Dear friends, It is great that you feel as a part of the Young Nation magazine. Keep on writing to us and feel free to send us stories, letters, poems and articles. Won’t let you wait more, just go inside and see exciting stories and activties. Take care, edi
Designed by Sohail Abbas
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Poet’s corner
WWF
Cover Story
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Story time
Hey kids, kindly send us letters, stories, poems and events detail on the following address: youngnation@nation.com.pk Or Editor Young Nation 4- Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore.
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Dear edi,
How are you? I hope you will be fine. The issues of January 8th and January 22nd 2011 were awesome. They carried my favourite country Japan and I liked it very much. And the stories about cats were also great. Your magazine is improving every day and that is good. You should keep it up. Now some criticism for you. I don’t know why you edit the letters so much. You should give two pages for letters and I’ve seen this that you don’t print the letter which criticize you, You do print but very few. You should face a little bit of criticism. And please stop decreasing the number of pages in the magazine! We want more stories, drawings, and quizzes in Young Nation-March 19, 2011
it especially I want it. Add more info about Japan and Japanese culture because I really love Japan. I love them both. I am sending you drawings, stories and this letter so publish them all because I’m sending these thing after a long time.
Regards, Aasma Khan Beaconhouse School, Lahore
Dear edi,
I want to share an experience with all of you. I was sitting in my car the other day on my way home from college when I got a call from my father but it was impossible to hear him due to the loud noise. This made me realize how much noise pollution there really is. But alas it has become a norm for us and we are immune to it all. Whether it be the
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sound of the rickshaws, the horns of the buses, the impressive car stereo systems or the silencer deprived motorbikes. Have we ever realized that our actions may cause discomfort or hurt to someone? It might hurt our parents when we don’t listen to them. Or when we have Mehendis, or say even a Milaad we block roads and keep playing loud music or na’ats till morning. Not caring that our entertainment and happiness is robbing someone of their goodnight’s sleep. So let’s think about it and join hands to eradicate the elements of pollution in any form in order to create a happier and a healthier environment.
Regards, Sara Ambreen
Hi,
How are you? Your magazine is great. I always read the poet’s corner section. It is superb.
Thanks, Sana Naz Karachi
When I met you for the very first time, by Rida-Sarwar
I never thought that you would change my life, Your talks your smile your eyes made me laughs, I never realized how you made my life your own, When every issue of this life was solved by you, When all my nights ended on your name, I never felt it, I never realized it, I feel I took you for granted, God gave me the punishment for granted, He took you away, now we are far away, My heart keeps singing your song, I can’t forget you, It’s like that you took away my soul with you, It’s like everything of mine was taken by you, Come back and make my world shine, It’s so dark without you; it’s so lonely without u. Without you I am in misery, I never realized how you made my life your own, You never ever made me realize it, You never made me feel that I would be so desperate without you. I never realized how much importance you gained in my life, I am sorry I never realized
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it I am sorry I took you for granted, So now tell me when you hear my heart stop, So tell me how you feel when you hear my silence, You are the only one who know, I am sorry I never realised it...
But if I’ll…..be by Mano Naseer
One day I’ll find out What is my destiny about? One day my views will be clear And that day is very near I can feel it I believe I can do it But what…. There are just a lot of possibilities I wonder in my future, who will be It’s all a big mystery Don’t know where my heart will lead me Some times while watching a movie I think that I better be a star But that dream is very far And maybe, while singing on a stage I think of becoming a singer But that will lead to my fathers rage Or a dancer But in dancing I am a loser So how about writing a book But how much time will it took Yeah, I’ll be a poet
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But maybe, my language people won’t get I got it; I’ll draw and become an artist But that career would come with a lot of risks And I remember my mom wants me to be a doctor But I think becoming an actor Is way better No one is sure about my future No body can be sure So I’ll let time decide And I would not hide Anymore,…I’ll one day find my place in this world I’ll no more be a hopeless little girl…
Our hands are softer by Ali Kamran
The door is closed now For which you are dying to open Long long time ago The door that I was knocking at Produced the echo That was heard by someone The one who has the eye to see For life and its aspects Now it is vain to knock Your hands are softer The door is far harder You could not break it open Because the closer of the door Can foresee beyond the days
Cover Story
By Sumera
“Just living is not enough” said the butterfly, “one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.”
