The Express Tribune Magazine - October 24

OCTOBER 24-30 2010

Wha ? w o t does he do n

JUNE 13-19 2010

JUNE 13-19 2010

OCTOBER 24-30 2010

Cover Story 14 What Does He Do Now? How Barack Obama can save his presidency

Feature 20 The Folklore of Chunian Tracing the significance of the historic city 24 Welcome to Pakistan Slackistan is yet to debut at home despite worldwide acclaim

Travel

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26 Fairytale Bruges Experience the land of chocolate, canals and French fries

Comment 30 The Reality of Mental Health Patients A visit to a mental health clinic leads to understanding

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Portfolio 32 Silver Memories Uzma Javeri’s jewelry evokes all the colours of the universe

Review 36 What’s new in books and television

Regulars 6 People & Parties: Out and about with beautiful people 12 Tribune Questionnaire: Joshinder Chaggar on outer beauty 40 Horoscope: Shelley von Strunckel on your week ahead 42 Ten Things I Hate About: Newspapers

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Senior Sub-Editor: Nadir Hassan, Sub-Editors: Batool Zehra, Hamna Zubair, Film Critic: Faiza S Khan Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Anam Haleem, Tariq Alvi, S Asif Ali, Sukayna Sadik Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Executive Editor: Muhammad Ziauddin. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi.

For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk Printed by: Yaqeen Art Press (Pvt.) Ltd., Karachi

JUNE 13-19 2010

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Fashion Frontier Fashionistas in Lahore enjoyed free makeovers at the exhibition of fashion designer Uzma Rao’s latest collection in Lahore.

Zainab, Schezreh, Alizeh with a friend

Sara Asif

6

Khurram Rahim and Aamir Hussain OCTOBER 24-30 2010

Nabiha Bukhari, Leena, Ayesha Kasuri and Uzma Rao

JUNE 13-19 2010

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Nadia, Nosheen and Uzma Rao

Asra Mehboob and Hibba Elahi

Nabiha Bukhari

8

Gogi of The Square applying make up to Mahnoor OCTOBER 24-30 2010

h

ah Sha

Khadij

Leena

Art Attack Art lovers flocked to Grandeur in Karachi to view the works of various artists.

Anam

Uzma and Atiqa Marchant

Ali , Nahmia and Yasmin

Shabana, Neshmia, Hina Magsi

9 OCTOBER 24-30 2010

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Socially Active Social activist Maajid Nawaz hosted an event for Khudi Foundation which was attended by writers, students and TV personalities.

Noman Benotman giving a speech

Maajid Nawaz, Founder of Khudi

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Noman Benotman and Saima Mohsin OCTOBER 24-30 2010

Columnist Fasi Zaka

JUNE 13-19 2010

“I’ve always wished I had long, skinny legs” Actor, dancer and choreographer Joshinder Chaggar on tricky situations, outer beauty and women who embrace their femininity.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

When and where were you happiest?

To be surrounded with people I love, to feel spiritually connect-

I feel that I have never been happier in my life than right now.

ed, be in good health and be engaged in a stimulating creative project.

Married to my soul mate, and doing work that I love.

Which talent would you most like to have?

What is your greatest fear?

Cockroaches!

To be able to sing.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

I wish I was more assertive.

I wish I was one of those people who rise and shine at 5 am... and meditate and do yoga. I wish I had that level of discipline.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would

Insincerity.

it be?

What is your greatest extravagance?

just ‘be’. Calm, still, quiet, they don’t compete with other trees,

Perfume.

What is your current state of mind?

A tree. I always feel a sense of awe when I see trees. How they can

they just are what they are, whatever size or length or type.

Imagine if humans had that state of mind!

I’m filled with a sense of possibilities.

Where would you most like to live?

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

yoga, and India is obviously the perfect place for that.

Outer beauty.

India. I would love to immerse myself in classical dance and

What is your most marked characteristic?

On what occasion do you lie?

To get out of tricky situations...

My laugh — I have a very loud laugh!

Who is your hero of fiction?

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

I’ve always wished I had long skinny legs.

Batman! Very sexy!

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Which living person do you most despise?

George W Bush.

Katherine Hepburn — for her dedication to her craft and her fearlessness.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

What is your greatest regret?

Kindness.

I have many. But the person I am today is a result of all my life

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

experiences, so in that case I don’t regret anything.

Courage. And also women who like being women, who are strong

What’s your favourite quote?

and soft, who embrace their femininity.

“Don’t sweat the small stuff......and its all small stuff.”

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

How many hours of load shedding did you experience yesterday?

“Zabardast.”

None...very lucky. a

13 OCTOBER 24-30 2010

COVER STORY

what does he

do now

BY PETER B

12 OCTOBER 24-30 2010

w?

BAKER

On a busy afternoon in the West Wing late last month, President Barack Obama seemed relaxed and unhurried as he sat down in a newly reupholstered brown leather chair in the Oval Office. He had just returned from the East Room, where he signed the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. The act will be his administration’s last piece of significant economic legislation before voters deliver their verdict on his first two

years in office. For all intents and purposes, the first chapter of

Obama’s presidency has ended. On Election Day next month, the next chapter will begin.

The president who muscled through Congress perhaps the

most ambitious domestic agenda in a generation finds himself

vilified by the right, castigated by the left and abandoned by the middle. He heads into the final stretch of the midterm campaign

season facing likely repudiation, with voters preparing to give him a Congress that, even if Democrats maintain control, will almost certainly be less friendly to the president than the one he has spent the last two years mud wrestling.

While proud of his record, Obama has already begun thinking

about what went wrong — and what he needs to do to change

course for the next two years. He has spent what one aide called

“a lot of time talking about Obama 2.0” with his new interim chief of staff, Pete Rouse, and his deputy chief of staff, Jim Mes-

sina. During an hour together, Obama told me he had no regrets about the broad direction of his presidency. But he did identify what he called “tactical lessons.” He let himself look too much

like “the same old tax-and-spend liberal Democrat.” Perhaps he should not have proposed tax breaks as part of his stimulus and

instead “let the Republicans insist on the tax cuts” so it could be seen as a bipartisan compromise.

Most of all, he has learned that, for all his anti-Washington

rhetoric, he has to play by Washington rules if he wants to win in Washington. It is not enough to be supremely sure that he is right

if no one else agrees with him. “Given how much stuff was coming at us,” Obama told me, “we probably spent much more time trying to get the policy right than trying to get the politics right. There

is probably a perverse pride in my administration — and I take re-

sponsibility for this; this was blowing from the top — that we were going to do the right thing, even if short-term it was unpopular.”

What is striking about Obama’s self-diagnosis is that by his

own rendering, the figure of inspiration from 2008 neglected the inspiration after his election. He didn’t stay connected to the

people who put him in office in the first place. Instead, he simultaneously disappointed those who considered him the embodiment of a new progressive movement and those who expected him to reach across the aisle to usher in a post-partisan age.

