Busan International Firework Festival 2011

This is taking place between October 21 - Oct. 29, 2011.

In a whole week, there will be concerts , Big Bang is going to perform, there will be a Super Model Pageant, and a lot more stuff to enjoy.

Location: Gwangalli Beach

For details visit their website!

Visiting Lok Virsa!

Today is the last day of Lok Virsa Festival at Shakarprian, Islamabad. The venue is located near Park Avenue and there is no public transport that goes there. Private transport is the only possibility but one can hire a taxi or simply take a walk of about 35 minutes. 

Lok Virsa's activities gave residents of the twin cities an opportunity to enjoy the day when it has become really difficult to go out of homes and get involved or enjoy an event, particularly for women. I also met Dr. Fauzia Saeed briefly. She also hosted the show and did a great job. I will highly recommend people to take time out and visit Lok Virsa today- since today, the festival will come to an end.

Logo of Lok Virsa - a starting point for me on Gate 2.  Many families were there. Lok Virsa has a lot to offer to the visitors. I always feel like becoming a part of a magical land - full of surprises and fun.

At Gate #2, visitors are welcomed by this jubilant group of dancers - with their beautiful folk dances on the Dhol (traditional, double-sided percussion musical instrument which is a sort of a drum) beats. These are the people - who are our asset - they have kept our culture and traditions alive in very difficult times. Bravo!

A shop at Lok Virsa.

Handmade Jewellery box made with Plaster of Paris. It looked like metal and real stones!

Shopping of bracelets.

Sajji: Stuffed Chicken for 400 Rupee equal 5 USD.

Embroided wall hangings and mats.

Dhol and Chimtay - the two instrments used to produce the rythms of Punjab.

Real turquoise and silver jewellery from Swat: they had the most beautiful handmade jewellery!

My favourite: Parrots at work - a traditional way of knowing about yourself; these parrots pick up a card which tells a person what future holds for them. It has been decades since I last saw this. Loved it! Two young men tried their luck and I asked them what the cards say: They laughed and said ," everythings is going to be great" so I replied, " Supereb!  In 20 Ruppees. this parrot gave us a good news and made you happy - which is not an easy task...paisa wasool!"

An old man selling posters of all sorts. To my amazement there was not a single actress on any of them - a very delightful experience.

Arieb Azhar: permformed live at Lok Virsa's Concert that took place with regard to celebrating " International Day of Rural Women, 2011, Islamabad" . A very interesting event with folk and sufi music. Women from around the country participated by singing, dancing and simply enjoying the moment.

A folk song from Sind with Shah Latif's kalam - one of the best performances of the evening!

Beautiful handmade door decorations.

A painting by self-taught painter.

A participant from Hunza enjoying the concert.

Dhol (A traditional Punjabi Drum)

Some links on this event are covered by 'The News' , The Nation and 'The Frontier Post' and highlighted work of artisans demonstrating crafts such as bone work, Motikari (beadwork), Zari work (embroidery), blue pottery, embroideries from Bahawalpur, Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan, stone carving, Taghar weaving (traditional floor rug) from D.I. Khan, doll making, Sindhi embroidered shoes, daree (floor rug) making, papier mache, truck art, Swati shawl, Hunza embroidery. The conference was entitled: "From Food Security to Peace and Security", Islamabad. 15-16 Oct. 2011.

Role of Media in Pakistan

Pakistani television channels  have simply "NO CLUE" of what is worthy of becoming a news, of the precious time that they have on their hands and how to create awareness or educate the audience - to simply put it!

Does this country has a time slot policy? Do they know when can a specific show or a program be aired and what age group is it for? Do they know what kind of a story is 'newsworthy' and what defines 'entertainment'?

I am extremely concerned because the violence and vigiliantism I see in Pakistan: our media (particularly, electronic)  is to be hold responsible for it. They have done more damage than anything else.

Here in Pakistan with an additional one  million homeless in our already huge number of IPDs (internally displaced people) due to the recent floods and hunger all around - half of the channels are busy with their  'really stupid'  cooking shows on "how to roast a duck, chicken or deer"? How to cook an Italian, French or a Midle Eastern food? A country where people can not even afford to buy  ata (wheat- a staple diet) and chai (tea)  to have their simple meal - are we NOT responsible for creating frustrations amongst the masses?
For God's sake: Pakistani media: STOP IT!!!

