#karachi express

[katrafiy]

I think about this image a lot. This is an image from the Aurat March (Women's March) in Karachi, Pakistan, on International Women's Day 2018. The women in the picture are Pakistani trans women, aka khwaja siras or hijras; one is a friend of a close friend of mine.

In the eyes of the Pakistani government and anthropologists, they're a "third gender." They're denied access to many resources that are available to cis women. Trans women in Pakistan didn't decide to be third-gendered; cis people force it on them whether they like it or not.

Western anthropologists are keen on seeing non-Western trans women as culturally constructed third genders, "neither male nor female," and often contrast them (a "legitimate" third gender accepted in its culture) with Western trans women (horrific parodies of female stereotypes).

There's a lot of smoke and mirrors and jargon used to obscure the fact that while each culture's trans women are treated as a single culturally constructed identity separate from all other trans women, cis women are treated as a universal category that can just be called "women."

Even though Pakistani aurat and German Frauen and Guatemalan mujer will generally lead extraordinarily different lives due to the differences in culture, they are universally recognized as women.

The transmisogynist will say, "Yes, but we can't ignore the way gender is culturally constructed, and hijras aren't trans women, they're a third gender. Now let's worry less about trans people and more about the rights of women in Burkina Faso."

In other words, to the transmisogynist, all cis women are women, and all trans women are something else.

"But Kat, you're not Indian or Pakistani. You're not a hijra or khwaja sira, why is this so important to you?"

Have you ever heard of the Neapolitan third gender "femminiello"? It's the term my moniker "The Femme in Yellow" is derived from, and yes, I'm Neapolitan. Shut up.

I'm going to tell you a little bit about the femminielli, and I want you to see if any of this sounds familiar. Femminielli are a third gender in Neapolitan culture of people assigned male at birth who have a feminine gender expression.

They are lauded and respected in the local culture, considered to be good omens and bringers of good luck. At festivals you'd bring a femminiello with you to go gambling, and often they would be brought in to give blessings to newborns. Noticing anything familiar yet?

Oh and also they were largely relegated to begging and sex work and were not allowed to be educated and many were homeless and lived in the back alleys of Naples, but you know we don't really like to mention that part because it sounds a lot less romantic and mystical.

And if you're sitting there, asking yourself why a an accurate description of femminiello sounds almost note for note like the same way hijras get described and talked about, then you can start to understand why that picture at the start of this post has so much meaning for me.

And you can also start to understand why I get so frustrated when I see other queer people buy into this fool notion that for some reason the transes from different cultures must never mix.

That friend I mentioned earlier is a white American trans woman. She spent years living in India, and as I recal the story the family she was staying with saw her as a white, foreign hijra and she was asked to use her magic hijra powers to bless the house she was staying in.

So when it comes to various cultural trans identities there are two ways we can look at this. We can look at things from a standpoint of expressed identity, in which case we have to preferentially choose to translate one word for the local word, or to leave it untranslated.

If we translate it, people will say we're artificially imposing an outside category (so long as it's not cis people, that's fine). If we don't, what we're implying, is that this concept doesn't exist in the target language, which suggests that it's fundamentally a different thing

A concrete example is that Serena Nanda in her 1990 and 2000 books, bent over backwards to say that Hijras are categorically NOT trans women. Lots of them are!

And Don Kulick bent over backwards in his 1998 book to say that travesti are categorically NOT trans women, even though some of the ones he cited were then and are now trans women.

The other option, is to look at practice, and talk about a community of practice of people who are AMAB, who wear women's clothing, take women's names, fulfill women's social roles, use women's language and mannerisms, etc WITHIN THEIR OWN CULTURAL CONTEXT.

This community of practice, whatever we want to call it - trans woman, hijra, transfeminine, femminiello, fairy, queen, to name just a few - can then be seen to CLEARLY be trans-national and trans-cultural in a way that is not clearly evident in the other way of looking at things.

And this is important, in my mind, because it is this axis of similarity that is serving as the basis for a growing transnational transgender rights movement, particularly in South Asia. It's why you see pictures like this one taken at the 2018 Aurat March in Karachi, Pakistan.

And it also groups rather than splits, pointing out not only points of continuity in the practices of western trans women and fa'afafines, but also between trans women in South Asia outside the hijra community, and members of the hijra community both trans women and not.