13 OCTOBER 24-30 2010

COVER STORY When Obama secured the Democratic nomination in June 2008,

he told an admiring crowd that someday “we will be able to look

back and tell our children that this was the moment when we be-

gan to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on earth.”

I read that line to Obama and asked how his high-flying rheto-

ric sounded in these days of low-flying governance. “It sounds ambitious,” he agreed. “But you know what? We’ve made progress on each of those fronts.”

Yet many officials worry, they say, that the best days of the Obama presidency are behind them.

They talk about whether it’s time to move on. Obama’s approval rating in surveys conducted by The New York Times and CBS News had fallen to 45 percent last month from 62 percent when he took office.

But save the planet? If you promise to save the planet, might

people think you would, you know, actually save the planet? He

laughed, before shifting back to hope and inspiration. “I make no apologies for having set high expectations for myself and for the country, because I think we can meet those expectations,” he said. “Now, the one thing that I will say — which I anticipated

and can be tough — is the fact that in a big, messy democracy like this, everything takes time. And we’re not a culture that’s built on patience.”

Last month, I made my way through the West Wing talking

not only with Obama but also with nearly two dozen of his ad-

visers — some of whom spoke with permission, others without — hoping to understand how the situation looks to them. The

view from inside the administration starts with a basic mantra:

Obama inherited the worst problems of any president in years.

Or in generations. Or in American history. He prevented another Great Depression while putting in place the foundation for a

more stable future. But it required him to do unpopular things that would inevitably cost him.

Yet many officials worry, they say, that the best days of the

Obama presidency are behind them. They talk about whether

it’s time to move on. Obama’s approval rating in surveys conducted by The New York Times and CBS News had fallen to 45 per cent

last month from 62 per cent when he took office — just a point above where Clinton was before losing Congress in 1994 and

three points above where Reagan was before the Republicans lost a couple dozen House seats in 1982. Still, Obama’s team takes

pride that he has fulfilled three of the five major promises he laid out as pillars of his “new foundation” in an April 2009 speech at Georgetown University — health care, education reform and

financial re-regulation. And they point to decisions to end the

combat mission in Iraq while escalating the war in Afghanistan.

But it is possible to win the inside game and lose the outside

game. In their darkest moments, White House aides wonder

aloud whether it is even possible for a modern president to succeed, no matter how many bills he signs. Everything seems to

conspire against the idea: an implacable opposition with little if

16 OCTOBER 24-30 2010

any real interest in collaboration, a news media saturated with

triviality and conflict, a culture that demands solutions yesterday, a societal cynicism that holds leadership in low regard. In this environment, some White House aides have increasingly

concluded, it may be that every modern president is going to be, at best, average.

The easy answer is to blame the Republicans, and White House

aides do that with exuberance. But they’re also looking at their own misjudgments, the hubris that led them to think they really could defy the laws of politics.

The biggest miscalculation in the minds of most Obama advis-

ers was the assumption that he could bridge a polarized capital and forge genuinely bipartisan coalitions. “If anybody thought the Republicans were just going to roll over, we were just terribly

mistaken,” former Sen. Tom Daschle, a mentor and an outside adviser to Obama, told me.

Gov Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, though, is among the Demo-

crats who grade Obama harshly for not being more nimble in the

face of opposition. “B-plus, A-minus on substantive accomplishments,” he told me, “and a D-plus or C-minus on communica-

tion.” The health care legislation is “an incredible achievement” and the stimulus program was “absolutely, unqualifiedly, enor-

mously successful,” in Rendell’s judgment, yet Obama allowed them to be tarnished by critics. “They lost the communications

battle on both major initiatives, and they lost it early,” said Rendell, an ardent Hillary Clinton backer who later became an Obama supporter.

That’s a refrain heard inside the White House as well: It’s a

communication problem. The first refuge of any politician in trouble is that it’s a communication problem, not a policy problem.

The policy criticism of Obama can be confusing and deeply

contradictory — he is a liberal zealot, in the view of the right;

a weak accommodationist, in the view of the left. He is an anticapitalist socialist who is too cozy with Wall Street, a weak-on-

defense apologist for America who adopted Bush’s unrelenting anti-terror tactics at the expense of civil liberties.

“When he talked about being a transformational president,

it was about restoring the faith of the American people in our

governing institutions,” says Ken Duberstein, the former Reagan White House chief of staff who voted for Obama in 2008. “What we now know is that that did not work. If anything, people are

even more dubious about all of our institutions, especially gov-

ernment. ... Frankly I would settle these days — forget about transformational, how about a transactional president, somebody people could do business with? It seems there’s an ideological rigidity that the American people did not sense.”

The other side would like more ideological rigidity. Norman

Solomon, a leading progressive activist and the president of the

The policy problem The policy criticism of Obama can be confusing and deeply contradictory — he is a liberal zealot, in the view of the right; a weak accommodationist, in the view of the left.

17 OCTOBER 24-30 2010

COVER STORY Institute for Public Accuracy, said Obama has “totally blown this great opportunity” to reinvent America by being more aggressive

on issues like a public health care option. “It’s been so reflexive since he was elected, to just give ground and give ground,” Solomon told me.

Pummeled from both sides, Obama clearly seems frustrated

and, at times, defensive. “Democrats just congenitally tend to see the glass as half empty,” Obama said at a fundraiser in Greenwich, Conn., last month. “If we get an historic health care bill

passed — oh, well, the public option wasn’t there. If you get the financial reform bill passed — then, well, I don’t know about this

particular derivatives rule, I’m not sure that I’m satisfied with

that. And, gosh, we haven’t yet brought about world peace. I thought that was going to happen quicker.”

Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s first White House chief of staff who

stepped down this month, told me that the cascading crises in Obama’s early days exacted a lasting toll. “The seeds of his political difficulty today were planted in taking those steps,” he said.

White House officials largely agree they should not have let the health care process drag out while waiting for Republican support that would never come. “It’s not what people felt they sent Barack Obama to Washington to do, to be legislator in chief,” a

top adviser told me. “It lent itself to the perception that he wasn’t doing anything on the economy.”

Still, for all the second-guessing, what you do not hear in the

White House is much questioning of the basic elements of the programme — Obama aides, liberal and moderate alike, reject complaints from the right that the stimulus did not help the

economy or that health care expands government too much, as

Pummeled from both sides, Obama clearly seems frustrated and, at times, defensive.

well as complaints from the left that he should have pushed for

a bigger stimulus package or held out for a public health care option. “We asked for more stimulus than we ended up with,” Larry

Summers, the outgoing national economics adviser, told me.

“But we fought as hard as we could, and I believe we got as much as Congress was ever going to give us at that time.”

