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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MAY 7, 2011
Explore Word Scramble Unscramble the first four words in each set of scrambles. Then use the circled letters to unscramble the final word.
What do UFOs look like? UFOs come in all shapes and sizes. Some are only small spots of light that move in strange patterns across the night sky. These are called nocturnal lights (NLs) and are the most commonly reported type of UFO. People in many parts of the world who claim to have seen a UFO say that they are shaped like saucers (that’s why they are often referred to as flying saucers), boomerangs, spheres,
The speed of UFOs varies dramatically. They can hover silently for a long time then instantaneously fly off at great speeds — certainly much faster than conventional aircraft. They can move slowly across the sky, or perform unbelievable maneuvers, such as right angle turns, at incredibly high speeds.
Who can see UFOs?
All kinds of people have reported seeing UFOs. In fact, many people who reported seeing UFOs were not even looking for them when they had their sighting. The chances of seeing a UFO seem greater for those people who live in small towns and are outside late at night.
When did people first see UFOs? In the 1890s, people across North America watched strange shaped airships with very bright searchlights flying above their farms and towns. Then during World War II pilots saw strange, glowing balls of light flying beside their airplanes. In 1946, a number of unusual aerial objects were sighted over Sweden and Norway. They were given the name of ‘ghost rockets’. Many researchers say the modern UFO era started on June 24, 1947, with the sighting by businessman and pilot Kenneth Arnold. While flying his small plane along the Cascade Mountains in Washington State, USA, Arnold saw nine
Are people ever hurt by UFOs? People who have see UFOs have occasionally reported feeling pain or receiving an injury during a UFO encounter. Physical effects include eye irritation, sunburn, skin cuts, and sickness. After the experience, witnesses may have nightmares and feel anxious, and they may undergo personality changes.
Where are UFOs most often sighted? UFO sightings are a worldwide phenomenon, with reports coming from almost every nation. Some countries, however, have more reports than others. In particular, a large number of UFO reports come from the United States, Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, and Russia. By contrast, few reports (considering their large populations) are received from Mexico, Germany, and India. No one is sure why the number of UFO reports varies from country to country, but cultural, religious, and political factors are probably involved.
Aliens- the UFO beings Because we do not know for certain that UFOs are spacecraft, we cannot be sure aliens are visiting the earth from other planets. Many ufologists argue
that there is enough evidence to show that UFOs are really spacecraft operated by intelligent aliens. Among the reports of encounters with aliens, some witnesses say they look very human, others report seeing short, gray beings with large, almond-shaped eyes, and large, globular heads. These aliens have been called Grays. On some occasions, witnesses report seeing creatures that resemble robots or androids. There are even those people who believe that alien spaceships have crashed on earth and have been taken away by the government of the US. The most famous of these crash sites is supposed to be Roswell in the American state of New Mexico…but more on that some other day! In the meantime you can have fun fighting aliens in computer games instead of in real life.
Quiz it What does UFO stands for?
A UFO is also known as?
Researchers who study UFO related incidents are called: • Archaeologist • Urologist • Ufologist
UFOs are unidentified flying objects, meaning that no one really knows what they are. Many researchers called ufologists have come up with their own theories about what the UFOs might be, but as the UFO’s haven’t been brought to a scientific laboratory, there isn’t any real proof about their existence or structure. A UFO sighting can be defined as the reported sighting of an object or light seen in the sky or on land, whose appearance, actions, motions, lights, and colours do not have a logical explanation, and which cannot be explained, not only by the original witness, but by scientists or technical experts who try to make a common sense identification after examining the evidence.
How fast do they move?
crescent-shaped objects flying along the contours of the mountains. Although he saw them for only three and a half minutes, Arnold knew they were not regular airplanes. He described the motions of the objects as “like a saucer would if you skipped it across the water.” This is where the term ‘flying saucer’ came from.
• Bird in the sky • Alien ship • Flying saucer
What are UFOs?
diamonds, cigars, triangles, or other strange shapes. They have bright lights, sometimes white or red, other times they are multicoloured.
• Unidentified Foreign Objects • Unknown Flying Objects • Unidentified Flying Objects
Kids have you ever wondered if that strange object with the bright lights that you saw in the sky the other night was not a plane or a high-tech frisbee …. but a UFO? You’ve probably heard dozens of stories about them but you may not know what they are, what they look like, or even if they really exist in the first place!
