With weather like this … I want Pakoray =))

Its raining up on Margallas …

Anyone else? =D

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Children’s Resources International is conducting its annual teacher-training workshop on interactive teaching and learning methodologies, which kicked off on July 14. The first week of training was for kindergarten teachers, and I happened to be at the Islamabad Model School G-9/3 session, recording minutes. And what a colourful week indeed. The participants of the workshop were introduced to innovative ways to improve the quality of elementary education and to make learning fun for kindergarten children in a friendly and inclusive classroom environment. This involved getting the teachers to actually do all sorts of activities designed for kindergarteners. So throughout the workshop, the participants were ‘kacchi jamaat kay bacchay’ and the workshop instructors were their ‘madams.’ As you might imagine, the teachers had a blast. Elderly gentlemen fingerpainting, matronly principals playing with brightly-coloured blocks, young ladies trying to better one another in the art of making popup storybooks out of A4 paper. For one week, these teachers all became kids. What was really interesting was that whenever the instructors had trouble getting the participants to hear them out, they would end up saying: “See how hard it is to sit still and be quiet? Can you blame the kids?” This was a running theme throughout the workshop: teachers putting themselves in their students’ little shoes. They experienced firsthand the creative learning materials provided by CRI and the many fun ways they could be used to learn math or languages. They felt the satisfaction of having their work appreciated by the instructors and displayed on the walls. All in all, I felt it was a promising way to improve teaching skills. Next week, the workshop will train Class 1 teachers.

Click on the thumbnails to see more photos from kindergarten week.

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I wonder if anybody from the power corridors reads this blog?

We should fear, rather hope, that if this voice got some ears in public, before it does in goverment, it might be the start of something unprecedented, something unexpected, and something direly needed.

O My Lord! help my people.

Image Courtesy: Amjad

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Osman Khalid Butt has promised to redefine the term ’summer blockbuster’ with his latest theatre production, Superstar Avatār, ‘a tale of passion, obsession, dance, drama…and a little bit of insanity.’ So far, we know at least two really exciting things about this new play. One, it’s not an adaptation - the script is a completely original work, written by Osman himself. In the past four years, Islamabad’s theatre scene has been built around wonderful adaptations of films, novels or other plays. We are now seeing our first major original theatre production in Islamabad, and I think this is a giant progressive leap in this new, modern wave of Pakistani theatre - it could just be to Islamabad theatre what The Lion King and Toy Story were to Disney after its long line of animated adaptations. The theatre community ought to be proud that their field has come so far.

The second really exciting thing is that this new play is bilingual! The characters will speak in the same everyday mix of Urdu and English that we are all familiar with, and that is probably going to make this play so much more relatable for a lot of people - especially those who have been worried in recent years about the place of Urdu and other Pakistani languages in our theatre plays.

So that’s two giant progressive leaps for Osman and his company, The Living Picture Productions (which by the way is used to making progressive leaps - to name one, its first play, the wildly successful Some Like It Hot, was staged entirely without corporate sponsorship.) But what is this revolutionary new play going to be about? The synopsis hasn’t been revealed thus far - but at the CDA’s Theatre Awards at the Islamabad Club on June 24,  the Living Picture did unveil its first teaser trailer for Superstar Avatār, making a massive impact. This was soon followed by a second teaser trailer. Both can be viewed on YouTube as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Js0iqTdRDI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXrB9_7FwhM&feature=user

Osman also revealed in a recent press conference that over a hundred costumes would be showcased within a span of two and a half hours - the first time such lavish and detailed attention will be focused on costumes in a theatre play in Islamabad.

These glimpses into the mystical, glamorous, mad world of Superstar Avatār are enough to convince theatregoers that this is a show not to be missed. So book your tickets now! Official dates for the show are July 10 to July 26, 2008, at the Islamabad Club Auditiorium.

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It was a blissful thought since past few months when no explosions (major ones  and consecutive at least) were heard of. But not any longer. The war on innocents is back. Bloodshed begun. Its becoming harder day-by-day to think that its the same peaceful surroundings where I opened my eyes and lived through all these year.

The larger target in Islamabad was the security forces. But they (the unknown) are not ready to forgive the innocent either (children including) as seen in Karachi’s furious 7 blasts.

 What makes me even more furious is when our leaders and government officials come on-air, show their grievances by issuing petty statements as:

 ”Mulziman ko kefar e kirdar tak pohnchaya jayega” .

“Hum in bomb dhamakon ki Muzamat kartay hain” .

Oh hello, we are here waiting for some POSITIVE RESULT-BEARING solutions to be implemented. So that a common Pakistani can feel secure and at peace. Sadly, a Pakistani has enough crises and economical burdens to worry about.

Omer on LMB has a story to tell of an expat who survived by fate in Islamabad’s Melody center bomb blast. Karachi Metblogs briefs on 7/7 and the 7 explosions :<

Apathy!

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Now that’s some positive advertisement !

Due to a erroneous notification for two whole days ful stations sold CNG at an inreased rate of Rs. 13.  So this station in F-8 markaz is selling CNG at old rates –> Rs. 38.80 as a compensation.

Run … fill up the cylinders ;-)

Bravo!

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Today in a forwarded e-mail, I got an interesting letter written by an affectees of post-budget like you and me to the ruling bodies.

Sharing with my readers.