To be blunt, I'm not all that interested in the word trans woman, or the word hijra. I'm not interested in the word femminiello or the word fa'afafine.

I'm interested in the fact that when I visit India, and I meet hijras (or trans women, self-expressed) and I say I'm a trans woman, we suddenly sit together, talk about life, they ask to see American hormones and compare them to Indian hormones.

There is a shared community of practice that creates a bond between us that cis people don't have. That's not to say that we all have the exact same internal sense of self, but for the most part, we belong to the same community of practice based on life histories and behavior.

I think that's something cis people have absolutely missed - largely in an effort to artificially isolate trans women. This practice of arguing about whether a particular "third gender" label = trans women or not, also tends to artificially homogenize trans women as a group.

You see this in Kulick and Nanda, where if you read them, you could be forgiven for thinking all American trans women are white, middle class, middle-aged, and college-educated, who all follow rigid codes of behavior and surgical schedules prescribed by male physicians.

There are trans women who think of themselves as separate from cis women, as literally another kind of thing, there are trans women who think of themselves as coterminous with cis women, there are trans women who think of themselves as anything under the sun you want to imagine.

The problem is that historically, cis people have gone to tremendous lengths to destroy points of continuity in the transgender community (see everything I've cited and more), and particularly this has been an exercise in transmisogyny of grotesque levels.

The question is do you want to talk about culturally different ways of being trans, or do you want to try to create as many neatly-boxed third genders as you can to prop up transphobic theoretical frameworks? To date, people have done the latter. I'm interested in the former.

I guess what I'm really trying to say with all of this is that we're all family y'all.

[readingsquotes]

" The empire not only circulated personnel but also forms of expression of colonial power in openly acknowledged ways. The Palestine Royal Commission,....identified the Palestinian uprising as mirroring other insurgencies: “As in Ireland,” wrote the commission, “in the worst days after the War [of Independence] or in Bengal, intimidation at the point of a revolver has become a not infrequent feature of Arab politics.” ....

Three chilling aspects of Tegart’s “reforms” in Palestine were borrowed from India and have managed to survive the test of time, as an apartheid state succeeded a colonial one. ...

First, Tegart proposed the construction of a security fence along the Palestinian border with Syria and Lebanon, and a series of 70fortified security posts all over Palestine.

... Second, Tegart institutionalized and normalized brutal interrogation tactics, having employed them “successfully” on Indian revolutionaries.

.... Finally, the use of collective punishment to “pacify” Indians was a fundamental technique of British repression in India.

.... When I look at the partition of Palestine in 1947 and 1967, the ghosts of India and Pakistan rise like smoke from charred buildings of Karachi and Kolkata. When U.S. police forces are trained in Tel Aviv, Black activists in Ferguson raise their fists for Gaza.

It is true that the sun never set on the British empire. This is why from Cape Town to Calcutta we are the children of those whom the Tegarts tortured. This is why we stand for the decolonization of Palestine.

[ecoamerica]

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

[diana--williams]