ILLUSTRATION : MOHSIN ALAM
Answers space,green,planet,visitor : travels grey,brainy,short,red eyes: big head
How to make
ha ha ha
What do planets like to read? Comet books! What is an astronaut’s favourite key on the keyboard? The space bar! Why did the cow go to outer space? To visit the milky way. What do you call an alien starship that drips water? A crying saucer. Why are aliens messy tea-drinkers?
Simple flying saucer
With flying saucers, it’s hard not to spill it.
Materials needed
What are aliens’ favourite sweets?
• two paper plates, preferably deep ones • a plastic ‘frappuccino’ lid • stapler • white glue • aluminium foil • colourful beads
Martian-mallows. Where do Aliens keep their sandwiches? In a Launch box. What do you call a pan spinning through space? An unidentified frying object. What is an alien’s favourite sport?
Instructions
SpaceBall.
1. Glue on the plastic lid to the bottom of one of the paper plates and allow it to dry overnight. Then staple together the two plates. 2. Decorate as desired. You can use scrunched up balls of aluminium foil and lots of beads. 3. Not bad for a couple of paper plates. Your UFOs would look great if decorated with glow in the dark stickers and suspended from the ceiling!
The Looney Tunes return
Teen pop sensation Justin Bieber is one of the celebrities who have been chosen as the 100 most influential people in 2011 by Time Magazine. The singer has amassed a global fan following since making his debut in 2009 with the My World EP. According to his mentor Usher, Justin Bieber, “Was born a star. He knew what he wanted to accomplish; all he had to do was get everyone else to believe it. Now, looking back at his incredible run, the reality of who he is and what he’s accomplished far exceeds anybody’s expectations of him.”
Dumbo gets a special release
In honour of its 70th Anniversary, Walt Disney’s beloved animated film Dumbo (1941) is being released on Blu-ray and DVD. The special editions will become available in September this year and will also feature a previously deleted scene (The Mouse’s Tale) and a deleted song (Are You a Man or a Mouse?), as well as a look at the making of Dumbo and additional audio commentary. The Bluray version will also include games and animated shorts.
Justin Bieber makes it to the “most influential people” list
Some of the best known names in the animated universe, including Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, make a comeback to Cartoon Network as The Looney Tunes Show returns with an all-new series. Familiar characters like Tweety, Sylvester, Speedy Gonzales, the Tasmanian Devil, and Marvin the Martian made their way back to TV screens on May 3 around the globe on the channel that is aired in 166 countries worldwide.
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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MAY 7, 2011
campus CAREER GUIDE
ACCA
The cafeteria chronicles College canteens are more than eateries and therein lies some of the best and memorable moments of student life DR HIBA TOHID
SAMINA SALEEM
ACCA stands for Association of Charted Certified Accountants. It is a UK based qualification that is recognised in 14 countries around the globe. Accountancy is one of those careers which give you hundreds of options. Since accountants are needed everywhere,e their role is crucial in every organisation no matter how big or small it is. If you want a challenging and rewarding career, then ACCA is the best option. There are two levels of ACCA exams: 1. Fundamental level (paper F1 to F9) 2. Professional level (P1 to P7, a total of five papers from P1 to P3 is compulsory and two are optional). Options in the field of chartered accountancy in Pakistan include CA — Chartered Accountancy, a Pakistan based qualification and CIMA — Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), a UK based qualification. The qualification is obtained after clearing 14 papers, gaining three years of experience and completing one ethics module. It usually takes two and a half years to clear all the papers but the time varies depending on the individual. The fundamental level paper F1 to F9 is equivalent to a degree level and the professional module is equal to a master’s level.
“Ek chat…do chai…do samosey…” comes a call from one corner. “Chotu! do chai…” comes an order from another. “Order jaldi lao chotu…lecture miss ho jaye ga!” cry out a group of students sitting at a table right in the middle. Filled with noise, activity and the aroma of freshly made patties and samosas, this is the home of the ‘chat pati chaat’; the bunkers’ haven, the friends’ hang out…the sweet epicentre of college life! Enter the cafeteria!
