Ideas Evolved Publications– Internal Newsletter
Tuesday. 12th, August, 2014
Wunderbar| i
Wunderbar| ii The Team Page| 12th August, 2014
The Crew Aboard iE internship
Hareem Farooq is an A2 student enrolled at The City School, Ravi Campus. When you won’t find her studying (which is rare), you will either find her typing in an article in the solitude of the night, or fervently debating in a parliamentary tournament. She describes her passion for writing in the following words: “Transforming thoughts into words and penning them in ink, in a way that it brings non-living characters to life, is a skill that has become a channel for my ideas and beliefs. Writing unveils for us a world that teaches us to grimace at others’ sorrows, wince at others’ pains and smile at their happiness. It teaches us to create and live a life beyond our own; it is a world within the world.” Rida Zahra is an Arts student studying at National College of Arts, dreams to become the leading architect of all times and has deep interests in all forms of art, be it painting, photography, design or architecture and of course, WRITING. Working as an iE intern has provided an outlet for that. She is ambitious and wants to travel the whole world and experience adventures. Moreover, loves to bake cakes and cupcakes and also dreams to bake and sell cakes one day Thoroughly believes in the quote that : "You are what you repeatedly do."
Wunderbar| iii The Team Page| 12th August, 2014 Fatima Mehmood. 18. Stuck in A-level since what seems like forever now. Aspiring professional lawyer, joy writer and a devoted social worker (among other things, that is). I hope to find a unicorn one day. Obsessed with the idea of sky-diving and travelling around the world to discover the unknown. I am completely and irrevocably Sherlocked. Leonardo di Caprio, Ryan Gosling and Ashton Kutcher are legends. ( I hope this bio could be long enough for me to mention all actors I fan-girl over) I am a huge fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald and his work. Diary of Anne Frank and Adventures of Tom Sawyer have been my most treasured books since childhood. I've never read Harry Potter. I was once plagued by the Twilight fever though. It's very hard to confess such things nowadays. Kings of Leon, The Script, Coldplay, 30 Seconds to Mars, Fall Out Boy, Arctic Monkeys, Avicii, The Beatles, The Black Keys, Cover Drive, The Cranberries, Death Cab for Cutie, The Fray, Howie Day, Imagine Dragons, John Legend, Lana Del Ray, Lifehouse and Linkin Park are just SOME of my treasured artists and bands. I can have pizza any second of any day. I had a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (always wanted to use this word- achievement=unlocked) time at the iE internship with the ever-so-enlightened and extremely helpful iE team and my brilliantly top-notch fellow interns. It has been a complete pleasure working with you all. I hope I get to work with all of you in the future. Au revoir amigos! (I just mixed French and Spanish!)
Sitara Hassan is a student of Biotechnology at Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore. She had lost her ‘way with words’ (a fancy way to say that she suffered from hardcore ‘Writers Block’) so it came as a surprise when she decided to intern at Ideas Evolved Publications. She’s glad she did. The words are back, and the ideas are waltzing in her head. Follow her @Tara_232 on Twitter.
Wunderbar| iv The Scoop| 12th August, 2014
The Scoop Greetings, Life-forms. If you’re one of the few fortunate ones allowed to read this internal newsletter, I, on behalf of all the interns, welcome you with a hearty smile, and will proceed to hand you a cup of freshly brewed tea, and escort you to a rather comfy spot on the sofa. And as clichéd as this may sound: Fasten your metaphorical seatbelts, Ladies and Gentlemen. ‘Tis going to be one heck of a ride. ‘Wunderbar.’ Doesn’t this German word sound absolutely delightful? Even the word itself, roughly translates to ‘wonderful’ in the glorious English language. But it’s not the sound of the word, nor the fact that it makes me feel as if I’m one step (one word?) closer to learning German, that compelled me to put it up as the name of this- our- newsletter. It was chosen because it describes how the internship experience at Ideas Evolved Publications was: Wonderful. And as I sit here contemplating what to say (write?) I am reminded (as I often am) of ‘The Doctor’ (Yes, I will throw in every reference to Dr. Who I can possibly manage) saying the following words, in a particularly teary episode. “The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and... bad things. The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant.” And the Ideas Evolved Online Summer Internship Program 2014, is something we’ve certainly added to ‘our pile of good things.’