Melody Barnes, the president’s domestic-policy adviser, says

the biggest problem was that after eight years of Bush, Obama’s supporters were very eager to change everything right away.

“The pent-up demand across every issue area — around science,

around education, around health care, immigration, you name it — there was a lot of desire to finally get these things done,” she told me. “Every segment of the population had something that

was very important to them that they really wanted to put over the finish line.”

Obama’s aides are more optimistic about 2012 than they are

about 2010, believing the Tea Party will re-elect Obama by pulling

the Republican nominee to the right. They doubt Sarah Palin will run and figure Mitt Romney cannot get the Republican nomination because he enacted his own health care program while gov-

18

ernor of Massachusetts. If they had to guess today, some in the OCTOBER 24-30 2010

White House say that Obama will find himself running against Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor.

Obama expressed optimism to me that he could make common

cause with Republicans after the midterm elections in November. “It may be that regardless of what happens after this election, they feel more responsible,” he said, “either because they didn’t do as well as they anticipated, and so the strategy of just

saying no to everything and sitting on the sidelines and throwing bombs didn’t work for them, or they did reasonably well, in which case the American people are going to be looking to them to offer serious proposals and work with me in a serious way.”

Even if such an alliance emerges, though, the next two years

will be mostly about cementing what Obama did in his first two years — and defending it against challenges in Congress and the courts. As a senior adviser put it, “There’s going to be very little

incentive for big things over the next two years unless there’s some sort of crisis.” Yet Obama and his aides still scorn the small-

bore approach to reform that Clinton adopted after the 1994 midterm elections. Before he left, Emanuel told me: “I’m not of the view that you do nothing. I think you’ve got to have an agenda.”

But what sort of agenda? Not as sweeping and not as provoca-

tive, say some advisers. “It will have to be limited and focused on

the things that are achievable and high priorities for the American people,” says Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate.

Daschle said Obama would have to reach out to adversaries.

Rendell thinks otherwise. “Don’t care so much about biparti-

sanship if the Republicans continue to refuse to cooperate,” he

advised. “Do what you have to do. Fight back.” At the same time, he said, stop moaning about what he inherited: “After the election, I’d say no more pointing back, no more blaming the Bush

administration. It’s OK to do that during the campaign and then stop. But to do it as much as we do it, it sounds like a broken record. And after two years, you own it.”

Obama will own it for another two years, or six if he can find his

way forward. As an author, Obama appreciates the rhythms of a tumultuous story. But who is the protagonist, really? At bottom, this president is still a mystery to many Americans. During the

campaign, he sold himself — or the idea of himself — more than

any particular policy, and voters filled in the lines as they chose.

He was, as he said at the time, the ultimate Rorschach test.

Now the lines are being filled in further. With each choice

Obama makes, he further defines himself for better or worse

in Americans’ minds. He says he knows where he is going and is gathering momentum despite the hurdles ahead. As he told

a group of visitors during the week last spring that Congress passed health care and his administration reached agreement on an arms-control treaty with Russia, “I start slow, but I finish strong.”

He will have to, if the history he is writing is to turn out the

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way he prefers.— NYT Syndication Services a

OCTOBER 24-30 2010

FEATURE

the folklore of

chunian Chunian is a city that has continued to hold significance over many centuries

BY HAROON KHALID

Iqbal Qaiser, the renowned Punjabi scholar, had been telling me for some time to visit the city of Chunian, so I finally did and found a town deeply entrenched in the cultural heritage of Punjab. This

city to the south of Lahore is vital in economic and political terms

but it no longer enjoys the influence it once did. During the Mu-

ghal era, it served as a chaoni, or cantonment area, and a centre of arms and ammunition for the royal army. Now large pieces of

iron in the west of the city, which are relics of the arms factory, are the only traces of its importance.

As one delves into historical records, one finds numerous ref-

erences to this town. The Archaeology Department reports that

there are seven major mounds here. Those mounds, which were formed during the massive flooding of the Bea River in the 18th

century, are not of archaeological importance and serve as picnic spots for the residents.

According to the Encyclopedia of Sikh Literature, Chunian is the plu-

ral for Chuni which means pearl. It is believed that this city was originally inhabited by Chodas, or the untouchables, for whom

the pearl is a symbol. Later, during the Mughal era, a Muslim

saint known as Peer Jahania converted them to Islam. Peer Jahania’s tomb marks the zero point of this city. This tomb is accompanied by a modern mosque and in its courtyard is a small

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building which marks the spot where the Sufi used to sit.

OCTOBER 24-30 2010

a recreational spot Some of the mounds formed during the massive flooding of the 18th century in Bea River serve as picnic spots for the residents.

In his book, Tehrikh-e-Cambhon, police inspector Abdul Wahab

Amritsari traces the history of Chunian up to the time of the arrival of Arabs in Sindh. According to him, when Muhammad Bin

Qasim attacked Sindh, Chunian was under the sway of Multan and was ruled by a man belonging to the Cambho clan. When

According to the Encyclopedia of Sikh Literature, Chunian is the plural for Chuni which means pearl. It is believed that this city was originally inhabited by Chodas, or the untouchables, for whom the pearl is a symbol. Later, during the Mughal era, a Muslim saint known as Peer Jahania converted them to Islam.

the Muslims got hold of Multan, Chunian fell to them. The ruler

of Chunian asked to pay the Muslims compensation in install-

ments. Meanwhile, as guarantee that he would pay the full

amount, the king gave Muhammad Bin Qasim his son, Maha Chawar, who was taken to Arabia.

Living under Muslim influence, the boy embraced Islam.

Five years later, when the King of Chunian had paid the entire

amount, the prince returned to Chunian. However, instead of being welcomed back, Maha Chawar was castigated by Hindu

priests for having abandoned his religion and it was decided that he should be killed. But his sister Kangna heard of the plan and

she and Maha Chawar fled the city. The king’s army intercepted the siblings at Mandi Borewala, where they were murdered. Later, Muslim rulers built a tomb to commemorate their memory.

The mausoleum is still standing, known by the name of Diwan Chawali Mushahiq Haji Muhammad Sheikh. Kanganpur, a vil-

21

lage in the tehsil, is named after Kangna.

OCTOBER 24-30 2010

FEATURE Chunian took its present shape during the Mughal era, when

royal arms and ammunition were being manufactured here. The city stands on a mound, originally protected by a wall with many

doorways. Not many doors are present today, and parts of the

wall are also missing but, at its zenith, the mound was about 40 feet high.

Tajamol Kaleem, the local Punjabi poet, took us around the

city, to an ancient Jain temple, near the old route of River Bea.

A Wahabi mosque accompanies the temple and, a few months back, controversy arose when members of the mosque insisted

on taking over the building. However, the local elders prohibited the mosque-goers from taking over the temple, arguing that the

sanctuary was an amanat and a Muslim should not renege on his promise. For now, the tension has defused though there was

still apprehension in the atmosphere when we took a few photo-

graphs of the spot. We were greeted by hostile looks followed by a few tirades.