Chota at large… Hopping from one table to another, ‘Chota’ or more endearingly ‘Chotu’ Chotu is a ubiquitous presence in the cafeteria. The faces around him may keep changing with every new batch and every graduation, but Chota stays. Switching from cleaning the tables to reproducing the menu in a long, breathless monologue…he takes a deep breath and
Entry route There are a number of ways one can opt for ACCA: • After completing Intermediate or A levels with English and Maths • After completing B.Com • A degree-exemption may be given on the basis of degree, subjects studied and awarding institutes, for e.g. MBAs, who get exemption for certain papers. • After completion of the CAT exam. • On maturity basis, even a Matriculate can enrol if he/she is 21 or above.
Career options With ACCA qualification you gain expertise in any one area of accountancy e.g. audit or tax. Can work as a consultant providing financial advice and information or you may manage the finances of an organisation. As a qualified certified chartered accountant you can work as an internal and external auditor in any firm or organisation.
having your food delivered Chotu style is just pure old school cafeteria tradition. Chotu also comes in handy when our young college hero’s eyes meet with his dream girls’ sitting across the cafeteria with her friends. Too shy to express his love, he puts his feelings into a note that Chotu has to deliver. With any luck Chotu will bring one back too. He is the cafeteria’s pink panther…from ‘who’s dating who’ to ‘who bought a grade and who sold it’…he knows it all. From food to notes to information he passes it all around under the café roof. The Chota is actually a pretty big man on campus
The time out squad Just as the lecture ends and the professor leaves the classroom, all the ‘fantastic fours’ and the ‘famous fives’ head out to the cafeteria. Sometimes purely for ‘pait pooja’, or just to take a break over a packet of chips and juice. Stretching out on the uncomfortable chairs, the cafeteria becomes a perfect hang out to catch up with other batches or, for the more indulgent types, to just engage in plain, shallow gossip. The cafeteria itself provides a lot of meat (not just the one wrapped in samosass and patties…) for the latter. “That girl… she looks like she’s from our batch. Oh my God! Look she’s sitting with that guy….he’s our senior. I knew there was something going on between these two.” Ah! the joy of ‘chat pati’’ gossip over a plate full of ‘chat pati’ chaatt is only available right here. Cafeteria zindabad! Having their time out is also a group that is a cross between the geek and the back-bencher. This sub specie has a penchant for learning and reading but without the greed for the grade. Rising from
politics is less of a factor), where there’s a will there’s a bhai! Usually from senior batches, even these bhais are not to be messed around with. It’s always a good idea to stay in their good books (a treat at the cafeteria would be a start) to gain access to free backstage passes for the concert next week or have a fellow suitor threatened off your girl unless of course it’s one of the bhais himself… Oops!
The love birds… Yes! You have guessed it right! They are the lonesome twosome sitting in a not so conspicuous corner far away from the madding crowd in the middle. Even Chotu knows not to hop around much unless called. Crooning in a corner all the din in the cafetecafete
Where to go? Karachi • Tabanis School of Accountancy • College of Accounting and Management CAMS • Al-Hamd Academy • CMS • Mirchewala • Abeel’s • School of Business Studies • ICAP
the gene pool of the ‘70s idealists they philosophise and romanticise over a ‘cuppa’ with no worries about attendance records. You might want to jazz it up a bit with a TV or a recreation enclave next door but nothing beats the public radio that is the noisy café itself.
Lahore • SKANS – School of Accountancy • RISE School of Accountancy • National College of Business Administration and Economics • Professional Academy of Commerce
Bhaii log…
Islamabad • SKANS — School of Accountancy • The University of Lahore Business School • University College of Islamabad • Accountancy College of Excellence • Beacon House Business School Peshawar • The Professionals Academy of Commerce
SNIPPETS
Radcliffe Institute Fellowships 2012-13
Deadline: October 3, 2011 & November 15, 2011 The Radcliffe Institute Fellowship Programme is a scholarly community where individuals pursue advanced work across a wide range of academic disciplines, professions, and creative arts. The fellowships are designed to support scholars, scientists, artists, and writers of exceptional promise and demonstrated accomplishment who wish to pursue work in academic and professional fields and in the creative arts. Women and men throughout the world, including developing countries, are encouraged to apply. Individual applications for the fellowship year 2012–2013 are available on-line. The deadline for applications in Humanities, Social Sciences, and Creative Arts is October 3, 2011 and for applications in Natural Science and Mathematics the deadline is November 15. For further information, please visit http://www. radcliffe.edu/fellowships/apply.aspx.
