Saturday, April 30, 2011

Proud to be a Pakistani




“Pakistan is facing such an identity crisis right now, that it is essential for our generation to understand why this country was built, what happened in its early years and what happened to derail it from its tracks to make it the country it is today?” says a vehement Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, President Citizens Archive of Pakistan.  She is committed to “preserve, record, archive and make available the rich history of the country for future generations in a wide variety of new media”. At the end of the road in 2010 she sees the Living History Museum of Pakistan based in Karachi, a one of its kind, which will serve both as an interactive museum as well as a research facility for students and academia alike or anybody and everybody who is interested in knowing about the past of the country.

Passionately involved in making her dream come true, Chinoy is not a lone rider. She is backed by a ten member team which includes Altaf Qureishi,(International corporate and financial barrister), Durriya Kazi (Head Visual Studies Dept.), Sabeen Mahmud (Director PeaceNiche), Amean J. (Photographer), Minal Rahimtoola, Omar Rahim ( Dance-Chorographer), Sarah Taher (CEO FM91), Fahad Asadullah, Shazieh Gorji (Ceramic Artist). All of them are young entrepreneurs who have opted to come back to Pakistan to pursue their careers inspite of a volatile situation at home.

Working under the umbrella of the Citizens Archive of Pakistan, a non-profit, tax-exempted society, The Oral History Project, trains young interns volunteering to learn and be part of recording personal stories revolving around independence of a generation which is slowly fading and will not be amongst us in a few more years. “We already feel that it is a bit late and we have lost quite a few people who made a mark on the history of the country,” says Chinoy. The urgency in Chinoy’s voice demands attention. However, funds required for the sophisticated audio and editing equipment, logistics and enormous costs of documenting and preserving on digital media are extremely hard to find. “Who wants to give money for history?” questions Chinoy. Pakistan may be a country of philanthropists but the past does not seem to be something anybody seems to loosen his purse strings for. Nonetheless, this has not deterred The Oral History Project team, a group of enthusiastic energetic souls who know that they are making history by bringing forward the voices and images of a generation that put everything on stake for their motherland.

 “I’ve worked in other NGOs but here these people are doing inspirational work.  We are contributing to the history of Pakistan,” says intern Nimra Asi. “Each time I come back after interviewing someone, it just makes me appreciate how much history we have.” Asi’s enthusiasm is simply contagious. Although she will be leaving in a few days for Lahore to pursue her education, she feels it has been “one of the best experiences in life where one can actually see people getting all choked up and emotional when they talk of the Quaid.” The interns work hard handling various responsibilities. Some conduct interviews or document old photographs; others transcribe or make audio clippings of the 6,500 pictures that are currently with the organization. A few weeks back, Intern Fawaz Motiwala had stepped into the office with mixed thoughts about the project. However, now as he handles the audio recordings during the interviews, he feels “privileged to listen to the stories of the older generation”. “The presentation is so amazing, that each interview is like a story and definitely does not resemble a lesson from a Pakistan Studies text book,” Motiwala adds.    

The emotional impact of the project cannot be ignored. All those who are involved have had their moments of discovery. Each intern has one day or the other walked back into the office feeling emotionally moved. Probing into the lives of these great people, the interns and rest of the staff feel a sense of great achievement as they continue to add stories and contribute the larger cause of preservation. It takes three sets of interviews to make a story. “The first interview is biographical. This is followed by a standard interview which is conducted to assess if the person has not forgotten anything or made wrong statements due to a slack in memory because of old age. The third and final interview is a detailed one which deals with the interviewee being part of an important event related to partition”, explains Chinoy. Listening to first person accounts and saving them for future generations is no mean task. “Now one just has to put the headphone to one’s ears and listen to the voices of these great people. Isn’t this an extraordinary experience?” says Chinoy.

Great discoveries have been made by the team on their walk to enlightenment. That in the 1950s riffle training was given to the Women’s National Gaurds, a force of women trained to defend Pakistan, says so much about the role of women in the past. At another interview a man admitted that he was part of a mob that killed Hindus and Sikhs. The recollection of the feeling of sadness that filled the air at Jinnah’s funeral as well as the controversies that erupted after Liaquat Ali Khan’s assassination are no small stories.         

