The Express Tribune Magazine - December 9

DECEMBER 9-15 2012

How Mother Nature leaves clues for what to eat and why

DECEMBER 9-15 2012

Cover Story

20 Natural Magic Believe it or not, Mother Nature may have left clues about what’s good for you!

Features

28 Words Say It All Beware of the ‘idiot’s block’, says Musharraf Ali Farooqi

31 A Lesson in Life Student volunteers at the SIUT learn that by helping others they ultimately help themselves

34 The Gentle Giant Brazil’s foreign policy may have missed the boat as far as the Arab Spring is concerned

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Travel

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37 It’s the Journey, Not the Destination Four trekkers decide to trek to the Hushe village, beyond Gondogoro La — one of the world’s highest mountain passes

Regulars 6 People & Parties: Out and about with Pakistan’s beautiful people 40 Reviews: Castaway meets Avatar 42 End Of The Line: Bhai Sirf Ek Baar Bolta Hai!

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Magazine Editor: Zarrar Khuhro, Senior Sub-Editor: Farahnaz Zahidi, Sub-Editors: Mifrah Haq, Ameer Hamza and Dilaira Mondegarian.

Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Maha Haider, Faizan Dawood, Samra Aamir, Sanober Ahmed.

Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Executive Editor: Muhammad Ziauddin. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi.

For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk Printed: uniprint@unigraph.com

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Sidra, Meher and Seher

Sonia and Gauhar

6

Sabika and Babar Rashid DECEMBER 9-15 2012

Stoneage launches its latest campaign ‘Denim Forever’ along with a flagship outlet in Lahore

Faraz, Sana and Shoaib

Sumaira

Fahad and Amina

Mishi, Rija and Wafa Maham and Tahira

PHOTOS COURTESY LOTUS PR

Mehreen Syed

DECEMBER 9-15 2012

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Kiren

Saima

Adeela

Saba

PHOTOS COURTESY LOTUS PR

Insignia hosts a lucky draw event in Lahore

Riwayat organises Pakistan Fashion Week 3 in London Hajira and Rana Noman

Zaheer, Maheen Khan and Nomi Ansari Humayun and Sam Dada

8 DECEMBER 9-15 2012

Alia

PHOTOS COURTESY ANASTASIA PR

Kiran, Adnan and Fauzia

DECEMBER 9-15 2012

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Anoushey Ashraf

Amna Ilyas

Mahi

10

Neelum DECEMBER 9-15 2012

Zainab Asif and Asif Bilwani

Noor

Rizwan Jaffri

Sana Mehak

PHOTOS COURTESY CATALYST PR

Bonanza introduces its winter collection 2012 in Karachi

DECEMBER 9-15 2012

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Komal

12

Abbas Jafri DECEMBER 9-15 2012

Kamran, Sobia and Esha

Hira Raza and Ahmed Raza

Sanam Chaudhri

Lamiya Taj

PHOTOS COURTESY J&S EVENTS

Shahzad Noor and Sana Sarfaraz

Nubain and Wardha Saleem

DECEMBER 9-15 2012

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Bridals off the rack launches at the multi-brand store, Feathers, in Karachi

Mehnaz

Saira Yousuf

Maha

Nazia Malik Sabeen and Uzma

31 Mehwish Ali 6 Nazia and Shahnawaz.JPG Malik.jpg Usman.jpg

Fatima and Ruby Shakeel

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Samar Mehdi DECEMBER 9-15 2012

Fauzia

PHOTOS COURTESY TAKE II

Ehtasham and Huma

DECEMBER 9-15 2012

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Mehreen

Rabiya

Ayesha Mustafa of Fashion Compassion launches her range of socially responsible bags in Lahore

Sara

Ayesha Salman

Nadia, Maryam and Mehr

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Amna and Naila DECEMBER 9-15 2012

Hina and Yasmin

PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR AND EVENTS

Misbah and Saba

DECEMBER 9-15 2012

COVER STORY

Believe it or not, mother nature may have left clues about what’s good for you!

BY ZAHRAH NASIR

20 DECEMBER 9-15 2012

Ancient beliefs, based on what is now often referred to as ‘intuitive science’, are making an unprecedented comeback and believers in the philosophy of ‘The Doctrine of Signatures’ are being taken more seriously than they have been for hundreds of years.

Sometimes called ‘Magia naturale’ or ‘Natural magic’ — the

doctrine of signatures may, to the uninitiated, sound like a heap

of hocus-pocus yet at the same time it does also make a whole

lot of sense. It has its roots in ancient times when healers, herb-

NATURAL MAGIC In natural magic, there is a theory that many natural objects — rocks, roots, plants, animal bones, etc — have a connection within them to some part of the human experience.

For example, a rose quartz is linked with love and matters of the heart, a piece of oak would take on the attributes of strength and sturdiness, and a sprig of sage is connected to wisdom and purification. In this form of magic, also called sympathetic magic, the link between items and their magical symbolism is referred to as the Doctrine of Signatures.

alists, and even magicians, associated the ‘signatures’ of herbs with parts of the human body. This philosophy states that herbs

that resemble various parts of the body can be used to treat ailments afflicting those particular parts.

