SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIFTS : an immigrant"s Christmas , Eid and Diwali

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIFTS" an immigrant" s Christmas , Eid and Diwali After reading an article in the New York Times I was greatly moved by the love shared by immigrants for their family members back home. It tells the story of immigrants living on Roosevelt Ave in Queens , New York .This area compromises of a large immigrant population :chinese, Koreans,Ukranians, Indians, Pakistanis, Bengalis, Mexicans, Malaysians and immigrants from various African Countries live in this area. It is believed that about 1200 different languages are spoken here .They save money all year round by doing two or three odd jobs everyday then during their respective religious holiday season send gifts back home for family and friends . The post offices and UPS stations are quite busy in late November when these immigrants bring boxes filled with hand me down clothes, toys , coffee boxes, cookie packs, soaps , sweaters and blankets to be shipped to their families for Christmas.These may be ordinary everyday items for an average US citizen but a " luxury gift " for a person living in a small town of Uganda or a millworker in Bangladesh . Some of these immigrants have not visited their families for 10 or 15 years and these gifts and the weekly telephone calls are the only source of connection among them. My 50 year old cleaning lady Olga barely speaks English but enjoys collecting decorative cookie boxes ,old sweaters and gently used toys all year. "I mail everything to my grandchildren in Yugoslavia on dec 1 st every year "she told me. She saved $100 to send a new overcoat for her daughter . I can never forget the smile on her face when she showed me the overcoat " my daughter is 28 years old , she does not have enough money to buy an overcoat", Olga said . How life can be so tough for some families. When I asked the clerk at a post office in Dearborn,MI about local immigrants bringing holiday gifts to be mailed back home . He informed me that the busiest times are during Ramadan when Arab Americans send Eid gifts and Christmas when Chaldeans send gifts to families in various Arab Countries. "They send everything from dried food items like pasta, dried fruits to soaps to electronic items ", informed the clerk. Among these struggling immigrant families the ritual of gift-giving may have a special meaning ........ Tis the season .........

GUMBO : CUISINE TRANSFORMED BY CULTURES AND TRADITIONS

GUMBO : CUISINE TRANSFORMED BY CULTURES AND TRADITIONS Louisiana is world famous for its " seafood gumbo "and claims itself as the as the Gumbo Capital of the world .Gumbo can be termed as an "economical dish" which can feed a large number of people with a small amount of meat or seafood. With this dish, cooks can use up small portions of various ingredients that were not sufficient for an individual meal. Gumbo is sort of a thick seafood and vegetable soup which is rich in spices . It is made of a thick stock and served with rice. It combines the culinary practices of French, Spanish, African slaves, Italians and Germans . In the 18th and 19th centuries, people from these cultures lived together in Louisiana. They all added their special flavors to the " gumbo", it is believed that French settlers and native tribes prepared soups with vegetables like onions , bell peppers and corn.Slave Ships started arriving in early 1700s bringing rice and African slaves who could cultivate rice . They added rice and okra in the gumbo . German settlers added meats while the Spanish settlers were mostly fishermen they introduced fishing of shrimps , oysters and crawfish. They started making the gumbo soup with seafood. A large number of people from Canary Islands move to NewOrleans in that time they spiced up the gumbo with hot peppers and cayenne peppers . Louisiana was purchased by United States in 1803 , after which tomatoes were also added to the "gumbo". Since the 19th century, gumbo has often been served at social gatherings or on other special occasions .In rural Acadiana in southern Louisiana, gumbo is a central feature of Mardi Gras celebrations. On Mardi Gras, local men wander from house to house asking for gumbo ingredients. Members of the local community then gather in a central location while the men cook the gumbo. When it is ready, the group eats and dances until midnight, when Lent begins. Hundreds of restaurants around the French Quarters area in downtown New Orleans serve the finest quality gumbo . It is the official cuisine of the state of Louisiana .

REVIVAL OF THE RICKSHAW gadgets and gizmos used by Movie Stars It's always a treat to look at the cool cars .......the Austin Martins and BMWs of James Bond 007 . His cool gadgets , his shinny cars, his catchphrases ......wow.....how a watch can turn into a parachute or a pen can convert into a sword . The master detective of all times Sherlock Holmes used his magnifying glass.He used a modern toxicology to detect poisons, and he analyzed shoe prints to determine a person's build , height and weight. Hollywood gave us old westerns with cowboys riding on horses and Japanese gave us Samurais fighting bad guys . Then there was Inspector Gadget the guard transformed into a electro cop with few cool gadgets . Well Bollywood gave us " shoo sha , dhishu , dhishu fights of the 80s" the Angry Youngman Amitabh killing 40 " gundas" in 10 minutes . Lolly wood had Maula Jat killing Noori Nat with a " gandasa " ......the macho hero of punjabi films Sultan Rahi killed bad guys by smashing them with his gandasa .I don't understand punjabi very well but enjoy the " cool fights". Bollywood is famous for producing some popular " fighting scenes ". The super powerful heros and few heroines have used all kind of weapons from swords to hammers. They jump from buildings, run on top of fast moving trains . They have used cool cars, high tech motor bikes and sailboats . The latest Bollywood blockbuster Dhoom 3 featured police walas fighting the bad guys on a " rickshaw " . It was fun to watch ACP Jai Dixit smashing the bad guys while sitting in his auto rickshaw . The amazing rickshaw could tear apart brick walls. Dhoom 3 maybe one of the priciest Indian movie ever made with latest roaring BMW bikes, police choppers and Broadway style musical entertainment . Yet the " flying rickshaw " was awesome . It was fun to look at a Desi Rickshaw in an American theatre . Seemed like the "revival of rickshaws " ......what next Police Walas on flying carpets ???

