Hina Rabbani Khar

Hina Rabbani Khar - For all practical purposes, till more than a month back, she was a nondescript Pakistani lady and a Minister of State in the Government of Pakistan.

Since her appointment as The Foreign Minister of Pakistan, and her subsequent visit to India on an official mission, she has taken India and the entire Indian sub-continent by storm.

Hina Rabbani Khar In Pakistan's National Assembly

India Pakistan relations have been difficult for the last sixty years or so. Right from the time of Independence from the Britishers, there have been numerous flare ups. And as an up side , there have been several attempts to bring back things to normal.  

The 80's and 90's belonged to Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto. They alternated between power for these two decades. After a peaceful Army coup in 1999, the then Pakistani General Pervez Musharraf assumed the presidency. 

Now we have a lady who has been entrusted with the task of bringing more confidence between the nations. She is Hina Rabbani Khar. 

Hina Rabbani Khar 

All of thirty four years, a few weeks back, the lady embarked upon the most important mission of her life. As a foreign minister, she came to India.

So who exactly is Hina Khar?

Well, her vital stats first. She is a lady of 34 years. Born in 1977 to an influential and political family in Pakistan's Punjab province, she is a business woman by profession.

Hina is married and is blessed with two daughters and a son. She is passionate about polo and trekking. And being a businesswoman, she is the owner of a popular lounge in Lahore.

Hina Rabbani Khar With Her Baby Child

She has been in the dirty world of Politics since 2002. She has been elected twice to Pakistan's National Assembly twice. 

In Feb 2011, she was appointed as a Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in the Pakistani Government. And on 20 Jul 2011, she was elevated to the post of The Foreign Minister of Pakistan, after the resignation of her predecessor.

Hina Rabbani Khar In Delhi

Immediately after her appointment to this important post, she embarked on a visit to India. Most people wondered, how would a lady with minimal experience in the fluid world of international politics be able to essay this role? 

Well, all these questions were forgotten as soon as she landed in India.

Hina Khar Arriving In India

Her calmness stands out in this picture. And her eyes reflect strong determination. I think she would have been saying a small prayer as she stepped out of the Air Force plane.

Once she was out on the tarmac, India's media went frenzy with her fashion style. Her elegant blue dress, her expensive hand bag and her couture were the center of attraction. Politics had taken a back seat. Her smile had floored everyone.

Smiling Hina

And as she waved to the Indian media, they simply went ga-ga. Only if she was an Indian and with the Indian National Congress, she would have been the brand ambassador for their election symbol - "The Palm".

Hina Khar Waving

Not disturbed by the attention she received, she went about doing the tasks on her hand. Even before meeting anyone from the Government of India, she met the separatist pro-Pakistani leaders from Jammu and Kashmir. 

This meeting of hers evoked strong adverse reactions from the Indian media. She had however completed her task.

Later she had an meeting with India's Foreign Minister, SM Krishna. Krishna is 79 years old, 45 years senior to Hina. Needless to say, his political experience is more than Hina's age. Yet, she was not awed by such stats. It can be reflected in her firm handshake.

Hina Rabbani Khar and SM Krishna - Her Firm Handshake

Her poise is indomitable. Being a business woman, she has brought in a level of professionalism in her official missions.

Later she gained an audience with the BJP leader, LK Advani. Advani, who is famous for his anti-Pak rhetoric, too was impressed by Hina. He presented her with a bouquet of red roses.

Hina Khar and LK Advani - Red Roses

I wonder what Advani said to Hina, which evoked a shy smile from her.

Most importantly, she also met the Indian Prime Minister - Manmohan Singh. She listened to him with rapt attention as Manmohan shared his two cents on the future of India Pakistan relations.

Hina Khar And Manmohan Singh

In a matter of two days, she met who's who of Indian politics. Whatever little interactions she would have had with them will hold in good stead for Hina over the coming years. 

Managing the Foreign Ministry would mean dealing with bully-friend USA, rival India, "friend or a foe" Afghanistan and it's Taliban, good friend China and other such big wig countries. 

On a lighter note, her attractive looks and elegant personality have been a source of many jokes in India. 

The Hina Effect

If she ever decides to act in Indian movies, the Bollywood starlets would be left high and dry. Her charm offensive has worked wonders.

To Hina With Love  

Hina Khar

Pakistan is at a turning point with the recent killing of Osama Bin Laden. And Hina will be Pakistan's face across the world, as she jets sets across the capitals selling Pakistan.

