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Your Proofness: Sarah Munir Master Storyteller: Nudrat Kamal Your Proofness: Sarah Munir Creativity Analysts: Jamal Khurshid, Master Storyteller: Nudrat Kamal Essa Malik, Talha Ahmed Khan, Munira Abbas, Omer Creativity Analysts: Jamal Khurshid, EssaAsim, Malik, Mohsin Ali, Aamir Khan and Umar Talha Ahmed Khan, Munira Abbas,Waqas Omer Asim, Mohsin Ali, Aamir Khan and Umar Waqas
All about the Amazon forest xxxx PAGE 2-3
wonders of of wonders the amazon jungle the Are mermaids real? xxxx PAGE 4
Malala makes us proud xxx PAGE 6
The perfect present xxx PAGE 8
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 14, 2014
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Forests are strange places – fascinating and mysterious at the same time. They are homes to both terrifying and beautiful creatures. One of such forests is the Amazon forest, the world’s largest and most biodiverse rainforest in the world. The Amazon rainforest is situated in South America. It covers an area of over five and a half million square kilometres and spans across eight countries – Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. The Amazon forest is home to over two and a half million different species of insects, more than 40,000 varieties of plants, 1,500 bird species and 2,000 fish species. It is also one of the most mysterious forests of all time, and there are many myths and legends surrounding it – from the legendary Amazon warriors the forest is named after to the mythical creatures that are said to haunt and guard the forest.
Where is the Amazon forest? The Amazon forest is found on the Amazon Basin, the area where the second largest river in the world, the Amazon River, and its many tributaries all join together and connect to the Atlantic Ocean. Although tribes of people have lived in and around the Amazon forest for centuries, these people were cut off from the rest of the world so the world at large didn’t know the Amazon forest existed until two men decided to go in search of El Dorado, the mythical city of gold. Gonzalo Pizzaro and Fransisco de Orellana were two men from Spain who went on an expedition in 1541 to explore South America and finally find the city of gold that people had been fantasising about for centuries. Of course, they didn’t really find El Dorado, but they stumbled upon the Amazon River and the great forest that surrounds it.
Why the name Amazon? When the two men stumbled upon the Amazon River (which was at that time unnamed), they were ambushed by a tribe of fierce women warriors. These women warriors reminded Gonzalo and Fransisco of the Greek myth of the Amazons, a nation of all-female warriors. In honour of these warriors, they named the entire river the Amazonas, which later became the Amazon. Later, by its association with this river, the forest was also named the Amazon forest. So who were these mythical Amazons and were they real? In Greek mythology, the Amazons were a nation of all-female warriors that were ruled by the queen sisters Penthesilea and Hippolyta. They married the men of neighbouring tribes, kept the baby girls and gave away the baby boys to their fathers, ensuring that their nation remained girls-only. But many historians argue that the Amazons aren’t just a figment of the Greek imagination – Herodotus, a fifth century BC historian, said that the Amazons were real people who lived on the coast of the Black Sea in an area that is now part of Turkey. Whether they are real or not, the Amazon warriors have remained a fascinating part of the world’s pop culture. For example, the superhero Wonder Woman is an Amazonian princess.
Weirdest creatures of the Amazon Electric eel: Dwelling in murky rivers, the electric eel strikes with hundreds of volts that can stun a human. Deaths attributed to this animal are most likely from drowning when the paralysed victim is unable to swim. The eel uses its ‘power’ to kill prey and to navigate in poor visibility. It produces jolts of electricity from specialised cells called electrocytes arranged down their flanks.
Jesus lizard: When fleeing from predators, this reptile runs along the surface of water such as a pond or stream. The lizard reaches about five miles per hour this way. It propels itself along on the water, using surface tension to briefly support its weight.
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 14, 2014
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Glass frog: The glass frog’s flesh is entirely transparent, allowing you to see the internal organs, including the heart pumping away. The flesh thus takes on the hue of surrounding vegetation, making the frog hard to see.
Vampire fish: Although their actual name is the Payara, their nickname is closer to describing its personality. They are absolutely ferocious predators, capable e of devouring fish up to half their own bodyy size. They get their name from the two tusks that sprout from their lower jaw, which can grow up to 15 centimetres long and which they use to literally impale theirr prey after viciously lunging at them.