The other day: all channnels unanimously showed a criminal (over and over again) in a jail who was dancing and singing shamelessly and had put up a show (I have nothing against his dancing or singing) in a prison cell but what beats me is: have we gone insane to make it a breaking news? A country where we have lost our battle against domestic violence and terrorism and a mosquito via dengue is hard to fight back (300 people have already lost lives in 30 days)  - what role can media play?  Please: Act Responsibly!

Shoaib and Sania Mirza visited Pakistan on a personal/private trip but our country's Mr. President called on them and I wonder why? What concerns me is: does our president know what should be his priorities and what is happening in Pakistan? If not then he should know that Pakistan is declared 'almost' a failed state, a country that has repeatedly failed to protect its borders from outside attacks, it is also considered as the most corrupt country in the world, world's third most dangerous place for women, a rape every hour. In its educational institutions: girls are raped, molested, abused by both the male and the female teachers - where should we go and who will highlight this? Isn't it worthy of becoming a news?

A country full of IDPs who are living under open skies, a country with no basic amenities, no clean drinking water, sanitation, electricity or gas - isn't it about time that we come out of our 'bubbles'!  I would have applauded our ' Dear President' meating the Federal Minsiters for Education, Health, Manpower, Defense or Foreign Affairs to deal with the deadly issues our country is plagued with and I would be proud of our media if they have reminded him,  in case he forgot, after all, to err is human- right???

Newscasters and Talk Show hosts are yelling and shouting crazily - the guests are even worst - there is nothing but verbal diarrhea...hosts can be easily called  Bi Jamaloes.
Vice Chancellor of a  leading university in Pakistan, Quaid e Azam University said in an interview that Pakistani media has made the entire population "psychic" another famous professor and social scientist from the same university, Dr. Naveed e Rahat, said that Pakistani media has brought us to the edge of destruction.

Personally, I think that there is nothing wrong with Pakistan but there is definitely something wrong with people on the driving seats of Pakistan: government, media and mullah.

No idea or concept is original on Pakistani media,  nothing smells or seems Pakistani, nothing educational and nothing realistic. Media can help build up tolerance, forgiveness and understanding that we desperately need today amongst people of this country - civilized talk shows and dialogue is what should be focused and must stay away from sensationalization.

I hope that this roller coaster ride for Pakistan will end soon. We are blessed with human and natural resources and I believe that we will be able to bring a positive changes in Pakistan  in all spheres, some day. I hope of responsible journalism both print and electronic.

Honestly, I miss the good old days of PTV - the only channel at the time - with excellent choice of programs both locally produced or the international shows.

We Run Seoul (2011 Nike Event)

Today is the last day of registration for "We Run Seoul" by NIKE, Korea.

Run with your heart n S[e]oul ;-)

Register at their website.

SOCCER MATCH IN SEOUL - FREE TICKETS

Teams: FC SEOUL (FC 서울) vs SEONGNAM (성남)


Venue: Seoul World Cup Stadium 서울월드컵경기장

Access: Subway line 6, World Cup Stdium (619).

Before the soccer game, you can participate at the TBS Concert (also free) organized from 13:00 to 15:00.

Get one ticket per person at Seorae Global Village center from October 19th.(First come first served)

For more info. call: 02 - 2155 -8916

Learn Korean Cooking!

Seoul Global Center's Itaewons- Hannam Global Village is organizing "Korean Cooking Classes together with a Field Trip"...Don't miss the opportunity and join this class. Participants will learn 10 dishes from desserts to royal cuisine.

The classes will be every Tuesday 10am-1pm from October 18th to November 29th, starting with the market tour on the 18th. There is 70,000 won participation fee for all 7 sessions. To register and for more information please contact:
itaewon@sba.seoul.kr or 02) 2199-8884

LOK VIRSA FESTIVAL IN ISLAMABAD (Oct 7- 16, 2011)

Pakistani handicrafts, culture and its heritage can be fully experienced at the Lok Virsa Festival in Islamabad at Shakar Puryan - across from Zero Point.