Chivalry Is Not Dead

Chivalry Is Not Dead

Starring LK Advani, BJP leader from India, all of 83 years and Hina Rabbani Khar, the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, with just 34 years under the sun, this picture says it all.

Need I say more?

What Works For Harry Potter?

Harry Potter has come a long way. A widely praised book and money spinner movie series, it was liked by all - young and old. Harry Potter is a reflection of how ordinary men and women like you and me love to get lost in the world of magic.

The first book of the Harry Potter series was published on 30 June 1997. Titled "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", it was an instant hit across the world. It catapulted the author J.K. Rowling to mega stardom. Since then she has published all the seven books of the series, finishing with "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". 

This fantasy book series has also being converted into a successful movie franchisee. Needless to say, it's prime actors - Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have become stars.

Harry, Hermione and Ron - Daniel, Emma and Rupert

The last movie of the Harry Potter franchisee - "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" is scheduled to release on 15 July 2011. Harry Potter fans are looking forward to this movie with a lot of excitement. It promises to be the darkest of all of them.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2

What was it about Harry Potter that worked wonders? Well, here are some points I think which can be credited to it's success.

The Story

The Harry Potter story was a classic. Rowling built it up excellently over the multiple books. And most importantly she retained the suspense till the very end.

The first book - "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" - introduced the world to the most important characters in the series - Harry himself and Lord Voldemort.

Harry Potter

The names of the seven books of the series are :-

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Each of the seven books above wove a great fantasy story revolving around Harry,  Hermione, Ron, Professor Albus Dumbledore, the Hogwarts school, the Death Eaters, and ultimately The Dark Lord. 

The theme of the book - "Victory of good over evil" was a hit.

The Narration
J.K. Rowling narrated the story beautifully. The narration was wonderful and spell binding. It had finely crafted characters you could easily relate to. 

J.K. Rowling

Most importantly, it had the element of magic - something which we all desire in our ordinary life. Harry Potter is often credited with bringing back kids to books, in the age of computers.

The School and The Teachers
It was the story about a school which we all dream about. A huge castle, big lawns, lots of hidden secrets, some wonderful teachers, some really scary teachers et al. 

The Hogwarts Castle

A major part of the story was painted in Hogwarts and most of these moments were special. Chapters like "The Battle of Hogwarts" added to the excitement.

You had interesting teachers - Albus Dumbledore who was the Head, Ms McGonagall. Severus Snape kept the audience thinking right into the seventh book on his allegiance. 

Albus Dumbledore

Dolores Umbridge, Mad-Eye Moody and Horace Slughorn lit up the intermediate books. Hagrid too was an affable character.

The Friends and The Foes
Harry Potter had an interesting mix of characters. Like in schools, it depicted friendships between diverse people. You had Hermione who was a muggle (an ordinary person like you and me), Ron who was a pure blood wizard and Harry who was a half blood (his mom was a muggle and his father was a wizard). 

Then you had other student characters who played the bad guys. All in all, it was an interesting mix and added to the beauty of the story.

Draco Malfoy

Interestingly, all students could do magic, cast interesting spells, do amazing tricks and play some really tough games. All these antics were a hit with the readers and the movie goers.

The Supporting Characters
You had other interesting characters in the book. This included ghosts, talking portraits, a Poltergeist, a Sorting Hat, a Centaur, a wand maker etc etc. All this characters played a major part in the story. 

You cannot forget Dobby, who was a house elf. Then there were Goblins, owls, a rat  (who later turned into a man), a cat and what not. Some of these characters were a reflection of real life animals, while many were imaginary. Rowling's imagination in depicting these characters and weaving them into the story was simply superb.

Dobby

Most importantly, there was a snake. That itself gave rise to many a terms - like parsletounge - which meant the ability to understand both humans and snakes.

Last but not the least, you had muggles. They were ordinary men and women like you and me.

The Magic
The book was all about magic. You had wizards, muggles and half wizards. They could cast spells, make interesting potions, fly on a broom, walk into a non-existent train platform etc etc. All this struck a chord in the hearts of the people.

Spells - Avada Kedavara

We all hope to have an element of magic in our life. This book was full of it. It would be apt to remember Rowling's line - Magic is Might.

The Dark Characters
There was no dearth of dark characters in the book. 