On the other hand, it is also a very rewarding exercise for the interviewees. Mariam Bilgrami, Project Coordinator gives her side of the story. “As I introduce the project to the person, I can always feel the enthusiasm with which the interviewees receive the news. They are elated to hear someone actually interested in listening to their experiences and preserving them for the future generations of Pakistan.”

As a test to assess whether there was “an appetite in the general public for events catered around history”, The Citizens Archive of Pakistan held a four day long Shanaakht Festival in 2007. “The response was phenomenal”, recounts Chinoy. A record 4000 people from all strata and all walks of life walked in. The Karachi Arts Council saw granddads holding hands of their grandchildren, walking past the 4 by 16 feel murals, painted by cinema billboard artist S.Iqbal, each depicting important events of the decade. The organization had run free buses to various localities of the city and there was no entrance fee to an event. A photography exhibition exhibiting memories of partition and also those exploring the identity of the country was curated by Amean J. Another Art Exhibition titled Sohni Dharti was also put up. Over the course of four days, a number of international documentary films focusing on identity and freedom were screened at the indoor auditorium of the Arts Council. A very interesting informal story telling program was held each evening in which old residents of Karachi rekindled stories of early days of Pakistan, and their experiences of partition. Some of the people who spoke at the sittings included Aziz Fatima (Granddaughter of Maulana Mohammad Ali Johar), Retd. Admiral Hasnain(one of the Founding Fathers of Pakistan Navy), Lutfullah Sahab, (who owns the largest collection of Paksitan’s Oral Archive). Apart from these, an interactive evening was held by Anwar Maqsod and Moin Akhtar discussing the country’s past, present and future in their unique style. Sheema Kirmani presented “Jinnay Lahore Nahin Vakhya”, a play set in 1947 about a family who is allotted a haveli in Lahore but when it arrives there finds an old Hindu lady still occupying the residence. Taking its dialogue from poet Nasir Kazmi’s letters and writings, the play was based on a real life incident.

The Shanaakht festival also had Audio-Visual boots where interested visitors could just walk in and record their personal experiences about partition. As part of the festival Ayesha Tammy Khan had also brought six Karachities on stage to talk of their years after independence and the early struggles of the country. For those of us who somehow missed the festival, the good news is that Shanaakht 2008 is being planned for the 23rd of March next year. The programs will include a host of activities like photo and art exhibits and various oral based presentations. The aim is to facilitate the history and culture of Pakistan by bringing it to life through interactive exhibits in varied genres. At present, the enthusiasm and amount of work geared towards creating The Living History Museum speaks volumes of the team.

“I envision an institution where families come for a day out and go back educated, a place where lectures are held of people who know the real Pakistan, its culture its true identity. I envision a place where academics, young and old, have a field day discovering the past,” says Chinoy.  As Chinoy and her team continue to work towards a dream project, the clock is ticking fast. However at the end of the day, each little effort reinforces the idea that “this is important because we must see the Pakistan of those people who sacrificed their lives, families, everything they had to give us a homeland that we can call our own”. 

 

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Historically Correct, Literary Riveting


“To write a novel or a short story is not as difficult as writing about cultural heritage. I have to create within the given limitations of this genre. The facts have to be correct and presented well and yet, I still have to tell a story,” says Ihsan H. Nadiem, author and poet. Keen to procure a place in literature for his distinctive brand of creativity, Nadiem reminisces at his career in archaeology that took him to archaeological places all over Pakistan. Which adds up to thirty-two years before he came to be recognized as a published author in his own right. Ghost- writing for his bosses for nearly twenty years and often under duress to lend his pen to works published under other people’s names, Nadiem allowed his creativity to be taken credit of by others. The pretext being; his position as a serving government servant and then not wanting to leave the “thrill” that comes with exploration as a state department archaeologist. Ironically enough, the first book published under his name, Moenjodaro – Heritage of Mankind, came after much exploitation which is so typical of the bureaucratic line of operation in the country.