Hans Christian Andersen
Nature awakens in spring, and flowers bloom. Spring is a wonderful time of the year for fresh spring flowers, particularly for flower bulbs. In spring, plants and trees sprout new leaves and flowers bloom. Spring Flowers are beautiful and fragrant. Changing season has a profound effect on plant and animal life. Well freezing winter is going slowly and spring is ahead, in spring season clouds and sun are not much annoy to each other, sun rays and clouds are smoothly making there way, not burning and freezing anymore. Spring is most colourful season in temperate climate. People are having a lot of excitement now a days, related to this weather. This weather comes between winter and summer. In spring season ideas of changing your wardrobe arrive in your mind because freezing winter is no more there is no need of warm Young Nation-March 19, 2011
clothes now, weather becomes moderate in spring . The spring season is a welcome sight for parents and kids itching to go outside. As the snow and cold temperatures trade places with sunshine and warm. The springtime of the year is a favourite with many people, and it is when the flowers bloom and the world comes back to life, flowers are also one of the most beautiful blessings of the Allah, in Spring season they bloom and dance in morning, and make people mesmerise with their beauty. Cultural activities usually began in spring season all around the world. Kids of all age groups love flowers, you can consider landing in a florist’s shop. Rose, jasmine, tulip, sunflower are popular flowers among kids and elders. You can choose from wide variety of red roses, mixed spray roses, lilies, pink roses, carnations,
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and daisies. So go ahead and get flowers beautifully arranged in little baskets and present it to your loved ones. Kids love to give flowers to give flowers to children and their teachers they enjoy the colourful sight of all beautiful flowers, now their play gardens have fresh grass with the boundries of flowers. 1. Jasmine: is the national
flower of Pakistan. Jasmine flower and the essential oil extracted from the flower are being used extensively in cosmetics and perfumery. Jasmine is a very popular flower around the world, especially in tropics because of its unique fragrance. The Jasmine is native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the old world.
most common are annual carnations, border carnations and perpetual-flowering carnations. 5.Roses: Roses are the popular 2. Lilies: Lilies rank fourth among the flowers in popularity. Lilies of different kinds are commonly found all across the globe. Lilies come in different shapes, sizes and colors. Lilies are really excellent plants for beds and borders. Lilies are suitable for use in a shrub border, as accent plants, a formal or naturalized pool planting. Even some of the small species would fit perfectly in an alpine rock garden. 3. Sun flower: They find in
rich amount in Pakistan. Sun flowers are also used to extract oil. The sunflower got its name from its huge fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads of flowers. The heads consist of 1,000-2,000 individual flowers joined together by a receptacle base. 4. Carnations: Carnations
are perhaps one of the most popular flowers in the world, find in Pakistan also. Due to the fact that carnations last long even when cut, carnations are very popular as boutonnieres, in corsages, bouquets, and in a wide range of floral arrangements. Of the several kinds of Carnations, the three Young Nation-March 19, 2011
flowers in world, particularly red rose, they know for the longest time have enjoyed the honor of being the most popular flowers in the world. The reason for popularity of the rose flower may be its wide variety in terms of color, size, fragrance and other attributes. 6. Gerberas: Gerberas are the
most popular florist flowers next only to Carnations and Roses. Gerbera is a genus of the family of sun flowers, daisies. Through hybridization, Gerberas are available in a massive array of colors. 7. Chrysanthemum: This flower
also found in Pakistan. Chrysanthemums are one of the most popular flowers in the world, next only to the rose. Chrysanthemum comes from Greek ‘Chrys’ meaning golden (the color of the original flowers), and ‘anthemon’, meaning flower. This name was given to it by Carolus Linnaeus, a Swedish naturalist also known as the father of modern taxonomy. 8. Orchids: are one of the
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most exquisite and fascinating flowers in the world. In fact, so fascinated is the world with the Orchids that many countries have adopted different varieties of orchids as their respective national flowers. Orchids are proliferated across most countries. 9. Tulips: are one of the most
popular spring flowers of all time, and found in Pakistan also , the third most popular flowers world-wide next only to the Rose and Chrysanthemum. Tulips come in an incredible variety of colours, heights, and flower shapes. The word Tulip is thought to be a corruption of the Turkish word ‘tulbend’ for turban. The Tulip was introduced by a famous Austrian biologist Carolus Clusius. Tulips plants belong to the genus Tulipa, in the lily family, Liliaceae. Tulips bloom on bulbous plants, with large, showy flowers with six petals. There are around 100 species of Tulips, which actually came from the Central Asia where they grew wild. Turkish growers first cultivated tulips as early as 1,000 AD. 10. Lilac: Aside from Roses,
there is no flower as beautiful and aromatic as Lilacs. Of the two, Lilacs have a stronger scent that carries quite a distance. Unfortunately, Lilacs bloom for only a very brief couple of weeks in the spring. To prolong their presence in your yard, grow a variety of Lilacs, including, early, mid and late varieties.