You had Lord Voldemort itself. He had several names like "He Who Must Not Be Named", "The Dark Lord" etc etc. He was cruel, unforgiving, brilliant, intelligent and really dark. He was Harry's chief nemesis.

To support him, there were loads of Death Eaters. And there were Dementors - who could suck the happiness out of you.

Dementors

All these dark characters casted bewitching spell, hurt people and were a threat to the lives of wizards and muggles. The battle between them and Harry and team was a primary idea of the story.

Harry Ron Hermione and Co
Last but not the least, it was a story about Harry. The Potter boy worked his magic into the hearts of the people. 

Harry, Hermione and Ron

From being without parents since he was a little boy, to suffering the cruelty at the hands of his mother's relatives, to making great friends with Ron and Hermione, and finally falling in love with Ginny - it was an incredible journey.

This book has been often criticized as a children's book. In case you have not read the book, let me assure you that it is not the case. It is something which adults too would love to read. After all, who doesn't love magic, romance, hatred and love. 

The books are extremely addictive. After reading the first 5 books well after they were published, I was hugely hooked onto the book. And I read the last two books within two days of the book being released. 

The movies too are good. Children will fancy the excitement depicted on the big screen.

All in all, this fantasy story series is a must read. Hope you read it if you haven't done till now. It is never late. And if you have read it, it will be great if you could share your experience.

Long Live Harry Potter and his cult.

French Open 2011

It is the time of the year when the ladies and gentlemen with nimble feet on clay become the God's of clay. It is the time for the French Open 2011.

It is summer time in Europe and across all of the northern hemisphere. And in this hot summer, in the beautiful city of Paris, the professional tennis players will fight it out to win the French Open 2011. This is the second Grand Slam of the year.

French Open 2011

When and where is the French Open 2011?

It is supposed to commence the coming Monday, on 24th May 2011. It will be played over the course of two weeks between 24th May to 5th June. In sync with the name, it will be played in France. It will be played in Paris, on the hallowed turf of Rolland Garros.

Rolland Garros Paris, The French Open

A total of 128 men and women each will be fighting it out on the clay courts of Rolland Garros to win the Championships. The men and women's draw will have 4 quarters each, having 32 players each, battling it out for the supremacy and entry into week 2 of the Championships.

How does the men's draw look this year?

The favorite of the last few years - Rafael Nadal - is the top seed. He will start the Open on Monday.

Rafael Nadal At The French Open

In his Quarter, you have the Russian stalwart - Nikolay Davydenko - who is seeded 28th. They can meet as early as the 3rd round and Davydenko has the capability to knocking out Nadal. 

In the other half of his Quarter, Robin Soderling - seeded 5th - will be attempting to move into the second week of the Open. Then you also have Marcos Baghdatis from Cyprus, who is seeded 28th, in the same section. All these players have the capability to derail Nadal's dream of winning yet another French Open.

Robin Soderling At The French Open

Andy Murray is seeded 4th. He should have an unhindered run in his part of the Quarter into the second week. 

The third Quarter has more champions. Roger Federer will be playing in this section and is seeded third. He would look to conquer his fears of playing on clay and try to win the Open. David Ferrer of Spain is seeded 7th and can give Federer a run for his money.

Roger Federer At The French Open

It is disappointing to see a very few Spanish players in the top seedings at the French open. For long, the Spaniards were considered as masters of clay. Today, only a few players are upto the mark.

In the last Quarter, you have the second seed Novak Djokvic of Serbia. Going by his good form, he can give Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal a tough run.

Novak Djokovic At The French Open

However, going by the form book, Nadal looks all set to with the French Open again. Frederer and Djokovic are the men who can give him a tough challenge.

Moving onto the Women's Draw.

The women's draw is equally tough. My eternal favorite - Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark - is seeded first. However, in her Quarter, you have Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia seeded 28th, Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia seeded 13th and Samantha Stosur of Australia seeded 8th. Svetlana can be a giant killer although she is seeded 13th.

Caroline Wozniacki

In the second Quarter, Vera Zvonareva of Russia (seeded 3rd), Jelena Jankovic of Serbia (seeded 10th) and Francesca Schiavone and Italy (seeded 5th) will be battling it out. Vera seems all set to win this Quarter. Yet on any of the day, Jelena or Francesca can give her a run for her money.

The third Quarter looks to be devoid of stalwarts. This gives the former World Number One - Ana Ivanovic from Serbia - a chance to prove her mettle. If she plays her game nicely, she can move into the quarters. Who wouldn't love a stylish player in the second week?