Pink river dolphin: Pink river dolphins are only found in the Amazon, and given their unusual appearance and intelligence, there’s a whole slew of legends associated with them. One such legend tells of Bufeo Colorado, a pink dolphin who shape-shifts into an attractive fisherman. He uses his charm to lure girls. The only way to break his power is to fool him into running out the doorway of a high, stilted house, which will cause him to fall to the ground and transform back into a dolphin.
Fascinating Facts about the Amazon Forest Due to the thickness of the canopy (the top branches and leaves of the trees), the Amazon floor is in permanent darkness. Only less than 1% of the available sunlight makes it through to the floor. In fact, the canopy is so thick that when it rains, it takes around 10 minutes for the water to reach the ground, so if it was raining, you wouldn’t even get wet for 10 minutes.
This area of immense natural beauty is sometimes referred to as ‘the lungs of the earth’. This is because the rich vegetation takes carbon dioxide out of the air, and releases oxygen back in. In fact, more than 20% of the world’s oxygen is produced by the Amazon.
In 2007, a man named Martin Strel swam the entire length of the Amazon river! To complete his splashing jungle journey, Martin powered through the water up to 10 hours a day for 66 days.
Around 400-500 indigenous Amerindian tribes live in the Amazon rainforest. It is believed that about 50 of these tribes have never had contact with the outside world.
Most of our food originally comes from the rainforests of the Amazon. These include bananas, black pepper, coffee, corn, pineapple, rice, tomatoes, and most importantly, chocolate!
What would you like to see in Hi Five? Send an email to hifive@tribune.com.pk and let us know!
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 14, 2014
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Fun facts about the brain Your brain keeps developing until you’re in your late 40s.
What is an insect’s favourite sport? Cricket.
New brain connections are created every time you form a new memory. There’s a virus that attacks human DNA and makes people less intelligent. Your brain uses 20% of the total oxygen and blood in your body.
Why did the lion spit out the clown? Because he tasted funny.
When awake, the human brain produces enough electricity to power a small lightbulb. The pathologist who did the autopsy on Albert Einstein stole his brain and kept it in a jar for 20 years.
If fruit comes from a fruit tree, where does chicken come from? A poul-tree.
60% of your brain is made up of fat. According to scientists, dieting could potentially force your brain to eat itself. The smell of chocolate increases theta brain waves, which trigger relaxation.
What do you call a cow that plays a musical instrument? A Moo-sician.
Forgetting is good for your brain. Deleting unnecessary information helps the nervous system retain its plasticity which helps it work properly. Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia is the scientific name for brain freeze (what happens when you eat too much ice cream at once).
What did the dinosaur say after the car crash? I’m-so-saurus.
The idea that some people are left-brained and some right-brained is a myth. Both sides of the brain work together. When you learn something new, the structure of your brain changes.
Did you know? Are mermaids real? Myths and legends about mermaids and mermen have been around since the dawn of mankind. This is probably due to the fact that the ocean is a vast and mysterious place, so it makes sense that it would be home to fascinating creatures like merpeople. Another factor is the fascination humans have for half-human, half-animal legends – such legends have captured our imagination for centuries, from vampires and werewolves to centaurs and sphinxes. But merpeople are different because they are the only such legends that live in the sea. The oldest example of a merperson in human culture was the Babylonian fish-god Era who was depicted in pictures in 2000 BC. Era had the head of a bearded man but from the waist down he had the shape of a fish. Then there was the Greek mythology god Triton (fans of Disney’s The Little Mermaid will remember him as Ariel’s overly strict father). Even some modern religions like Hinduism worship mermaid goddesses to this day. The fact that the legend of mermaids and mermen exist in cultures all around the world raise the question: how did all of humanity collectively come up with this legend in different parts of the world? Is it because these legends are based on truth? Hundreds of years ago, sailors and residents in coastal towns around the world recounted encounters with sea-maidens. There were stories that mermaids lured sailors and pirates to their deaths by convincing them to come join them in the water where they would promptly drown. But could there be a scientific basis for any of the mermaid stories? Some researchers believe that sightings of human-size ocean animals, such as manatees and dugongs, might have inspired merfolk legends. These animals have a flat tail and two flippers that resemble stubby arms — traits that may make them resemble merfolk.
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 14, 2014
Get your weekly dose of the unusual and funny news from across the globe!