Deadlines, emails, FB posts, critiques and comments, Editors and Coordinators, assignments and interviews kept us all on the tips of our toes and burning the midnight oil. It will be a blatant lie to say that none of us wanted to throw sharp projectiles at one another, and tear out our hair in frustration. There were Dark Times, indeed. But a certain amount of darkness is needed to see the stars and only in times of adversity do we truly find and learn about ourselves. And so from these beautifully chaotic weeks, rose out four brilliant and incredible interns; polished and refined, wearing their ideas as armor and wielding their pens as swords. But can we solely attribute our success to ‘us’? The answer is a resounding ‘NO!’
Wunderbar| v The Scoop| 12th August, 2014 Because while we may have rose out of the debris of failed assignments and deadlines not met, the guiding hands that gave us that much-needed push, or the many set of eyes that helped us see in the shadows, or the firm voices that strengthened our wavering faith was all the work of four exceptional people, who we’ve had the honor and privilege to come across. So it isn’t exaggerated when I say that words from the entire English language could not do justice to describe the generous helpings of ‘help’ provided to us by our mentors. The Man on the Iron Throne, CEO Ziad Bashir, the one-who patiently-dealt-with-an-explosion-of-FB-notifications-frompanicked-interns, Senior Editor Noor Rehman, and the delightful Junior Editors Hinan Rana Javaid and Aabiya Nouman who’d always be there with constructive criticism and praise, here’s a huge whooping SHOUT OUT to all of you! On behalf of all the interns, allow me to thank you all, from the deep recesses of my heart, for your invaluable counseling and supervision. We would have been stuck in ‘The Dark Times’ had it not been for each and everyone of you. And in the words of Joshua Braff who is much better at putting our collective thoughts into verbose ones: “If only there was enough space on this tiny card to evoke my unfettered joie de vivre for what you have done. The gaiety, the mirth, the heavenly bubbling of every effusive cell that sings inside me for your kind and pithy offering.” I would also like to use this moment to show my gratitude to the Interns themselves. It was ‘wunderbar’ to meet you all as well (figuratively speaking till the time we actually do meet-up for real.) You all are extraordinary. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. I’ve enjoyed our time together immensely, I’ve loved reading your words, and I will always treasure our correspondence on Facebook and e-mail. I’m glad to have had all of you in this little bandwagon travelling around the literary world of articles and interviews. Fatima Mehmood, Hareem Farooq and Rida Zahra, you awesome, ladies, you. Do not let anyone dull your sparkle. There will be Dark Times ahead, but it is only through perseverance will you find the Light. I wish you all the best in all your future endeavors. I feel like a Valedictorian at the moment. *chuckles* But now I must end my rather long note with another German expression that adequately sums up my thoughts. Auf Wiedersehen. [Until we meet again.] Sitara Hassan Intern at Ideas Evolved Publications @Tara_232| sitara.hassan17@gmail.com
Wunderbar| 1 Title of Contents| 12th August, 2014
Title of Contents The Team Page- The Crew aboard the iE Internship ….. …………………………ii The Scoop ……………………………. iv The Best of Humans of New York…….2 Bits and Pieces of the iE Experience… 3 Book Review- And the Mountains Echoed…………………………….….. 5 Comic Review- Injustice: Gods Among Us……………………..…7 For the love of Doodles……. …………8 Contact Us ……. …………………….. 11
Wunderbar| 2 The Best of HONY| 12th August, 2014
THE BEST OF HUMANS OF NEW YORK– FAN FATIMA’S FAVOURITES.
Wunderbar| 3 Bits and Pieces of the iE Experience| 12th August, 2014
Bits and Pieces of The iE Experience Starting off as a group of six "incredible people" (Noor Rehman's words, not mine!) and ending as "four talented, driven young women" (thank you again Noor *beams*), interning at Ideas Evolved was an epic rollercoaster ride marked by seventeen contributions to the blog and two successful interviews (after a big bunch of disappointments, that is). Having stated the obvious (look what I did there), I shall now take the liberty of delving into the depths (the pleasant AND the not-so-pleasant ones) of the iE experience. To be brutally honest, I was hesitant and unsure at first as to whether an online internship could work out. The picture I had in my mind was messy. However, I, for one, had greatly underestimated the novel perks of it! Who wouldn't agree that there is nothing better than writing articles in the comfort of a relaxed time span of a week, at your own house, at whatever time the writer in you awakens, with your playlist of what I call "writing songs" and of course, innumerable cups of coffee, tea and coke to keep you going? However, let me tell you. There has been a dark, dark, dark, dark (it wasn't even this dark) side to the iE experience as well. Of course, it has not been all butterflies and rainbows. The interview assignment was the most frustrating to be honest! We sent out so many emails and Facebook messages to so many people, with extremely high hopes that they'd be nice enough to reply (Brandon </3) and we'd be lucky enough to interview them. However, as each day passed, the misery of the interns grew. It was very discouraging. We were all falling into this deep, dark (again) pit of hopelessness and restlessness when we finally saw the light at the end of this dark tunnel. Our knight in shining armor had eventually come to our rescue, and quite heroically, I must say.