The adventures of Blackjack the dog
By Zabreen Hasan I sneaked a peak from behind the tree where I was trying to hide. Mina and Mehdi’s parents were busy in the little clearing in the woods, trying to patch up a wounded vulture. The twins were playing nearby, not near the vulture otherwise of course I would have been there too. I’m ashamed to admit it, but that sharp looking silvery beak was scaring me. Just a little bit. They fixed his wing, and put him back in the huge, high cage. We were at WWF – Pakistan’s Vulture Conservation Centre in the forest of Changa Manga. This is a place where they bring wounded or sick vultures, and take care of them until they’re all right Young Nation-March 19, 2011
again. It’s smack in the middle of the forest, a very pretty place indeed. When the vulture was safely back in the huge cage with all the other vultures, I stepped out from behind the tree, and took a good look at him. His feathers were blackish, and he had a white ruff around his neck. At the moment he was examining his wing which the twins’ parents had bandaged. As I went nearer, the vultures in the tree started croaking and hissing at me. I jumped back, startled. The bandaged vulture grunted, then gave a squeal of what sounded like laughter. “Don’t mind them,” he said in his croaky voice. “They just
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laugh at everything. Who are you?” “I’m Blackjack the dog,” I said. From the tree came loud hissing laughter. “Oh, we didn’t know you were a dog, we didn’t! We thought you might be a cat!” The laughing vultures made the whole tree shake. My fur couldn’t turn red, but inside I was blushing. “My name’s Yul,” said the wounded vulture. “Never mind them. They just like having a bit of fun. Where do you come from?” I told him about my family, about Mina and Mehdi and their parents. Yul seemed impressed. “You know,” he said, “you’re lucky to have a family that loves you. And I can see
you love them very much.” “Oh,” I said, “I do, I do!” Yul fell silent for a while. The he said, “Let me tell you about my life.” He spoke to me of his flying, the way he would soar high in the sky for ages at a time, then spot a dead animal down below, swoop down on it and then sit on the ground, eating it. “We clean things up this way,” he
feeding near a town one day, minding my own business, when suddenly a gang of young boys descended on me, shouting. One of them hit me with a stick.” I was horrified. “Why?” I gasped. Yul sighed. “A lot of people don’t like us, because we eat dead things. They
paws. We sat like that for a while. Then I heard Mina calling for me, and I told Yul that I had to go. “If
said. “Otherwise, who would clean them up?” It was a good question, and I was pretty impressed with Yul and his kind. Even if the vultures in the tree kept throwing out rude comments. I was sitting comfortably now, close to Yul with the wire mesh fence between us. “How did you get hurt?” I asked. “Well,” said Yul, “I was
just don’t understand the way of Nature. Or that we have a place in it, just as they do.” I was very sad to hear this. “I managed to get into the air,” said Yul. “It was hard, but I managed to fly to a place pretty near here. Then a man from the Vulture Conservation Centre found me, and brought me here. They’re good people.” I sighed, my nose on my
you’re staying here, come again,” he said. I happily said yes, then turned around to go. “Bye-bye little kitty! Byebye!” came the voices from the tree. I looked over my shoulder. “Bye-bye birdies!” I said. There was a silence. Then came snorting sounds from the tree and the vultures, Yul and I all burst out laughing.
O r i e nta l whit e ba c k e d v u lt u r e fa c ts • The oriental white backed vulture is about 75 – 85 cm in size; • It can be found in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and southern Vietnam; • It lives in plains and hilly regions; • It is a scavenger, feeding from dead animals; • This vulture’s populations have been dramatically decreasing, because a medicine called di clofenac, used to treat domestic livestock, goes into its body when it eats the dead animals. This leads to kidney failure, and the vulture dies. If you want to find out more about the oriental white backed vulture, visit our website at wwfpak.org
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Story time
by Zeenat Iqbal Hakimjee
Manora Island On the way to
Mr. & Mrs. Khan were settled in Karachi. The razzle and dazzle of life in a large city attracted them to it. They belonged to the town of Mardan in the North West frontier province which had a conservative Pathan population. Karachi with its cosmopolitan population was in stark contrast. Mrs. Khan wore a veil in Mardan but here in Karachi she did not wear one. They were young and fond of travelling. On week-ends they would visit places of recreation in Karachi. Once their relatives came from Mardan to visit them. They decided to show Manora Island to them. They packed a picnic basket and took a boat from Keamari bound for Manora Island. Their visitors were very excited as they were seeing the sea for the first time leave alone travelling on it. Initially they felt fear of the sea but when Mr. & Mrs. Khan said it was safe, they finally convinced their Young Nation-March 19, 2011
relatives to take the trip. Boats in Keamari were usually fool proof but this particular one wasn’t as we are about to find out. They were half way to Manora when water started entering the boat. It had a leak. The Mekrani boat driver started filling a utensil with water which had entered the boat and emptying it outside. But to no avail. The leak grew in size with the pressure of the sea water and overcame the boat which capsized. Fortunately there was a boat near by which saw the mishap and immediately rushed to the scene. They rescued all the passengers but Mrs. Khan was nowhere to be found. A forlorn Mr. Khan returned home without his beloved wife. Overcome with grief he was at a loss since a couple of divers had scanned the waters for her but she was to be found nowhere. Mrs. Khan had been washed ashore on Manora Island. The lighthouse keeper and his wife had found her.