Desi-Paki-Brown Thanksgiving

A VERY DESI - PAKI - BROWN THANKSGIVING Thanksgiving is a day for us the ever expanding Paki Desis or what our children label as " brown people " ...to party . It is not just an event where we sit across the table and be thankful to God. It is somewhat one of our many yearly parties where we dress up in our glitzy " Desi outfits" , talk about politics ( Desi and Amreeki), talk about latest fashion trends , update each other about Desi dramas BUT the menu is not our traditional biryani, Karahi chicken or gajar ka halwa; it is a "turkey " cooked with Desi spices and a spicy masala stuffing . Apple pie or chocolate cake replaces Pumpkin pie as we Desis are not fond of eating Kaddoos ( pumpkin). Well we all are certainly grateful for everything and just another reason to have a dinner party .........

Car Chit Chat

CAR CHIT CHAT ......... The best time of my day is the " pick up " and " drop off" time when I pick up my kids from school and drive back home or when I drop them to school in the morning. I consider myself lucky that I got this oppourtunity that I could spend this time with my children.My car chit chat used to be very funny and crazy when my kids were younger I was the first one who got the latest info about school happenings , report card updates and most important of all was playing referee to their " continuous arguments". It was the best place to revise " spelling words " and " multiplication facts". As my children are getting older I don't get too many answers ; I am the one doing most of the talking . Kids tired after a long day simply answer " maybe " , " guess so", " ok".......on the other hand I keep bombarding them with questions like " how did your test go?", " how was lunch ?"............they are brief with their response yet get mad when I am busy answering phone calls ........"talk to us and not your friends" they say ..........Car Chit Chat time is so precious .......... everyone is sitting within few feets of one another rather relaxing / studying in their rooms at home .........

FIRST DAUGHTER TO MADAM AMBASSADOR

FROM FIRST DAUGHTER TO AMBASSADOR Caroline Kennedy the only surviving child of President John F Kennedy arrived in Japan today as the new US Ambassador . "I just was honoured to present my credentials to his majesty and I'm eager to begin my work as ambassador," she said. Kennedy's appointment, which comes days before the 50th anniversary on November 22nd of her father's assassination in Dallas, has drawn significant media attention in Japan, with several national TV networks providing live coverage of her arrival , people lined up across both sides of the street . Caroline Kennedy is a lawyer by profession and author of two books .She is the first female US ambassador appointed to Japan .

Heidelburg Project

HEIDELBURG PROJECT transforming a city through art and creativity The Heidelburg Project is an open air art gallery set in the heart of the city of Detroit ( eastern side). Tyree Guyton, founded the artistic wonderland almost 27 years back with brightly colored discarded objects to create a two block area full of vibrant colors and unique artistry. This project is a demonstration of creativity and a symbol of hope for a torn and tattered city . One could see brightly painted trash cans to unique door mats and one of a kind street signs along the area.

We are sorry , we are ashamed

SORRY WE COULD NOT PROTECT YOU While looking at pictures of the victims and injured of bomb blast at a Peshawar Church I felt extremely sad and deeply ashamed for our Pakistani Christian Community . They have given so much to us and what we have done to them ??? Some of the best schools and colleges in the country are run by Christian Missonaries . I attended the St Joseph's College in Karachi built after the independence of Pakistan by a group of nuns , it's a beautiful building located in Saddar Karachi . I have many Christian and Parsi friends from college days . My sister attended Convent of Jesus and Mary both institutes are still among the finest schools in the country and were built by our Christian brothers and sisters who have been busy promoting education in Pakistan for the last 67 years .Today I am extremely sad and hard broken after I read about church bombing in Peshawar what they get in return , after years of community service ........brutally killed or injured after attack on a church ......a place of worship , our religion teaches us to respect other religions and places of worships .......I am ashamed , I am sorry ......

PEACE THROUGH MUSIC GALA Two different artists from two different countries come together for a great cause — pop singer Shehzad Roy and band Guns N’ Roses will be seen performing together at the Peace through Music Gala in Los Angeles. They will help promoting quality education in various parts of the world.