These ‘signatures’ are based on colour, texture, shape, aroma

and the environment in which the herbs are cultivated. At first it is easy to dismiss the association between herbs and the body

parts they resemble as crazy, but if you look at the examples

around us, it becomes apparent that the philosophy may actually hold water. Take something as simple as a walnut. It looks

exactly like a miniature brain with a left and right hemisphere and upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums, and it has been scientifically proven that walnuts greatly assist brain development.

The ancient herbalists, who believed in the doctrine of signa-

tures, also recognised the intrinsic relationship between plants such as ginger and the digestive system. After all, ginger roots

resemble a stomach and it can be used to treat stomach ailments,

assist digestion and to prevent motion sickness. They also be-

lieved that figs, which are full of seeds and mostly grow in pairs, could be used to cure male sterility.

Under the doctrine of signatures it is not only the shape, co-

lour, texture, seed and leaf formation of herbs that help in discovering their healing properties but also their scent and the location in which they are cultivated.

Plants growing in or besides water are considered to be as-

improve our night-vision. While this is not completely true,

whilst those growing in muddy swamp-like conditions are con-

eyes, acting as a comprehensive vision toner and all-round eye

sociated with ‘wet’ diseases/illnesses such as coughs and colds

nected with mucous excretions in the respiratory and reproductive systems. Plants falling in the former category include vari-

ous species of mint, willow and verbena, which are widely used

the regular consumption of carrots increases blood flow to the

strengthener. In fact, a cross section of a carrot actually resembles a human eye.

Celery, that wonderfully crunchy salad delight, is quite similar

in cough and cold remedies. Eucalyptus and sunflowers, on the

to the shape of our bones and has long been used in both, inter-

them suitable for growing crops.

comes as no surprise therefore to learn that ancient wisdom in

other hand, are cultivated to dry out waterlogged areas to make Herbal treatments aside, the doctrine of signatures also in-

cludes a list of fruit and vegetables that, if added to one’s daily

diet, can cure or at the very least relieve a number of illnesses and complaints. Some of these might seem a little farfetched, while others are perfectly understandable and scientifically proven too.

We have long been told by our parents that eating carrots will

nal and external medicines, and poultices for bone ailments. It

associating the two was spot on: Bones contain 23% sodium and so does celery. If the body doesn’t receive enough sodium from

dietary sources then it uses up sodium from the bones. This can weaken them and leads to future problems including osteoporosis.

Kidney beans are shaped just like kidneys and, unsurpris-

(Continued on page 24)

DECEMBER 9-15 2012

21

DECEMBER 9-15 2012

DECEMBER 9-15 2012

COVER STORY Influence of doctrine of signature on Homeopathy: Homeopathy has often called upon the doctrine of signatures for finding potential herbs to use in its cures. Despite some rejecting it as a valid theory for classification of plants or their properties and uses in medicine, many homeopathic and other “natural” practitioners still use the concept today.

looking at a detailed portrait of the human ear. Mushrooms contain Vitamin D, which is necessary for bone health including all of those tiny bones in the ear which help transmit sound to the

brain. Similarly, the pancreas shaped sweet potatoes are known

to be useful in balancing the glycemic index of diabetic patients.

When it comes to pomegranates, things get a little more com-

ingly, a regular helping heals and helps maintain good kidney function. The case for those increasingly popular avocadoes is twofold. Firstly, the fruit takes exactly nine months to develop,

from flowering to harvesting, and secondly the ripe fruit is very similar in shape and form to a human womb. Making avocadoes

a regular part of the female diet helps to maintain hormonal bal-

ance, deters cervical cancer and speeds up weight loss after giv-

ing birth. That’s not the only female-friendly fruit either: olives

greatly resemble ovaries and it is scientifically proven that olives help balance ovarian health. Similarly, citrus fruits, which resemble mammary glands, are known to reduce the risk of breast

24

cancer.

Try cutting a mushroom in half and you will see that you are

DECEMBER 9-15 2012

plex. For some, the anaar resembles the heart, while for others, with its many seeds, it is closer to the female ovaries. Some even

say that, like the orange, it more closely resembles the mamma-

ry glands. They may all be right. According to the Chinese, who are also great believers in this theory, the blood-red colour and shape of the pomegranate indicates that it’s good for the heart.

Also, a report published in the January 1 issue of Cancer Prevention Research claimed that pomegranates contain compounds

that may prevent the spread of breast cancer. Finally, pomegranates are also very rich in iron, which is great for the health of the female reproductive system.

Now, although it is certainly not so easy to visualise bananas

as antidepressants, they do contain something called trypto-

phan which converts into serotonin, a naturally occurring mood-

The doctrine through the ages 1. The earliest known reference to the Doctrine of Signatures is in the writings of Galen (131-200 AD). He was a physician, writer, surgeon and philosopher who became the most famous doctor in the Roman Empire and whose theories dominated European medicine for 1,500 years.

2. The Doctrine was then revived in modern times by a Swiss physician, alchemist and philosopher named Paracelsus (14931541), who is also known by many as the father of modern chemistry. Paracelsus noted how the qualities of plants are often reflected in their appearance. He thus theorised that the inner nature of plants may be discovered by their outer forms or ‘signatures.’ He applied this principle to food as well as medicine, remarking that “it is not in the quantity of food but in its quality that resides the Spirit of Life.”

