Zainab's Writings

At school I was always the high-achiever ; although I seldom worked hard at my studies. There were occasions when I wouldn't feel like doing the work I was supposed to do, did it half-heartedly, and still received a 'Well done!’ comment from the teacher. One such incident from kindergarten is still fresh in my mind. The class was doing a Picture Composition - a  writing activity which required us to write and draw about a picture of a seal performing in a circus; taped to the blackboard. I happened to be in a bad mood, and purposely gave my worst to the task; making sure I coloured outside the lines in the picture I drew. However, to the teacher it was quite satisfactory, and I got a smiley-face for it. This was one of the first impressions the school gave me: you had to satisfy the teacher, your own standards of satisfaction were irrelevant and unimportant. Although I was mostly a very obedient student, bitter experiences happened to me as well, some of which still stick...

When I was three years old, I told people, “ When I grow up, I’m gonna be a bear .” At age five, I realised that wasn’t quite possible. By the time I turned seven, I had decided I wanted to be a scuba diver/ whale trainer when I grew up, influenced by a video of one I had seen at school. I read books on whales, dreamt of dolphins, and could almost see sharks swimming about in the swimming pool. However, at age ten, I became aware of the fact that I wasn’t brave enough to train whales or swim with sharks, and that it was safer to become a writer. I was already capable of writing poems and devouring large numbers of stories; it wouldn’t be too difficult. At twelve, I felt that my essays didn’t sound nearly as good as my paintings looked, and I was determined I could become an artist when I became an adult. But at thirteen, looking at some of Sadequain’s spectacular murals properly for the first time, I realized my works could never be good enough to be called an artist. Toda...

We visited Quetta a couple of weeks ago. Quetta is a very cultural city, and one of the most unique places I have ever visited.Here is an essay that I wrote about Quetta. Before visiting Quetta, I used to wonder, ‘What is Quetta like?’ When I visited Quetta, I realised that Quetta is not like any other city of Pakistan. It is a unique city, and to appreciate its beauty you must not compare it with any other place. Quetta is the capital of the Balochistan province, and is located in North-west Pakistan. Quetta is a growing city, with a population of 1.172 million. Quetta is not very green, unlike the lush green northern areas of Pakistan. However, wildlife does exist in Quetta,-or used to, at least-but is vanishing due to the increase in urbanisation. The Chakor - a pale fawn coloured, red beaked bird species-and the Markhor ; an endangered mountain goat species, are animals home to Quetta. There are basically two types of landscapes you get to see in Quetta; mountains-of ev...

Only recently I was looking at an old notebook of mine, reading the English essays I wrote before my English papers. At the end of the notebook I had copied down Creative Writing topics from past papers. As I read the list of topics, I came across one I found increasingly interesting. The topic was: 'Write a story in which loosing a passport OR an identity card plays an important part.' I found it so interesting that I began working on it straightaway. I thoroughly enjoyed myself writing it. It was days  after that I had written anything other than my history, geography, and Islamiyat answers! “Ahem. Your ID card, please,” said the plump, moustached guard at the entrance gate of the university. “The ID card?” I blurted out. “Uh, yes, I do believe I have it somewhere in my bag” I said, half to myself. Just looking at the grim-faced guard made me nervous. I unzipped my bulging hand bag which I had purchased only three days ago at the start of the university session. The g...

An argumentative essay. The topic was really interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed myself while writing this. :D So, here goes! For each ball a bowler bowls in an international match of cricket, he earns millions. The crowd is completely captivated in watching the game. Each ball holds a glimmer of hope for both sides-one team dreams it will be a stupendous six whilst the opposing team wishes it will be a wicket. Whatever the outcome of each ball might be, the player is paid a huge amount for it. He is paid not only for playing in a match, but also when his team is victorious. Players are also even ‘bought’ for billions to play in national leagues, in even those of other countries. It is the same with actors and singers who are paid large sums for each simple performance. One might argue that several of them are brilliant performers who deserve to be monetarily rewarded. Their powerful acts enthrall audiences and leave a strong impact on them. Even though all do not perform eq...

I wrote this quite along time ago. On 19th March, to be exact. Life is noisy. Birds and roosters begin chirping at the crack of dawn, closely followed by loud horns of school buses, vans, cars, and motorbikes. After people have left for work and schools, one expects some peace and quiet. But no: everyone has awakened by now, and life’s hustle and bustle does not spare a moment of silence. The neighbour’s baby has just awakened from her nap. A shrill cry again interrupts the stillness of the atmosphere. The mother of the infant hushes her, singing a lullaby in her loud voice as she puts her off to sleep. One cannot help but sigh. Not far off in the distance, some labourers have begun their day’s work of demolishing an old broken-down bungalow. A fruit seller walks down the lane, yelling loudly to inform the neighbourhood that he is here to sell his ware. An occasional motorbike passes down the street, interrupting the serenity of the morning. One realizes it will be impossible ...

 One of my early essays(edited). A well-planned esssay. But unfortunately, quite brief. It scarcely fulfills the word limit. :( My Exams are (almost, but not quite) over. That means I can type and upload the fantastic essays I wrote for them! XD So, this one was a quite surprising topic(Young people of today have no interest in politics. What are your views?). I mean, in Pakistan, it is quite contrary to the statement above. But that meant I could establish a strong arguement, so I decided to go for it. :D  I disagree with the opinion that youngsters of today have no interest in politics. In fact, I believe that today’s youth holds a strong interest in politics. Most strength in political party rallies is from the youth. Young people participate more enthusiastically in political events than adults, who are either uninterested in such events or have other priorities. Young people find this a fun pastime and participate in such events with great gusto and zest. Moreo...