Every Hindi Movie I remember watching

2022 TO 2013

Brahmastra: Part 1 Shiva

Gangubai Kathiavad

Toolsidas Junior

Gehraiyaan

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2

HIT: The first case

Badhaai Do

Major

Darlings

Plan A Plan B

Ek Villain Returns

Shabhash Mithu

Dasvi

Dhrishyam 2

Chandigargh Kare Aashiqui

83

Hassena Dilruba

Roohi

The White tiger

Saina

Pagglait

Sardar Ka Grandson

Mimi

The Girl on the Train

Tribhanga

Ajeeb Daastaan

Meenakshi Sundareshwar

Tuesdays and Fridays

Madam Chief Mininster

Chhichhore

Malang

Tanhaji

Laxmi

Kalank

Street Dancer 3D

Khaali Peeli

Bulbbul

Love Aaj Kal

Guilty

Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl

Thappad

Class of '83

Jawaani Jaaneman

Jai Mummy Di

Yeh Ballet

Serious Men

Maskaa

Panga

Shimla Mirchi

Axone

Sir

Badla

Mardhaani 2

War

Dream Girl

Ek Ladki ko Dekha To Aisa Laga

Lukachupi

Student of the Year 2

Drive

Article 15

Super30

Manikarnika

URI: The Surgical Strike

Panipat

Kabir Singh

Bala

The Zoya Factor

Good Newwz

The Sky is Pink

Mission Mangal

The Tashkent Files

Kalank

Chopsticks

Romeo Akbar Walter

Saand Ki Aankh

Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota

Sultan

Stree

Badhaaii ho

Lust Stories

Aiyaary

Raazi

Andhaadhun

Simbaa

Baaghi 2

Pad Man

Hichki

Sanju

2.0 Robot

Zero

Namaste England

Dil Junglee

Love per Squarefoot

Once Again

Padmaavat

Raabta

Half Girlfriend

Badrinath ki Dulhania

Machine

Ittefaq

Shaadi mein Zaroor Aana

Mom

Qarib qarib singlle

Jab Harry met Sejal

A Gentleman

Ghazi

Guest in London

Rangoon

Toilet: Ek Prem Katha

Secret Superstar

Naam Shabana

Newton

Haseena Parker

Ae Dil hai Mushkil

Dear Zindagi

Fitoor

Sanam Teri Kasam

Airlift

Wazir

Rocky Handsome

A Flying Jatt

Sanam Re

M S Dhoni: The Untold Story

Neerja

Fan

Dangal

Sultan

Saala Khadoos

Baaghi

Kabali

Rustom

Pink

Befikree

Mohenjo Daro

Dishoom

Te3n

Akira

Baar baar Dekho

Azhar

Houseful 3

Force 2

Kapoor and Sons

Udta Punjab

Ghayal Once Again

Mirzya

Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh

Dear Dad

1920: London

Parched

Ek Paheli Leela

Dum Laga Ke Haisha

Hero

Roy

Dilwale

Shaandar

Tamasha

Dhrishyam

Dolly Ki Doli

Katti Batti

Mr. X

Gabbar is Back

Baby

Phantom

Dil Dhadkane Do

Manjhi- The Mountain Man

Alone

Bajirao Mastani

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo

Talvar

Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Welcome 2 Karachi

Brothers

Love Exchange

ABCD 2

Piku

Rahasyaa

Shamitabh

Jazbaa

Nil Battey Sannata

Waiting

Hamari Adhuri Kahani

Singh is Bling

Singham Returns

PK

Heropanti

Kick

Khoobsoorat

Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania

Main Tera Hero

Hasee Toh Phasee

Mardaani

Yaariyaan

Jai Ho

Ek Villain

Gunday

Bang bang

Happy New Year

Finding Fanny

Action Jackson

Mary Kom

Haider

Entertainment

Bewakoofiyan

Total Siyappa

Shaasi ke Side Effects

Purani Jeans

O Teri

Bobby Jasoos

Pizza

Boothnath Returns

Sonali Cable

Ungli

Super Nani

Gang of Ghosts

Holiday: A soldier is never off duty

2 states

Gulaab Gang

Queen

Hawaa Hawai

Vishwaroopam

Zanjeer

Ramaiya Vastavaiya

Madras Cafe

Commando

Akaash Vani

R..Rajkumar

Special 26

Yeh Jawani Hai deewani

ABCD: Any Body Can Dance

Himmatwala

Jolly LLB

Race 2

Raanjhanaa

Krrish 3

Chennai Express

Once Upon a time in Mumbai Dobaraa

Bhaag Milka

Kai Po Che

Bombay Talkies

Dhoom 3

Lootera

Fuckrey

Gori Tere Pyaar Mein

Jayanta Bhai ka Love Story

Gippi

Phata Poster Nikla Hero

[lyarigirlscafe]

🌿✨ Children's Walk for Environmental Rights 🚶♂️🚶♀️

We took a little step towards a sustainable future! 🌍👧👦

Lyari's Girls Cafe Foundation collaborated with ARADO’s #LocaltoGlobal and #Tdh.

Organized Children's Walk on Environmental Rights to empower the next generation of eco-champions.

Children waiting for their rights had raised banners and placards. Deputy Commissioner South Altaf Hussain Sario participated in the walk held on children's environmental rights. A large number of women including children of Lyari participated in the walk.

🌳 📚 Kids learned about their environmental rights and the role they play in preserving our planet.

🎨 Little artists expressed their love for nature through eco-friendly art projects.