3. In the late 1600s it was revived after Jakob Bohme, a master shoemaker in the small town of Gorlitz, Germany, began writing on the subject. A religious man, Bohme suggested that God marked objects with a sign, or ‘signature’, for their purpose. A plant bearing parts that resembled human body parts, animals, or other objects were thought to have useful relevance to those parts, animals or objects.

The ‘signature’ may also be identified in the environments or specific sites in which plants grew.

lifting chemical in the brain. Is this why people who laugh at

just about everything are sometimes accused of ‘having gone bananas’?

Jokes aside, lets also take a look at the multi-layered onion

which, whether eaten raw or cooked, cleanses the body and

4. However, it was an avid student of Parcelsus, William Coles (1626-1662), a 17th century botanist and author of The Art of Simpling and Adam in Eden, who ultimately popularised this concept for practical medical applications. Coles found that walnuts were good for curing head ailments because “they have the perfect Signatures of the Head”.

the skin (also multi-layered) of impure elements. What’s more,

these eye-watering bulbs also keep the cook’s eyes clean by making him/her cry!

25 DECEMBER 9-15 2012

COVER STORY Chinese herbal medicine and the doctrine of signatures: Traditional Chinese medicine classified substances of potential medical use by correlating their appearance with human organs. For example, rhinoceros horn and deer antlers were considered useful in curing impotence and for enhancing male virility.

cessful at fighting off cancer cells than one that is in a weakened state due to unhealthy dietary regimes.

Cauliflower is another anti-lung cancer and healthy bronchial

tract food, as is broccoli. And yes, both of these vegetables resemble the bronchial tract and lungs. Their anti-carcinogenic action

is attributed to the carotenoids, flavinoids, folic acid and sulphur

compounds present in these, and other cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage. The fact that ancient practitioners of natural Grapes represent the alveoli of the lungs and medical science

Low calorie pumpkin, thanks to the presence of a multitude

confirms that eating lots of these ‘Health bombs’, which contain

of vitamins and minerals, is recognised as a great medicine for

lial cells lining the lungs and trachea. Regular consumption

loss diet. If that’s not enough for you, then also consider that it

high levels of reserveratrol, is highly beneficial for the epitheof grapes works to alleviate asthma and other bronchial com-

plaints. This goes double for black and red grapes. Additionally, eating grapes or drinking pure grape juice on an almost daily basis has been scientifically proven to neutralise carcinogenic sub-

curing an upset stomach and is also a healthy part of any weighthas beta carotene content and anti-carcinogenic properties. And of course, it’s also large, round and hollow, much like a stomach!

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is known as ‘paitha kaddu’ in Urdu.

And last, but never least is the incredible Ginseng root which

stances present in the body. The primary reason for this action

has been used in eastern Asia for millennia. It’s considered a

chemical) grapes contain which actively inhibit, and sometimes

the root itself looks like a miniature human being!

lies in the two different types of polyphenals (a type of organic

even destroy, cancer cells. These two polyphenals (anthrocyanins

cure-all, able to fix just about anything, and why not? After all,

So next time you head down to the grocery store, take this is-

and proanthrocyanins) have been noted to be especially effective

sue with you, and who knows? It just might save you a trip to the

cancers. Furthermore, the body’s immune system is strength-

*The suggestions in this article have been provided for your information. It is not intended

in preventing or dealing with lung, breast, liver and prostrate

26

magic were, somehow, aware of this, is simply amazing.

ened by the presence of bioflavinoids found in the skin of black

and red grapes. A ‘fully charged’ immune system is far more sucDECEMBER 9-15 2012

pharmacy!

to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your health care provider. The Express Tribune does not endorse any specific service or treatment.

DECEMBER 9-15 2012

FEATURE

words say it

all

Forget about the ‘writer’s block,’ says Musharraf Ali Farooqi. It’s the ‘idiot’s block’ you need to worry about!

BY AYEZA SUMSAM PHOTOS BY HUSSAIN DEWANI

There are two kinds of writers: those who make you think and those who make you wonder.

Musharraf Ali Farooqi is a little bit of both.

As a writer, he is atypical — effortlessly

shifting between languages and genres.

As a person, he’s charming and chival-

rous, making it a point to personally get our lattes from the counter as we sat down for this interview in a well-known cafe in Karachi, the city of ever-dimming lights.

Farooqi proved to be an easy-going in-

terview subject. Cooperative. Smooth. Not

overwhelming in his display of brilliance.

Right at the outset this Pakistani-Canadian writer, translator and journalist dismisses the phenomenon of the ‘writer’s block’. “It’s really just an ‘idiot’s block,’” says a smiling Farooqi.

The journey to arrive at his calling of being a writer took him through many a turning point

and milestone. After three years of drawing schematics and such, he dropped out of a presti-

gious engineering university in Karachi, hardly a year away from finally holding that rolled up engineering degree.

What made him take up engineering in the first place, given his natural inclinations? And

how did he muster the courage to drop it and follow his heart, at a time when literature and

humanities were not accorded even the slight acceptability and honour they are given today?

“In our times, if you were an engineer, a doctor or a teacher, it was taken for granted that you

had a bright future. Arts colleges were only meant for people who had immense financial security.”