Fulbright Advanced Degree Awards, 2012
Deadline: May 18, 2011 These awards fund graduate study in United States for a Master’s or PhD degree programme. The programmes are funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Pakistani citizens, residing and working in Pakistan, with strong academic histories in all disciplines except clinical medicine are welcome to apply. In addition to academic work, individuals selected for Fulbright programmes are expected to share information about Pakistani life and culture with their US colleagues and with community groups in the US. On returning to Pakistan, Fulbright grantees are expected to share US experience with colleagues and community groups in Pakistan. For further details, log on to http://www. usefpakistan.org/FulbrightAdvanced.html.
You can send your contributions and suggestions to t2@tribune.com.pk
starts off: Veggie samosa, chicken samosa, chicken biryani (you try to keep up)….chana chaat, aaloo chaat (the speech picks up speed)…anaar juice, apple juice, banana shake, mango shake, chai he ends with a sigh as your mind races to catch up. Whatever bits and pieces you can retain out of the recited menu becomes your order. Although queuing in line at the counter could be an option but
This gang is not too difficult to spot. The canteen is their den and they make sure they make their presence felt. Reminiscent of a legacy dating back to the electrifying decades of student politics between the 50s and 70s, these groups may not even be a fraction as inspired or compelling as their predecessors. Therefore, their presence is mostly symbolic with the members of this club enjoying some patronage; having monthly accounts with chotu in the canteen being one of them. Since studying is for sissies, the big boys come to college only to attend the cafeteria where the table becomes the place to plan the next brawl or scheme the next protest; all over cups upon cups of tea. Ironically, the cafeteria also becomes the time out zone for the clashing groups, who after breaking bottles on each other’s heads come to take a breather and cool down under the same roof. Even in cafeterias in private colleges (where
ria dissolves into the cheesy Titanic soundtrack for these victims of cupid. Amidst the gossip girls and the hawk eyes they drink from the same glass and eat from the same plate. Not too much business for chotu’ss boss though.
All by myself… The cafeteria is not all about din and clamour. There are those who find just the right amount of silence they need to work within a cafeteria. From completing a practical journal to finishing an assignment or preparing a presentation or just hanging out all by oneself; the random loner does find space for himself in this busy house of noise. But the truth is no one can be alone in a café for long. You may step in alone but you soon become a part of the whole razzmatazz. That is what cafeteria culture is all about. It’s the heart and soul of college life, which is incomplete if you didn’t write on the cafeteria table or steal a bite from a friend’s aloo chaat or screamed your order out when the table next door played their very own ‘cafeteria idol’. Not to forget the times when you were made to wait outside because the cafeteria was full and your gang ended up pulling chairs from other tables. No biggie if you were still short because then two would share one chair and the group would happily munch away. Here’s to the college café; the most endearing chapter of a college life…Bon appetite! DESIGN : MOHSIN ALAM
Finding the right food Trying new and unusual cuisine can be part of the fun of studying in another country, but for some foreign students finding palatable food can become a challenge AHMED USMAN
Students leaving their home country find it difficult to adjust to a new environment. Besides course-related issues they experience a few non-academic problems such as food, transportation, accommodation, finance, weather and language problems. For international students arriving in Pakistan, the major problem besides accommodation is to get themselves accustomed to the proportion of spices and oil in Pakistani cuisine. Although there are foreign restaurants in cities like Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore, not every foreign student can afford eating out at these often pricey spots. “I live in the university hostel and only once did I make the mistake of having a bite of the awfully spicy food catered by the hostel’s mess. I prefer fast food outlets and at times restaurant at the Sindhi-Muslim society (in Karachi) for lunch and dinner because they keep things in proportion,” says Jordanian medical student, Suhail Rasmi Al-Zghoul. However, there are exceptions like Omar Hussein, who is a Somali student at PIMSAT and a Microbiology graduate from the University of Sindh. “When I came here, I had the same problems which most foreign students have. But now I don’t know how to
eat food without spices,” Hussein said with a boastful grin. “The choice for food in Pakistan is overwhelming but I don’t like most of it,” says a Yemeni student, Nasr Ahmed. “Pakistanis seem to be in love with vegetables in particular, I never saw such a wide variety of veggies in my country.” On the other hand there are students who have found a solution to their food problems. Abdullah Mohamed Ali, a student at the International Islamic University, Islamabad says, “When we get exhausted from eating Pakistani food daily in the hostel mess, we try to cook all our beloved traditional dishes on our own. But we can’t enjoy this very often owing to the tough study schedule.” Almost all international students miss their traditional food but among them only Somalis are famous for bringing home-made preserved food items with them. Abdinair Mohammed, a Somali Public Administration student at University of Karachi says, “Whenever I’ll go to Somalia, I will definitely bring ‘oodkac’ (a type of fried meat), which can be preserved for a long time without freezing, and the famous Somali ‘halwa’ which is in great demand among my friends.”