Let's amplify their voices and champion environmental rights for a brighter tomorrow! 🌈💚 Together, we're nurturing a generation that values, protects, and advocates for the planet. 🌱🌏

Thanks to all the participants, volunteers and supporters who supported the great cause of children.

#LyariGirlsCafe #LGCF #GlobalActionMonth #ARADO #LocalToGlobal #ChildrensEnvironmentalWalk #LittleGreenSteps #FutureEcoLeaders #Karachi #Pakistan #Educational #PitStops #ArtForCause #Cleanup #Crew #young #environmentalist #surroundings #inspiring #positivechange #ChildrensEnvironmentalRights #FutureEcoChampions #GreenWalkTogether

[thedenizer]

"Tsunami Alert: How Karachi is Preparing for the Worst"

 The Threat of Tsunami in Karachi

KARACHI: Due to the possibility of intensifying monsoon currents in Sindh starting tomorrow (Tuesday).  the Met office issued an urban flooding advisory for Karachi and other cities on            Monday.

Dr. Sardar Sarfaraz, chief meteorologist, noted that the current weather system was anticipated to gradually get worse, first affecting southeast portions of Sindh on Tuesday afternoon or in the evening, and then affecting northeast areas, including Karachi, late at night with sporadic heavy rainfall. According to him, the heaviest rain is predicted to fall starting on June 11 when the low pressure region that is developing in eastern India would enter Pakistan and gather strength from the weather over the Arabian Sea. "After that, it probably will have an impact on all of Sindh. But prior to that, there would be intermittent mild to high falls in numerous areas of the province, he added, noting that the current weather pattern had obstructed the sea breeze, making Karachi hot and muggy.

Areas Which May Be Affected:

According to the Met department advisory, sea conditions are predicted to turn difficult or very rough from Jun 10 through 15, and fishermen are urged to exercise additional caution.rain-thunderstorms with scattered heavy falls are expected in Tharparkar, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Hyderabad, Matiari, Thatta, Sujawal, Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad, Khairpur, Sukkur, Larkana, Ghotki, Kashmore, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Dadu, Jamshoro and Qambar Shahdadkot during Jun 9-15.

In low-lying parts of Karachi, Hyderabad, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Dadu, Jamshoro, Qambar Shahdadkot, Larkana, and Sukkur throughout the projected period, heavy rains may cause water logging or urban flooding. From June 12, rainfall intensity is also anticipated to increase in Balochistan's northeastern and southern districts, which could result in flash floods in the districts of Dadu, Jamshoro, Qambar Shahdadkot, and downstream.

It further said that more strain could be placed on Hub dam, Thaddo dam, and areas downstream by persistently heavy rainfall over the Khuzdar, Lasbela, and Hub districts and across the Kirthar range.

History Of Floods & Tsunami In Coastal Belt Of Pakistan:

Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, is located on the coast of the Arabian Sea. While the city has not experienced a tsunami in recent history, experts have expressed concern that any major earthquake could trigger a tsunami along Karachi's coast due to deep seas and unusual underground geographical changes. In 1945, a deadly earthquake occurred 100 miles south of Karachi in the Northern Arabian Sea, triggering a tsunami which resulted in the loss of over 4,000 lives. Since then, no tsunami has occurred off the coast of Karachi. However, the location of the city makes it susceptible to a host of climatic disasters. Legislation is essential to timely evacuate residents from coastal settlements in the event of an earthquake. In 2005, following an earthquake in Muzaffarabad, the seismic center of Karachi was made more efficient and three tsunami warning towers have been installed since then.

Geography:

Geographically, the coastal belt of Sindh and Balochistan, which covers an area of 1,100 km, has witnessed tsunamis triggered by earthquakes as well as islands emerging in the coastal areas. These extraordinary activities certainly point to the presence of underground gases and other factors.

Risk Of Tsunami:

According to Ameer Haider Laghari, Director Meteorological Department, Karachi, earthquakes have two causes: one is fault line and the other is boundary line. The risk of tsunami in Karachi cannot be ruled out due to the presence of three seismic plates in which the subdivision is slowly sinking.