In any case, even though it took three years of studying engineering for him to finally drop

28

out, he says that he had realised that this field did not suit his temperament after the first DECEMBER 9-15 2012

Aspiring writers should not look for praise. They need to write for themselves only and not for anyone else. They need to write for what they believe in.

one and a half years. It was never meant for

him. Once that realisation hit him, he knew that he must quit the dry and technical world of mechanics.

“My mother thought that now her son was

a ‘gone case’ and had no future whatsoever, let alone a bright one,” Farooqi says, smiling at the memory.

Though his recent works are all in English,

Urdu literature is a passion for him. A year after joining university, he started reading

Urdu literature avidly and was notably in-

spired by the contemporary Urdu poet Afzal Ahmed Syed, whose poetry was the first thing Farooqi translated into English.

Urdu humourists such as Muhammad Kha-

lid Akhtar, the author of the novel Chakiwara

Mein Wisal, and Shafiq-ur-Rehman inspired him to try his hand at satire. His very first

work in Urdu was a parody which he showed to Muhammad Khalid Akhtar for approval. From humour he moved on to Urdu language classics such as Tazkira-e-Ghausia and the Indo-Islamic epic Dastan-e-Amir Hamza, which he also later translated.

Farooqi’s very first book, Salar Jang’s Passion, was published in Canada, around 12 years ago. It

revolves around a wealthy elderly widower who is pursuing a ‘rapacious’ actress named Ma-

dame Firdousi. And all the while, a termite infestation is literally eating the town from the inside out.

His recent work Between Clay and Dust is a novel which revolves around the rather messy and

murky lives of a pehelwaan (wrestler) and a tawaaif (courtesan). The story is set in the pre-par-

tition era and throws a significant amount of light on the shared values and the common culture that exists, or once existed, between the Hindus and the Muslims.

What’s really interesting is that Farooqi never actually stepped into, or even laid eyes upon,

an actual akhaara while writing this book. Yet he somehow penned down an entire book on desi

wrestlers. When I ask him about this, he retorts smoothly by saying, “After writing the book, DECEMBER 9-15 2012

29

FEATURE I got a chance to set my eyes on an actual akhaara.

However, writing is simply a function of how

vivid and vast your imagination is and this is exactly how I effectively utilised it to paint the entire

picture.” He excitedly points out that many of his

readers find it incredibly hard to believe that this was a pure work of his imagination, as the depiction of the akhaara and its subsequent setting was so precise in nature. One can only wonder what

kept him away from the akhaara in the pre-writing process, as well as while he wrote it.

Between Clay and Dust has been long-listed for the

Man Asian Literary Prize 2012 and the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2013, but awards are not his

ultimate goal. “For me, awards are synonymous to lotteries,” he says dismissively.

One of the most attention-worthy things about

this writer is that he loves to shift back and forth between different genres. At one point, you will read his intellectual works such as Dastan-e-Amir

Hamza, whereas at another moment in time he is

My mother thought I was a ‘gone case’ and had no future whatsoever

working on children’s books.

Children’s literature is a joy for Farooqi. “Books

for children are fun to write and I love writing for children. The reason is that these young readers are very sincere in giving feedback,” he says.

Elaborating on this, he said that children’s response is evident

on the facial expressions that they exhibit when a paragraph out

of a just-published book is read out to them. If they like it, one

can instantly see the shimmer in their eyes. On the flip side, if

characters. Once there is agreement on that, Michelle selects the passages to be illustrated and begins her work.

When it comes to the local market for graphic novels, he feels

that the market has tons of potential to grow but only and only if it aims to achieve a reduction in the price level for such novels while simultaneously enhancing the quality of the publishing.

What valuable pieces of advice would this established writer

the book fails to capture their interest, one can see them yawn-

give to the aspiring writers out there? The answer is succinct:

for these youngsters and transform them into “intelligent read-

write for themselves only and not for anyone else. They need to

ing or looking away. This is what inspires Farooqi to write books ers.”

One of Farooqi ‘s recent works is the illustrated novel, Rabbit Rap:

A Fable for the 21st Century. A satirical story meant for young adult readers about a group of disaster-prone, self-destructive rabbits

who invite endless troubles because of their reckless ways, its various themes include politics, environment, corporate greed,

and feminism. The book is available in India, and will be available locally in late December.

His wife, Michelle Farooqi has illustrated this book and two

“The aspiring writers should not look for praise. They need to write for what they believe in.” Farooqi also feels that to check on the quality of one’s writing, one should look up to the ultimate

gurus of literature as role models. Benchmarking work with the work of the contemporary writers is a mistake that should not be made, he feels. A sense of balance is what Farooqi endorses.

He feels that the twenty-first century generation must have the courage to publish their work as well as to learn “not to rush through things.”

In his opinion, writers need to develop and continuously en-

other titles by Farooqi — Tik-Tik, The Master of Time which is Paki-

hance their ability to distinguish and draw a crystal clear line

story collection The Amazing Moustaches of Moochhander the Iron Man

writing that is shallow and writing that is deep. Exactly how

stan’s first in the English language novel for children, and the

and Other Stories. Michelle Farooqi is herself a visual artist and an

illustrator who recently showed her artwork at ArtChowk gal-

lery’s Portraiture group exhibit, which included her oil paintings

30

once the text is in hand, the two of them discuss the ‘look’ of the

and charcoal drawings.