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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MAY 7, 2011
blogosphere
a mother’s love
Love won’t make her my daughter In Pakistan, there is no law that governs adoption SHARMEEN KHAN
Last year a friend of mine had to take her daughter to a child cardiologist, two days after her birth. When the doctor asked her if the child’s birth was natural or caesarian, she informed him that she did not know. He looked at her perplexedly and asked if the father might confirm. She said, promptly, as if this was rehearsed, “I do not know her father.” The fact is, my friend does not know her daughter’s father or mother. She has never met them. Her child’s genes are a mystery to her. Regardless, she is more her parent than anyone else on this planet. This means, she is spiritually and legally responsible for the baby’s well-being and feels an affinity with her that she says she has not yet felt with her own blood relations.
cial ability. The fact is, with the kind of poverty and overpopulation we have and the average number of infants being abandoned at birth rising weekly (if not daily), courts will have no moral foundation to deprive a child who has been abandoned on the street of a caring, loving and secure environment. What we do not have are scrutiny agencies, institutionalised NGOs and robust systems in place, thereby pushing adoption processes to be strictly private affairs. Adoption is undertaken through the guardianship route. Once an individual is granted the guardianship of a child, the next natural step would be to get the child a Form B, so that the child can integrate into civil society. Here is where the travesty of justice takes place.
NADRA’s failure to protect children Adoption law — does anyone care? Six months into becoming a parent, my friend has not been able to get a B form for her daughter, despite the fact that the court has awarded her full rights as a guardian of her little girl. Without getting into the spirit behind her rather unusual path to becoming a parent, let me give you all a short, brief summary of the perils of adoption in this country and how NADRA is single-handedly compelling many to seek the path of illegality to legitimise what are otherwise court-sanctioned children. In Pakistan, there is no law that governs adoption. This does not mean that adoption is illegal; it simply means that there is no law to regulate this exercise. Like planting a garden in your own territory or engaging in the sale of silk, breathing and being are not regulated, but are legal. Similarly, adoption per se is not illegal. The law that regulates the process of adoption itself is the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890. Although this act itself does not institutionalise adoption, it has sensitised our courts to adoption in Pakistan. The courts recognise that adoption provides a very important function in our society and has existed for a very long time. Although traditionally, it was restricted to within the family and by couples who could not have children, now it has extended to multifaceted families, including single parents. Our courts have never stopped a single person from adopting a child, as long as the court has established the person’s good character and finan-
NADRA, which is solely responsible for granting Form Bs to children, does not recognise guardianship. It refuses to acknowledge wards as legitimate and refuses to register adopted children under the name of the guardian, thereby forcing many to seek false birth certificates to legitimise their adopted children. According to NADRA, if a child does not have any known parent, the child cannot be registered. NADRA has proven itself to be an agency which wants abandoned and destitute children to remain unregistered, unprotected and unable to exercise their fundamental rights, because they had the ill fortune to be abandoned by their natural parents.
Contempt of the court Our children are our most cherished asset. It should be the responsibility of the government and all its agencies to support and protect them. Millions of children can be taken off the street by caring, responsible adults who could protect them from exploitation. Adoption and guardianship has to be recognised by NADRA so that they can assist, rather than hinder, programmes that support the development and protection of children. NADRA has exposed itself to suo moto action or a class-action lawsuit, for acting against the constitution. It should act now and create a process that allows the registration of wards and adopted children, otherwise it will be guilty of serious contempt of court.
Her child’s genes are a mystery to her. Regardless, she is more her parent than anyone else on this planet
Mommy in the Mothers who can bring change Do Pakistani laws Three women from diverse backgrounds and facing multiple challenges boardroom protect women? all seem to have one priority — education
SHEZRAY HUSAIN
SHIRIN GUL
Most women in Pakistan have never heard the word ‘feminism’ or the term ‘women’s movement’. Yet, they are partners in the struggle for women’s empowerment. They are partners who through their everyday struggle ensure a better sense of self for the coming generations of women. All of us know such women of substance. Unfortunately, we do not talk enough about them. Yet, these are the real heros, through whose struggle we see, today, young women faring better and better, living out their mother’s dream and carving a niche within the society for a new generation of women.