Nearby is the Harchoki gate, which faces the historical village

of Harchoki. In the 18th century, an epic war was fought in the fields of the village, which is narrated in Sir Lepel H Griffin ‘s famous book, Punjab Chiefs.

In the early 16th century, when Babar was on his way to cap-

ture Delhi, there was an internecine war in Afghanistan, which

led to an exodus of many Pathan tribes. These tribes joined Babar and helped him win the decisive battle of Panipat in 1525. As a reward for their loyalty, they were given impressive titles and con-

trol of Bengal. But in 1569, Jahangir was born to Emperor Akbar

and all of the nobles came to pay homage to him, except these Pathans. Angry at their insolence, Akbar demanded that their

titles and property be taken away. When they started returning to Kabul, the King realised that they were a huge asset to the Mu-

ghal Kingdom and he sent Abu Fazl, the writer of Akbar-Nama, to reconcile them.

They were given permission to settle anywhere except Delhi

and accordingly they settled in Kasur. At that time a dacoit called

Pera Baloch was a source of irritation to the ruler of Chunian, Raja Rai. When Pera Baloch started attacking the Pathans, he was killed in a fight and the Pathans went on to establish their authority in Kasur and Chunian.

In 1720, the Pathans descended on the fields of Harchoki along

with Nawab Hussain Khan, the ruler of Kasur, and the mayor

of Chunian, Sardar Fazl Khan, against the might of the Mughal Governor of Lahore, Abdul Samad Khan. From the very beginning, the former group was destined to lose, with only a force

of 10,000 against an army of 70,000, and the death of Nawab Hussain Khan in this battle translated into a defeat for his army.

This historic battle is entrenched in the cultural psyche of the

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people of Punjab. It became a symbol of rebellion against an op-

pressive tyrant and the evocation of this battle in Waris Shah’s OCTOBER 24-30 2010

Chunian took its present shape during the Mughal era, when royal arms and ammunition were being manufactured here. The city stands on a mound, originally protected by a wall with many doorways. Not many doors are present today, and parts of the wall are also missing.

The Baithak of Peer Jahania

In his book, Tehrikh-e-Cambhon, police inspector Abdul Wahab Amritsari traces the history of Chunian up to the time of the arrival of Arabs in Sindh.

According to him, when Muhammad Bin Qasim attacked Sindh, Chunian was under the sway of Multan.

Heer is a barometer of the cultural importance of this town. De-

spite language and cultural barriers, Heer goes on to unite peo-

ple under the banner of Punjabi nationalism. Another folk tale originating from Chunian — much larger in its scale of influence

than Heer — is the story of Sassi Punnon connecting Punjab with

Sindh and Balochistan. It is generally believed that the heroine, Sassi, was the daughter of the King of Bhambour but in an article

published in Amroz in 1970, Advocate Syed asserted that Sassi was born in Chunian. Her life was threatened because of a prophecy

that a female would bring shame to the city and as an infant she was put in a basket that reached Bhambour.

Though Chunian dons a modern garb today, it is a traditional

city that has continued to hold significance over many centuries.

Though many older buildings, such as the Shah Jahani mosque,

have been lost, the ambience of the city takes one back in time, connecting its present with the past. A journey through Chunian

23

is like a journey through time. a

OCTOBER 24-30 2010

FEATURE

welcome to pakistan Hammad Khan’s film shows a different side of the country.

BY ANEALLA SAFDAR

It has already been described as the anti-Slumdog movie, the first feature of its kind from Pakistan and one of the most unexpected and surprising films this year.

There is one country, however, that has shown little interest in

picking up the film for distribution — Pakistan.

“I am trying to secure distribution partners in Pakistan, but

At the world premiere in London earlier this month, during

am awaiting someone to help me do it,” said 34-year-old Khan.

Abu Dhabi Film Festival last week, seats were once again unavail-

notice yet. It’s ironic that the film is invited to screen around the

the Raindance film festival, tickets for Slackistan sold out. At the

able to those who have left it too late. The 85-minute low-budget

film and its director Hammad Khan will then fly to New York for the South Asian film festival on October 30 and take a trip to the

West Coast for the November 5 San Fransisco South Asian Film

24

Film Festival of India.

Festival. Slackistan will also be the only Pakistani movie to show at the oldest, largest film festival in India, the 41st International OCTOBER 24-30 2010

“There is a lot of demand but the so-called industry hasn’t taken world and nobody has made an offer in Pakistan.”

Pakistan’s industry executives, he says, are failing local film-

makers by paying little attention to movies that not from neither Hollywood nor Bollywood.

“What makes it worse is that fans of the movie, the people who

should be seeing it think that we’re choosing not to release it in

Pakistan and prefer to screen it in other countries. I tell them,

Humour breaks up the occasionally slow story and the com-

they chose us, we didn’t choose them.”

mitment to ‘keeping it real’ extends to a scene where one char-

get Slackistan, which was shot over three weeks in April 2009 in

to America but instead cries into his duvet to the bewilderment

During the international festival tour, Khan is working to

Islamabad, showing in Pakistan but he called for a protest to speed the process. Fans, who have probably watched the 100,000

acter could have run to the airport to stop his beloved from flying of his servant.

Neither keen to promote Pakistan nor bash his homeland,

times-viewed trailer on YouTube and created a Google alert to

Khan’s debut cannot be interpreted as propaganda. The beautiful

campaign.

Pakistan over America as a place to build his career and the gen-

check when the film may arrive in Pakistan, should launch the

“If you want to see our film on the big screen in Pakistan, I tell

the fans, campaign don’t complain. If we all did that, we might

be able to change not only Pakistan’s film culture, but the entire nation itself.”

At the London show, the audience, in the low hundreds, at-

tracted mostly British Pakistanis and a handful of others curious

Islamabad scenery, the decision by the lead character to choose eral avoidance of stereotypes demonstrate Khan’s neutrality.

Conservative critics are likely to be offended at the discussion

of purchasing condoms or depictions of men and women drinking at basement parties. Nationalists may also criticise the characters’ moral code and their explicit language.

Amid the sensation and humour, however, Khan slips in many

about a side to the country rarely depicted in the Western press.