Monument of love Hundreds of years ago, one man built the ultimate monument of love for his wife. The man was Shah Jahan, a Mughal emperor and so, understandably, his monument was of epic proportions. The Taj Mahal, dedicated to the memory of his wife Mumtaz, was built in 1648 and is a great white marble mausoleum in India. Today, another man in India has built a monument to honour the memory of his wife – a monument less grand in stature but not less in sentiment. Faizul Hasan Qadri is 79 now. He and his wife, Tajammuli, were married when they were teenagers, and were together for 58 years. Three years ago, she died. Now, what keeps him going is the monument he is building in Tajammuli’s memory. The central building has a rounded ceiling and archways, echoing the architecture of the longgone Mughal kings who once ruled India. Four towers are on the building’s perimetre. It is Tajammuli’s tomb. After she died, Qadri sold her small pieces of jewelry and some family farmland. He added everything he’d saved over the years and started building. People have offered to help in the construction, but he says no. “It is a proof of love. I have to do it on my own.” AP
Arctic weather man Yacheslav Korotki is a man of extreme solitude. He is a trained polyarnik, a specialist in the polar north, and a meteorologist. Polyarnik was the name given to explorers employed by the Soviet State (now Russia). Today there are very few polyarniks in the world, because not many people can live a life of such solitude. In the past 30 years, Korotki has lived on Russian ships and, more recently, in Khodovarikha, which is an Arctic outpost, where he was sent by the Russian state to measure the temperatures, snowfall and winds. The outpost lies on the tip of a peninsula jutting out into the sea. There is no other building for hundreds of miles, and no other person. The closest town, by any definition, is an hour away by helicopter. Korotki is 63, and when he began his career he was passionate about the open spaces and the conditions of the Arctic. Evgenia Arbugaeva, a photographer who grew up in the Arctic town of Tiksi, spent two extended stays with Korotki. “He doesn’t get lonely at all. He kind of disappears into tundra, into the snowstorms. It’s as if he were the wind, or the weather itself.” NEWYORKER.COM
World wide weird
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Floating graffiti
Odeith, an extraordinarily talented street artist based in Lisbon, Portugal, creates incredible works of street art that will fool you into thinking that they’re floating 3D sculptures. His mastery of anamorphic art and perspective is truly mind-boggling (anamorphic art is art that is distorted in such a way that you have to view the image from a particular perspective for it to make sense). From 1999 to 2008 Odeith owned and operated a tattoo studio. However he has, since then, returned to spray painting, doing large-scale graffiti murals personally and for major brands. When viewed from a specific vantage point the artwork comes to life and seems to leap off the walls. Although graffiti is still illegal in many countries, the emergence of graffiti artists like Odeith have created a discussion among public law enforcement agencies and the art world about how these artists should display their creations to the public. Odeith puts up pictures of his art on his website, Facebook and Instagram. BOREDPANDA.COM
Bald Cinderella Before five-year-old Isabella Harvey was diagnosed with leukemia, she loved Disney princesses and playing with her four brothers and sisters. But after she got sick, cancer took over her life, Isabella’s mother, Pina Harvey told BuzzFeed News. “Now that she’s five, she’s insecure about losing her hair. It’s hard for her. She always wears a hat and never takes it off in public.” To find a way to cheer up her daughter, she reached out to photographer Alana Hubbard, of Mother Hubbard Photography. Alana, a lifelong Disney fan herself, partnered with Bella Princess and specialises in taking princess-themed photo shoots. Together they organised a fundraiser and photo-shoot for Isabella. Because of Isabella’s condition, which caused her to lose her hair again, Hubbard decided to surprise the five-year-old by asking the woman playing Cinderella to wear a bald cap. Isabella had no idea, and was nervous about the photo shoot, telling her mom she didn’t want to take her hat off. But that changed when she saw the bald Cinderella. “When Cinderella came into the room and Isabella saw she didn’t have any hair, her face was priceless,” Pina said. BUZZFEED.COM
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 14, 2014
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Making Us Proud December 10, 2014 was a historic day for Pakistan and for its children. It was the day when Malala Yousufzai became the world’s youngest winner of the Nobel peace prize award. The Nobel peace prize is a global award that has, since 1901, been awarded to people who are working to promote peace in the world. Malala is a 17-year-old Pashtun girl from Swat Valley who has been raising her voice for a very important cause – every child should be able to go to school. Malala was an ordinary girl living in a village in Swat: she used to fight with her little brothers, play with her friends, and go to school every day. Then when she was ten years old the Taliban gained control over the area and destroyed over 400 schools. They stopped girls from going to school. But Malala didn’t give up. With the support of her parents, she still went to school every day. She even started writing an online diary for the BBC about her life in Swat and the struggles she and girls Malala Yousufzai like her faced there, even though she knew this could put her life in danger. Then one day, a gunman entered giving her ac Nobe b l peace prize ce ceptance speech h at the remony. PHOTO: her school van and asked for her by her name. He shot her in the head, injuring two other girls in the process. REUTERS Miraculously, Malala survived, and since then, she has become a champion for girls’ education in Pakistan and all around the world. More than half of all children in Pakistan don’t go to school, because of poverty, war and injustice. Malala wants to change that. When she received the Nobel peace prize, she said in her acceptance speech, “This award is not just for me. It is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those frightened children who want peace.” She said that she wants to start building schools everywhere in Pakistan, starting with her village in Swat which does not have any secondary school for girls. Malala has faced great danger and even braved comments from people who inexplicably think her message is wrong. But she has still persevered and stood up for something nobody can ever argue with: that every child deserves to go to school and get an education.
