonsense.
My interests are vast and wide and short-termed. Surfing the web, reading books, having delusions of playing sports, day-dreaming, talking to myself—I do it all. Music and movies have their share in my interests, but I can’t name any favourites (I do maintain my distance from Bollywood).
In my childhood, I used to collect postage stamps as a hobby. (Basically, I started collecting them because I declared stamp collection as my hobby in an essay that I wrote in Grade 3.) Those stamp albums might be buried somewhere in the heaps of junk that I have in my room, and I kinda feel sorry for them. Some were really cool.
Speaking of my hobbies, one of them is wasting time. Next hobby is suffering from the consequences of first one.
I used to have a couple of personal websites too, containing all that stuff about me and my family and my interests and my friends and etc (basically, the world used to revolve around me at that time). Now, this blog is all I have as my web presence, along with a twitter feed.
Don’t know what else to say.
46 comments
Ulta phulta
Jul 8, 2003 at 3:15 am
Assalamualaikum S’aadutt
came across your diary, just read 2 entries, your ‘bachpan ke din’, and this one.
)
you write really well, are you doing A-levels or what?
…I especially enjoy those urdu words that pop in now and then, i write in my diary that way too :>
-Well salaam from doha.
(know where that is?
Saadat
Jul 11, 2003 at 7:21 pm
LOL!
So I have got readers from Qatar… that’s cool. Well, Ulta Phulta, I am not doing A-levels (nor have I done it) I am doing my bachelors in Computer Science. Thanks for liking my style anyway!
Saadat
Jul 11, 2003 at 7:22 pm
Oh, I forgot… Wa-alaikum-us-Salaam!
Ejaz Asi
Aug 25, 2003 at 2:16 pm
Very entertaining kid you seem to be. I especially love your “urdu” words, its always cute and refreshing to see these words making us remembered of where we come from. And yep, never get bothered by Ultey Seedhey log, keep up the great work.
Regards,
Ejaz Asi
Saadat
Aug 28, 2003 at 12:51 pm
Thanks, Ejaz… I’m honoured!
ayesha
Nov 9, 2003 at 3:07 am
Saadat
Nov 9, 2003 at 3:13 pm
Not her again!
Kidding.
Diana...
Dec 12, 2003 at 9:19 pm
ol yes..being gemini myself..i feel for u man LOL
Tennille
Feb 20, 2004 at 1:45 am
Yes, Viva La Gemini! lol
imran
Mar 4, 2004 at 10:28 pm
g-e-m-i-n-i hhhaaayyyayyy!!!!!
( n u kno man why)
Saadat
Mar 7, 2004 at 7:34 pm
Haye haye!
Nimra
Mar 31, 2004 at 2:15 am
Asalaam. i enjoyed reading your random thoughts and laughed out loud too
. visit my blog sometime. take care
Anum
Jun 6, 2004 at 3:04 pm
Saadat
Jun 8, 2004 at 10:17 am
Nimra: Wa-alaikum-us-Salam. And I know I’m late in saying this, but thanks for visiting
Anum: LOL! Well said!
NJ
Jul 11, 2004 at 8:26 am
hey i like ur blog…
gemini… im gemini too…
paras
Jul 21, 2004 at 7:48 am
first of all salaamz. was just browsing by and saw the sight and then u jumped up and grabbed my attention, and then i couldn’t resist myself and HAD to write. you are definetly a social butterfly, but very complex with lots of layers. maybe i’m wrong but thats the impression i got. just wanted to say that the blog is very interesting. when i first read it i cheered that i had finally found someone who talked aloud to themselves>> (ur faq). i can relate about the name mistakes too. but the thing is, now even the mistaken pronounciation is part of me. anyway, i’m dragging this small hello and input to eternity. maybe uve stopped reading by now, i wouldnt mind if u had at all. but anyways Allah hafiz. enjoy life, but u don’t need me to tell u that, ur doing a good job already.
KhudSar
Dec 27, 2004 at 12:02 am
geminiology is this a fachion.
SaroosH
Jan 22, 2005 at 9:37 am
sucha interesting inTro…
morgan
Mar 5, 2005 at 4:12 am
Nice intro, definately composed by a gemini. I’m a June 6th gemini myself!!!!
Ayesha
Aug 21, 2005 at 8:18 pm
LOL!, it was Coolest intro I have ever ever seen..! heh, nice meeting ya Saadat
, you owm a coolest blog too, its simply awesome 
adnan
Dec 22, 2005 at 8:38 am
saadat bhaee, first of all lemme tell u i m NOT AT ALL a gemini so that makes me stand apart .heheh…i m a leo and a very pro one at that wid all my loyalties n stuff….but ur blog ( or wateva its called , m not that familiar wid all these terminlogies going around )is interesting indeed…n seein that u belong to the same streets that i belonged to immersed me into intense nostalgia for a while n well yea u sounded so similar to someone ( bad thing is m unable to recall that someone now….this amnesia is takin its toll on me )..but anyhow the overall EXPERIENCE of readin u have been nice n refreshing n actually made me sit a bit more n write all this. by now u must have a pretty fair andaza keh bolnay kee adat nahi hay mujhay and i ma very kamgo person. only speak wen utmost req. and this not speakin much really helps me in ma profession of psychiatry as well…
another interesting affect that this blog has on me is that somehow i feel curious enough to start doing something like it as well…seems a nice way to speak theirselves out for ppl like me who usually pefer to remain silent and only talk as n wen required.btw i m not in rwp at the moment , i m found in the outback australia, the place is called alice springs n amid alot of kangaroos n sekeda insects , u find a few human beings around as well(including me .. 