(perhaps too many) messages for Pakistan, its inactive youth and

goers crammed the theatre to catch a glimpse of the lead actress

the opening scene following a debate between two characters,

On an unusually balmy evening in Piccadilly Circus, cinema-

Aisha Linnea Akhtar, the director Khan,his co-writer, wife Sha-

those watching the country’s every move. The first one comes in

Hasan and his friend, over where to eat. “If they can’t make up

dana Ayub, and his mother, Shahana Ahmed who plays Aisha’s

their mind and they choose nothing, they’ll end up with noth-

“Making this film has been a long journey,” said British Paki-

try an “illiterate nation, man” also delivers some gems. While

mother in the film.

stani Khan, who was born in Pakistan and has spent around

eight years living there. The film, described by Khan as an anti-

depressant for Pakistan as the country’s situation goes from bad

to worse, centres around the lives of three lazy young men, no older than 25. They spend their days drinking coffee and smok-

ing cigarettes. Their nights are filled by attending parties to

ing,” warns a voiceover. Hasan, who at one point calls his coun-

watching a friendly cricket game in a park, he says: “The whole world used to be scared of playing Pakistan, now they’re scared to play in Pakistan,” and while partying with his friends asks his

love interest, Aisha, “Do you see a room full of people that are happy or in denial?”

But, Khan, who insists he is passionate about showing anoth-

smoke more cigarettes, sheesha and drink alcohol to escape the

er side of Pakistan, maintains he is not attempting to save the

The deliberately thin plot is a consequence of the lead char-

“I just saw people leading a vacuous existence,” he said, during

mundane nature of their lives.

nation through film.

acters’ dilemma; they are educated, attractive, young and rich

a question and answer session after the showing. “People need

worry about but themselves and what they should do with their

sibility.” But, he added: “You cannot fix the country’s problems

but irritatingly unmotivated and disaffected. They have little to lives but instead make a life out of doing nothing.

There is not a mullah in sight, no bombings, violence (ignor-

ing a comical scene where the three lead actors get beaten up by a

politician’s son who has to pay to get invites to ‘hot’ parties) and little mention of religion or politics.

Though only three actors out of the entire cast have had pro-

fessional training, the acting is convincing, natural and of a higher calibre than most debuts.

to look at themselves and the youth needs to take more respon-

in 90 minutes of film time. I have an allegiance to cinema, not Pakistan.”

Slackistan was the only Pakistan-origin film at the eight year

old Raindance festival and beat almost 30 other entries to get a showing.

“It passed with flying colours,” said Elliot Grove, the Raindance

founder. Turning to Khan, he accurately summed up Slackistan: “You did take me to a world that I did not know,” he added. a

OCTOBER 24-30 2010

25

TRAVEL

fairytale bruges Bruges, is a city for lovers — of architecture, history, art, beauty, culture and, of course, chocolate

BY SAHAR ALI

Words come easy to me but in Bruges, they are being annoyingly evasive. For Bruges is a sensual, romantic place — to behold with all your senses and sensibilities rather than to see, as seeing is simply not enough. So words can hardly do it justice.

As I walked the streets of this fairytale town, I feared that I

would not find the words to describe its character and its beauty.

26

I also expected the Pied Piper of Hamelin to come piping round OCTOBER 24-30 2010

the next corner preceded by his music and followed by his entou-

rage of mesmerised rodents heading to commit hara-kiri in the

North Sea. Or Rapunzel, to let down her hair from a towering

spire. Although the Pied Piper and Rapunzel are both German, I can picture them here, among the medieval, Gothic architecture of this city. Brick and stone buildings rise from cobblestone

streets, encircle the squares, and gaze narcissistically into canal waters.

I’m torn between luxuriating in the hotel — the historic Oud

Huis Amsterdam, once a gubernatorial residence — where I have a canal view. I also have a marble fireplace, an old armoire, and

enough floor space to allow me to lay my suitcase flat out and be able to make it to the bathroom. But the desire to discover is strong, as is the lure of a beautiful day…

Bruges, incidentally, is known as the Venice of the north and

this means a cruise but our first stop is the Church of Our Lady

to pay our respects to Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child. This

sublime marble sculpture when viewed to the calming sounds of chanting is a spiritual experience that stirs the soul.

With the spirit edified, it is time to feed the body. I opt for a

waffle with sugar and butter and marvel at its flaky-crisp exterior and spongy soft, but perfectly cooked, insides.

A river runs through it A visit to the Venice of the north is incomplete without a canal cruise which provides a decent interval and necessary reprieve during an entire day of culinary adventurism and indulgence.

On the cruise, we pass under several of Bruges’ 50 bridges,

including the lowest one, which we have to duck while passing

under. Our tour guide remarks that this bridge is the cause of his baldness.

On the cruise we are treated to some of the most stunning

views of Bruges and its fabulous architecture. Though I haven’t been to Venice, this does not look anything like the pictures

Although the Pied Piper and Rapunzel are both German, I can picture them here, among the medieval, Gothic architecture of this city. Brick and stone buildings rise from cobblestone streets, encircle the squares, and gaze narcissistically into canal waters.

I’ve seen of the city. It reminds me more of Amsterdam (a city which I have visited and whose canals I have sailed) and its canal

houses with their gabled roofs. The roofs of Bruges’ buildings are not only gabled, but their sloping inclines are built like steps,

and their brick facades are painted in a range of warm autumn shades — from burgundy to salmon pink.

The Bruges skyline is pierced with spires of all heights and

these remind me of illustrations of castles in fairytales — Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel.

Thank God it’s fry-day!

The first stop on my culinary tour de force is the Frietmuseum, a

space dedicated to the French fry. Except that the fry isn’t really

French. It’s either Belgian or Spanish. This, on authority from the Freitmuseum. Why it’s credited to the French is because the

27

French-speaking Belgian soldiers offered fries to the American OCTOBER 24-30 2010

TRAVEL The secret of the Belgian fry Belgian fries are so delicious because of a combination of factors: • The appropriate variety of potato is cooked in the appropriate type of fat • The potatoes are freshly peeled and cooked • The fries are cooked in two stages

Here’s how to make Belgian fries:

A visit to Bruges is incomplete without a canal cruise — though you’ll have to duck under some of the low bridges!

•

•

• •

•

soldiers during the First World War, who of course mistook them

Some tricks and secrets

the bridges of Bruges

for Frenchmen because they were speaking French (duh!), and therefore called the strange new dish, French fries.

With more knowledge about ‘French’ fries than I can stomach,

and an upsized helping of fries in my stomach (which I confess I have been craving ever since I arrived in Europe), I’m well-qual-

ified to deliver my expert opinion: served by street vendors with mayonnaise rather than ketchup, and eaten with tiny plastic

forks, fries are the ultimate comfort food of the Continent. Preparing them Belgian style entails frying them in two stages (see recipe). First fried for about eight minutes and then left to sweat

for about 10, and then fried again for up to three minutes. This

gives them a crispy outer layer, and also ensures that customers don’t have to wait too long for their fries (since Stage I has happened prior to placing the order).

For visitors to Bruges, who want to visit the museum. I suggest

you save your money — and appetite — for frites (or frittes, or friets) the way they are meant to be eaten: on a cold winter’s day

while walking cobbled streets rather than indoors after receiving too much information about the fry!

Chocoholic Like potatoes for frites, cocoa beans — the raw ingredients for the making of chocolate — also came to Europe from South America.