“One day a manuscript was sent to me for whetting purposes. I found each chapter incoherent and completely copied from other books without giving credit to the original source. I gave my honest opinion about it and sent it to my senior who in turn sent it to the head office. The then Chief Secretary, who had wanted to oblige the family of a deceased colleague by publishing a book under his daughter’s name, ordered me to come over to Islamabad. It finally dawned that this young lady did not have a clue about conservation or Moenjodaro. Nevertheless I was now ordered to write a book on Moenjodaro in forty-five days. And I did exactly that.” However, as fate would have it, bureaucratic reshuffling saved Nadiem’s work and he finally published it under his name in 1994 with a private publishing house. Moenjodaro – Heritage of Mankind was his premiere into creative historical writing. It opened the way to a long list of publications later in his life.     

 Nadiem has been to the remotest of areas of Pakistan. His positions in the Government department of Archaeology allowed him privileges of traveling under armed escort, official transport fit to explore the rugged sites no sane person would have dared to go. “The past is so interesting,” exclaims Nadiem, though his entree into the field of archaeology was a matter of luck as he puts in. With a Masters’ degree in geography, he was all set for teaching the subject when, the Dean of Arts at the Punjab University, (where he had been a student) was asked to recommend a post-graduate student capable of doing research work. Short-listed for the assignment, Nadiem was thus literally forced to study the collection at the Lahore Museum. At this time in history, Pakistan was in dire need of trained archaeologists. In 1961 he trained as an archaeologist on scholarship by the Government of Pakistan. Trained in excavation, conservation, pottery drawing, site drawing and even vehicle driving as part of the course, Nadiem’s sojourn into the ancient world knew no boundaries. Later, he also specialized in Museology on a French Government Fellowship.  All this, plus his personal inclination to find new things about old places made up the background for his writings. With a natural talent for writing in English, his skill developed as he wrote regular reports and books while in service.

Nadiem focused on writing about the cultural heritage of Pakistan because he found that what had been written on some of the sites were simply published reports by professional archaeologists. Loaded with facts and lot of technical jargon that were certainly least attractive to an ordinary tourist or the general public, Nadiem felt disappointed with the literature published so far. Also amazed at the ignorance of the people who visited the museums and the historical sites, this lone crusader felt a dire need to make public, information about the country’s cultural heritage. “I wanted to write books that were not voluminous, that were not burdened with technical jargon and in which facts and figures did not dominate the writing. I simply wanted to popularize the information I had gathered and learnt to respect as an archaeologist,” says Ihsan Nadiem.    


Ihsan H. Nadiem is the first author to ever have touched on Rohtas. A formidable undertaking in itself, his second publication, Rohtas – Formidable Fort of Sher Shah, was actually begun as a research paper to be published in an international journal. Later the author modified it into a book. It took a whole year to complete this work of creativity. The book introduced Rohtas Fort to the world. In 1997, after eight years of deferrement by UNESCO, Rohtas finally made it to the World Heritage List. Nadiem had pursued the cause by bringing out international standard posters, publications and slides required for the purpose while working at the site. By now he had learnt the ropes of the trade very well.
  

As he travels from the known to the unknown, Nadiem explores and conjures images of people that are no more. He adds “flesh and blood” to the bones of the ancient. All of his books talk about the glorious heritage of Pakistan. Mohenjedaro or the glorious Rohtas Fort, the spread of Mughal gardens in Lahore or the sand dunes of Thar, Nadiem has an eye for detail as he puts forward the facts in an almost musical note. As he talks of the historical perspective of the sites, he digs into the earth for new stories. “With each brick excavated at a site, I explore and imagine a story,” says Nadiem. Blessed with a vivid imagination and the technical creativity to put it all into written expression has helped the archaeologist in him to write of the past and simply set the people in their settings.