Mussarat
Shehnaz
Rehmat
I met Mussarat a few years ago. After losing her husband to a protracted illness, Mussarat brought up and educated her two daughters alone.She worked in a tube-light making factory, a sewing and stitching centre and also cleaned people’s homes- sometimes holding more than one job simultaneously. She had been dependent on her father for her livelihood before marriage and her husband after her marriage. Uneducated and unskilled, she was left to fend for herself when her husband was no longer able to provide for the family. She wisely told me, “I did not want my daughters to face the same situation. I decided that my girls will be educated. Today, they are educated and married. My struggle was not just to put food on the table, it was also to put my children though school while struggling to pay for my husband’s treatment, while he was alive.”
Shehnaz works as a part-time beautician while her husband is a welder and makes enough to support the family. Shehnaz does not work to support the family, she works to support her daughters’ education. When I met her, the oldest of her three daughters was entering her undergraduate level. Shehnaz wants her to pursue a career in nursing but her daughter would rather work in an office. She is currently enrolled in a Masters program at a leading public sector university in Islamabad. Shehnaz knows she is investing in her daughter’s future. “I have only received primary education, that is no good in the real world. My in-laws look down on my daughters because of this, I want them to be educated so they are independent and respected as boys are,” says Shehnaz.
Rehmat’s husband was a brick-layer when not in pursuit of or under the influence of charas. I remember she was always unhappy. She would not disclose her full pay to her husband and would always let part of her pay be with a friend for safekeeping. Among other uses, this kitty was used to pay for her children’s education. I distinctly, recall two things she said to me, “though, he is abusive, he is a protection for me from the vultures that men become once a woman like me is alone,” and “bibi, I just want to ensure my daughters are not like me, they will be educated. They will have a better life.”
Stay-at-home moms have been something we all grew up with — my sister used to sulk if Ami was not present at the lunch table having escorted her royal highness back from school ready to lend an ear to her various thoughts and tribulations. But, running a business with predominantly female employees has brought on a little bit of maturity and understanding, not just about the complicated species called women, but the impact their presence in the workforce has on their families and society. According to an economic survey Pakistan’s average income per month is Rs 7,000 — the expenditure of an average household is Rs 8,000 which translates into the simple fact that a household cannot function on a single income. But despite that, only 12 per cent of all female graduates work, and our female participation in the workplace is one of the lowest in the region even though most medical colleges have 50 percent female students.
The two income family When Proctor and Gamble launched Pampers in Pakistan almost ten years ago, one of my best friends, a marketing major, clapped his hands in glee and said that this was the beginning of the two income era! And the numerous flat buildings by the sea are a testament to Mr and Mrs Successful Professional — but various recruitment experts and corporate workers bemoan the fact that women who arrive bright and sharp from college usually stay on for a maximum of five to six years before quitting using their offspring as the main reason. This decision has a direct and adverse impact of a young families spending power, their saving strategy and most importantly on the career growth of the mother in question. As one
A part time working mother can add 25% to a family’s income
of my friends correctly pointed out — parents these days invest in their daughter’s education so that if need arises she can fend for herself. But if the husband dies/ walks out / loses his job — business by about age 40. So who is then going to hire a doctor or engineer whose main responsibility has been changing nappies for the past ten years?
Women that I know Hira, a gregarious 16 year old A level student — wearing fuchsia converse trainers and a severe white headscarf has big plans of becoming a designer. Her mother Razia manages an upscale retail store in Lahore — having moved from Karachi at the time of her marriage, Razia was barely an intermediate pass. Her husband worked as a sales assistant in a watch showroom and she was expected as per the norm to look after the home — bear and raise 2-4 kids and not step out of the house without a chaddar and a chaperone. But when her son was born it gave birth to an urgent sense of ambition in the mother in her. She wanted to give her child everything that she did not have and a good quality education was topmost on the list. When her husband told her that Rs10,000 was not going to cover all that she had in mind she took up a job in a salon. Eighteen years and two children later, Razia has grown from a shy girl into a confident woman. Her son is in his final
year of electrical engineering and the family’s status has risen from “struggling to barely stay afloat the poverty line” to the coveted middle class slot. Laila is learning how to drive these days and the roads of Karachi better watch out. My waxing woman, she is the one woman who has the power to make me cry. Hailing from Sargodha where she was married off to a cousin at 16, she soon realised that his lack of career focus and the intricacies of joint family politics were not conducive to a happy and productive family life. So she plotted, pouted and planned till Naeem decided to move his wife and two children to Karachi. Her mother often told her that she had a light hand — while the compliment was aimed at chapatti making Laila chose to utilise her talent by becoming a waxing woman. Today her daughter having completed her matriculation is training at an upscale parlor, the son is training to become a police officer because his mother thinks “baajee uniform mein issmart lagta hai naa!” and two younger children are at school. Having acquired a house and all the modern day amenities such as TV, cable, washing machine she has now bought a second hand car so that she can drive herself to jobs while her husband concentrates on running a school pickup van.