Wunderbar| 4 Bits and Pieces of the iE Experience| 12th August, 2014 This person was none other than iE's extraordinary Senior Editor; Noor Rehman herself! Thanks to her, our frustration did not last long. Not only did she generously extend our deadline but also helped us be so much better at writing first emails and messages to all these people , which led to us finally coming out of the dark (something about this word) pit and enter into the bliss of getting to see our first interviews published. Added to these woes was the fact that our very dear and much loved social networking website, The Great Facebook, became less of a leisure to while away our time and more of a workplace we had to log in to contact each other numerous times a day. If one missed logging in for a few hours, one's Facebook would be bombarded by notifications which one then had to keep track of *sigh*. Not only that, we had to wait for quite a while before we finalized ideas for our collaborative assignments as everyone would come online at different times of the day (and night). I love the way Hareem put it, "We prayed less during Sehri, and wrote more." How can I miss mentioning the week when all our submissions, except for Sitara's, got rejected? It was sad, just plain sad. However, it was helpful in ways I never could've imagined. The turndown and the guidance which we got as a result of it was extremely instrumental for all of us in our process of becoming better writers and of course, editors (Edit, Re-edit, Re-rere edit). So, in short, iE was not evil to us at all despite the fact that it left us in a dreadful state of sheer exasperation a number of times. Putting all of that aside, the feeling of accomplishment we got each time an article got published and praised heartily by the iE team, was plain thrilling and very encouraging. It was a truly great learning experience which we thoroughly enjoyed. Amigos to all and hope to see you all next weekend and as our "occasional source of wisdom" put it, "discuss some opportunities" (intriguing, I must say)!
Fatima Mehmood
Treasured Wordings
“And that's the thing about people who mean everything they say. They think everyone else does too.” -Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner
"Somewhere out there, there is a tree, tirelessly producing oxygen so you can breathe. I think you owe it an apology." - House "I prefer drawing to talking. Drawing is faster and leaves less room for lies."
“Well, look who I ran into,” crowed C o i n c i d e n c e . “Please,” flirted Fate, “this was meant to be.” -Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, Vol. 1) “You're playing with Pandora's box. Sometimes it's better not to open it. Sometimes, it's better not to know.” -Tatiana de Rosnay, Sarah's Key
"Beneath this mask there is an idea a n d id e a s a re b u ll e t p ro o f . " -Alan Moore (V for Vendetta)
Wunderbar| 5 Book Review| 12th August, 2014
Psychology Says
And the Mountains Echoed ‘They say, “Find a purpose in your life and live it.” But sometimes, it is only after you have lived that you recognize your life had a purpose, and likely one you never had in mind.’
High School students in 2014 have the same anxiety levels as insane asylum patients in the 1950s. People are generally more honest when physically tired. The happier you are, the less sleep you require to function in everyday life. Sadness increases the urge to sleep more. Some people have a "natural alarm clock" allowing them to wake up when they want. This is actually caused by a stress hormone.
From Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos, Khaled Hosseini’s third novel is nothing less than a roller coaster ride across the globe- a topsy-turvy one indeed.
The mind holds onto memories because memories remain the same even when people begin to change.
The novel opens in Kabul, unveiling the life of two siblings, Abdullah and Pari. While the souls of the two remain eternally connected, the bitter realities of their lives make their physical parting inevitable. The grains of sand continue to trickle down the hour glass, as both live their own lives, unaware of each other’s whereabouts and even their reunion cannot fill the cavernous hole of their life. The message that ‘time leaves scars that are impossible to heal’ is embedded with such pragmatism that leaves the readers awestruck.