Mummy" s Girl

MUMMY" S GIRL.......... It's 4:00 am in the morning and I am sitting in the most " messiest" yet the most beautiful pink and purple room of my older daughter Allana . I am not a very emotional person but today I have tears in my eyes and I am sitting on Allana"s bed thinking where did time go ? It's been two days since we dropped her at college yet it seems as if it was two days back when she was born my tiny baby with big black eyes and the most beautiful smile ........she came to this world on a bright Sunday morning on Mothers Day in may.When I looked at her I thought how will I raise her into a confident , smart , hardworking woman ........and most importantly how will I cut her tiny nails ?? I did teach her to walk, talk , sang her ABCs with her , watched Barney and Little Bear , played Barbie ........she made me proud when she was the only kid in preschool who did not cry on the first day of school . Allana had been my shopping buddy and my worst critic she has always helped me buy clothes , shoes and has been very blunt in giving advices " Mummy you have gained weight , wear dark colors"........I remember walking with her in the backyard and playing " four squares" ........It has been my pleasure to sign her report cards with all straight A s and hear great things about her from her teachers ........she was my best buddy when her dad was busy at work ........she helped me with taking care of her brother and sister , at 4 years she was the youngest baby sitter who said " Mummy take a nap on the couch for few minutes I will keep an eye on Bhai "....... She has always enjoyed my cooking yet asked " Mummy what will happen if they stopped making Shaan Masalas " .........I taught her how to drive yet I was more nervous than her when we were sitting in the car .........Once a friend asked her why don't you like medicine like your dad " I like to write like my mom " she replied .....yet she enjoyed finding grammatical mistakes in my blogs " Mummy you are better than 90% Desis but you do have a slight accent but thank God you don't smell like curry ".........it was tough to raise a teenager when I asked why don't you show your temper tantrums to your dad or anyone else , she replied " because I love you the most ".........she taught me how to text , informed me about latest music and we watched Grey" s Anatomy and Bollywood movies together ....... Today sitting in her room this early in the morning I am not sad ......I am happy that I have raised a smart and confident young lady who will inshallah make me and her dad proud of her ..........I do miss her but I am happy that she has selected a college which is only 45 minutes away and where we can still get together for lunch and we will be able to see her on weekends .......unlike me and my brother who came thousands of miles away from our mom. I was very young myself when I gave birth to Allana ........I think its not only her but both of us have learned so much together ........she has transformed into a intelligent , smart young college Freshman ........and me her Mummy into a confident , immigrant woman who is well adjusted in this country and this culture and thank God she does not smell of curry ........ For all those memories , for all the love and for many more good times to come I thank you my baby..... Mummy " s baby .......love you may God always protect you .....

Burqa Avenger

NEW PAKISTANI SUPER HERO: BURQA AVENGER " Burqa Avenger" is a mild-mannered teacher with secret martial arts skills who uses a flowing black burqa to hide her identity as she fights local thugs seeking to shut down the girls’ school where she works. Her main rival is Vadero Pajero a local thug . She is helped by few students. Burqa Avenger is enjoying her new found fame not only in Pakistan but also overseas . Be aware Cat Woman and Wonder Woman .......you may have a competition!

NEW PAKISTANI PRESIDENT Mamnoon Hussain was elected the country’s president today as he secured 277 votes from the National Assembly and the Senate. Hussain, 73, a business man from Karachi will be sworn in on Sept 9, 2013 at the presidency .President Asif Ali Zardari, will step down at the end of his five-year term in september this year .He was a nominee of PML -N the ruling party of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif . Both Mr Hussain and Mr Sharif belong to the business community of Punjab and Sindh respectively.Lets hope they work to improve the economy of the country .

Our fascination with British Royals

American Fascination with British Royalty Americans are somewhat big promoters of the govt By the People and For the People : which is Democracy yet they are highly fascinated by Royal Monarchs all over the world .American Grace Kelly married Prince Ranier of Monaco and the British Royal Americans are quite crazy about them .....Diana was more than a supermodel , a somewhat cultural icon . Now they are fascinated with Prince William and Princess Catherine and for last one week the toughest question on all News channels was when will the Royal Baby of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be born .I guess Prince Charles and his wife Camila are the only " not popular Royal". Royals are considered " cool " because there is a certain Fairytale aspect associated with them and I guess all human beings at sometime want to be part of a Fairytale Story . The Sun " do eventually sets" in the British Empire , now but people around the world are still fascinated by their Royal Kings, Queens, Prince and Princesses ......

Points to ponder

POINTS TO PONDER Just wondering if Ramadan means fasting from food and drink But revaluation of ourselves what are we ; are we Fasting from unkind words. Unkind thoughts. Backbiting. Jealousy ,what is goal of our life " peace and honesty" or " collecting money for hook or crook "; our passion is to help others or just self promotion ? Our goal is respect others or humiliate others ,are we following the teaches of our Prophet and Quran ??? We are humans " Ashraf ul Makhluqat" if we can stay hungry from morning to sunset then we can definitely change our bad habits .......we can redefine ourselves !!!