A job that works for you In this day and age earning a wage does not necessarily have to equal nine to five slogging. Alternatives are plenty starting from the embroiderer who works on consignment for a designer to the caterer who stirs her sauces while her three year old watches in amazement from her high chair. Not a mom myself I can only talk about the numbers and the statistics that make sense — a part time working mother can supplement the household income by an average of 25 percent.
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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MAY 7, 2011
offbeat A vow of 3, 454 shaveless days For a middle school teacher in Washington, razors never looked as good as they did on May 2. Following the 9/11 attacks Garry Weddle of Ephrata, had vowed that he would not shave his beard until Osama bin Laden was caught. But he never knew that he would have to wait 10 years for this... Weddle was a substitute teacher when the terrorist attacks occurred on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon in 2001. He was so struck by the tragedies that instead of spending time watching the events related to the attack unfold; he let his grey beard grow longer. It wasn’t easy for Weddle as he endured ridicule and jokes for holding to his unshaven ways for almost 10 years. But Weddle kept his words. The grey stringy growth actually made him look a bit like bin Laden but even then he stood by his vow. However, all is well that ends well. On May 2, Weddle wasted no time looking for razor and scissor. Now the long grey beard is nothing more than a 10year memory for Weddle and his family. “I wanted him to get rid of it, but it was his vow,” his wife Donita said. “I respected his passion and keeping a vow. I was willing to look past the beard because I love him.” Now she said her husband looks 10 years younger. “It’s a very happy moment for us,” she said.
Cow steals milk
Got milk? How about 26 gallons of it? One man did, at least for a little while. And that man was dressed in a cow costume. An 18-year-old man Jonathan Payton crawled into a Stafford, Virginia Walmart store. After standing, he loaded about $92 worth of milk into a shopping cart and simply rolled the cart out of the mart without paying, police said. He then attempted to give the milk away outside the store, and tried to flee the scene by skipping away, the police added. Payton was given summons and released at the scene. SOURCE: NBCWASHINGTON.COM
Kung fu trolley dollies
SOURCE: NEWSFEED.TIME.COM
Obama cuddles Osama Traditional artisans in southern Italy have put a clay statuette showing US President Barack Obama holding Osama bin Laden’s head on sale in an unusual reaction to the Al-Qaeda chief’s ef’s killing. The statuette was fashioned by artisans who usually make religious figures for the elaborate Christmas Nativity scenes typical of the city of Naples and who have branched out in recent years into pursuing suing more contemporary themes. The hand-painted figurine shows the American president grinning and flashing shing a victory sign. Bin Laden’s disembodied head is also smiling. Naples artisans have a reputation for their quick uick reaction to news events. High flying air hostesses are being taught high kicking kung fu skills — to deck drunk passengers who try to grope them. The Chinese stewardesses are taking classes in deadly Wing Chun, which teaches students how to knock an aggressor out cold within seconds. Airline bosses say their flight attendants have to deal with at least three cases a week where amorous drunks try to paw them. “It is for their own safety and the safety of other passengers that they learn how to defend themselves. This kung fu works best at very close range so it is ideal for a plane,” said instructor Sifu Lu Heng.