Elaborating on their joint creative projects, Farooqi says that

DECEMBER 9-8 2012

between the ordinary work and the extra-ordinary one. Between that’s to be achieved is, of course, left unsaid.

• For Musharraf’s works: http://www.mafarooqi.com/ • For Michelle Farooqi’s work: (Link: http://www.artchowk.com/ Views/artists/artists_work.php?ArtistID=213)

FEATURE

the gentle

giant Some will do anything to remain anti-imperialist — even if it means siding with Bashar al Assad.

BY KETY SHAPAZIAN

When you think of Brazil, the first things that come to your mind are football, the feisty Carnival of thousands parading to the beats of samba, beautiful beaches and even more beautiful women.

Some may even be reminded of Lula — the former Brazilian president who was

once called “the man” by his North American counterpart, Barack Obama, for

his brazen everyman style (thanks to his frequent tirades against “western im-

perialism” to his refusal to honour Zionism to a conciliatory approach towards

Iran). Most recently, Brazil has been creating a buzz in the world financial mar-

ket with its booming economy. Riding on this wave of optimism, the fact that

the South American country will host, in less than two years, the Fifa World Cup, and in 2016 the Olympic Games, adds a ‘cherry on top of the cake’ for the upbeat Brazilians.

With so many things going on — and so well — for the country, the state of

Brazil has been cautious, perhaps understandably so, in designing its foreign policy and reacting to geopolitical affairs in the Middle East. Brazil’s foreign policy regarding the Arab Spring, especially Syria, has been, at best, muted.

But this is where foreign policy analysts are sceptical of the wisdom of this

stance: if Brazil wants to shed its ‘developing country status’ and beat other BRIC

countries in achieving a ‘world superpower’ status, it will have to be more visible and outspoken in international affairs, particularly those of the Middle East.

When the Arab Spring began in December 2010, Brazil may not have gauged

the gravity of the situation in the region, and failed to condemn dictators like Muammar Qaddafi in Libya, or Hosni Mubarak in Egypt.

“The foreign ministry of Brazil stumbled badly,” Marcelo Coutinho, a profes-

sor of International Relations at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, wrote for an influential local newspaper a couple of months back. “In a hundred years,

the history books will speak of events that changed a core part of the world. Bra-

34

zil will appear in a footnote on the wrong side of these transformations.”

President Dilma Rousseff, who assumed office in January 2011, has strongly

DECEMBER 9-15 2012

Ironically, a considerable number of leftists who once fought against their own oppressive military dictatorship, support the Syrian regime. They view Assad as “anti-imperialist”, a better option than Nato, specifically the US and the United Kingdom held on to the principle of non-intervention, whether it was in

UN Security Council, has occasionally cast itself as a mediator in

or Assad bombarding cities across Syria. She seems to have taken

Iran’s nuclear crisis in 2010, for example. Of course, the Obama

the wake of Qaddafi threatening to wipe Benghazi from the map

a more conservative approach to foreign policy matters than her

outspoken predecessor Lula. Speaking at the opening session of the 67th United Nations General Assembly meeting in September, Dilma reiterated that the solution to the Syrian crisis could

never be a military one, but “had to be negotiated and achieved

through peaceful means.” She blamed the thousands of deaths over the 20 months of conflict on both the Syrian government

the Middle East, attempting to help find a diplomatic solution to administration was not thrilled by the Iran-Turkey-Brazil deal back then and has been disappointed with Brazil’s response to

the Arab Spring so far. But last October, the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, after a meeting in Washington DC with Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota, said, “Brazil’s involvement in a peace process in Syria is welcome.”

But what Brazil hopes to achieve through negotiations — a

and the opposition.

long-lasting peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis — seems far-

ia, much less side with western powers looking to remove Assad

mained abysmal even at the time of the four-day truce around

Clearly, Brazil did not want to take a categorical stance on Syr-

from power. Whoever follows the Syrian conflict closely knows that blaming both sides for the deaths is inaccurate, and the onus for the slaughter of the Syrian people lies with Assad.

Brazil, which aspires to become a permanent member of the

President Dilma seems to have taken a more conservative approach to foreign policy than her outspoken predecessor Lula.

“In a 100 yrs, history books will speak of events that changed a core part of the world. Brazil will appear in a footnote on the wrong side of these transformations,” says IR professor Coutinho

fetched at the moment. The situation on the Syrian ground rethe Islamic festival of Eidul Azha, with nearly 150 people dead on the first day. According to the Local Coordination Committee, a

network of local groups organising and reporting protests as part of the Syrian uprising, the regime’s army violated the ceasefire 1,455 times.

Ironically, a considerable number of leftists belonging to the

ruling party, intellectuals, syndicate directors, student movements, and even congressmen, who once fought against their

own oppressive military dictatorship (1961-1985), support the Syrian regime. They view Assad as “anti-imperialist”, a better option than Nato, specifically the US and the United Kingdom.

But the non-interventionist stance or pro-Assad bent is not

shared by all in Brazil. Clóvis Rossi, a famous Brazilian columnist who often writes about the atrocities committed by the Syrian regime and the lack of sympathy from Dilma’s administration regarding these, wrote, “For the Brazilian democracy, today and always, we have nothing to do with the killings in Syria. I disagree: what affects humankind, in Syria or Brazil, affects me too, it is my business.”