Measures Taken By Government:

Two more warning towers have been installed in coastal areas of Balochistan in Gwadar and Pisni. About 14 towers will be installed by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) at various places in Sindh in the near future. The main purpose of installing these towers is to warn residents of coastal areas in case of any emergency. Tide gauges have been installed at various coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan to monitor sea waves. In this regard, not only is the situation monitored but also alerts are issued if the height of waves exceeds 6 meters. A tsunami alert is usually issued for an earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale in the Arabian Sea.

Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD):

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) holds responsibility for seismic monitoring and tsunami early warning in Pakistan. It is their liability to disseminate earthquake information to government and non-government organizations as well as to the public after any event occurs. All stations are linked with central recording stations at Karachi and Islamabad through satellite communication systems. Beside broad band stations, a parallel program for installing short period (1s) sensors for close monitoring of faults and local seismicity is running.

Floods In The History:

In addition to tsunamis, Pakistan has also experienced severe flooding throughout its history. In August 2010, Pakistan suffered one of its most severe floods that affected approximately 20 million people and destroyed homes, crops and infrastructure. The floods caused over $14.9 billion worth of damage and $15.2 billion worth of economic losses. The housing; agriculture and livestock; and transport and communications sectors suffered the most significant damage at $5.6 billion; $3.7 billion; and $3.3 billion respectively. Sindh was the worst affected province with close to 70 percent of total damages and losses followed by Balochistan; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; and Punjab. The floods affected 33 million people and more than 1730 lost their lives. They particularly impacted the poorest and most vulnerable districts with flood waters stagnant in many areas causing water-borne and vector-borne diseases to spread. More than 8 million displaced people faced a health crisis with loss of household incomes; assets; rising food prices; and disease outbreaks impacting vulnerable groups. Women suffered notable losses particularly those associated with agriculture and livestock. The national poverty rate may increase by 3.7 to 4 percentage points potentially pushing between 8.4 and 9.1 million more people below poverty line while multidimensional poverty can potentially increase by 5.9 percentage points implying that an additional 1.9 million households are at risk of being pushed into non-monetary poverty.

National Flood Protection Plan:

The government has already started updating its national flood protection plan by adopting global best practices for updating its flood risk framework. Early warning systems that make use of weather data and modeling can alert authorities to an expected flood and give them time to start evacuations and put in place contingencies for critical sectors such as agriculture.

International Water Management Institute (IWMI):

Flood inundation models developed by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and partners have helped to anticipate the depth and extent of flooding in Sri Lanka allowing governments and communities to take preemptive measures that reduce the negative effects. Insurance schemes supported by the government can also help small-scale farmers; businesses; and households recover after a climate event. IWMI and its partners have piloted index-based flood insurance in India and Bangladesh offering protection for agricultural livelihoods during floods limiting the long-term effect on food systems and food security.

Compensation:

Compensation for flood damage to crops totaled $150,000 between 2017 and 2020 allowing 7,000 families to repair their homes and farms and recover from the losses. Another example is the use of nature-based solutions or green infrastructure to harness the ability of ecosystems like wetlands to regulate water flow and absorb flood water.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, while Karachi has not experienced a tsunami in recent history it is important for residents and authorities to remain vigilant and prepared for such an event. The installation of warning towers and tide gauges along with legislation for timely evacuation are important steps towards ensuring safety of residents in case of a tsunami.

Thanks For Reading Thë Denìzer by Sultan Muhammad Yamin!

[insomniac-astronomer]

1,17,18 with nat

Natasha Romanoff x Reader: Nightmare

Anotha one

Hell yeah, this community is kinda popping off. Thank you to this anon! Anyway my lovelies, please enjoy!

Prompts: "Why are you here?", "You broke it.", and "Close the door."

Description: Reader is having a nightmare totally not based on a real nightmare I had last night and Natasha decides to investigate the late-night screaming.

Gender: neutral! No pronouns used!

WARNINGS: nightmare, swearing, something breaks

*not my gif*

The man closes his eyes. The police have almost caught up to you.

"What's happening?" You shout at your friend. He gives you only a blank stare. "What did you do?!"

Then, you feel yourself being teleported. The lights and the spinning. You're getting too dizzy.

Wake up.

Wake up.

"Wake up!"

You awake and immediately jump to your feet. Someone's hand reaches up to grab your arm and you take it, yanking the person forward. Your finger catches on a bracelet they're wearing and it tears away.

