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Dolphin show PAGE 2-3
Origami car PAGE 4 Bitcoins PAGE 5 Coool cat facts PAGE 6
Your Proofness: Sarah Munir Master Storyteller: Sundar Waqar Creativity Analysts: Amna Iqbal, Essa Malik, Jamal Khurshid, Samra Aamir, Talha Ahmed Khan, Munira Abbas and Umar Waqas
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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JANUARY 12, 2014
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Have you ever seen dolphins balancing balls on their noses and jumping through hula hoops? You might have seen these tricks in movies or cartoons but now a similar show is happening in Pakistan as well and if you are interested you have the chance to go watch this live. A dolphin, beluga whale and sea lion have been transported to Karachi to jump, sing and perform tricks for you and soon will be setting up a show in Lahore and Islamabad. Let’s take a quick look at these mammals and how they are trained to perform such activities before you head out to watch them live in your city.
Training Just like all other animals, dolphins and sea lions are also trained through being rewarded and conditioning them towards performances. In simpler terms, the process of training is broken down into steps of each behaviour and taught one at a time. Trainers teach each step by having the dolphin follow an object called a target. The first step is the hand signal, which tells the animal how the trainer wants them to perform. The target, which can be any object, tells that animal how and where to do the trick. The whistle tells the animal when it has done a trick correctly. When the animal does something correct, they receive a reward. When the animal does something incorrect, they receive a neutral response or a time-out for at least five seconds. This gives the animal time to think about what it did incorrectly so that it knows not to try that trick again in the future. The timeout also gives the trainer time to figure out what the problem was and how to set up the animal to succeed the next trial. Once the dolphin has been trained to target, it can be trained for any trick. Trainers use their hands to help guide an animal’s movement and direction. A signal is used at the very beginning of the training to denote that particular trick. Each trick must be given a different signal so as not to confuse the animal with something it may already know. Training can take anywhere in between a few training sessions to a year depending on the animal.
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JANUARY 12, 2014
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Three Stars Beluga whale The beluga or white whale is an Arctic and sub-Arctic species. This marine mammal is commonly referred to as the melonhead because of the bulge in its head and high-pitched voice. Belugas are also called white whales, and their unusual color makes them one of the most familiar and easily distinguishable of all the whales. Belugas were among the first whale species to be kept in captivity, hence they are commonly found in zoos and performing tricks in shows. Fun facts: The beluga whale called Stephan due to its high pitched voice it can make a variety of different sounds along with performing other tricks such as catching rings! It also eats 25kg of fish everyday.
Dolphins Dolphins are often regarded as one of Earth’s most intelligent animals, though it is hard to say just how intelligent. Dolphins are social and frequently leap above the water surface, this being done for various reasons. When travelling, jumping can save the dolphin’s energy as there is less friction while in the air. Dolphins show various types of playful behaviour, often including objects, self-made bubble rings, other dolphins or other animals. Dolphins can be trained easily as well to perform tricks which is one of the reasons they are most commonly used in movies and performances for tricks. Fun fact: The dolphin named Boris has been transported from Russia to Pakistan for the performance and has a Ukrainian trainer. The dolphin puts up a show with its flips, jumps and playful tricks.
Sea Lion Sea lions are sea mammals characterised by external ear flaps, long flippers, the ability to walk on all fours and short, thick hair. Sea Lions are found in bodies of water all over the world, but not in the Northern Atlantic Ocean. Sea lions consume large quantities of food at a time and are known to eat about 5 to 8 per cent of their body weight at a single time. Some species of sea lion are readily trainable and are often a popular attraction at zoos, aquariums and shows. Fun facts: The sea lion named Memo performing in Pakistan has been transported from Saudi Arabia and is originally from Bahrain. Its trainer is Egyptian and its performance includes a display of tricks involving agility (ability to change the body’s position swiftly) and balance. The sea lion responds to a high pitched whistle that humans can’t hear just like dog whistles which are above our hearing range. You have to watch the performance to find out more! What would you like to see in Hi Five? Send an email to hifive@tribune.com.pk and let us know!
Hi light
The dolphin show is taking place in Pakistan Maritime Museum in Karachi starting from 12th January. The organisers also plan on hosting these shows in Lahore and Islamabad. For more information visit: www.dolphinshow.org
The photos on this page have been taken from the dolphin show happening in Pakistan Maritime Museum, Karachi. PHOTOS: AYESHA MIR/EXPRESS
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JANUARY 12, 2014
Activity
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Origami Car
ToffeeTV.com’s Ayesha Mehmood shows you how to make an origami car.
Supplies needed:
Step 1 Fold a piece of paper in half.
• Paper • Marker
Step 4
Step 2 Fold flaps (about one inches) to make two creases.
Step 3 Fold the flaps inwards.
Step 7
Fold all four corners outwards.
Your car is now ready!
Step 5 Turn the corners upward to form small triangles.
Step 6 Fold inwards again twice to make the front and back of the car.
Want to watch a video guide for this? Log onto Toffeetv.com and check out the activities section!
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JANUARY 12, 2014
Get your weekly dose of the unusual and funny news from across the globe!