MAULANA EDHI NEED OUR PRAYERS

MAULANA EDHI NEED OUR PRAYERS Prominent philanthropist and social activist Abdul Sattar Edhi’s kidneys have failed and he will be on dialysis for the rest of his life, said his doctor yesterday at SIUT Centre Karachi .Kidney transplant cannot be done immediately due to Mr Edhi" s frail health .

RECIPE GONE BAD

RECIPIE GONE BAD...... Celebrity Chef Paula Deen was sued along with her brother, Bubba Hiers, by Lisa Jackson, a former manager of the siblings' restaurant, Uncle Bubba's Seafood and Oyster House. The lawsuit alleges sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment along with insulting behaviour and racial slurs. Ms Deen accepts her behavior and use of N word by saying that she was born 60 years back when racial segregation was common. Well Ms Deen is fired from Food Network .

IMRAN KHAN .......opposition leader ?? He did finally took oath as National Assembly member from the person who defeated him in one of the four seats he contested ......Speaker Mian Sadiq . Mr Khan was given a warm welcome when he entered the National Assembly .He sat on the seat meant for the opposition leader ......

BILL GATES OFFERS HELP TO NAWAZ SHARIF

BILL GATES OFFERS HELP TO NAWAZ SHARIF

Representative of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for Afghanistan and Pakistan Dr Waqar Ajmal called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today and delivered a letter from Gates, congratulating Nawaz on his election as prime minister.

Gates expressed confidence that the new government in Pakistan would focus on the immunisation and eradication of fatal diseases including polio.

Prime Minister Nawaz welcomed the offer .

Earlier, Gates had contacted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, seeking his assistance in eradicating polio from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Road to HARVARD .........

THE ROAD TO HARVARD ..........

Anum Fatima " s story is very inspirational for all of us . She along with her four siblings attended TCF school near Steel Town , Karachi . Her father is driver at a local company they can't afford to attend private schools . She became the first girl in her family to pass 10 th grade then she did intermediate in Commerce subjects . Later on she got admission at IBA , Karachi which is Pakistan " s leading business school . Anum Fatima was awarded a three month summer prog scholarship to Harvard University this year .Fatima is currently enrolled in the MBA programme at Institute of Business Management, Karachi and will be attending the summer school at Harvard University at the end of June. The three-month programme, an initiative by the US-Pakistan Women Council will allow her to attend classes at Harvard University and also provide her with internship opportunities.

Her parents did not know that their daughter was offered a prog at Harvard ; Anum " s teachers told them it is the same college where Benazir Bhutto went to study . Anum Fatima wants to become CEO of a multinational company and want to help TCF foundation , may her dreams come true!

Shakespearean Tragedies

SHAKESPEAREAN TRAGEDIES 

Shakespearean tragedies were written in a seven-year period between 1601 and 1608. These include his four major tragedies Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth, along with Antony & Cleopatra and Julius Ceaser . Romeo and Juliet was written before all these . Even after so many years they are appreciated by students of English literature all over the world . People still discuss the phrases and depth in story . Many movies and theatre plays have been made on them . I personally like Macbeth the complex tale of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth who was sort of a villain along with the three witches .

I also like the sad saga of Antony and Cleopatra ; story set along the backdrop of Roman and Egyptian Empires , how they both killed themselves . Shakespeare's tragedies almost all have some evil forces working against them and end with death of the main characters .

A NEW POLITICAL HEIRESS

Maryam Nawaz is the 38 year old daughter of Mian Nawaz Sharif the "to be Prime Minister of Pakistan " and leader of PML ( Nawaz). She played an important role in her dad" s campaign . Maryam Nawaz Sharif is a new face on Pakistani political spectrum. The lady is getting popular with each passing day with her involvement on social media. She seems to be greatly inspired from her father and want to carry his vision forward. For the last 15 years, she has been managing the Sharif Trust and the family’s philanthropic initiatives, which include a hospital, schools, and colleges in the province of Punjab . Ms Sharif was by her father" s side when he gave his victory speech around midnight in may 11 th 2013 .

It has been stated that she wants to work on bills for Balochistan, across-the-board accountability, transparency in the wealth declarations of elected officials, affirmative action for women in the public sector . I wish her all the best and I hope she will learn from the past history of Pakistani politics.

the revolution in the making "

It was jan 1990 when Imran Khan , Pakistan" s legendary fast bowler visited my college St Joesphs College ,Karachi . He was the superstar adored by everyone and you could imagine how difficult it would be for him to walk from the college door to the pavilion in front of the library when the entire girls college all about 400 girls were running , chanting after him . He spoke breifly about his mother and how she died and the Cancer Hospital he is building to save hundreds of other moms and dads . He was on a school / college tour across Pakistan to collect funds for his charitable Cancer Hospital . He said " I know it's a tough road but I know if I work hard God will help me to achieve my goal" ......I still remember the determination in his voice . At that time in the early 1990s he engaged the youth of Pakistan to help him collect funds for his hospital and now after so many years in 2013 he is once again engaging the youth of Pakistan to get up become registered voters , to vote for a new party his party Tehrik e Insaf to help defeat corruption , feudalism and terrorism .....to help rebuild a better Pakistan .