This is one of those festivals for which I had to wait desperately for an entire year. It never disappointed me. I have so beautiful memories of Lok Virsa and of going there with people - who are no more with us. I am feeling extremely fortunate that I can visit Lok Virsa this year...last time I was able to go there was when I was living in Islamabad - many years ago.

While visiting Lok Virsa don't forget to visit the museum that is also located in the area and is one of the coolest efforts to get to know Pakistan - a little better.

Lok Virsa has one whole week and will come to an end on October 16th. 2011.

Artisians from all over Pakistan are invited and it is full of beautiful handicrafts and souvenirs from Pakistan. Live music and food is another attraction. Now that people do NOT have much of a choice to go outing with their families and all they do is watch TV ( being couch potatoes) - I'd suggest them to definitely go there and enjoy your day. For kids and also for many of us adults - it can be an educational and fun experience.

For more information visit the website of LOK VIRSA.

Hangeul Day (Oct. 9)

Hangeul Day at Yonsei University in 2010: we all participated through our graduate school and won many competetions.

Today, October 9th, marks Hangeul's 565th anniversary. Hangeul is the Korean alphabets same as Urdu - the Pakistani ones. It was interesting to note that all the Korean portals are celebrating Hangeul Day...like Naver says: 한글을 사랑하는 방법을 생각합니다 or Google Korea chaged the logo to Hangeul to celebrate the day. It is nice to give importance to such important inventions where the whole country comes together. While living in Korea for years and years, I noted one thing about Koreans: their modesty. Modesty about what???? Well, modesty about how small Korea is geographically and how small their population is....but believe me: in past 10 years I have not been able to explore this 'tiny country' and the people: hey they are equal to a billion strong any where....it is because they are "very" united and this is true to the core.

What stands out about Korea is the unity amongst its people. Due importance and  respect, love and affection for their culture, tradition, values and simply put: the Koreanness of it. Korea is sandwiched between great powers and civilizations such as China and Japan but it has made it's own mark and identity.

Whether it is celebrating Hangeul or to be out in streets to cheer their soccer team or Kim Yuna (world champ in figure skating), they have made their mark in a relatively short period of time in the contemporary history of Korea.

From the poorest country in the world to become one of the world's richest took them only 30 years and hence, they are still holding the title of a 'miracle economy'.

There is so much to learn from Korea as a benchmark country for the developing world.

Photo credit@Yonhap

Anyhow, as the rule goes: I am always drifted while writing about one things and move towards another. Before this happens again: Happy Hangeul Day to all and thank you King Sejong!

Voter Registration in Pakistan and the ECP Website (1)

Do justice to Urdu language please!

We will have elections in Pakistan in 2012 ( Inshallah) meaning they are just around the corner.
So being a citizen of Pakistan, I thought to look for some facts and figures that I deem necessary to know.
We live in a highy wired and well connected world today therefore  I decided to look up at the various websites in Pakistan - to see what they offer regarding elections here.

My first click was googling "Election Commission of Pakistan" and  then I looked for the websites of the major political parties in Pakistan. A lot needs to be done at all levels, regarding websites, thats is. Though Pakistan lags far behind in 'e- government' however, they have tried their best to put up a website of each ministry to show that they are part of the much wired world of today and I appreciate that.


I will go step by step and probably may need a few post to cover this topic.


I will just jump to the website of our very own Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).


This is one of the few websites which is very comprehensive and regularly updated however, it needs further improvement which I will explain step by step. Election Commission  is an independent and autonomous constitutional body charged with the function of conducting transparent, free, fair and impartial elections to the National and Provincial Assemblies. It consists of the Chairman (Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan) and four members each drawn from the sitting judges of the High Courts of their respective provinces according to the website.


Parliament consists of the President and the two Houses: National Assembly [NA] (342 seats) and the Senate (100 seats). Members of the National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies are elected by direct voting in a constituency on first-past-the-post system through a secret ballot. A candidate who obtains the highest number of votes in a constituency, is declared elected as a Member of National or a Provincial Assembly.


The distribution of seats for NA is:
Federal Area:2
Punjab:148
Sind:  61
NWFP: 35
Baluchistan: 14
FATA:12
Non Muslims:10
Women: 60


The most important information on ECP website is the extention period for Registration of Voters: we still have some time left - deadline is October 30th, 2011. I have no idea how to do it online so I sent an email to ECP. 