"Y/N, stop! It's me, Natasha!" A strangled yell comes from the person.

That's when you snap into reality. "Oh, shit. I'm so sorry!"

You lean down and Nat sits, fixing her hair. She runs her hand over the blankets desperately until she finds something.

"You broke it!" She is holding up a simple silver bracelet.

"Fuck, Natasha, I'm so sorry! I'll fix it or buy you a new one!" Your vision starts to fill with tears. "I'm so sorry."

"My sister gave it to me." Natasha stares at it. There is a moment of silence.

"Why are you here?" Natasha isn't your friend. The two of you hardly talk past missions. In fact, this might be the longest conversation you've ever had with her.

She sniffles. "I heard screaming and I came to check on you."

"Oh," you whisper. "And then I broke your bracelet."

She nods.

"Shit, I'll take it to a jeweler's tomorrow and have it fixed." You fold your arms around your legs, making yourself smaller in your shame.

"It's okay, you don't have to. 'S not like it was expensive or anything."

"But you said your sister gave it to you?"

She nods again.

"I didn't know you had a sister," you can't help but remark.

"Well, not biological." Natasha lets out a stifled laugh.

"Where is she now?" You figure you at least owe her a conversation for helping you out.

She shakes her head. "I have no idea. She sends me stuff from all over. The bracelet was from a little market in Karachi."

"Karachi? What's that?" You smile and start to lean back against the headboard. You gesture for Natasha to sit next to you.

She has her hair braided down her back. She's wearing a tang-top and shorts. She looks so domestic and vulnerable like this. You have to admit, this is a very appealing look for her.

"It's in Pakistan." Natasha sighs. She looks much more relaxed.

"And why was your sister in Pakistan?"

"I don't know, she works for some agency." She puts air quotes around the last word. "Her letter said there was some superhuman abilities spotted in the area."

"Ah," you pretend to completely understand, making Natasha laugh ever so lightly.

There is another moment of silence.

"Hey, Y/N?" Natasha breaks the tension.

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you ever talk to me?"

You pause, not expecting that at all. "To be honest, I thought you were trying to avoid me."

She shakes her head. "You're so friendly to everyone but me."

"You always look so tough and-" you catch her facial expression and tread lightly. "You just never look like you want anyone to talk to you."

"Hm," she hums. "Not on purpose."

You laugh. "Okay, well, if you want, we can be friends."

Natasha gives you a smile. "Yeah, I'd like that."

You smirk. "Not so tough now, are you?"

She looks away.

A pain strikes your heart. "I'm sorry. That was mean."

"I've always been secretive." Natasha says. "I'm working on being more open."

"That's good." You feel awful. "I will always be here to listen and not make rude comments."

"Well, now you've ruined it." Natasha sits up. "I'm never gonna talk to you." She's laughing.

"No, stop, c'mon!" You pull her back down. "Why are you awake this late, anyway?"

"Um, it's only eleven." She gestures to the clock.

You face-palm. "Dammit, this is gonna be a long night."

"Good thing you have me, then." She nudges your shoulder.

"Yeah, wow, what would I ever do without you?"

"Well you'd still be having that nightmare."

"Mm, debatable." You twist your head to the side like a puppy. "I was pulling myself out just before you woke me up."

"Okay, yeah, sure."

"Yup, this is gonna be a long night."

Nat laughs. "No, we'll have fun."

"Shouldn't you be going to bed?" You sit up so you can see her face.

She freezes for a moment. "Yeah, well, I don't do well in dreamland, either."

"Oh," you say. Then, you lean down and give her a tight hug. She doesn't move for just a moment before moving her arms around you, holding very tight. There is a little shake in her head on your shoulder, so you pull her even tighter.

The hug lasts a solid two minutes, neither of you ready to give up the new-found warmth and love.

"Alright," you start to pull away. "Wanna watch a movie?"

Natasha sniffles again with a laugh. "Sure."

"Okay. Go close the door." You smile.

Sorry, it's a bit short. Anyway, thanks for reading! No stealing, I will find u

Buy me a coffee?