I think this time too he is fighting with the same determination for his " Mother" ......his Dharti Ma !!!  It is true that a Nation is praying and chanting , once again for a Cricket Captain who has become a politician . They want him to win his battle , most notably young voters many of them first time voters are supporting him........Yes He Will Win , We Will Win ......God will help us , we will rise once again , long live our Captain and our Pakiland !!!

PAK SAR ZAMEEN SHADBAD

PAK SAR ZAMEEN SHADBAD

I remember watching the 1992 Cricket World Cup in Australia ......Pakistan lost almost all it's earlier matches then drew one rain affected match , two days later under the bright flood lights Pakistani team defeated Australia on its home ground .......the team and the nation waited to watch the result of the next match , only a West Indies win could secure a spot for Pakistan in the semi finals .......eventually Pakis made it to Semi finals where they defeated New Zealand ...... the team came together under its captain to defeat England in the final, they were not the favorites yet the victors .....the players came together under their captain Imran Khan , everyone prayed ....Yes We Did It ....... fast forward 21 years the Nation is praying again for a Captain to win his battle , his final match, he is the one who is not scared of his own people, the one that doesnt need a bulletproof glass to give his speeches, the one who is a leader

.....Yes He Will Win We Will Win ......God will help us , we will rise once again , long live our Captain and our Pakiland !!!

THE EVER GROWING GAP BETWEEN THE " HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS"

On my recent visit to Pakistan my biggest concern was the huge and rapidly growing " gap " between the haves and have nots . I have always believed that " middle class " is the most important part of the society but it so sad that middle class has almost disappeared from many third world countries and most certainly in Pakistan.

The Asian Development Bank has been urging many third world countries in Asia to address the widening inequality between rich and poor, in terms of income and access to education and health care .

It is true that there has been a rapid growth in the economies of some of these Asian countries, the gap between rich and poor had continued to widen. This, it said, might cause social unrest and rise in criminality.

It was some what heart breaking to see Rs 50,000  ladies designer dresses hanging in posh boutiques in Karachi and Lahore while average household income in the country is less than Rs 20,000. On one side some one buys a Rs 50,000 dress to wear few times and on the other side a family of 5 or 6 people has just  Rs 20,000 or maybe less to spend on food , clothing , school for 30 days .

MARGARET THATCHER ..........our first female "role model "

Baroness Margaret Thatcher was the longest-serving British Prime Minister of the 20th century and is the only woman to have held the office .  A Soviet journalist once called her "Iron Lady", a nickname that became associated with her uncompromising leadership style, the name which became her identity and which defined her.  Iron Lady was also the name of popular Hollywood movie made about her . As Prime Minister, she implemented policies that have come to be known as "Thatcherism" . Asian countries have had many female leaders but mostly all of them belong to powerful political families , on the other hand Mrs Thatcher who was daughter of a grocer and studied chemistry did enter politics as a complete outsider . She defeated Mr Edward Heath  in the Conservative Party Leadership elections  to become leader of her party and leader of opposition . She  became prime minister in 1979 . Her wit and intellect definitely transformed Britian , she found a great friend and ally in US President Ronald Reagan . Mrs Thatcher was a key player during the " Cold War " of 1980"s . Mikhail Gorbachev of USSR and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl greatly respected her . She  served her country for 11 years and during that time she was able to resolve many social and political issues  like privatization of state owned companies and reducing the power of trade unions. Thatcher's popularity  during the 1982 Falkland Wars  helped her being re- elected as Prime Minister .

Mrs Thatcher dominated the world political stage in the 1980s , she was a role model for not only British women but for women every where , all across the world . When I look at female leaders of today like Angela Merkel and Hillary Clinton I think they may  have  borrowed few political tips from Baroness Thatcher .

GIRLS SCHOOL IN AFGHANISTAN FUNDED BY ANGELINA JOLIE 

Angelina Jolie is not only a prominent Hollywood movie star , she has dedicated a lot of her time and financial resources to create awareness about many problems like genocide, mother/ child health care  and illiteracy . Her latest humanitarian project is a school for girls she opened in Afghanistan and plans to fund with profits from retail sales of her Style by Jolie ( jewelry line).

Many Afghani girls have  to sneak out of the their homes to attend school and in most area there are simply aren't any schools for girls at all.

In extreme cases schools for girls have been burned down with the teachers threatened or even killed.

Ms Jolie opened the primary school for girls in an area outside Kabul with a large refugee population . It is the second school in Afghanistan funded by Angelina Jolie after one was set up in 2010.