By the way, there is a problem within the format/application for queries to ECP, which needs to be fixed. As soon as you start writing the subject matter - it automatically sends the mail without a person clicking on 'send mail' option, hence on my fourth attempt - I figured out how: 'not to press enter' on that page at any given point and relying only on space bar - was helpful (but this is not how it works worldwide). My sincere request to ECP is to fix: 'contact us by email option' - as soon as possible.

I am also concerned on the conditions regarding qualification of the contestants for NA, PA or Senate. (This does not have anything to with the website though) I rarely came across people in contemporary Pakistan who fulfil this qualification which ECP deems necessary . The qualifiaction/condition for contestants may lead to a conflict between what it ought to be and what we actually have in our elected representatives which infact lead to CONTRADICTIONS from the start of the process and results in further complications.

These conditions are not very tough however, they are NOT realistic in Pakistani context at all.


"Qualification for membership of the Parliament and Provincial Assemblies in their websites is:



A person who is a citizen of Pakistan, is enrolled as a voter in any electoral roll and in case of National/Provincial Assemblies is not less than 25 years of age and in case of Senate not less than 30 years of age, is of good character and is not commonly known as one who violates Islamic injunctions, has adequate knowledge of Islamic teachings and practices, obligatory duties prescribed by Islam as well as abstains from major sin, is sagacious, righteous and non-profligate, honest and ameen, has not been convicted for a crime involving moral turpitude or for giving false evidence, and has not, after establishment of Pakistan, worked against the integrity of the country or opposed the ideology of Pakistan and is graduate, can contest the elections and become a member of the Parliament or a Provincial Assembly. "


These conditions will leave nobody to contest or may be a few good men with 90% vacant seats. :-)

Anyhow, in ECP website there is a side menu with "check email" button. I clicked it and there  appeared two options of: log in and sign in with 'no' sign up option - I wonder who is it for (staff or public or both) and how it works? Even if this option is for the staff of ECP how they signed up? Is it just a mistake - plain and simple?

Another intersting thing in their menu is the 'Disclaimer' which states that:



" Welcome to the official website of Election Commission of Pakistan.
While all efforts have been made to make all contents on the ECP Website http://www.ecp.gov.pk/ as "Error free and updated" as possible, all users are requested in their own interest to refer to the officially published latest/updated copies of the Constitution of Pakistan, Acts, Rules, Laws, Orders, Notifications, Handbooks, Reports, Publications and related documents by the Election Commission of Pakistan, for authentic version. 


The Election Commission of Pakistan shall not be anyway responsible for any loss or shortcoming, defect, or inaccuracy in the ECP Website contents, information and data. Any discrepancies therein may please be brought to the notice of the Election Commission of Pakistan. All rights reserved by the Election Commission of Pakistan."

My sincere request is: all these above mentioned documents MUST be made available online by the concerned ministries for the benefit and easy access to public at large. Moreover, take responsibility of the contents of this website and try to update it more often. I would like to know why a huge number of IT related staff is hired in these goverenment offices?


Another feature of the ECP website is 'CEC/EC Judgements' in their side menu, there are only 4 such judgements and orders. I think that it is absolutely necessary for the ECP to have all the judements and orders available online for the public which they handled till date. We haven't have a long history of elections  so luckily there is not an enormous body of work there.


What's lacking in the website is the message from the Election Commisioner of Pakistan - who is the official head. After hours of search I found out in 'Notifications' - a side menu feature - that Chief Justice Iftikar Chaudry nominated Mr. Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, a Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan as Acting Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Pakistan from 26th July to 04th August, 2011.  Question arises: who is the current CEC?? I will eventually find out but there is no word on ECP's website!

Moreover, in 'Press Release', I found this piece:

Oct 06, 2011   Mr. Ishtiak Ahmad Khan, Secretary, Election Commission of Pakistan said that in order to facilitate the political parties and general public during the door-to-door verification of Draft Electoral Rolls-2011 prepared in collaboration with NADRA, the Election Commission of Pakistan has established Complaint Cells (consisting one officer of the ECP and one from NADRA) at Islamabad Secretariat, all Provincial Head Quarters and all i-e 128 District offices.

I have written to the concerned office and am waiting for their reply...