But one doesn’t need to visit the Chocolate Museum to discover that.

What I learn, though, is how chocolate’s first avatar was as a

28

frothy beverage, churned and churned like milk for making but-

ter or yoghurt for lassi, in special pots. The chocolate museum OCTOBER 24-30 2010

•

• • •

• •

•

Peel the potatoes, cut them in slices, rinse them, leave them to drain and dry Precook the fries for 6 minutes at a temperature of 130- 140 degrees Celsius Leave the fries to ‘sweat’ for 10 minutes Cook them a second time for anywhere between one- and-a-half to three minutes (time varies according to the size of the fry), at a temperature of 165-170 degrees Celsius Lift out of the fryer, shake them and serve with salt

Dry the fries after slicing them and before frying, to drain excess moisture and fluid Change the oil in your wok or fryer after 8-10 uses Do not pour fresh oil into used oil If you don’t cook fries very often, use fresh oil every time because the oil oxidises Do not fry anything else, like fish, in oil used for fries The higher the cooking temperature, the faster the oil will deteriorate Do not leave bits of old fries in the fryer/wok

charts the journey of the cocoa bean from Central America to Western Europe, and its evolution from a sacred elixir offered to

the gods by the Aztecs centuries before Christ, to the decadent delicacy it has become today.

Its geographical journey and progression through the ages is a

fascinating tale of industry and invention. My favourite part, of

course, is the chocolate-making demonstration at the very end — how liquid chocolate is poured into moulds and cooled (sorry,

no recipe!) and then, after cooling, it pops out of moulds and is

ready to eat. A big tray of chocolate is passed around and of course I help myself to two pieces!

Appetite whetted for chocolate, I find myself walking into sev-

eral chocolate shops to buy chocolate. It’s dizzying. Everything looks and smells so very, very yummy. I succumb at one of the

shops and buy some chocolate topped with crispy, gooey caramel

bits and nuts. The chocolate shops in Bruges, and there are very many of them, are works of art. Whether minimalist modern or

traditionally cluttered, they are all shrines to chocolate. I find

29

myself a worshipper at many a chocolate altar. a

OCTOBER 24-30 2010

COMMENT

the realityof mental-health patients

BY MINA SOHAIL

Recently I went to a rehabilitation centre for mental-health patients that has become a refuge for many women suffering from numerous disorders.

I was particularly interested in mental illnesses that affect women. At first, I was going to visit Fountain House, a private rehab centre, but then decided to go to a government-run centre — the Punjab Institute of Mental Health — to see what the conditions are like there.

The first person I met was the director of the institute, Nus-

rat Habib Rana. I asked her about the number of patients in

the building and their activities. She replied that she preferred to address those who were admitted here as members and not

‘patients’. I felt embarrassed and was pleasantly surprised at her sensitivity.

Dr Abia, a clinical psychologist, told me that most women at

the centre suffered from severe depression. The most common

problems were schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and obsessive-

compulsive disorders. These ailments were triggered mainly by

disturbing incidents such as a bitter divorce, loss of a child, or an unpleasant marriage. Dr Abia pointed out that no matter how

much comfort and support the women get at the centre, when their families disown them or disappear for years, it inevitably slows their recovery.

She told me about a member, Farida, who suffered from

schizophrenia. Farida had been in the asylum for 17 years and

it took the centre two and a half years just to locate her family,

30

as they had moved to Canada and left behind a fake address and

telephone number. I was then told about a woman who woke OCTOBER 24-30 2010

up one morning, killed her 13-year-old daughter with a knife, cleaned the house, woke her husband up and told him what she had done. At the asylum she would often recall this incident and burst into tears.

When I expressed an interest in talking to some of the mem-

bers, Dr Abia told me not to question them too closely on their

illness, or on sensitive issues like whether their families visit. I,

therefore, focused my inquiries on how the members of the mental institute spent their time.

I got a chance to talk to Afshan Gulnaz. A former Lahore High

Court advocate, Afshan suffers from bipolar disorder. She rightly

pointed out that people think everyone in a mental asylum is un-

kempt and disheveled. She was dressed nicely in a mint green outfit with tidy hair and a few accessories. Afshan told me that

they get up early in the morning, pray, exercise, come to the rehab centre for different activities such as making jewelry, learn-

ing how to do embroidery and paint etc. Later, she gifted me a friendship band that she had made herself. She lamented that “when we tell people we are from PIMH they label us as mad.�

At the rehab centre, women are trained in different skills so

they can be economically independent once they leave. For these women this training is a bridge between the centre and the real world.

Most of the women at the centre, according to Nusrat Habib

Rana, are from villages and their families take them to shrines,

expecting pirs to solve their problems. The pirs most often suggest marriage as a solution. This is why a lot of women who come

here have been divorced twice or more. People do not accept that

they have psychological problems which can be treated and firmly believe that they are victims of black magic.

Societal norms, cultural practices, age old traditions, and ex-

pectations from women in our society all play a vital role in wom-

en’s mental health. At one time, mental asylums were merely a dumping place for many families who did not want to be associated with their blood relations because of the stigma associated with their illness. Families would bring them, never to return.

The authorities at the PIMH work to revive the lives of the women brought here. However, acknowledgement and support of families and the society is essential in helping people with disorders improve over time and lead a whole new life. a

OCTOBER 24-30 2010

31

PORTFOLIO

silver memories

TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY UZMA JAVERI

It happens just like that — a colour, an image, a bunch of trees — and it forms into a design. Sometimes it consumes me to the

point that it disturbs my sleep — the lustre, the cuts and the colours of gemstones draw me in. At times it becomes difficult to

give a customer what they want when they request something specific. It does not feel the same, there are no fireworks.

Jewels and gems have been engrained into my childhood mem-

ories. My first silver memory was my grandfather’s chair, whose

armrests were made out of the sparkling metal moulded into the shape of a lion’s head, leaving quite an impression on my imaginative mind. My brothers would return home from Sarafa Bazaar at the end of the day, with little packets of treasure, which

contained a rainbow-coloured collection of stones in different

shapes and sizes. It’s exquisite, the amount of variations that

are available today. You get yellow sapphires, green amethysts, black, red and saffron aqiq…

So many years later, now that I design silver jewelry set with

semi-precious stones, I don’t think of them as just stones any-

more. The phrase that comes to mind is living colours, the stones feel alive and they carry all the colours of the universe.