)..have a good day n keep scribbling.. 
knicq
Apr 15, 2006 at 3:54 am
Oh well, I have two siblings and a child who are gemini. I am surrounded by them chotey bhai. You are of course a most welcome addition.
Lovely introduction, loved the frequent punch lines.
You really should post more often…
I promise we will continue to beseech you like we do nonetheless…
hani
May 5, 2007 at 4:35 pm
I live in Qatar too just like Ulta Phulta, but so far I haven’t come across any other Pakistani blogger in Qatar
Hammad
Jul 6, 2007 at 9:59 pm
Salam, well your name isnt so difficult as you mentioned or is it me not getting the right thing.. ?
Faisal
Dec 28, 2007 at 6:15 pm
hi saadat.. well thats my first time i have visited you webpage and kinda liked it
keep up the good work buddy 
.. c u soon … fortunately or unfortunately at FAST 
Esther Carney
May 10, 2008 at 5:52 am
Hi Saadat,
Very nice webpage. I see you like reading, although now you are studying and probably socializing too, I bet you won’t have much time for it anymore.
Well if you would like a free novel, I would be happy to post it to you, if you would review it on your website. (if you didn’t like it after you read it you could say so and I wouldn’t be offended as even a bad review is publicity I guess).
It’s action/adventure genre with a tough female lead. It does have lots of swear words in it though.
Love esther
karachiwali
Jul 4, 2008 at 7:59 pm
count me in…am a gemini too
Saadat
Jul 5, 2008 at 6:14 pm
I think I should dedicate a separate page for Geminis…
zaki mirza
Aug 11, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Hello Saadat,
A very pleasant blog indeed. I’m surprised and shocked to see a fastian, that too in graduate degree be so colorful (if at all you’re from FAST and my intelligence is good). Over all theme is very good and I especially admire your sense of humor. Looking forward to reading more stuff from your blog, adding you to my feed aggregator
Saadat
Aug 11, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Zaki,
Thank you for visiting, and for leaving such nice comments. I left some at your place as well!
Dinky Mind
Aug 28, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Oh you’re Gemini? Thank God I’m not
Every second person (rather every one and a half-th person) on your blog is a gemini… why don’t you make a separate blog for all these geminians? :p
Saadat
Aug 28, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Dinky Mind,
Yes, thank God you aren’t a Gemini!
humaira
Nov 12, 2008 at 12:00 pm
you have a very cool blog. Well written
Saadat
Nov 12, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Thank you, Humaira.
Absar
Nov 19, 2008 at 10:27 am
Hey! 9th June here!
Saadat
Nov 19, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Absar, yeah, I know. You are a day younger than me.
leemz
Mar 15, 2009 at 10:35 pm
I don’t usually say this, but i think you deserve it
First of all i really like the way you’ve written ulta seedha hehe quite catchy. And secondly, RSS feed button is drop dead funny lol
Thought you should know.
Saadat
Mar 18, 2009 at 10:15 am
Leemz,
Thank you for visiting and for leaving such kind words.
Tulip
Aug 18, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Hey Saadat!
I First saw this name on a web forum. He’s a doctor and I Never Spelled His name correctly. ‘Tis Sadaat. =D Just recalled That.
‘Twas pleasant reading your page. Keep penning.
Peace be on you.
Good day!
Karachiite
Aug 19, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Nice blog.. like the red n green apples!! n the tag too!!
Usman Mani
Jul 25, 2010 at 11:40 pm
Bro.. Hats off.. Nice one, u r creative with words as well
Just read a few things n i like it.. I will read the rest when time permits..
Saadat
Jul 26, 2010 at 9:19 am
Thank you, Usman.
I am glad you liked it.
Spherical square
Jan 20, 2011 at 8:36 pm
I came across your blog somewhere. You are so right in the about page, about you being a boring person. Soooo right!
Jokes aside, it is a really nice blog.What particularly caught my eye was the use of Urdu. I shall definitely be reading your blog thoroughly one of these days, as soon as I get some time.
Keep it up
Saadat
Jan 21, 2011 at 9:10 am
Spherical square,
Thanks for liking this ulta seedha corner, and thanks for acknowledging that I am boring, too!
By the way, since you liked the use of Urdu, you can visit this page for instructions on writing Urdu on your computer (if you’re using Windows XP).
Waqas
Oct 8, 2011 at 11:38 pm
I don’t know how exactly did I land up here but I am glad I did. Just went through a couple of posts and you are bookmarked already. That post about Imran Series was a nice piece of writing and although I never had interest in Imran Series, it was still an interesting read. I, myself was (and still am) a huge addict of Ishtiaq Ahmed’s novels and a subscriber of Taleem o Tarbiat, Phool and Aankh Macholi (Yeah I just remembered, that is how I hit your page; searching for aankh micholi…) Anyways, it was nice to see someone write nicely about the things I liked. Thanks for that. I hope rest of your posts offer the same taste!
Saadat
Oct 9, 2011 at 11:07 am
Waqas,
I am glad you enjoyed what I wrote, and I hope you won’t be disappointed when/if you hit my other posts.
Do read Imran Series, though, when you have some free time. I am sure you’ll like it.