The most intersting is the data related to the increase in the number of Registered Voters   from 2007 to 2011. As of now, the Registered Voters (RV) under NADRA are about 88 million - which means that slightly less than half of the population is eligible for voting and out of that half  - 70 perecnt are the rural residents and more than half of all the RVs are under the age of 23. These are very intersting numbers where literacy is shamefully low, where people do not have basic amenities of life such as drinking water, sanitation, gas, and electricity in urban Pakistan. In rural Pakistan: people are still within the shackles of modern day slavery. Income inequalities are huge between and among the people of Pakistan.

Anyhow, back to the website, last but not the least, I wonder why we can NOT come up with the URDU translation of 'Election Commission of Pakistan' yet I think Urdu is a very rich language and can handle it.

I would really suggest people to visit these websites more frequently and notify problems so that we have an easier and more transparent way of accessing government institutions and various organizations that are part of our life - no matter what!

My next post is going to be on the websites of the political parties of Pakistan and let us see what they offer to the people online?

Seoul FireWork Festival @ Hangang (Yeouido)

Date & Time: October 8, 2011 (Sat) 13:00-22:00

Location: Yeouido Hangang Park: Once at Yeouido Station, follow the crowd in hundreds of thousands.

Joining Team: Japan, Portugal, Korea

- Japanese Team: The harmony of light

Introducing the world latest trend into the traditional Japanese fireworks and providing the original pyromusical show which appeals to both your audio and visual sense.

- Portuguese Team: Jukebox

Display colorful fireworks combining various pop music (Michael Jackson, Abba, Queen, Bon Jovi).

- Korean Team: Great Power

Multi-media fireworks (lighting, laser images, etc.) display will be performed by combining musical fireworks.

Program

13:00-22:00 Cultural events- photo zone, solar game, etc.

17:00-19:00 SBS radio live show

19:30-19:50 Fireworks display starts Japanese 'The Harmony of Light'

20:00-20:20 Portuguese 'Jukebox'

20:30-21:00 Korean 'Great Power'

21:00-22:00 Clean Campaign

Hire a Surrogate Mother: That's IT!

Surrogate Mothers in a Makeshift Home in India (BBC photo)

We are living in intersting times - times of breaking news every second, that is.
A Pakistani Television reported last week that a doctor here in Pakistan was involved in kiddnapping a newborn baby in a government hospital with the help of a young woman...and she said: she was trying to help a mother who could not conceive. Voila! This is a story of Pakistan -  insane ad infinitum!

 In such a case, where we can not trust our doctors, lawyers, police, teachers, mullahs, government representatives - what is left for a common man. I wonder why, this affluent woman never thought of getting help from our neighboring country India. They could help her become a mom in a much more legal and descent way and the price tag is also very economical. Unfortunetley, in recent years , we in Pakistan have totally forgotten how to do things the right way....

Next time, if somebody want to have their own baby, want to become a mother or a parent - give this idea  (hire a surrogate) a thought instead of kidnapping others children!!!

This story below was published in The New York Times on Oct.4, 2011.
NEW DELHI — The plot of the Marathi-language film “Mala Aai Vhhaychy” (“I Want to Be a Mother”) asks a deceptively simple question: Does Yashoda, a woman turning to surrogate motherhood as an escape from poverty, have any claim on the child she is under contract to bear for Mary, an American fertility tourist? In the melodramatic world of Indian cinema, the answer is a heartwarming yes. In real life, it may not be that easy to script a happy ending.

Since 2002, when commercial surrogacy was legalized in India, the surrogacy industry has boomed, becoming a key part of the country’s lucrative medical tourism market. The cost of surrogacy for prospective parents is about $14,000 in India, compared with an estimated $70,000 in the United States. A 2008 study valued the assisted reproductive industry in India at $450 million a year.

Across India, fertility clinics attempt to replicate the success of Akanksha and other clinics in the small town of Anand in the western state of Gujarat, which was the country’s first surrogacy hub. But the boom masks growing concerns about the rights of the women, many of them from poor homes and sometimes illiterate, who choose to become surrogate mothers.

Up to now, India’s laws have not addressed directly the complexities of surrogacy, though an assisted reproductive technology bill is before Parliament and expected to be ratified by early next year. But a team of researchers from Sama, a nongovernmental women’s health organization, has raised concerns about the bill in a recent paper. “The many ethical issues that are emerging out of unrestrained spread of the technologies remain,” the researchers write.

