about the author
I'm a father, husband, lawyer, Muslim child of East and West. I grew up in the South to Pakistani Punjabi parents, dunking cornbread in lassi. I like languages and got pretty decent with Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic, French, Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese. I take notes in my own shorthand consisting of a mix of all of them.
I dabble in calligraphy and tabla. I, too, was supposed to be a physician. I like tinkering with cars and I wrote a book on astronomy when I was 8 that, sadly, was never published. I love old school hip hop and qawwalis, and still miss having a sub thump in my trunk. I've been running my own law firm since 2003 - doing mostly immigration and criminal defense - and love the fact that I've represented or consulted with clients from 114 countries and counting. Ignorant sheeple bother me. |
what is 'typhoonical?'This is a spot where I will valiantly attempt to distill takeaways from the various cultures I'm exposed to. I write for discipline, sharpening my own thought, and as a hopefully constructive relief.
If you like what you read here, drop me a line. If you'd like to challenge what you read here, drop me a line. |
why 'typhoonical?'The English word 'typhoon' is a linguistic maelstrom. It has multiple etymologies, arising coincidentally but independently from different corners of the world. The Arabic 'tufan' (طوفان) was loaned to Persian and Hindi (तूफ़ान.) The Cantonese daaifung (大風 'big wind') and Mandarin dàfēng (大风) also bear close resemblance. It was passed around from language to language, changing in flavor but not in essence.
It's a metaphor for intentional movement, change, the sharing of ideas, and, like all storms, an equalizing pressure valve. |