32 OCTOBER 24-30 2010

a

Amethyst pendant

Pearl and zircon earrings

Zircon earrings

Pearl, zircon and feroza earrings

Feroza ring

33 OCTOBER 24-30 2010

PORTFOLIO

Amethyst pendant

Zircon and calligraphy earrings

Cut glass

Ruby earrings

Pearl and zircon earrings

Pearl, zircon and feroza tops

34 OCTOBER 24-30 2010

Sindhi ring

Indian ruby earrings

cv

35 OCTOBER 24-30 2010

REVIEW

featured review of the week

book obama’s wars

BY SABA IMTIAZ

The most damning revelations from what has become one of the most talked-about nonfiction books of the year have already done the rounds on television channels and newspapers. So why should you read Obama’s Wars, by Pulitzer Prize winning Washington Post correspondent Bob Woodward?

The book takes an in-depth look US President Barack Obama’s biggest quagmire — Afghanistan — and how a strategy for the US involvement and deployment of troops in the country evolved. But more so than Afghanistan, what keeps popping up in the book is Pakistan (right from page 3).

While Woodward’s book may have caused headaches for those tasked with issuing denials of claims made in the book, there is good news for the plethora of analysts and experts that have inhabited the discourse on Pakistan — they will still have assignments for the foreseeable future. If one thing is evident from Obama’s Wars, it is that no one in the current US administration seems to have a handle on what Pakistan is thinking, the role of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), rogue elements vs alleged ISI-backed terror groups and the current government, led by President Asif Ali Zardari. It is this conundrum, so to speak, that weighs heavily on President Obama as he tries to make a decision on the way forward in Afghanistan. At one point Obama, confused by the statements being made about our fair state says, “What am I to believe?”

At every policy discussion, the debate invariably descends into, ‘What are we doing about Pakistan?’

Bob Woodward’s ability to focus on one specific area and time frame of the young presidency and its workings, without delving into the details of Obama’s historic election and ‘iconic’ status, and the

36 OCTOBER 24-30 2010

There is good news for the plethora of analysts and experts that have inhabited the discourse on Pakistan — they will still have assignments for the foreseeable future.

>> Best quotes from Obama’s Wars • “They’re living a lie.” — The Director of National Intelligence told Barack Obama (while he was still a candidate) about the problems in dealing with Pakistan • “Do you think the ISI could pick up Mullah Omar if they wanted?”(Hillary) Clinton asked. Karzai reached over and plucked a chocolate chip cookie from its plate. “They could deliver Mullah Omar like I can pick up this cookie.”

• “I’ll be the first to admit, I’m India-centric” — General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to National Security Advisor (Retd) General James L Jones and CIA director Leon Panetta • “Sorry I’m late. I was busy reading about what we’re doing in The Wall Street Journal.” — President Barack Obama during the eighth strategy review meeting with military and administration figures • “There’s been lack of sufficient funding, people, concepts, structure and authorities. Other than that, we’re doing great.” — General David Petraeus on US engagement with Pakistan • “I believe you are very media-savvy. You and I should have lunch, but we should have lunch somewhere public so it gets reported in the newspaper, if you don’t mind.” — US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke to Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani • “Give us a little bit of respect. Don’t humiliate us publicly.” — Haqqani in a meeting with members of the US National Security Council <<

relationships he has formed, make Obama’s Wars a compelling read for people interested in the region.

However, in a year where there has been some explosive reportage (coverage of the WikiLeaks reports, the Rolling Stone article on General Stanley McChrystal that led to his resignation or any of Jeremy Scahill’s reports about Blackwater/Xe for The Nation), Woodward’s book often comes across as somewhat stale, even gossipy and petty. His level of access — that takes the reader into the hallways of the White House, on presidential flights and in a top-secret meeting with security officials — is worth reading the book for but once you strip away the quotes and the confidential elements, there is very little substance.

Obama’s Wars captures the issues within the political set-up of the administration, and the divide between the military and the White House. The infighting among officials in the White House, the State Department (Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke comes off quite badly), and the intelligence agencies and in the military may be entertaining for a layman reader but sobering when one realises the impact of the disagreements on policy issues. Ultimately, Woodward reminds one that confusion continues to reign supreme when it comes to ‘AfPak’.

37 OCTOBER 24-30 2010

REVIEW

tv death of a sitcom

BY FAIZA S KHAN

Television behemoths “Seinfeld”, “Friends”, “Frasier” and “Will & Grace” made the 90s the official decade of the situation comedy.

The half hour sitcom format has, this last decade, changed, evolved, one may say, at the very least adapted, to a great extent under the tutelage of Ricky Gervais and British mockumentary “The Office”.

The new breed of successful sitcom tends towards following the mockumentary format, and has included “30 Rock” and more recently “Modern Family”. While critically acclaimed, their viewership is nowhere near the sitcoms that preceded them, with “30 Rock” settling in at about 5 million viewers, as opposed to the 50 million who tuned into for “Friends”. The traditional format, which tended towards using lovable protagonists, a more formal visual set-up, and aiming for flat out laughs, rather than the more modern notion of edgy, ambivalent awkwardness, is dead in the water. With “Cougar Town”, we are invited to its wake.

Picked up, shockingly, for a second season which premiered recently, “Cougar Town” attempts to cash in on what popular culture has deemed the latest dating ‘’trend’’. While the 90s were epitomised by Bridget Jones — the thirty-something single girl, in possession of an urban family, a semi-career and a French skillet that she would never master — the new millennium brings with it the coupling of the successful, affluent 40-something divorcee and the younger man. It comes with the ugly, derisive, predatory term ‘cougar’, which goes to tell you, more than anything else, that some ninety years after women won the right to vote and some forty years after the advent of the contraceptive pill, the idea of a woman trying to control her destiny is still viewed with a sneering contempt.

That said, sneering contempt is all that is deserved by “Cougar Town” and its portrayal of modern sexual mores. Springing from a school of thought that considers any display of intelligence pretension, “CT” is a repellently crass look at a financially successful but intellectually bereft divorcee Jules (Courtney Cox) who scandalises her 38 equally provincial friends by re-entering the dating scene and trying OCTOBER 24-30 2010

dating misadventures For Cox’s Jules, dating in her 40s is all about obsessing over her appearance and waiting for the phone to ring her hand at younger men. As an attempt to ham-handedly draw attention to double standards, her neighbour Grayson (Josh Hopkins) is a forty-something who dates one young girl after another, with no qualms and no societal disapproval either. That he is portrayed as an infinitely more attractive character than the protagonist does not help the argument. The show follows Jules’ dating misadventures, along with her attempts at raising her teenage son alone, in order to give her character some appearance of depth, with motherhood ever the shortcut to proving that one is a ‘good person, really’. Perhaps the only amusing moment so far has been Jennifer Aniston’s cameo as an obnoxious, two-faced therapist, reminding one that Aniston is so much better at playing petulant and vile rather than the bland girl-next-door she’s been condemned to on the big screen.