Lesser Known Animated Films Worth Watching If you try and recall the animated films of the last couple of years (Frozen, Brave, How to Train Your Dragon 2), you would think that the only animated studios that exist in the world are Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks. But the world is huge, and there are lots of wonderful animated films that have been produced by animated studios of different countries, from France to Japan to Iran. These lesser known films have different styles of animation, unique stories and unconventional characters. Here are some of such animated films that you don’t want to miss: Kiki’s Delivery Service Kiki is a 13-year-old witch who has just reached a turning point in life. At 13, witches traditionally leave their homes and live independently for a year to hone their magic skills. Kiki takes her pet cat Gigi and flies on her broomstick to a new city where she has to live by herself. Kiki finds work as a delivery girl in a bakery in exchange for accommodation, and makes new friends. But living alone is hard and Kiki goes through a bad spell, losing her flying abilities in the process. Can Kiki regain her magical powers and complete her training? Watch Kiki’s Delivery Service, made by the famous Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki to find out. The Book of Life The Book of Life is the story of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his own heart. While he is deciding, he visits a museum where a woman is telling children about the Book of Life, a book that contains every story in the world. Manolo finds himself in a town inside a story, from where he embarks on an incredible adventure that spans three fantastical worlds where he must face his greatest fears. He will go to the Land of the Remembered and the Land of the Forgotten, and encounter strange and fascinating things. Watch the Mexican-American film The Book of Life to accompany Manolo on his incredible journey.
Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart Little Jack is born in 1874, on a day so cold that his heart remains frozen and doesn’t start beating. Madeleine the midwife finds a way to save him by replacing his heart with a cuckoo-clock. It will work, as long as Jack follows the rules. He must not get angry or excited because that might cause the clock to stop working. And when he grows up, he must not fall in love. But his encounter with a fiery-eyed girl singing on a street corner will test the resistance of his makeshift heart to the breaking point. Will Jack risk having his heart stop working for love? Watch the French animated film Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart to find out.
Persepolis Marjane Satrapi, known to family and friends as Marji, lives in Iran in the 1970s. She is a normal girl living an ordinary life, but then events in her country turn her world upside down. The Shah of Iran is defeated in the Iranian revolution and a new, stricter government is now in power. Marji tries to stand up to this new government, which doesn’t let people listen to music or wear jeans or do any fun thing they want. But when the new government starts objecting to girls like Marji going to school, her parents send her to study in Vienna. In Vienna, Marji misses her family and friends, and her country. Join Marji in her journey of growing up in the French-Iranian animated film Persepolis.
Spirited Away Chihiro and her parents are moving to a small Japanese town in the countryside, much to Chihiro’s dismay. On the way to their new home, Chihiro’s father makes a wrong turn and drives down a lonely one-lane road which dead-ends in front of a tunnel. Her parents decide to stop the car and explore the area. When they don’t return, Chihiro goes to look for them, and in doing so wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches and monsters, and where humans are turned into beasts. It’s a scary world, but Chihiro must soldier on if she wants to save her parents. Will Chihiro and her parents make it out of this strange world alive? Watch the Japanese film Spirited Away to find out.