Ana Ivanovic At The French Open

In the last quarter, you have two former champions. Kim Clijsters of Belgium is seeded second. A full time mother and a champion at the previous two U.S. Opens, she is likely to gather steam as the Championship progresses. 

Importantly, you have the Russian devushka in her quarter, Maria Sharapova, seeded 7th. Just a week back, she won the Italian Open. Like Ana, she is also on the comeback trail and has the potential to win the championships.

Maria Sharapova At The French Open

All in all, the women's draw promises to be exciting. The William's sisters are absent. While Clijsters can give Caroline Wozniacki a run for her money, Caroline has the potential to win the French Open 2011. She just has to do one thing - play with a big heart in the biggest of the matches.

Apart from tennis, the ladies have the capabilities to set the pulse racing with their elegant dressing. And these girls can become showstoppers - both on the court and off the court. As an example, Maria Sharapova can give a run to the actresses and divas on the red carpet at Cannes.

Maria Sharapova Style Icon

Uma Thurman

Coming back to tennis, the next two week promise to be very exciting. The surface of clay is always known to be slow. The ball spins a lot. The heat saps your energy.

All of this make the game more exciting. The players with the best talent and the strongest perseverance will make it to the finals and be crowned as the Champions.

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Article first published as French Open 2011 on Technorati.

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A Royal Wedding For Kate and William

Just a couple of weeks back, I started my blog post with a similar title with the lines below

~~

Boy loves girl. And girl loves boy. Both of them think that they are made for each other. And decide to spend the rest of their lives together. They get married under the loving and proud eyes of their parents and close family. This would be the story of any normal wedding.

But this is different. This is The Royal Wedding.

~~

Well, today, the same boy and girl are man and wife. 

Prince William of Wales has married his heartthrob Kate (Catherine) Middleton. In a glittering ceremony which brought London to a halt, the royal prince and his commoner sweetheart took their wedding vows under the loving eyes of 1900 odd people.

Prince William kisses HRH Kate (Catherine) Middleton After The Royal Wedding

And as they shared a sweet kiss on the balcony, the crowd gathered to witness this momentous occasion for the British royal family raised a toast to them.

Prince William will now be referred to as The Duke of Cambridge while his wife HRH Catherine (Kate) Middleton will be taking the title of Duchess of Cambridge. Titles apart, they will be importantly referred to as husband and wife.

Just a few years back, they studied together at the university. It is here that their romance blossomed.

Kate and William At The University

It was just half a year back that William and Kate announced their engagement. And since then the world has been looking forward to this day. William being the eldest son of Lady Diana has always been a favorite with the people.

William Kate Engagement

It was just yesterday evening that this picture featuring Kate Middleton was  snapped. And these were one of the last few of hers as an ordinary girl-next-door.

Kate Middleton As An Ordinary Lady

The same elegant lady was transformed into a stylish, pretty bride today morning. You can sense her excitement and William's love as they walk to the altar.

William and Kate At The Altar

Kate William Exchanging Rings

Love was in the air. You can see the pride and the happiness in their eyes. Also seen were William's younger brother Prince Harry and Kate's younger sister Pippa Middleton, sharing a small chuckle as their elder siblings walk hand in hand.

Love Is In The Air

The guest list spanned from royals to politicians, statesmen to sportsmen. Lots of fans supporting the royal wedding camped outside the wedding venue for the last few nights, hoping to get a glimpse of Kate and William on their D-Day. 

The Junta

Yet, in all this euphoria, if there was someone who was missed, it was the Late Princess Diana.

You can sense the euphoria at the moment Kate walked onto the balcony of the palace in the eyes of the little girl at the bottom of this picture.

Euphoria At The Wedding

In a royal tradition, William and Kate drove in a horse driven carriage after the wedding. 

After The Wedding

Prince William Kate Middleton - Just Wed

Just Wed Kate William After The Royal Wedding

And in true vintage style, they drove off in a car - with a back plate named "Just Wed".

Catch the official royal wedding photos with Kate and William right below.

The first one just features Kate and William immediately after they were pronounced husband and wife.

Kate and William - Husband and Wife

The next one features Kate and William with the little boys and girls who participated in the wedding as pageboys and bridesmaids.

The Royal Wedding Photo of Kate and William

And finally Kate and William with their respective families.

Kate and William with their family