I wrote this on lately(yesterday, to be exact) for -what else?-O level's English. The topic: Write a story about someone who had to break the rules despite knowing it was wrong.  Read on ! The Biology exam She had never been confident of herself, especially in her studies. And as far as biology was concerned, she never felt confident in the least. She had been studying the subject for her upcoming board exams for almost a year; the past twelve months she had spent in a whirr of classes, tuitions, and mock exams. She had memorized the functions, names, and terms for almost all human, animal, and plant system and organ. She had studied well, mastering everything she was taught. However, an uncanny doubt remained with her, an uncertainty about whether she would be able to do it or not. The whole time during the car journey to her examination centre, an inevitable fear remained with Sarah. Fear-that she would never be able to do it- which was why she had kept her mobile in...

This was a narrative essay title: 'Write a story which includes the sentence:'He could never resist temptation.' I had this idea for a long time for a story, but I only got around to writing it the day before yesterday. I had to give it a title, so I named it 'The Chocolate Cake', because it was the one which caused all the trouble! Everyone was out. Only Ahmed was home, lying on the couch, watching television. In the middle of the football match, he realized he was feeling extremely hungry-despite the bag of potato chips he had just golfed down.  His stomach grumbled angrily. Ahmed took to its warnings and went into the kitchen. The cupboards only contained his wife Saira’s dinner set, big canisters of flour and sugar, spices, and other cooking materials. Desperately, Ahmed opened the fridge. A big chocolate cake attracted his attention. It was a huge cake covered evenly on the top and down the sides with creamy dark chocolate. The top was neatly bordered wit...

A great topic, really- I am tired out of studying and it was fun to compose this, I had so many points in my head! Studying may be an important part of a youngster’s life but it is incorrect to say that it is the most important aspect of a young person’s life. It is important, but its significance is yet to be understood. I won’t be wrong in saying that they are aspects which need to be given more importance. Firstly, the purpose of life is not to study, study, and only study. There are things prior to studying, and thus they deserve more time and attention. These things need to be sorted out, and priorities should be made. For this a student should have a flexible routine. Studying should be included, and a reasonable time should be allotted for the activity. But some freedom should be given, and strict limitations need to be eased. A youngster gets bored and tired out of only studying, and this should be kept in mind. There are certain important things in a young person...

A descriptive essay. I thoroughly enjoyed myself writing and editing it! Pakistan is well known for its exotic cuisines, which most visitors find spicy yet extremely delicious. Flavoured with unique, bittersweet herbs and spices, and garnished with richly aromatic ghee, with brilliant hot chillies mixed in, the food is, undoubtedly, mouth-watering.  From the tender, juicy kebabs, to steaming biryani topped with raita and colourful vegetable curries, the food can be described as merely tantalizing. Even the soft, crisp flatbreads, the naans and the chapattis , garnished deliciously with butter or sesame seeds, are delicious. Visitors, and even natives, are tempted with the sights and smells outside a small local restaurant or dhaba s. Chicken being roasted on huge, wavering fires, and Haleem being stirred vigorously in huge cauldrons, with wonderful aromas drifting in all directions. Hence people are magnetically drawn towards the restaurants and end up having a scrumptious ...

In an Asian society, where women stay at home and have the domestic responsibilities in their family, ‘going shopping’ is something they really look forward to. Whether that means spending long hours in malls or going to a nearby local store to buy groceries, shopping is something that really excites and fascinates people, especially women and young girls. People take shopping as an interesting pastime, and they only see its pleasures. The fervor and excitement of going shopping, the glitz and glamour of malls and flashy advertisements attract people a lot. But the main reason for why shopping fascinates people so much is the products. Everyone enjoys admiring jewelry and accessories, and trying on stylish sandals. It is the items they see in stores and shops which attract people so much.  But shopping has many disappointments, let alone the dreadful pain in the foot you get from walking for long hours in the market. One of these are the high and unaffordable prices. It is ver...

This was an O Level's topic which I really liked:('Is it better to have comfort or excitement in life? Give reasons and examples to support your views.') Now I don't usually write argumentative essays because they bore me, but this one was exceptional so I decided to do it. XD I wrote this back in November but I forgot to type it until now. So naturally, I edited it quite a lot. :P So, here goes: What a young person wants in life is excitement. An exciting life is fun and interesting. Without some excitement and adventure, life could be really boring. Imagine a person who lives in a comfortable house and lives a structured life. All the furniture, clothes, footwear, and everything else he possesses are comfortable. He lives in a big clean, house, with security guards outside who keep him feeling safe and protected at all times. He has a big Mercedes to take him wherever he wishes to go. The big double bed he sleeps on has a mattress of a perfect size and ...

Some sounds are beautiful. They relax you and make you happy. My favorite sounds are natural sounds, especially that of birds chirping merrily at dawn and by sunset. They seem so calm, engaging, and peaceful!  Sometimes their chirping seems jolly while sometimes the birdsong feels sad. But it is always wonderful. When I hear a bird chirping, it piques my curiosity and interests me a lot. I just cannot resist the temptation to follow that sound and search for the little bird which is creating that sound. When a bird chirps, I feel it is like an invitation for me to explore the world. I also admire the soft rustling sound of the sea. The beautiful atmosphere and the quiet, hushed sound of the calm sea seem mysterious too. Yet it is soothing, a perfect lullaby that will make you sleep if you drop into a deck chair. The faint and delicate sound of the sea splashing on the golden sands seems meaningful, too. At times the sound seems inviting, while sometimes it feels unwelcoming. I...