Loaded with information and facts, his books are a treat for all his readers, though he does not necessarily have a specific audience in mind while writing. To him what matters is that each of his reader, no matter what segment of society he belongs to, should find his work as if it were written for him. “If an archaeologist reads my books, he should get some new information from them. If an English reader reads them, he should find pleasure from my writings. And if a research scholar reads them, he should feel that my books have refreshed his past knowledge,” says Nadiem. Rightly so, because all of his near one dozen books have the said ingredients which make up for compendium of information and entertainment. As his words paint landscapes from religion, history, lifestyles, food or town planning, vivid images are created in the most exciting manner. Readers are delighted to find information spread between the two covers of a Nadiem publication. Equally exciting for researchers as well as coffee room conversation pieces, Nadiem’s books are also delightful visual treats. Since he has always had his camera with him whenever he visited the excavation sites, his books carry original photographs taken by him. “Photography has always been a passion with me. My university hostel room was a kind of dark room where I exposed negatives taken from my camera,” says Nadiem. When he took up archaeology, he always found taking pictures and making drawings of the sites a very thrilling experience. As, along the way he trained in archaeological photography, it further enhanced his creative faculties.


Nadiem’s service with the Department of Archaeology, Pakistan has taken him to excavate at Bambhore, Swat, Moenjodaro and Tulamba. He has held the charge of curator of museums at Harappa, Umerkot, Moenjodaro, Lahore Fort and Taxila. He has also commanded the Regional Archaeological Offices at Peshawar and Quetta and the department’s Publication Branch, which he successfully reactivated after it had remained dormant for over thirteen years. He has also served as Director in both Northern and Southern Circles of Archaeology, covering the whole of Pakistan. With such vast exposure to sites and people, Nadiem has been able to objectively process information which he ultimately impressively compressed in his books. 


The author, also has under his belt, two hundred and fifty published newspaper articles, over twenty-five research papers in various international journals and an Excavation Report on Panr (Swat). He has also translated into English the first of the three volumes of Al-Amin, a much read book by Rafiq Doger on the Seerat of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). However, right now he has no wish to focus his creativity on translations.            

While living in the present, Nadiem essentially breathes in the past. His indulgence is such that he also enjoys penning down poetry about the sites he has visited and the civilizations he has unearthed. He also has to his credit, two collections of poetry, Illusory Trance and Golden Rays, both essential reflections of his archaeological experiences. Spending time at the sites, digging under the earth, sleeping at the gates of a long deserted fort, enjoying the sunset in the desert, has all led him to express himself in one of the finest forms of creativity. “When I see a site, I see people living. I see them in flesh and bone. I imagine the monks praying, the bells ringing, children playing with the clay toy carts,” says Nadiem. Putting flesh onto the bones of the story, the poet in Nadiem explores his ideas, working from the abstract to the concrete. “I like to develop a theme in the beginning and conclude it in the end. I never like my poetry to be a mere descriptive piece of writing and it never is,” adds Nadiem.


For the future, the author has his hands full with two more books; one on Balochistan and another on NWFP. The first two in the series, Portrait of Sindh and Punjab - Plan, History and People have already been published. Ihsan Nadiem’s works are a compendium of our collective architectural legacy in which he artistically intermingles history, places, people, traditions and cultures. He is a person who thinks about the past, lives in the present and writes for the future in a bit to preserve this area’s archeological history for future generations.              


Wednesday, April 27, 2011

A Bitter Experiment

A Bitter Experiment
OBJECT:

To attend a boring class.

REQUIRED:

Hot/cold weather, class room, strict teacher, pin drop silence, a boring topic (420 9211 1.C)

THEORY:

A boring class is one in which you have to listen patiently to a topic which cannot be understood. Extra talking, activities such as hooting, singing, talking or other past times are not possible.



PROCEDURE:

There are few procedures one can adopt to kill time of above mentioned class. A wonderful use of pencil and paper, which give benefits to the students, because the teacher thinks that he/she is busy with work while he/she is actually drawing different sketches, flowers. One can even write letters making use of pencil and paper.



PRECAUTIONS:

1.It is essential to look at the black board from time to time posing to be very interested in the lecture.
2.Nodding your head is also helpful.
3.Always select the last seat.
4.Dozing is prohibited.
5.Avoid “Yawning” which can irritate the teacher.
6.Always have your books or note book open in front of you.