According to Aldo Cordeiro Sauda, a political scientist, trying

to justify the unjustifiable under the pretext of respecting Syr-

ia’s right to sovereignty, the so-called anti-imperialists “pretend

they don’t see the Russian military bases on the Syrian beaches where billions of dollars in arms sent by Moscow are unloaded.”

“They even go beyond by presenting Assad as an anti-Zionist DECEMBER 9-15 2012

35

FEATURE

It would serve Brazil well to heed to the sentiments of the large Arab community.

Many have attained positions of power, like Gilberto Kassab (outgoing mayor of São Paulo), Fernando Haddad (mayorelect) and Paulo Maluf (famous politician) Fernando Haddad

Gilberto Kassab

Paulo Maluf is almost cowardice. Even with all this killing, the government

doesn’t assume a more energetic posture towards the Syrian regime,” he says angrily.

Rahme is among the first generation born in Brazil, to a fam-

ily that migrated from Yabroud, some 80 kilometres from Da-

mascus, in the 1920s. But he has strong views about the state of affairs in Syria, and fears that a religious war between Sunnis, Shias and Alawites might erupt if the Assad regime falls, or worse, the state could fall into the hands of Islamists. “That would be a catastrophe,” he says.

But this in no way means that Rahme is a supporter of Assad.

“He is going to finish like Qaddafi,” predicts the doctor, referring

to the unceremonious end of the Libyan leader who was killed after being caught in a sewage pipe near the town of Sirte.

“could sit down and talk,” something very unlikely to happen at

For its own domestic order, it would serve the Brazilian gov-

ied in London,” he says. “But all this background didn’t do him

gime the Syrian borders were the safest ever to Israel,” he says.

ernment well to heed to the sentiments of the large Arab community, which is estimated to be somewhere between seven and

12 million in number, while formulating its foreign policy with

this point in the conflict. “The man [Assad] is a doctor, he studany good. He is just really dumb, willing to kill everyone to stay in power. Everyone hates him now.”

Not an enviable position to be in, the Brazilian government is

regards to the Middle East. Their numbers have been steadily

caught between radical left-wingers calling for non-cooperation

Middle East, particularly Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine since

it to outrightly condemn the Syrian bloodbath. On top of that,

growing due to the continuous influx of immigrants from the

the 19th century. And many of these immigrants have attained positions of power, like Gilberto Kassab (outgoing mayor of São Paulo), Fernando Haddad (mayor-elect) and Paulo Maluf (famous politician) to name but a few.

Samir Rahme, 55, a Syrian-origin doctor based in São Paulo,

36

Dead against any military intervention, he wishes everyone

hero. Doing this, they conveniently forget that under Assad’s re-

is vexed at his government’s response, or the lack thereof, to the Assad regime’s atrocities. “Brazil’s inaction towards Syria DECEMBER 9-15 2012

with Nato over Syria and a segment of the population that wants

the pressure to prove itself as an important international player

keeps on intensifying as the civil war in Syria drags on and the body count mounts.

It seems President Dilma’s non-interventionist stance will not

work for long.

Kety Shapazian is a Brazilian journalist based in São Paulo where she works for Diário do Comércio.

TRAVEL

it’s the journey, not the destination Out in the mountains, there are some contingencies that one just cannot plan. A group of four trekkers, who were forced to turn from halfway, learnt that the hard way after a 735 rupee bottle of Coke in unexpectedly harsh climate. Two of them share their story.

BY RAHAT LATIF AND DANIYAH SEHAR PHOTOS BY DANIYAH SEHAR

Those who dream by night, in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake up in the day to find out that it was illusion. But the dreamers of the day I talk about are three thrill-seeking men and a woman, for when they opened their eyes, they acted upon their dream and made it possible.

Our dream was to trek to the Hushe village, beyond Gondogoro

La — which at a towering 5,940 metres is one of the world’s highest mountain passes — and we chose the most unconventional

did they know that having a woman leader is a blessing, because our leader did not feel the need to go ahead with something potentially dangerous just to prove a point and would think every

decision through. As thrilling as it is, trekking can also be lifethreatening and the kind of leader in whose hands you would want to put your life, should be one who doesn’t believe in unnecessary risks.

In July 2011, our group of four was ready to go. We chalked out

route to do so.

our daring plan for the next seven days, gathered our resources,

ed the path less travelled that would take us to the pass in the

detour!

True to the spirit of people possessed by their dreams, we tread-

shortest possible time. It took us seven days via Skardu, instead

pulled up our socks and, anti-climactically, ended up taking a We could have taken a 55-minute plane ride from Islamabad

of the usual 10 days via the Concordia route, to reach our destina-

to Skardu instead of wasting a-day-and-a-half on the Karakoram

second-highest point on earth — the magnificent K2 — which is

airline that flies to Skardu, the flight was cancelled and we end-

tion. It is the point where we would be able to get a view of the not visible from any other point.

The road to one’s dreams is never easy and it took us one full

Highway but thanks to Pakistan International Airlines, the only ed up going by road.

Already a little behind on our schedule, we decided to relax

year to plan out ours. Most of our colleagues from the trekking

our muscles for a day in Skardu, where the 1,982-metre height

came from our choice of route but we could tell that that wasn’t

for some serious physical exhaustion in the coming days so we

community told us not to do it. They said their apprehension their only worry: a woman was heading the trek and most of

them considered that to be a disadvantage to the team. Little

difference from Islamabad was a welcome change. We were in thought it best to get some rest.