Meow it A fare-dodging cat has become a hit with commuters after getting on stowaway train journeys with no passes. Jasper, the Metro-lover lives a whisker away from North Shields station on Tyneside and loves making friends with passengers. His owner, Steph Keenan, 42, says she is considering buying Jasper a travel card as she fears his wanderlust might land him in trouble. “I am considering buying him an annual ticket for the Metro so that he avoids fines, prosecution or being in trouble for trespassing,” she said. “He’s a real monkey. The first time he disappeared he went to Meadow Well and he was gone for a week. He likes to go on the Metro platform and we’ve had calls from people who were getting on the Metro. Jasper starts sitting on their knees and making friends,” she continued. Jasper’s longest getaway lasted six weeks and a day, when he jumped on a train to Jesmond. He was found and taken to a vet in nearby Heaton before being identified by his microchip and returned to his family of six. However, Keenan believes his on-board antics could see him on advertisement boards in the West End. She said: “There are a few cats on TV adverts at the moment that bear a striking resemblance to Jasper and we’re wondering if he’s taken up an acting career in London on one of his trips away.”
World wide weird
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ToastyMug
Winter is here and most of us are freezing, so it is no surprise that someone, somewhere in the world, has created a new way keep us warm — this time in the form of a mug. Italian designer Sabrina Fossi has developed an insulated mug that features a handle that wraps around half the vessel, allowing your hands and fingers to be surrounded by warmth (provided you’re drinking a hot beverage, of course). The ceramic ToastyMUG is handmade in Montelupo, Italy, and costs Rs4,512. Despite a normal non-insulated mug being able to keep hands warm when holding it, the ToastyMUG claims to offer a ‘more satisfying’ cup. “Now, tea, coffee and hot chocolate are all that much more satisfying! ToastyMUG also looks beautiful on the table,” claims the company. METRO.CO.UK
METRO.CO.UK
Bitcookies Two heads are better than one It’s been a bizarre start to the year for local residents in a Moroccan village after the birth of a two-headed calf. Born on December 30 in the northern village of Sefrou, the calf was named Sana Saida, which means happy new year in Arabic. The young animal has been attracting a lot of attention from locals, who are flocking to the farm located less than 20 miles from Fez. The calf’s condition is known as polycephalic, which means having more than one head. However, little Sana Saida is not the only animal of its kind to be born this way this year, it has been reported another two-headed animal was born in China recently. Strange isn’t it? METRO.CO.UK
You may have seen a lot of girls lined up behind tables selling cookies at bake sales but these girls are not one of them. These girls have joined the 21st century and are doing things the trendy way. The little girls from San Francisco are selling cookies and lemonade and according to one of their many signs, they accept Bitcoins in exchange for their goodies. Bitcoins are digital currency and have caused a stir recently and these girls did not stay far behind from the trend. According to sources the girls have made .083 Bitcoin, which equates to around $70 (Rs7,400). Visitors to the stand who wish to buy one of the girls’ no-doubt delicious snickerdoodles can use the code to pay using the digital currency, whose value has been the subject of much discussion in the news lately. METRO.CO.UK
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JANUARY 12, 2014
Did you know?
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Word Origins Witch Have you heard of the scary old woman who lives in a cottage by herself, has a crooked nose, wears a pointy hat and flies on brooms? Yes, we are talking about the witch. For years, witches have been associated with magic and are considered evil but have you ever wondered why they are called such? Well, the word ‘witch’ derives from the Old English words ‘wicca’ and ‘wicce’. Although the origins of these words is not entirely known it is believed that these words meant ‘wise one’, with the earliest references to these words in the Old English always seeming to be associated with fortune telling and teaching. Fortune telling has always been associated with witches and it was believed that they taught magic as well. Well, by the 16th century the spelling changed to ‘witch’ and since then this word has been used to describe the old women who are thought to have magic powers.
How to say ‘book’ in different languages Afrikaans Azerbaijani Basque Catalan Cebuano Danish Estonian Finish Galician Norwegian Portuguese Somali Swedish Welsh
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Boek Kitab Liburu Llibre Basahon Bog Raamat Kirja Libro Bok Livro Buugga Boken Llyfr
Cool facts Cats can’t taste sweets. A cat’s tongue consists of small ‘hooks’, which come in handy when tearing up food. Cats have five toes on each front paw, but only four toes on each back paw. Studies show that if a cat falls off the seventh floor of a building it has about thirty percent less chance of surviving than a cat that falls off the twentieth floor. It supposedly takes about eight floors for the cat to realise what is occurring, relax and correct itself. Cats with white fur and skin on their ears are very prone to sunburn. Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten. A cat can jump even seven times as high as it is tall. Cats must have fat in their diet because they can’t produce it on their own.
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JANUARY 12, 2014
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Fun & games
Notable Entries for the Liberty Books Card Competition
Zainab Zafar Age: 11
Rimal Aamir Aziz Age: 9 Winner
Ifra Aamir Aziz Age: 10
Zainab Zafar Age: 11 Winner
Beenish Fatima Age: 8
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JANUARY 12, 2014
Notable Entries for the Liberty Books Card Competition
Arwa Yousaf
Mumtaz Mir Age: 9
Mahnaz Mir Age: 0
Vadiyah Abbas Age: 6
Zara Imran Age: 7