Monday, April 25, 2011

In the Memory Of Moin Akhter

Undoubtedly, Moin Akhtar was a comic genius. He had comedy lovers across Pakistan and beyond guffawing at his natural wit long before Pakistani entertainment became what it is today - glamorous, glossy, heavily-financed and yet often mundane. Moin began his foray into Pakistani comedy back when all we had was theatre and the one TV channel. But for a genuine entertainer like Moin Akhtar, this platform was more than enough to win over the audiences. Pakistanis the world over grew up rollicking to his uncannily accurate impersonations and hilarious dramas. His death this Friday, due to a coronary heart failure, has left his fans and friends shocked and grief-stricken.
Scriptwriter Anwar Maqsood once said about him, “Moin Akhtar is one of the rare entertainers who doesn’t need to be told how to enact a comic script. Most actors have to be instructed on dialogue delivery and timing. But Moin has always had the comic acumen to know exactly how to carry out a parody. All I have ever had to do is give him a script and he’ll transform it into an uproarious, unforgettable performance.” Anwar Maqsood wrote the scripts for most of Moin’s most memorable roles and often appeared alongside him on television. Saddened by the shock, he was unable to comment on his friend’s death.
And not just Maqsood but the entire Pakistani entertainment fraternity were dejected at his sad demise. As veteran actor Qazi Wajid tearfully commented, “I worked alongside him throughout my career and now that he’s gone, I feel all alone.”
Comedian Omer Sharif was just as desolate. “Moin Akhtar was like a brother to me,” he said. “I acted in my first commercial play, Bionic Servant, with him. His death is a sad loss for me and also for Pakistani entertainment on the whole. He was one-of-a-kind, comedians like him are rare.”
Looking back at Moin’s long, laughter-laden career, it’s hard to single out his best performances. There are just too many! He received both the Sitara-e-Imtiaz and Pride of Performance awards for his exceptional work.
In the popular stage drama ‘Budha ghar pe hai’, he matched wits with Pakistan’s other ace comedian, Omer Sharif. On TV, he took on one hilarious avatar after another. In the drama ‘Eid train’, he enacted a leery, flirtatious old man to the hilt. In the comic sitcom ‘Sach much’ he became a pot-bellied Memon balancing two wives. In the hugely popular ‘Rozi’, he took on the role played by Dustin Hoffman in ‘Tootsie’, of a struggling actor who manages to get hired by dressing up as a female. With a tousled wig in place underneath a dupatta and a flutter of his false eyelashes, Moin added yet another sensational hit to his repertoire. Frequently, he worked alongside actors like Bushra Ansari, Zeba Shehnaz, Ismail Tara and Shakeel, raising the bar for Pakistani comedy.
However, most of Moin’s best work was probably alongside Anwar Maqsood. The discerning, sharp-witted scriptwriter and the intuitive comedian formed a matchless combination as they teemed together in one show after another. Maqsood would always be the interviewer and Moin the interviewee, taking on different characters in each episode. He would come up with hilariously belligerent answers while a deadpan-faced Maqsood would furrow his brows. Maqsood’s script, of course, played a huge role in the success of these shows, merging slapstick comedy with a healthy dose of sugarcoated sarcasm. Nonetheless, Moin’s impersonations were also pure genius. Years ago, the two teemed up for the controversial ‘Studio Dhai’, which was banned because of its bold digs at the government. Lo and behold, soon after, the two were back with an equally audacious script in ‘Studio Ponay Teen’.
 ‘Loose Talk’, the pair’s most recent venture, ran to rave reviews for around 400 episodes with Moin masquerading from characters ranging from a corrupt police officer to a Bengali baba to a tormented husband. Anwar Maqsood stopped penning the show when Pakistan was hit by floods last year, saying that with most of his audience rendered homeless, he didn’t have the heart to continue on with ‘Loose Talk’. But, of course, he would have eventually bounced back with yet more question-answer skits. Except, now with his best performer gone, an Anwer Maqsood show will never be the same again.
Then again, Pakistani comedy will never be the same again without Moin Akhtar. His loss has been felt deeply by the Pakistani entertainment industry as well as Urdu-speaking audiences all over the world. A legend, he will always be remembered for his comic talent and the laughter he brought to our eyes, time and again.