This  girls-only primary school has several hundred students already and is in an area just outside of Kabul in a region known for resistance to education for girls. 

Angelina Jolie has built a great humanitarian reputation almost as prominent as her movie-star status. She's a UN Goodwill Ambassador. She has just returned from a trip to Congo and Rwanda with the British foreign minister to highlight the horrors inflicted on women and girls by the use of rape as a weapon of war in conflicts around the world.

In the past she has visited many other African countries , Afghanistan and Pakistan to highlight child education and health issues concerning women and children .

She and  fiancé Brad Pitt have adopted three children from Africa and Asia.

SUNDAY BAZAAR .............modern day flee market

Last Sunday I went to Karachi Sunday Bazaar after almost 15 years . I was greatly impressed by the paved walkways, organized car park, numbered shops, cleanliness , neat / clean bathrooms , elaborate food courts . Sunday Bazaar is a modern day flee market set up in phase 8 , DHA , Karachi . In the past it used to be a large number of shops set up under a tent on unpaved dirt land . Parking used to be a huge problem but I guess the city and DHA association have done a marvelous job of organizing this Bazaar ; a popular shopping and tourist stop in Karachi .
One can find  designer luggage pieces , watches, sun glasses ( yes second quality), beautiful jewelry , dresses , fabrics , house hold items ( from all over the world) . My favorite was the mega book store in the far corner selling books, magazines for young and old . One should be a " master of bargaining " to enter the Bazaar ......... you can easily pay 50% of the asking price after few minutes of bargaining with the vendor.

As I entered the bazar I saw beautiful rugs hanging on one side and colorful cotton fabrics hanging on the other side. Shop keepers like to attract shoppers by calling them over to their shops to get a good deal.........they call ladies "Aunty jees" and men "Sahab(Sir)"...........the #2 quality watches are sold in Sunday Bazar for Rs 500 to Rs 800 ($5)as compared to Rs 10,000($100) in the mega malls.
Teenage kids who are porters are walking around  with their baskets who can help you carry the stuff for few hundred rupees . The food courts in centre sell delicious kachorees, chat, samosas , pani puri ( Pakistani delicacies ). The fruit and vegetable markets are the "busiest areas".....full of housewives buying groceries .

UNIQUENESS

Two very unique restaurants are famous in the world which are located in Asia.Ice Cafe is in Dubai,everything here is made of ice .........in a country with extreme warm weather.Ithaca is an Under the Sea restaurant located in Maldives which is located inside water.

Pink smoke in Rome

A woman's group who have objection towards an entire male cardinal conclave in Rome to select the new Pope , released " pink smoke " from a hill near the Vatican . This is to show support towards women rights organizations . Group of priests and cardinals are in Rome these days to select a new Pope . White smoke will be released from the Vatican after selection of the new Pope following by ringing of bells.

Deutsche Bank’s “Artist of the Year” 2013: Pakistani Artist Imran Qureshi

Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi has been declared the winner of the award in Berlin, where his works will be shown in a major solo presentation at the Deutsche Bank KunstHalle.

Born 1972, Hyderabad, Sindh; lives and works in Lahore .He paints miniature paintings.His inspiration are the motifs, symbols, colors and ornaments of the Moghul Dynasty . Qureshi is an assistant professor of miniature art at  Department of Fine Art, National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan.

Our talented young artists ....Pics from the 3 rd Youth Art Exhibition

I arrange these art exhibitions to encourage our youth . Our children are very talented , it is always nice to see their art projects and admire their amazing talent!

AFGHAN SHORT FILM MAKES IT TO THE ACADEMY AWARDS

It is perhaps the first time that an Afghan film which has been shot in Kabul is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject Film. It is directed by Sam French and produced by Ariel Nasr ."Bazkashi Boys" is story of two friends who are teenagers in Kabul, story about 'dreams' and 'aspirations' of two young kids and the traditional Afghan sport of 'Bazakashi '. It gives a message of  "hope"for Afghanistan a war-torn country !!!!

Academy Award Predictions for 2013

MY ACADEMY AWARD PREDICTIONS FOR 2013

I am quite a movie buff and has been enjoying the Academy and Golden Globes my entire life!Here are my predictions for this year;
Please add your comments !

Best Picture
For sure " Argo" Academy members will compensate up to some extent for not nominating Ben Affleck in best director category.

Best Actor
Daniel Day Lewis will hopefully win his third Oscar for portraying Abraham Lincoln , superbly. Other fine performance was by Joaquin Pheonix .

Best Actress
Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linning Playbook. A good performance as a troubled widow or Jessica Chastain as an agent in Zero Dark Thirty. Tough fight among two aspiring actresses!

Best supporting Actress
Sally Field as the mesmerizing Mary Todd Lincoln.

Best Supporting Actor
I guess it's a tight race between Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained and Tommy Lee Jones in Lincoln.

Best Director
Ang Lee for Life of Pie or Steven Spielberg for Lincoln. Academy members like movies about historic figures so Spielburg may have an edge.