Do you have a favourite book or movie you would like us to review? Write to us at hifive@tribune.com.pk and tell us all about it.
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 14, 2014
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Artwork
Haiqa Nadeem Winner
Maleeha Mansoor
Abdul Moeez
Mariam Murtaza
Syed M Raza
Emad Abrar
Minahil Majeed
Mariyam Majeed
Aleena Usman
Muhammad Iqra
Zara Imran
Notable Entries for the Liberty Books Cards
Competition
Noor-ul-ain Aziz Khan Winner
M Umar
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 14, 2014
Vanilla Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles
The Perfect Present
You will need: All-purpose flour (sifted) 3 cups by Arfa Ezazi
Salt 1/4 teaspoon Unsalted butter 2 sticks (226 grams), Sugar 1 cup Egg 1 large Vanilla extract 2 teaspoons Colourful sprinkles
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt and mix well. • In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is fluffy and light in colour. Add an egg and the vanilla extract, and continue beating for a couple of minutes. Turn off the electric mixer and add the flour-salt mixture. Continue beating on low speed until the mixture is well-combined. • Roll the dough into one inch balls. Roll these cookie balls in the sprinkles. Arrange the balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing each two inches apart. Freeze until they become firm, for about 30 minutes. • Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes. Do not over-bake. Remove from the oven, and cool completely before serving. MARTHASTEWART.COM
Remember kids, always get permission from your parents before you start. It’s always a good idea to have a helper nearby.
When the alarm clock went off, little Rimda lazily hit the snooze button and turned around in her canopy bed. Then, after a moment’s pause, hair tangled and eyes puffy, the nine-year-old sat up with a start. Reaching for her bedside drawer, she rummaged inside, and as she found what she was looking for, she sat back with a grin. In her hand was a pink envelope that held all her money. It was the third day of Eid. Papa had insisted that all relatives and friends must be visited, and Rimda had tagged along. She had met all her elders, played with cousins and eaten delicious mithai to her heart’s content. The best part was that she managed to collect lots of Eidi from everyone. Mama had promised to take her shopping that day and said that Rimda could get whatever she wanted. Dressed in a new bright yellow frock and hands still coloured with the swirls of rose-red mehndi, she excitedly thought about what she would buy with her Eidi. With too many ideas swirling in her head, she decided that the perfect thing will present itself once she started shopping. As she entered the mall, her eyes fell on a shop on her right, beyond the glass doors of which she could see all kinds of stuffed toys and dolls. She dragged her mother into the shop and started looking around. There were fluffy teddy bears and dolls that were taller than her. Even though all of them were adorable and cuddly, they just did not seem charming enough to her. Perhaps she had grown out of them! After a while, they got into a stationery shop. It was filled with markers and colours and the prettiest of notebooks. The shelves displayed a wide array of glitter glues and water colours. There was even a huge stationery set that had
several compartments that slid apart to showcase all kinds of crayons, scented rubbers and ribbons. She did love creative work and art projects, but it was not a hobby she usually splurged on. Still unsatisfied, Rimda dragged Mama to a DVD shop on the next floor. But search as she may, she could not find any new or interesting movies. Movies and cartoons were fun, but she did not like the idea of spending so much money on them. “You might find what you’re looking for in the jewellery shop,” Mama suggested. And so they went and together looked among the coral necklaces and beaded bracelets for something Rimda would instantly like, but to no avail. After all, she already had several pretty accessories at home which she had bought during Eid shopping. Disappointed and tired, Mama bought snacks for the two of them and they both sat down on a plastic bench in front of the book shop, to eat. As she licked on a strawberry ice-cream, Rimda looked at people of all ages going inside and coming outside with thick and thin, colourful and somber-looking books in hand. And suddenly, it struck her. Her eyes bright, she exclaimed, “I can use all this money to buy storybooks for myself!” Surprised, but happy, Mama laughingly said, “That’s a great idea, Rimda! After all, books last longer than a movie, are warmer to cuddle up with than a toy, and are a hobby worth splurging on. Plus, you can exchange them with your friends once you’re done reading.” And so, in they went, to look for a good storybook to buy. Finding the perfect storybook was just as difficult, but that’s a tale for another time.
If you want your story to feature in Hi Five, email us at hifive@tribune.com.pk