ROYAL WEDDING

Kate ‘will not obey’: Bride will follow Diana’s lead
and ditch ancient vow as she pledges to ‘love, comfort, honour and keep’
Kate Middleton will not vow to 'obey' Prince William in her wedding vows - following Princess Diana's lead, it was claimed last night.
The bride-to-be will instead promise to 'love, comfort, honour and keep' her husband.
The couple have decided themselves what they want to say in their vows.
Diana ditched royal protocol when she wed Prince Charles in 1981 and controversially did not vow to 'obey'.
But Diana, then just 20, failed to set a trend among royals. Sarah Ferguson and Sophie Rhys-Jones promised to obey in 1986 and 1999 respectively.
William, 28, and Kate 29, who marry at Westminster Abbey in just seven days time, decided on a version of their vows weeks ago but have kept the decision under wraps.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams praised the young couple for their approach to the wedding.
'They have a very simple, very direct picture of what really matters about this event.'
The couple are believed to have ditched tradition and the word 'obey' because after knowing each other for a decade - first at university - they treat each other very much as equals.
Rowan Williams, who will marry the couple, has described a wife pledging to 'obey' her husband and not vice-versa is archaic and could even be used to justify domestic violence.
Guidelines published by the Archbishop's Council in 2006 in the responding to Domestic Abuse report said: ‘A promise to obey was in the past part of different standards and expectations of women and men within marriage, for example the fact that women had no standing in law until 1926.’
At their weddings, William’s grandmother, the Queen, and his aunt, Princess Anne, used the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, which requires women to promise to ‘love, cherish and obey’.
The Bishop of Norwich, who conducted Sophie’s wedding to Prince Edward, defended their use of the traditional vows, claiming it was ‘no big deal’.
The Right Reverend Peter Nott said: ‘It is a mistaken assumption that when a bride says she will obey it means she is going to be subservient. It is to do with trust, and with listening, and to recognise that in a family you have different functions.
‘There are times when the husband will rightly obey the wife because she knows better and is the lead in that area.
'The partnership is equal and leadership in a good marriage always shifts. I think obey means “I trust you to make decisions that are for the good of the family”. It’s no big deal.'

Friday, April 22, 2011

Truth is stranger than fiction??


I find the weirdest things to be thought provoking..While returning home yesterday I read this phrase on the rear shield of a car, and I've been thinking about it ever since..Never mind what exact words made up that phrase,'cause living in Karachi Ive learned alot of people don't even give a damn about what grammar or posture are they composing their statements upon *rolls eyes*..In simple and comprehend-able words,it meant 'Truth Is Stranger In Fiction'..he he yeah make up what you think the Pakistani version of this statement would be :P..
Anyway,I have been thinking about it ever since and I am surprised indeed..Surprised over the fact that how much do we tend to live on assumptions and make believe just because we doubt that we really want to face the reality.

Don't agree with me? I can totally prove it.. lets take up a very recent epidemic common among girls all around..:P Yeah the 'Edward Cullen' mania..(lol) Don't give dirty stares girls..Sure i really liked him too but it was no heads-over-heels things..Its a good,romantic,FICTIONAL book which has all these fictional characters..In my opinion all the girls actually going crazy about this vampire is because they're not very satisfied with their own boyfriends or love life or whatever..Its just like an easy escape from reality..I'm saying that 'cause that's how it is for me..Oh and if you're nodding your head right now...You're just stubborn..:P

Imagination and Fiction seem reality while they last, and sometimes don't we all wish that it would never end? - Alfred Tennyson.

ALL of us like the escape to fiction,to avoid the reality,to avoid the truth.Oh,and this time the Y-chromosomes creatures are in too..:P if you're still nodding your heads in disagreement..well you are stubborn :P but i want you to get a bite of this..WHY in world are all of us so in for all movie like Transformers and Star Wars etc..if you're coming up with words like 'Megan Fox' and ' wicked action sequence ' get the hell outta here!!

I doubt any body over here would say they've never made up imaginary friends..Its a part of every kid's childhood to make up a friend who always wants to play whatever they want to,who always looks up to them and always gets along with whatever they want to do..:) there's nothing wrong with that..but have you ever thought why you made up those friends?? the answer is quote simple, its either because you had a lonely childhood,like being an only kid or having no siblings close to your age or if you had many friends and siblings close to your age its because they didn't along with you very well or if they did they weren't around all the time like you wanted.