As for Cox, if dating in ones 40s is really a matter of obsessing over the appearance of one’s elbows and eternally waiting for the phone to ring, then I, for one, am least surprised by her continuing singledom. Age has come to “Cougar Town” without bringing with it smarts, self-awareness or even a dash of sophistication. Jules is a character consistently told by well-meaning friends to learn to love herself, yet not one convincing reason is provided as to why. a

JUNE 13-19 2010

HOROSCOPE

BY SHELLEY VON STRUNCKEL

Aries March 20 – April 19 Little is more challenging than facing pressing situations, yet contending with the fact that you must

wait for others to make the first move. If you’ve already tried to force issues, you’ll have realised it only complicates matters. Instead busy yourself with other far less interesting but urgent personal tasks. You’ve been putting these off for ages. Now, you’ve run out of excuses.

Taurus April 20 – May 20 If you’re still complaining how unfair

certain situations are, then you haven’t actually begun to deal Shelley von Strunckel is an internationally acclaimed astrologer who created the first horoscope column for the London Sunday Times in 1992.

A frequent lecturer, she writes daily,

with them in earnest. True, these seem both tedious and impen-

etrable. While the nature of each differs, they all share a single challenge, which is that you must overcome tiresome rules or restrictions. Others would give up. But you, as a persistent Taurus, are perfectly equipped to stay the course.

weekly and monthly horoscopes in publications around the world including South China Morning Post, The Gulf News, Tatler, French and Chinese Vogue and now The Express Tribune Magazine.

Gemini May 21 – June 20 The current planetary focus on practical matters and various obligations may not sound exciting. However, the facts that are revealed and amazing, if unexpected, in-

sights clear up confusion in so many situations that you’re soon

enjoying this process. Better yet, the faster you deal with these, the more swiftly you can attend to far more intriguing developments involving who and what you most enjoy in life.

Cancer June 21 – July 21 Because the recent Full Moon ended a powerful if often unsettling cycle of questioning and analysis regard-

ing the way you live and work, you’re somewhat on edge. Enough that you may be wary of ideas or offers that seem too good to be

true. However, the tide has turned, as you’ll discover once you’re actually exploring these. The more you learn, the more optimistic you’ll be.

Leo July 22 – August 22 It’s not that you’ve been ignoring matters involving family or home as much as you’ve had so many distractions. But with your ruler the Sun joining Venus, Mercury and

Mars in accenting these, you’ll realise how pressing many are.

In some cases you must move swiftly, since certain opportunities won’t last long. In others, however, it’s talking, not action, that must be your priority.

Virgo August 23 – September 22 True, you’ve already explored certain ideas. And you weren’t impressed. But with circumstances

changing as much as your priorities, what was once unappealing

could now make far more sense. With your ruler Mercury having just moved into one of the most expressive angles of your chart,

in fact, discussions about these and other equally provocative situations could prove of greater benefit than you’d conceived

40

possible.

OCTOBER 24-30 2010

Libra September 23 – October 22 The time has come to do your

sums. While this refers to your finances, it’s also about focus-

ing on the use of resources such as your efforts, your time and even your ideas. Generosity may be a virtue, but not when it

means you’re being under-valued, as seems to be the case in at

least one situation. Being tough doesn’t come naturally, but it’s essential.

Scorpio October 23 – November 21 With the inquisitive Mercury

and, as of last Saturday, the Sun, positioned in your sign, the

moment’s come to make decisions about the future. While it’s

obvious some changes need to be made, you’re unsure about oth-

ers. Take your time. It could be that nothing will be clear until early November’s Scorpio New Moon. Knowing that, take pleasure in this opportunity to explore your options in depth.

Sagittarius November 22 – December 20 Being told that practi-

cal matters should take priority may not sound exciting. You’ve known about these for ages and have been hoping they’d either resolve themselves or vanish. Instead, make a list and deal with

each in order. Ideally, you’ll finish by Thursday, when the coura-

geous Mars’ move into Sagittarius begins a dynamic new cycle of your life. From then onward, you’ll want no distractions.

Capricorn December 21 – January 19 It would be easy to dismiss the

ideas being discussed by those around you as exciting yet completely unrealistic. But your instincts are correctly telling you that

these individuals are aware of facts you’re not. So do some exploring. At minimum you’ll learn something. Once you’re more deeply involved, you could find you’re not only interested but develop the same enthusiasm you’re currently questioning in others.

Aquarius January 20 – February 17 You enjoy few things more than

hearing about exciting ideas and new ventures. Getting involved in

them is another matter, so when certain individuals begin press-

ing you to do exactly that, your initial instinct is to withdraw.

Don’t. Instead, remember that in showing interest you’re doing

only that, not making a commitment. Besides, what you learn will broaden your horizons in terms of acquaintances and options.

Pisces February 18 – March 19 When you took certain amazing op-

portunities to the next stage recently, you had no ideas things would move so swiftly or go so far. But you’re in the midst of a period of intense and hugely profitable change anyway. So explore

absolutely everything, knowing that, in time, you can back out of what no longer appeals. However, you’re likely to decide most

For more information, to order personal charts and to download & listen to detailed audiocasts, visit www.shelleyvonstrunckel.com

are worth keeping.

41 OCTOBER 24-30 2010

THE HATER

10 things I hate about ......newspapers

1 2 3 4 5

BY NADIR HASSAN

Treating us like imbeciles. The headline, sub-head and first paragraph of a report all say the same thing. We realise its news that some low-level political function-

ary nursed a wounded bird in a park but do we have to be told that thrice?

All those words. Given that all the information we need is contained in the headline, it really isn’t necessary for

an article to drone on for another 16 paragraphs. The re-

porter may think he’s a literary genius but even Tolstoy knew when to stop.

The short-term memory. For days, newspapers will whip up anger about something that’s stuck in their

craw. Then they will forget all about it. Newspapers are like your senile uncle in that way.

The false equivalence. Here’s how newspapers probably reported World War II. “Gandhi denounced the Nazis as evil, racist scum. However, Hitler denied those charges

as baseless.” Just because there are two sides to every story doesn’t mean they are both equally valid.

Constant self-aggrandisement. Sure, it’s great that the New York Times won another dozen Pulitzer’s. But does that really belong on the front page of the NYT over the famine that is ravaging Somalia?

42 OCTOBER 24-30 2010

6 7 8 9 10

Phony moral outrage. Journalists love portraying

themselves as cynical hacks who have seen it all. Yet newspapers are dripping with anger and ranting over some politician who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Love of acronyms. “FATA will get WAPDA services thanks to PPP, says EDO.” Thanks for making that clear.

“Please turn to page xx” No story is important enough to make us search the rest of the newspaper to see how it turns out.

The bogus trends. Just because one pet owner has dressed his dog in a bow tie does not make it a phenomenon. Give facts and statistics; don’t assume it’s a trend because your friend is doing it.

The love of alliteration. It doesn’t matter if a headline makes sense. Newspaper staffers prefer the poetic truth of alliteration rather than, you know, actual truth. a

JUNE 13-19 2010

JUNE 13-19 2010