Animated Feature Film
Wreck it Ralph most probably!

Adapted Screenplay
Argo but Life of Pie may come close due to the immense popularity of the book.

Orignal Screenplay
Zero Dark Thirty about the Bin Laden hunt !

3 rd annual youth art exhibition

The 3 rd youth art exhibition will be held on feb 16 th 2013 at the Alexandria Ballroom ,Dearborn Inn between 12:30 and 3:30 pm. 10 prizes will be awarded by a panel of judges . This is a quite unique and large art exhibition which will exhibit almost 230 art projects including paintings , sketches, sculptures and photographs . About 180 young artists between the ages of 5 to 20 will participate in the one day exhibition . This is the first year when 4 local schools will also participate as a group namely Huda School , Crescent Academy , Detroit Country Day and Al - Ikhlas Detroit Charter School and also group of students from Bloomfield Hills School district  will participate .
" I organize this exhibition every year to promote the artistic talents of our youth and to in courage them " , stated Almas Akhtar the event organizer and main sponsor . There is no registration fees for students residing in the state of Michigan . This year  the event has been widely promoted by MMCC and Miindia through their websites . This event is designed to promote artistic expression and creativity amongst youth in the Muslim community and their peers from other faith and ethnic traditions .  It is unique in the large number of Michigan Muslim youth that are involved . This year  kids belonging to many different faiths and many different cultural backgrounds will also participate in the exhibition . Over 400 people from students , their families , art critics and teachers are expected to attend this event at Dearborn Inn

Just a mother" s touch

JUST A MOM'S TOUCH................

Few days back I read an amazing story which brought tearsto my eyes.It was about a single mother who gave birth to two twin boys in New Hampshire who were born premature ,about 12 weeks early .One of them died in a few days ,The other one whom she named Nick was less than 2 ilbs fought hard to survive and was finally sent home after spending 4 weeks in the NICU. The kid looked fine but had develpomental delays. He was almost 6 years old but was unable to speak .The mother was CEO of a fortune five hundred company ,took her son to the best doctors in the country but nothing helped. She spent hours with him reading books ,playing games ,teaching him to say words . She enrolled him in a special school for kids with disabilities.She hired some special speech coaches for her son. One day in the afternoon as she was laying with her son reading him a book he said "mom" ..............the mother started to cry ..........."it's all I wanted" .She quit her job started working in the special school where her Nick used to go!
He is 12 years old now can say a few more words but says "mom" very clearly when ever he sees his mom!!!!!!!!!

my Detroit Story

It was a surreal feeling to read my name,my husbands and our parents in the first Dream House restored by ICAN and NN in the city of Detroit . I moved to Detroit two decades ago, my husband was a fellow at DMC Harper Hospital that time , I myself enrolled in Wayne State University ; studied art history for two semesters . Enjoyed walks to DIA from the art building and made new friends in the campus. We attended the memorable Lata Mangeshkar concert at Fox theatre in 1995. We enjoyed dinning at TJ" s , Whitney's and Mario's . It was fun watching the Macy" s Thanksgiving Day Parade in November, checking out cars at the Auto Show and enjoying Arts Beats and Eats in summer. I have some beautiful memories of this beautiful city like visiting Belle Isle, Greek Toen , Mexican Town and travelling to Canada via the Detroit / Windsor Tunnel.
Today I was so happy to give back to this beautiful city my first home in United States .
DREAM : Detroit Revival Engaging American Muslims
This is my immigrant story, my Detroit story !!

CLIFTON BEACH .............. calmness, serenity ,tranquility

Karachi is largest city of Pakistan . A hustling , bustling metropolis of the 1960s , 70s and 80s .........with its financial district across Saddar and MA Jinnah Rd , Karachi University campus around the western tip and beautiful Arabian Sea coastal strip situated at the southern part of town . Clifton Beach is a beautiful serene place with gray waves , shiny sandy beach  located in one of the most upscale neighborhood of the city . Clifton is a word derived from English language which means " city by the cliff" .One can see colorfully decorated camels and camel walas , teenagers dressed up in denims enjoying an evening walk , kids collecting sea shells and also burqa clad ladies enjoying the beautiful sunset at sea. City of Karachi has been badly affected by secretarial violence in the last two decades but still today Clifton Beach and other beaches in town are the place for relaxation for the people especially on weekends . They arrive in suzuki vans , shiny cars or rickshaws to spend few hours of walk on the beach or eat the spicy corn and cotton candy sold by " thela walas" .
In the last decade many new restaurants like the Village have been constructed serving delicious Pakistani cuisine . In one corner lies the fast food chain Macdonalds . Dolmen Mall a high rise mall has been constructed few years back near the beach .  Across from the beach some new car dealerships , designer stores and restaurants are located. The new Cineplex movie theatre near the Clifton Beach is always filled with people showing Hollywood and Bollywood blockbusters . Sea view and Darakhahah Apartments are located across from the beach . The prestigious Karachi Grammar School opened its new campus in this area  few years back . Many upscale country clubs like Golf Club, Marina Club are also located in this area.