So basically the point is,do all seek refuge in fiction to escape reality even if it is for a few minutes or hours??..Because I think its a fact,TRUTH IS MORE UNWANTED,THAN FICTION.

Perfect Daily Health Routine...for a more cheerful n happy energetic life


What else could be better than to write about health...all the points mentioned here are known merely by all of us but we just refuse to follow and blame it on other petty things(in front of health we can consider everything petty i guess!!!)but from this moment please promise yourself to put in more efforts to make it work..because our families want us healthy and our children want us forever in their lives to see them achieve..okay that way pretty long ha!so here goes the perfect health routine one should daily follow to achieve that state of being in peak health, line-less face that glows radiantly , bright eyes that offer a window of your extraordinary vitality...


1.Wake up early preferable before or at sunrise(5.00-6.30 am)it is considered that sattva is in air at its   maximum in this time and it is the most fresh and pure time of a day..so y not reap some benefit of it 


2.Make it a habit of drinking 1-1.5 lit of lukewarm water after rising up..this will boost up your metabolism

3.Eliminate-it is very important to eliminate all the wastes from the colon and bladder, if not you are poisoning yourself.


4.Exercise-indulge yourself in a 30 min walk or do yoga or some aerobic exercise or any kind of physical exercise u prefer.


5.Plan your day-treat yourself with a 15-30 min silent session (which we can call meditation) to plan the day..this planning helps you from avoiding stress and makes you to live the day better and in long run avoids all the mental problems and heart related problems..


6.Breakfast-Eat breakfast king size..i mean very heavy.this is the time your metabolism is high so you can have it heavy.Make it a point to take 1 apple(or any fruit you wish)+ 1 cup milk + 2 almonds soaked in water the previous day + 1 spoon kismis or dried grapes(this brings shine to the skin)

Sunday, April 17, 2011

COLLEGE ADMISSION ESSAYS

PURPOSE OF COLLEGE ADMISSION ESSAYS


This is worth reading for all the fresh and upcoming high school graduates who are looking forward to college admissions. Well guys, I know you have had all the fun at high school but now it’s the time to get serious. College admission would be your first step to a new beginning with unlimited horizons.  First thing first is that you select the field in which you would like to peruse your career in and then list out the best colleges offering the relevant subjects for that field. The list should be in sequence of the priority you give to each college. Now, based on those priority preferences, apply respectively to each college along with a personal essay to convince the admissions committee of the college that you are the deserving candidate to be admitted. As the number of applicants exceeds the number of spaces available in colleges every season, therefore, many applicants are denied college admissions. Submitting an impressive college admission essay as part of college admission application provides an opportunity to the applicants to proof their legitimacy and credibility for college admission which can’t be identified through their previous academic grades and extracurricular activities’ performances alone.  Since, on the basis of college admission essay, an applicant will be granted or denied college admission, it is very important for the applicant to put all his best efforts in writing such essay. 

STEPS TO FOLLOW IN WRITING COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ESSAY
I can tell you three simple but very important steps for writing an effective college admission essay that will take you right in to the corridors of your preferred college. 



1.     Brainstorming:
Bring about whatever you have learned and experienced so far in your life. Your likes and dislikes, plus points and minus points, experiences, accomplishments, knowledge, goals, etc. Read some sample college admission essays to give a kick start to your thinking process. Decide the subject about which you are very comfortable to talk about. The essay can start right from your child hood, progress with your growth and end with your ambition indicating your determination and enthusiasm to achieve your target and make your future bright.



2.     Essay Writing:
Now, give words to your thoughts in a sequence starting from a catchy introduction which makes the reader interested to read further like the good trailer of a movie persuades you to watch it. Be yourself by being original. Support your essay with your real time experiences, most importantly those who has brought the change in your personality. Discuss your role model. Transit smoothly from introduction to body and then finally to conclusion. Conclude your essay by making a final impact on the reader.

 

3.     Revise:
Revise your essay a couple of times to make the necessary editions and then get it revised by some teacher.  


I will end my topic here with the hope that the above article would benefit my targeted reader i.e., the applicant seeking college admissions. Good Luck.