Prime Minister of Pakistan
President Of Pakistan
Co-Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party
Federal Finance Minister

Dear Sirs

Thank you so much for increasing the prices of petroleum products, after the shortage of edible commodities this
increase is like a cold breeze in hot summer, specially your new gift to the nation at the start of the fiscal year 2008-09 by increasing the CNG prices to 31%, we as a nation sincerely appreciate your efforts to support us.

Dear Sirs, we further suggest the following measures to be taken in the broader interest of the nation as soon as possible, the way the nation is enjoying the following benefits, is not the right of this nation and it also hurt your efforts for the stability of economy.
Your kind attention to the following will help to strengthen the economy of the country;

• Breathing - The tax may please be imposed on breathing.
• Eating - The tax may please be imposed on the eating 2 meals a day, (Because of the strong economy now the nation do not afford to eat 3 meals).
• Drinking of Water - The tax may please be imposed on drinking more than 2 glasses daily, additionally taking bath more than once a month should be Taxed.
• Clothing – Wearing Cloths may please be taxable and additional tax on changing the suits/shirts on daily basis.
• Traveling - Journey through the public transport should be allowed once a day, means if someone comes to work by bus/rail he should not be allowed to use the same for going back, when the nation will start to walk back to homes it will help to keep them healthy.
• Birth – Tax may please be imposed on the birth of every child, the tax should be the 10% of the monthly wage rate of the father and if the mother is a working woman, she will also have to pay 10% of her wage, it is also suggested that this tax should be increased 20% to 30% on every additional birth.
• Death – A death tax may please be imposed on every person who dies, an additional tax is also suggested to the suicidal or accidental death.

There are so many other items that are still identifiable and we will try to let you know as soon as we realize the taxability of those.
Now at the end we recommend to award “Nishan-e-Haider”, “Tamgha-e-Khidmat” to the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Shaukat Aziz and his team for the efforts they made to revive the dying economy of Pakistan.
An increase of 100% in the packages of Members of Assemblies / Ministers and other officials is also suggested, it will help them to serve the nation better, after all we have to take care of the interests of the nation.
Thanking you in advance
Pakistani Nation
Courtesy: M.Arshad Minhas (his name was on the letter I received ~ so probably written by him)

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Today Islamabad and Rawalpindi got quite some scare of the explosions. Speculations are they could be some supersonic jets.

As geo reports:

Police officials in Rawalpindi say there is no evidence of any actual explosion having taken place. A senior police official in Rawalpindi told he was unaware of any actual explosion, and suggested the sound may have been from jets breaking the sound barrier. However officials at the Pakistan Air Force said that none of its jets had broken the sound barrier today.

If I remember accurately back in 96-97, an Indian jet flied in airs of Islamabad breaking the sound barriers. Ironically, our air forces woke up hours after the incident.

Nothing concrete yet.

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Reasons Unknown

As Dawn reports:

An explosion was heard in Islamabad Monday, residents said. The cause of the blast was not clear. Police in Islamabad said they had no immediate information about it. A private television channel reported two explosions were heard in the nearby city of Rawalpindi, about seven miles from Islamabad. It was not clear if the report related to the same incident. 

Still no idea what’s happening in here.

The explosion that I heard was HUGE even miles and miles away from Airport :S

Still no updates from any front :S Things going fishy :S

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Yeah Monsoons are here …  its raining raining raining some humidity and then again raining :)

I found this cute shot having five policemen under one umbrella :~)

Caption it please !

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The much fussed Long March to Islamabad ended without any concrete changes. Though it left behind many speculations, good, bad and a few worst.
I was flickring through pictures when this picture sent me in a fit of laughter. Irony and Spirit: All Together.

Apart from the brilliant idea to get a clear and uninterrupted view of the dais/stage, I wonder how they managed to climb the huge signboard - that too with flags.

Waqayi: “Shauq daa koi mol nayii’n.”

Image Credits: Sajjad Ali Qureshi

Cross-Posted at All Things Pakistan

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When someone dies, someone important actually I and you are of no value, what is the first step taken??

Anyone??

Almost there - yes rename some famous place in honour of that Martyred (by no means I’m trying to ridicule someone who is dead but Get Some Life, No?). Here the Govt is hers truly too … I wonder why they waited for 21st june (Pinky’s bday to do this mass-scale renamings).

So to date the order of lord is to rename Islamabad Airport, Rawalpindi general Hospital (RGH)  and the-oh-so-famous-and-pindi’s Murree road after Muhtarma Benazir Bhutto.

You may be thinking why am I having problems on this decision. To me its kind of obscene to change the decades old names to suddenly a new name. Well, we are in the process of building new roads and avenues … why not name them after her or anyone of your choice?? Huh? You say what?

I wonder how long it’d take the next govt to take these orders back….!

Read more on BBC and DT.

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143, originally uploaded by sazain.
Modes of transportation are upgrading in Pakistan ~ courtesy: The fuel prices :~)

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islamabad traffic police catching criminal police, originally uploaded by www.first-pakistan.blogspot.com.

Lovely scene, ain’t aye?

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Ok thousands gathered … burning up fuel of even more thousands … coming / flocking from all over Pakistan.

Result: ? I’m not very sure. Are you??

The pictures below (Courtesy: Khabrain) tells me a story of few tired organizers and teh health department now in-charge of fumigating the parade avenue. Sigh.

 Hum Mulk Bachanay Niklay Hain??

The question is: Bach Gaya???

Click on images for enlargement. 

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