The legislation attempts to regulate the clinics and doctors engaged in reproductive technologies and their relationship with prospective surrogate mothers.

While Sama welcomes this attempt to govern the industry, it fears the legislation favors the rights of the commissioning couple over those of the surrogate mother. The bill makes it clear that women engaged in commercial surrogacy will have no rights over the child they have contracted to bear. The proposed law does not spell out what a surrogate mother would be paid in the case of a miscarriage or other complications during pregnancy.

Its provisions would stipulate that only women between the ages of 21 and 35 can be surrogates. It sets the maximum number of times a woman can contract her womb for surrogacy at five live births, in contrast to three in an earlier draft. But Sama notes that it does not address the number of assisted reproductive cycles a woman can experience, an important issue for the women’s health.

When the first clinics opened their doors in Gujarat, Akanksha’s founder, Dr. Nayna H. Patel, said in a much-repeated quote that surrogacy was a win-win situation for all. Many Indian doctors agree, arguing that it is in the interest of clinics to take good care of the women involved in commercial surrogacy.
“Most clinics provide protection to the woman in many ways, looking after her health, nutrition, daily needs, and some will even offer to take care of her family,” Dr. Ruma Satwik, associate consultant at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, said in an interview.

But currently, the responsibility for taking care of the women is left to individual doctors and clinics.

“We have all kinds of legal documents to protect the commissioning couple,” Dr. Satwik said. “The surrogate mother stands to lose in the absence of concrete laws to protect her, and the provisions of the ART Bill are probably not enough.”

In 2008, Dr. Sadhna Arya, a gynecologist in Jaipur, was part of the team of doctors involved in the complex case of a baby who was born to an Indian surrogate mother after the contracting couple, from Japan, decided to divorce. At the time, Dr. Arya spoke out against the way in which surrogate mothers were treated in India: “You have treated the surrogate mother like an object, used her as a factory.”

Today, Dr. Arya says bluntly, “Surrogate mothers are from poor backgrounds and are hardly aware of their rights. The ART law is trying to find a balance between the legal and the unethical, but unethical practices still remain.”

The U.S. journalist Scott Carney investigated surrogacy clinics in Anand for his book, “The Red Market,” on the hidden trade in human bodies and body parts.

“Before India, only the American upper classes could afford a surrogate,” he wrote. “Now it’s almost within reach of the middle class. While surrogacy has always raised ethical questions, the increasing scale of the industry makes the issue far more urgent. With hundreds of new clinics poised to open, the economics of surrogate pregnancy are moving faster than our understanding of its implications.” Manju, 29, a domestic helper in Delhi who asked that her full name not be used, said she had thought about surrogacy ever since her sister-in-law gave birth to a surrogate baby two years ago.

“She went off to Gujarat, and the family kept it very quiet,” said Manju, alluding to the stigma that sometimes attaches to surrogate mothers in India. “But she made a lot of cash, much more than my income for a year.”
A month ago, Manju was approached by the representative of an unlicensed surrogacy clinic in the northern state of Haryana looking for surrogate mothers. She said she might take them up on their offer.
“It’s good money,” she said. “Risks? What risks? Any fool can have a baby, it takes a smart woman to get paid for it.”

Some interesting reads include:

Surrogacy: An Ethical Issue (PBS reports).

Childless couples look to India for Surrogate Mothers (The Christian Science Monitor).

A Child: Made in India ( India's Business of Surrogate Motherhood: The New York Times)

India's Surrogate Mother Industry (BBC)

Steve Jobs: Rest in Peace

What you can Learn from Steve Jobs..

Steve jobs is no more - but he changed the whole outlook to our lives. The way we live, we communicate, we connect and we do business. His death is the end of an era.

In Stanford Commencement Address (2005), he spoke about death and said:

“........When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like:If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” ..........Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

...No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary...".

Whether we own Apple or not, it made a difference in our lives and somehow Steve Jobs touched the lives of billions in many ways than one.

When I was leaving Norkkoping for Stockholm, a fellow traveller took out his iPhone and gave me tips on how to do budget travelling in Stockholm, the most expensive of all cities in Sweden. He also gave me a breif overview of my Day 1 excurtions and I said to him, "wow, this gadget is just so cool" and he smiled and said, yeah, "it has made life very easy."