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

[printandmatter]

Session 5: Abeera Kamran & Pattern Making with Stamps

Written by Hannan Almasyabi

This week's session began with a fantastic talk from guest speaker Abeera Kamran, which was especially interesting for me, as I found it reminded me of that ever-old debate of 'art vs STEM subjects' and 'left side of the brain vs right side of the brain', where it's suggested that instead of both coexisting, it must be a choice between one or the other. Abeera's talk was a clear demonstration that there is no conflict between creative expression and practical need as she took us on a journey through Urdu's deep ties to identity, history, the practical hurdles and all-round accessibility.

As someone from a non-South Asian background it was a fascinating glimpse into a language I knew next to nothing about and provided me with a deeper appreciation and some small understanding of the language and it's beauty.

To give a bit of context to the speaker, Abeera Kamran is a graphic designer and front-end web developer based between Birmingham, UK and Karachi, Pakistan. Her work encompasses web design and development, typography, publication design and more. During her talk, she highlighted a range of different projects she'd worked on including several that featured the Urdu language, outlining why the way that Urdu was presented in each print and web project was very particular to ensuring that key information was conveyed appropriately to an Urdu speaking audience. Abeera recently completed an MA Research in Typography course at the University of Reading, her research looked at the challenges surrounding digitizing the Urdu language including the historical, cultural, design and technological complexities surrounding the typographic representation of the popular Lahori Nasta'liq in web browsers.

In the image above, Abeera demonstrates to us how letters in the Nasta'liq script not only start higher up at the beginning of the word and move down, but words overlap, making the move from traditional, handwritten content to digital much more difficult. Because of this, Abeera shared with us that "Urdu newsletters were still handwritten until as late as 1981 whereas mechanised printing was already in use in East Asia as early as 800AD and in Europe as early as the 15th Century." You can find more about Abeera Kamran and her work here.

The Art Workshop

This week's creative session built upon the previous session where we used erasers from your everyday stationers to create alphabet stamps, however this session we focused on making patterns. This was a nice reminder that art can be created with basic and affordable everyday materials, challenging the misconception that art is an expensive hobby. Many of us opted for designs that could easily be used to make repeat patterns, we went on to experiment with different ways of tiling the same stamp. It was fascinating to see the diversity of patterns we came up with, there were floral patterns, abstract patterns, designs featuring simpler line work all the way to intricate designs inspired by Portuguese tiles.

In my own work, I also experimented with the type of ink used to stamp with, as this gave an entirely different effect. I used the traditional stamp pad but also tested out printing with Indian ink, as the Indian ink is much darker and thicker in texture it provided a very similar style to a Lino-print which I preferred to the stamp pad effect.

Here's what my repeat pattern looked like in a 2x2 grid which I was pleased with! You can see how it differs to the stamp pad print. Below are a couple of examples of fantastic designs that were made. You can see how the same stamp changes based on how they are tiled, creating entirely different designs. Some of us even made repeat patterns combining two different stamp designs into a single print to create something entirely new. I loved seeing everyone's creative expression and ways they thought outside the box!

Follow-up from last session

In addition to the art workshop we ran, we also printed 'Ladypool Road: Impressions', a booklet about our impressions of a local road/high street we visited in a previous session. During the walk, we all did some visual research using illustration, photography and writing to document our walk. Everyone went away and worked on their pieces separately, so it was great to see some similar themes emerging in the way art pieces were interwoven in the booklet whilst simultaneously seeing the different individual perspectives everyone had even through we were all looking at the same street.

We used the Risograph to print this and went with a two-colour print of black and green which worked well.

I love the final result and the mix of patterns from this session's rubber stamps which made for good segment dividers between different themes running across the pages. It was also interesting to see how some attendees prioritised text whilst other's focussed on imagery, some producing very literal observations and others more abstract or personal reflections. I think one of the more difficult things to do in art is collate several different art styles and pieces into one cohesive flowing document which we achieved here!

Looking forward to seeing what we do in the next session and what new techniques we explore and lessons we learn from our guest speaker.

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Expressing solidarity with Palestine at Karachi University; The Vice Chancellor started the campai - ...