Unhappy children grow up to make more money than those who were happy, using childhood disappointment as motivation to do better.
“Kabul is... a thousand tragedies per square mile.”
“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”
Wunderbar| 6 Book Review| 12th August, 2014 Not all of us are made for the society we live in and sometimes the clash of societal preferences and personal priorities can be nerve wracking. The author sheds light on the concept as he unfolds the lives of Nila and Mr.Wahadati. Nila, a woman who is too liberal, in terms of her lifestyle, feels suffocated by the conservative society around her and finds an escape from all the restrictions by fleeing abroad. Mr.Wahadati, on the contrary, develops infatuation towards his servant, Nabi, yet buries his desires for the sake of society. Different people have different approaches to a life they find anomalous- some adapt, others disregard. “I suspect the truth is that we are waiting, all of us, against insurmountable odds, for something extraordinary to happen to us.” Thalia’s story provides an insight into the verity that life may not always turn out the way we expect it to. The unanticipated mishap of being brutally bitten by a dog, resulting in a disfigured face, becomes the biggest reality of the girl’s life who spends her life concealed behind a veil. Yet, confronting the odds that life brings your way and molding yourself accordingly is the key to survival and to the happiest life ‘possible’.
“It's a funny thing... but people mostly have it backward. They think they live by what they want. But really, what guides them is what they're afraid of. What they don't want.” Whilst memory is sometimes a blessing that allows you to revive past moments that you cherish and hold on to for dear life, the author reveals a darker side of it. Memory is that curse that makes you relive all the pain you’ve felt, stumble repeatedly through all your struggles and live through the sorrows over and over again. Oblivion is not always a menace, sometimes it is the bliss that makes us strong enough to face the challenges of life that come our way. The stories of all the characters impart a tinge of this grave truth. At any one place, at any particular time, there cannot be just one story; countless tales delicately intertwined into one another, with different alphas and omegas, and varying ups and downs. This sums up the crux of Khalid Hosseini’s thought provoking bestseller, ‘And the Mountains Echoed’.
Hareem Farooq
Psychology Says The average dream only lasts 2 to 3 seconds. Ancient myths suggest that "Deja Vu" is your mind's way of letting you know that you're in the right place at the right time. Any friendship that exceeds the 7 year mark is more likely to last an entire lifetime. When a person cries, if the first drop of tear comes out of the right eye, it is happiness. If it comes from the left, it is pain. Cherophobia: is a fear in which people are afraid of being too happy because you think something tragic is going to happen soon.
Wunderbar| 7 Comic Review| 12th August, 2014
Injustice-Gods Among Us This is hands-down my favorite from DC Comics. To tell you what it is about would mean to effectively maneuver from spoilers. This is no easy task, I can guarantee you, but I will try. Every page is packed with plot twists that leave your eyes wide open and your jaw unable to close. The comic follows the events which precede the game with the same name, taking place five years before. So what is it about? In a nutshell: The tragic death of a loved one makes Superman go rouge.
Our world is now ruled by an iron fist… of a Man of Steel.”
For those reading that sentence again, I assure you that you read it right the first time. And if that hasn’t piqued your interest, imagine as if George R. R. Martin himself wrote the story- There is THAT much death, destruction, and gaspingly-put-hand-on-mouth type moments. Superman has taken over as a fascist dictator, and stubbornly puts his faith in a twisted belief of a regime controlled by super-soldiers. Batman, and those who believe him, are leading a revolution against him in a bid to save humanity. The series is written by Tom Taylor and illustrated by a rotating team of artists including Jheremy Raapack, David Yardin, Mike S. Miller, and Tom Derenick. The comic reached its conclusion after 36 digital chapters and 12 print issues. It was re-launched again as the Year Two series in January 2014, with 18 chapters up till now; a chronicle of the second year of the five year period. Featuring all of DC’s characters (from Black Canary to Dr. Fate, to Oracle, Sinestro and MORE), every chapter ends on a cliff-hanger, making one impatiently wait for the next to be released. Read it, people. I cannot stress enough on how epic this comic series is without spluttering and fan-girling as I remember my favorite parts.
Sitara Hassan
Wunderbar| 8 For the Love of Doodles| 12th August, 2014
By Sitara Hassan
Wunderbar| 9 For the Love of Doodles| 12th August, 2014
By Rida Zahra
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