With mounds of luggage packed and loaded on to jeeps, the DECEMBER 9-15 2012

37

TRAVEL four of us and our guides and porters set off for Hushe, the high-

the shadows of Masherbrum.

metres, located 140 kilometres east of Skardu.

goro Glacier. There were no footsteps from previous trespassers,

on Askoly Road that leads to Askoly and then, through the Bal-

fully, we scrambled through the glacial surface, fighting fears

est valley of the Ghangche district of northern Pakistan at 3,050

Then we faced a steep descent to what is known as the Gondo-

We were the only Pakistani group headed in the other direction

toro Glacier, onto Concordia, where four of the world’s 14 ‘Eight-

which is not surprising given that there is no trail at all. Careof continuous rock falls. It took us 35 minutes to cross the glacier

thousanders’ (peaks higher than 8,000m) are located.

and another hour to reach the lush green campsite of “Field of

We were close to both our destinations now — the Gondogoro

Flowers” Dalsangpa (4,150m).

La, which connected Concordia and upper Baltoro to Hushe val-

Close by stood the Masherbrum Pass, notorious for being so

ley, and then the valley itself.

difficult that it has been climbed only a couple of times. If there

Given the extremely low temperature, we decided to stop laughing, talking, eating or even moving around too much because any air that we exhaled would turn into snow powder almost instantly!

Enroute to Hushe, we drove through sand dunes and crossed

the Shigar valley to enter Khaplu, which used to be a geographically significant kingdom of Polulu in ancient times. Our jeeps

climbed up to 3,250m that day via Kande and Nangma valleys

(notable for Amin Brakk and Iqbal Top) and dropped us to the ever-smiling Hushe village which is the home to Masherbrum, the world’s 22nd highest peak.

tation, the two to three roars of avalanches we heard along the pass during our overnight stay answered them all.

Thankfully, we did not have to cross the pass, and that thought

probably helped us sleep for a few hours without too many nightmares.

From Dalsangpa onwards, one begins to easily feel the “para-

The next morning we finally began the trek that had taken

noia of 4,000 m” and all of us were feeling that when we restart-

“Queen of the Peaks” Mount Masherbrun (K1), we reached a

the stage for the next two-and-a-half-days when we didn’t see

such extensive planning. Taking in the glorious views of the point known as Saitcho (3,600m) which is a sort-of base camp for the Hushe Valley trek.

ed our trek at 4 am the next day. It was still quite dark and it set any sun at all.

The further we hiked, along with the sunlight all colours de-

At Saitcho, we saw the breathtaking Namika (6,325m) and

serted us as well. We had stepped into the kingdom of wilder-

valleys and the Masherbrum mountains. From here on, we hiked

with the Masherbrum Pass in the background. We kept on walk-

Baltistan K6 (7,292m) and K7 (6,934m) peaks of Hushe and Shyok

38

were questions in our minds about why the pass had such a repu-

continuously to Gondogoro campsite (3,853m) and Golong under DECEMBER 9-15 2012

ness, emptiness and rock-ice. There were glaciers everywhere ing, tripping and slipping on our way, across the moraine and

glacial debris.

cally changing weather conditions. Visibility was zero and it was

walked and the icy haze just kept becoming more and more

Given the conditions, we even wondered if we should we post-

It felt as if the temperature was falling with every metre we

dense, forcing us to put on all our layers of inner and outerwear.

We were amazed at the drop in temperature, as our research had

tough to see any of the high mountains surrounding Khuspang. pone our plan.

To arrive at a final decision, we approached a member of the

shown that the area does not experience such extreme weather

Gondogoro Rescue Team who updated us through radio com-

After crossing many a hidden crevasse and jumping over wide

Gondogoro La trek from the Concordian side via the Ali Camp had

during the month of July.

glacial spaces, we were ready to take a break and treated ourselves to our life’s most expensive 1.5-litre bottle of Coke. Yes, Coke is

available in the middle of the mountains — albeit at a whopping

munication that due to the bad weather, a team attempting the

gotten stuck some hours ago. It was nearly impossible even to attempt Gondogoro La from either side, he told us.

Slightly discouraged, we decided that we would make another

price of Rs735 and that too for an expired one — at a small shop

attempt only if the weather would be clear the next day. Hoping

drinks were expired as well, we paid up.

ke din chotay sahi” to drown out the scary sound of avalanches.

of the rescue team. Pressed for an option, as all other available As we moved towards Khuspang, the gorgeous Laila Peak was

to get some sleep, we played Kishore Kumar’s timeless “Jeevan Luck, however, was not on our side and we were in for an un-

in the background. During normal weather conditions, the peak

pleasant surprise the next morning. As we expectantly unzipped

every rock that we tried to lean against to relax and take in the

site was completely inundated with snow almost a foot deep. In

can be viewed easily, but given the harsh climate we were facing,

view was too frozen to allow us even a moment of rest. The con-

tinuous rain wasn’t helping our cause either. Eventually, robed like Eskimos and with aching limbs, we finally found our way to the Khuspang campsite.

our tents and looked out, we were stunned to see that the camp-

that pristine view of white everywhere, we saw nature in all its ferocity; Laila Peak was veiled in white and Fairy Castle Peak hid itself in a patch of dark clouds.