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Speedy Pass Through 16DN Karachi Express Lahore To Karachi || #kidcotrains

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Creative Journal Week 3

In the third week, I dedicated myself to a thorough study of rhythm changes, specifically honing in on "Serpent's Tooth," all under Christy's expert guidance in class. Drawing upon the knowledge and skills acquired in my first and second years of study, I embarked on the challenging task of transcribing the song by ear. Singing out the melody helped solidify my understanding, while sight-reading the notations I'd made further reinforced the song's structure in my mind. This comprehensive approach ensured that I absorbed the intricacies of "Serpent's Tooth" thoroughly, allowing me to internalize its essence and intricacies.

Amidst my focus on rhythm changes, I also found inspiration for my original composition, "Karachi," during this week. The melody emerged spontaneously as I hummed random notes, compelling me to capture it immediately in musical notation. Immersed in the creative process, I allowed the melody to flow from my mind to paper, shaping it into a cohesive piece that reflected my musical instincts and personal expression.

[azharniaz]

President for strict action against criminals in Sindh

KARACHI, May 01 (APP):President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday urged Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to take strict actions against the criminals in Karachi, dacoits in Kacha area and the drug traffickers in close collaboration with the federal government and other provinces to ensure law and order situation in the province. He expressed these views  while chairing a meeting here on…

[swamyworld]

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf holds 'train march', vow to continue struggle for release of Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf organised the ‘Train March‘ in Sukkur on Sunday, with the party leaders vowing to continue the intensified struggle for the release of party founder Imran Khan and restoration of PTI‘s “stolen mandate,” Pakistan-based Dawn reported. Several thousand PTI workers and supporters boarded the Awam Express from Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah and all the…

[dgpr-punjab-newsroom]

PRESS RELEASE

Information Minister Azma Bokhari Meets CEO CDRS Pakistan-USA Mr Todd Shea

Lahore, 20 April 2024

Provincial Minister for Information & Culture Azma Bokhari met CEO Comprehensive Disaster Response Services(CDRS) Pakistan-USA Mr Todd Shea in which matters pertaining to ongoing welfare projects in Pakistan especially in Punjab- Lahore, House of Blessings for the orphans, Animal Welfare Centres and other affairs were discussed. Mr Todd Shea gave a comprehensive briefing on the ongoing development projects. Head CDRS Lahore Syed Mohsin, Director Fauzia Todd, Muhammad Faizan and others participated in the meeting. Information Minister Azma Bokhari while expressing her views about CDRS welfare projects in Punjab remarked that providing services to the grief-stricken humanity is praiseworthy. She added that ensuring the well-being of humanity plays an important role in the progress of a society. Azma Bokhari underlined that according to the vision of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, we aim to lend a helping hand to the downtrodden and destitutes. She acknowledged that opening a welfare centre for the orphan children and destitute women in Lahore city is a laudable step initiated by the CDRS. She highlighted that the Punjab government despite its limited resources is working immensely for the uplift of the distressed humanity through its welfare projects.CEO CDRS Todd Shea apprised that so far, we have accomplished more than 750 clean water projects in Pakistan. Mr Todd Shea added that we are opening centres for the orphan children and destitute women in Lahore and Islamabad after Rawalpindi and Karachi.

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Quality Products for Exceptional Results: Understanding the importance of quality in makeup, Sady's Academy uses only premium, high-quality makeup products. From renowned international brands to trusted local favorites, the products are carefully selected to ensure long-lasting, flawless results that look stunning both in person and in photographs.

Customized Makeup Services: At Sady's Academy, they believe that every individual is unique, and so should be their makeup. Whether you prefer a glamorous, bold look or a subtle, natural glow, the expert makeup artists at Sady's Academy work closely with you to understand your preferences, style, and the occasion to create a customized makeup look that is perfect for you.

A Relaxing and Luxurious Experience: Preparing for a party or event can be stressful, but at Sady's Academy, they strive to make the makeup application process a relaxing and enjoyable experience. The comfortable and luxurious ambiance of their studio combined with the attentive and friendly service ensures that you not only look great but also feel pampered and relaxed.

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[ramtracking]

Pakistan eye crucial points against West Indies for direct World Cup qualification [ Twenty20 ]

Pakistan eye crucial points against West Indies for direct World Cup qualification [Highlights] Pakistan placed fifth in the table with eight wins out of a total of 18 matches. KARACHI, Pakistan (CMC): WEST INDIES Women’s batting, along with their One-Day International form, will come under the spotlight when they… Pakistan women cricket team opener Sidra Amin expressed confidence in her team’s…