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She was alive but unconscious and their efforts to revive her finally succeeded. She regained consciousness but was suffering from amnesia, memory loss, and did not know who she was or where she came from. She stayed with them and they kept her in comfort. One day the lighthouse keeper and his wife went to the mainland. They took Mrs. Khan with them. In the hustle and bustle of the mainland she tripped, fell and received a blow on her head which revived her memory. The keeper and his wife were thrilled. She was able to tell who she was and asked to see her husband. The keeper went to the welfare organization and gave whereabouts of Mr. Khan as she had explained to them and asked for him to be traced. The efficient welfare people got down to the task and finally traced him to the glee of them all. Mr. & Mrs. Khan were reunited and lived happily ever after.
Story time
Two little frogs A group of frogs were travelling through the woods, and on the way two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, “Did you not hear us?� The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time. Young Nation-March 19, 2011
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This story teaches two lessons: There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path. The power of words... it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.
Fun Fair. . . Fun fair is such an amazing and entertaining event which is organized in most of the schools for the entertainment of students, their parents and the school staff as well. Recently, the same function has been organized in the Knowledge Inn Model Town, Ugoki, Sialkot. The whole school was decorated with amazing stuff like flowers and lights etc. Students
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came with their parents. Many colourful stalls were there which were so tempting like stalls of edibles and stalls of toys. After some time the program was started with the name of Allah Almighty. When the show proceeded on it was amazing thing that small kids of play group and nursery were performing so confidently on stage. School management has arranged a
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fancy dress show. The purpose of this dress show was to show the culture of different provinces and it was really superb. Many acts were performed by the students and each performance there was a massage for the audience. Most important thing was that some exciting games and prizes for the parents. In short it was a tremendous day with an amazing and superb event that was enjoyed by everyone. Every school should organize such events to promote the talent of students and entertainment.
CHERRY BLOSSOM TIME IN JAPAN by Aasma Khan
Spring time bursts forth in a superb show of colour as millions of blossoms paint the landscape a delicate pink. It’s cherry blossom time in Japan! For Japanese families its time for blossom viewing a favourite pastime during the first two weeks in April when flowering is at its peak in many parts of the country. Visitors to Japan during this period can join in the celebration of nature’s beauty by strolling through some of the many gardens in which cherry trees grow. IN the Tokyo area, the best dislay is in Ueno Park, when 1,500 trees stretching for miles along an aqueduct – stand in full bloom. Other gardens for blossom touring include the imperial palace, Shinkjuku Gyoen, Koganei and Tama Cemetery. More than 4,000 trees bloom at Mukogaoka.
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Recreation ground south west of Tokyo near the Mukogaoka Yuen Station of the Odakyu Electric Railway. A grove of 10,000 trees bursts into flower at Higashi-Yamatoshi near Lake Tama, outside Tokyo. In Kyoto, intensive groves turn things rosy in late April along the Oi River in the vicinity of Arashiyama Park. The trees ere were transplanted from Yoshino in the 13th century. In Kyoto’s Mar4uyama Park, night time illumination adds to the display during blossom season. Yoshino an otherwise sleepy little town about on hours’ brip south east of Osaka, becomes the focus of sightseers from all over Japan. Each April when more than 50,000 cherry trees splash pink across the Yoshino hills in groves
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originally planted by a 7th century Buddhist priest. On Hokkaido, Japan’s northern island, cherry trees wait until early may to blossom. There are large groves at Goryokaku Park near the city of Hokadate and at Matsumae.
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Anese Ahmed Aimen Ahmed
Raza Nazmi
Danyyal Ali Yar
Artist’s Corner
NOTE: Kindly send us your drawings on white paper.
Young Nation-March 19, 2011
Sabila Feroz 16