SOURCE: NEWS.YAHOO.COM
Oops...! Obama dead
SOURCE: WEB.ORANGE.CO.UK
Camel swallows vet
Every news provider in the world was buzzing, broadcasting stories on the death of Osama bin Laden. However, an oversight at Fox News’ Sacramento affiliate Fox40 News saw the US TV channel use titles onscreen reporting that ‘Obama Bin Laden’ had died. The typo, which mixes the name of the deceased terrorist leader with that of US President, Barack Obama, caused much hilarity on Twitter. Viewers watched as ‘Breaking News. Reports: Obama Bin Laden Dead’ popped up on screen, but Fox has responded by saying it was an easy mistake to make. SOURCE: EMIRATES247.COM
Tiny tribute
Going bananas
A Birmingham artist has paid microscopic tribute to the royal wedding. Willard Wigan has created a sculpture of Prince William and Catherine Middleton so small that it can fit in the eye of a needle. In the tiny artwork, the couple can be seen arm-in-arm, with Kate wearing her famous blue Issa engagement dress. Willard said his aim was to create, “the smallest, biggest tribute” to the couple on their wedding day. For the royal tribute he sculpted a tiny piece of synthetic fibre, which he then painted using a single eyelash. Previously he has immortalised the likes of Barack Obama in miniature as well as inscribing the Lord’s Prayer on a pin-head.
An armless painter turns art museum vice curator Huang Guofu, 41, lost both of his arms at the age of four after suffering electric shocks. Born in Tongnan, Chongqing, China, he developed an interest in painting at the age of 12. He started small but dreamed big, painting pictures he saw in his textbooks by using his feet. Huang left school at the age of 18 to raise money to combat the illness that later claimed his father’s life. He became a traveling artist, creating works on the streets of many cities and selling them to passersby. As if all of this isn’t amazing enough, Huang is now vice-curator of the newly established Chongqing Talents Museum, and is planning to paint murals depicting scenes of old Chongqing. He is conducting his research for this project via a computer, which he accesses by biting on a chopstick and using his right foot to clamp a pen that touches the keyboard. “I am searching materials and pictures of old Chongqing, and preparing the materials for my upcoming creations,” said Huang. The museum now features several foot-and-mouth painters. For this courageous man and his art it would appear that this is so and who needs hands anyway?
SOURCE: WEB.ORANGE.CO.UK
SOURCE: WEIRDASIANEWS.COM
This a-peeling sculpture is sure to make you go bananas — with the face of Elvis given a fruity new approach. Japanese artist Keisuke Yamada has also sculpted Davey Jones from Pirates of The Caribbean, as well as a dragon and ghoulish skulls. The detailed works of fruity art are carved with a toothpick and a spoon. Each piece is completed fast, before the bananas start to rot. When the sculptures are complete Yamada photographs them and eats them before they go bad. He says, “I started making them about two weeks ago and since posting pictures of them online they have really taken off.” Yamada, an electrician by profession added, “I’m looking forward to making many more in the future.” SOURCE: METRO.CO.UK
Camels are well known for their voracious appetites — but this takes the biscuit (along with the vet who was feeding it to him). You’d think the fact that this camel appears to be eating a female vet would be weird enough for this picture. But apparently, it shows the animal ‘getting ready for a pedicure’ in the United Arab Emirates. Now — we all know camels, the ‘Ships of the Desert’ — are an important part of people’s lifestyles in the Middle East. But a pedicure?! Really? Don’t even ask why the vet needs to climb into the camel’s mouth to give it a pedicure — last time we checked, that was for nails. As an afterthought — it must be pretty smelly in there. This weird picture actually comes from a photo competition to mark the World Veterinary Year, used to highlight the important role vets play in the lives of people and animals across the world. The vet being eaten by a camel came top of the 2,500 global entries, and it’s obvious, why? SOURCE: METRO.CO.UK
Underwater opera
An especially composed opera with a difference premiered in a Berlin swimming pool this week, with singers performing in and out and even under the water. Aquaria Palaoa is the brainchild of Claudia Herr, a champion swimmer in her youth before turning to singing, who plays the lead role, diving into the Stadtbad Neukoelln pool in her green evening dress. With the help of oxygen tanks strapped to her back, Herr sings underwater, with the whale-like sounds she produces transmitted onto speakers situated around the swimming pool with the help of special microphones. Her voice and those of other singers — who also sing underwater but without oxygen tanks — are mixed with sounds that were recorded 100 metres under an ice shelf in Antarctica. The orchestra stays dry, seated around the pool. For the opera, Herr teamed up with composer Susanne Stelzen. “Before agreeing to do it, I listened to music in the bath,” she said. “Sound underwater is much weaker, it is muted. But that gives it a bit of a mystical quality.” The opera runs from May 1 until September 17. SOURCE: EMIRATES247.COM