POINTS TO PONDER

POINTS TO PONDER
( open letter to Ms Umaira Ahmed )

Madam I have watched a wonderful Urdu Dramas based on your novels (  SHEHER e ZAAT) which were excellent I am currently watching Zindagi Gulzar Hey which again is superb I wait for the new episode every Friday . I have two points I want to discuss in response to your story lines :

1. I have noticed ......All female characters dressed up in western clothes are quite arrogant or rather " full of themselves " , they live in their own world just simply don't care about others around them . As a matter of fact they are " quite spoiled"
Madam it is true that our culture and our world has such people but according to my humble opinion not every girl dressed up in pants and shirt is a " brat " and every girl wrapped in a chaddar is a " neak parveen"( extremely nice ). Madam there are many ladies who dress up in western clothes drive expensive cars but have a heart of gold are nice and respectful to not only those around them but they also help others in need . Also some girls who wear shalwar Kameez all the time are very conniving and jealous . Please try not to label some one .

2. I have also noticed that mothers who are " rich " are too busy in their lives don't care about their husbands and kids ....,.are just busy partying ! Madam I have seen thousands of moms in Pakistan and also abroad who are very involved in their kids lives , are good wives , also take care of the house and yes they also belong to the " upper middle class"
Kindly consider that point too " it is true" that moms who work day and night to make ends meet are simply " great " but the ones who are financialy stable yet taking care of kids and family 24/7 are not at all " worthless "!!
Everyone has different circumstances in life and it is one" s duty to live the best in his or her circumstances .

SCIENTIFIC ROMANCE

People have heard many love stories from Romeo and Juliet to Antony and Cleopatra but few know
 about the turn of the century " love story" of Marie and Pierre Curie . How two people from different worlds came together  and produced some extraordinary discoveries in the fields of Physics and Chemistry .  They spent much of their careers studying radioactivity .They established ; the heavy element thorium which was radioactive and discovered two new elements namely polonium and radium. Polonium was named after Marie " s native country Poland .

In 1891, 24 year old Marie Sklodowska, moved from Warsaw to Paris, where she found work in the laboratory of Pierre Curie, a scientist engaged in research on heat,crystals and magnetism. She was daughter of two teachers when her mom died Marie gave up her education to support her older sister . She had to travel to France in pursuit of higher education as in her native country women were not allowed to attend Universities during that time . She worked day and night at the Laboratory in Paris which   caught the eye of the Laboratory in charge and scientist Pierre Curie .Their interest in science brought them close to each other. They fell in love and later married . They took their honeymoon on bicycles. They expanded the periodic table, discovered two new elements . The Currie's  recognized radioactivity as an atomic property, marking the start  of a new scientific era. They won the Nobel Prize making Marie Curie the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize . They opened up a new lab with the prize money.  In 1906, Pierre was killed in a accident. Marie continued their work alone. She took his job at Sorbonne 's dept of Physics. She became the first female professor at Sorbonne. She  won a second Nobel Prize in 1911 in Chemistry , she was the first person to receive two Noble Prizes.
Marie Curie laid the foundation of Radium Institute in Warsaw ,Poland in 1925 . She created the International Commission of Intellectual Cooperation of the League of Nations . She also wrote an autobiography of her husband named "Pierre Curie" . She died in 1934 from aplastic anemia contracted by her long term exposure to radiation . Marie and Pierre Curie's daughter and son -in -law also received Nobel Prize for their work in the field of Chemistry. 

DR MANZOORUDDIN AHMED ........learned professor and family patriarch

Dr Manzooruddin Ahmed was a famous Pakistani scholar and  former Vice Chancellor of Karachi University the largest University of Pakistan.He was born in Sultanpur India did Masters in Diplomacy from Allahabad University , India . He was among the first few Pakistanis who obtained a  PhD degree in Political Science from Columbia University, NY in 1969 . Dr Ahmed also served as the professor of Pakistan Studies/Political Science through the prestigious Quaid E Azam Chair at Columbia University ."Quaid E Azam Chair" was awarded to him by then Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. He later on served as professor at University of Alberta. Dr Ahmed served as Dean of Arts and later Vice Chancellor of Karachi University . He along with few other notable personalities established the Fatima Jinnah Dental College in Karachi , Pakistan in the year 1992. He wrote many books about Pakistan it's history and it's political destiny. His last book was published few years back . Dr Manzooruddin Ahmed passed away  on 27th Dec 2012 in Syracuse, NY.

He was not only a highly qualified scholar but he was also a great family man who loved his children, brothers,sisters,nieces and nephews dearly. Dr Ahmed was the first one in his family who acquired a Doctorate degree from a highly recognized international institute. He was a family patriarch who was a beacon of inspiration and source of encouragement for everyone around him.