Never in history had Khuspang experienced such heavy snow-

Khuspang, which is the last camping ground before the gate-

fall in the peak of the summer season and no trekker whose ac-

Gods”, was covered in pitch-dark clouds and thick mist. By eve-

us, however, it was the last nail in the coffin for our plans of trek-

way to Concordia known as the “Throne Room of the Mountain ning, raindrops had transformed into bits of snow and the tem-

perature, which had remained consistently cold until then, dropped suddenly to -14 degrees Celsius. Given the extremely

count is available has ever seen Khuspang covered in snow. For king towards Gondogoro La as the weather reports for the next few days were even worse.

With heavy hearts, we bade goodbye to the one that had haunt-

low temperature, we decided to stop laughing, talking, eating or

ed our dreams for many a nights. Our wish to see K2 from atop

would turn into snow powder almost instantly!

in that failure, we felt the divine presence and bowed our heads.

even moving around too much because any air that we exhaled The next day, however, we woke up determined to acclimatise

ourselves to the altitude and weather conditions regardless of

the Gondogoro La would have to be fulfilled another time, and Each one of us was having a personal conversation with God.

If the farewell ritual was emotional, the return to Hushe was

how severe they got. Our plan was to leave Khuspang at 9 pm

even more dramatic. Covering almost two stages a day, we re-

top of Gondogoro La.

its limitations but the human spirit is invincible. We had learnt

and, over the next 10 to 12 hours, hike up roughly 1,200m to the Our technical gear, like crampons, was out and being fixed

onto our boots. But all of us were quite worried about the drasti-

turned to Skardu and proved that the human body might have that courage doesn’t always roar; sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow”.

DECEMBER 9-15 2012

39

REVIEW

can’t just have one slice

BY NOMAN ANSARI

Director Ang Lee’s Life of Pi is like magic, a hypnotic reminder of why we go to cinemas. Based on Yann Martel’s fantasy/adventure novel, this is a magnificent-looking film, which features the best 3D effects on screen since James Cameron’s Avatar (2009). But unlike Avatar, which featured life on another planet, Life of Pi vividly paints the beauty of life on our own. The film is also a sublime achievement in terms of spirituality, and is likely to touch a deep chord with its moving narrative.

Piscine Molitor “Pi” Patel is the Canadian immigrant from India whose eventful life the film explores. The film begins with an older Pi, played in a fine performance by Irfan Khan, who narrates his remarkable tale in an interview with a writer looking for inspiration. He begins with what it was like to grow up in Pondicherry, India, with a family that ran a zoo (complete with the amusing tale of how he was named after a French swimming pool) and the touching story of him following Hinduism, Catholicism, and Islam at the age of 12.

Heartening here is Ang Lee’s sweet and simple observation of India, without spicing it up with an exploitation of the country’s ills (I am looking at you Slumdog Millionaire). The characters of the nation are shown to be folk living out their lives with normalcy, rather than thieving, begging, hyper-emotional people who break dance their way through existence.

At this point the film’s other main character, Richard Parker, is introduced who happens to be a brutal Bengal tiger, with whom Pi develops a foolishly romantic fascination. Pi’s father (Adil Hussain) has to be a bit brutal himself to display Richard Parker’s vicious predatory nature to his son, so that Pi isn’t maimed in his effort to change the tiger’s stripes.

Sixteen-year-old Pi’s tale goes wild when his family decides to move to Canada, travelling with all their zoo animals on a cargo ship.

After a terrible storm, shown through absolutely stunning visuals, Pi (Suraj Sharma) is left stranded, floating for 227 days on a lifeboat, alongside Richard Parker. In the vast Pacific Ocean, Pi battles thirst, hunger, faithlessness, scary sea creatures, as well as a rather grumpy animal companion.

This haunting vastness of the ocean is enhanced by the amazing 3D work in the film, which creates an extraordinary depth of field.

Often the lifeboat is shown as a speckle in the surrounding water, lending an air of believable hopelessness to the situation of the survivors, while at the same time presenting nature’s beauty in all its splendour. Some of the scenes are extraordinary to look at, especially those involving marine life in visually intoxicating colors.

The Computer-generated imagery is also spectacular. Without giving away too much, one scene is incredible in particular, in which 40 you see the eye of the tiger meeting the eye of the storm.

DECEMBER 9-15 2012

Speaking of tigers, Ang Lee in these scenes finds real beauty in Pi’s relationship with the beast. Richard Parker is realistically portrayed, always remaining true to his killer instincts, yet eventually respecting the need to coexist with Pi, since both depend on each other for survival. The scenes involving the two are quite powerful, and moved me, like the film’s on-screen protagonist, to tears.

The sixteen year old Pi is played with amazing emotional depth

by Suraj Sharma as a naïve boy who, by circumstance, is forced into the wisdom of manhood. What is more amazing is that Suraj had no prior acting experience, and that the young philosophy student from New Delhi had only auditioned after being baited by a free meal (like a hungry tiger lured by fish meat). I suppose it is only fitting that Suraj’s story, like the Life of Pi, is more than a little mystical.

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42 DECEMBER 9-15 2012