When I got lost in Stockholm, near the City Center, a couple took out their respective iPhones and typed in the address that I had and there I was: problem solved. Countless times,I thanked God and I thanked the inventors of iPhone.

He was a great revoluntioary of our times.

Thank You, Steve Jobs: YOU were an amazing human being who brought comfort for the people at large!!!

The original speech at Stanford can seen here.

NYT article on Steve here.

Steve Wozniak's reaction.

Steve Job's biological father,  a Syrian immigrant, Abdulfateh Jandalli and his biological mother and sister. Another intersting read.

Teacher's Day (Pakistan)

Today, October 5th, is the celebrated as the World Teacher's Day which first started as a UNESCO initiative.

Teachers have played a key role in the lives of their students. It was once the most prestigious job a person could get however, things have changed over the years.

Particularly in Pakistani context, where we are seeing protests and bycotts by teachers these days what surprised me the most was the news aired on television where a a girl was molested at a medical college and fingers are ponited at some faculty members; another girl was raped at an educational facility; whereas, in Islamabad's prestigious F.G College for Women, F-7/2, a teacher physically hit and slapped repeatedly a college student (Intermediate level). These attitudes are unacceptable and must be punished before things get out of ours hands.

Fellow students at the F.G College (F-7/2) protested against the teacher(and I salute them all) but as I saw in the report, the principal of the college told reporters that nothing serious happened, girls are just getting emotional on a trivial issue. I saw in the report that the said abused student's hands were swelled and had turned blue.

If this is how teachers behave and take advantage of their postion then there is very little hope that remains for us here in Pakistan. Moreover, administrative bodies at schools, colleges and universties must not protect their staff because that will further encourage malpractices. I am so angry, disappointed and sad however, I still have hope that things will change for good.

In my opinion, we have to share the burden and responsibilty of all the evils that plague Pakistan of today.

I strongly request the Teacher's Associations, Parent's Associations (if there is any) and Human Rights Organizations to take action against such teachers seriously. These teachers are a curse for any society and their unnecessary defense can bring worst of scenarios. These teachers are like cancers and cancer must be treated at its early stages before it is too late.

Off the Beaten Path: Visit Jinju

Photo Credits@Yonhap


If you are living in Seoul or Gyeonggi then it is a sincere request to enjoy your early fall and particuarly this coming weekend in Jinju City or any time between October 1 - October 12. City of Jinju is organizing many festivals there. Jinju is also famous for its silk products. Korea's best and finest silk comes from Jinju and on top, it is indeed an intersting place. I travelled to Jinju in 2005 and had my silk shopping there. I bought scarfs for friends and family and they were much loved.

This weekend Jinju will also hold Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival and its opening ceremonies will be the icing on the cake. My favourite is the lighting of the lantern for the dead's spirit. Jinju Lantern Festival has its roots in turbulent times when the Japanese invaded Korea in 1592 - in history you might have heard of the Imjin War then this is the venue.

For more info visit the following websites:

http://www.jinju.go.kr
http://www.yudeung.com/10E_index.php

57th Baekje Cultural Festival

This photo was taken by the author in Daegu in 2003(not Buyeo) but you will wintess heaven on earth..



57th Baekje Cultural Festival is taking place in Chungcheong do at Buyeo from Oct.1 ~ Oct.9th.

Buyeo is one of three most recommended Korean cultural heritage sites, rich with Baekje Dynasty’s history. Baekje Cultural Festival began in October of 1995 to commemorate Baekje’s loyal servants Seong Chung, Heong Su, and General Gye Baek by holding a land and water festival.

Buyeo is also famous for its lotus flower festival - it has the most goregeous, stunning and breathtaking places to witness lotus bloom...summers are the time....probably up until mid August. If you are in Korea , don't forget to list Buyeo in your 'must see places' .

Transportation

Take Subway Line No.3 to Nambu Terminal Station → Take the bus bound for Buyeo at Nambu Express Bus Terminal (7:10 am~7:20 pm)
Travel Time: about 2 hours
Bus Fare: 12,200 won - 15,000 won and then take a taxi from Buyeo Bus Terminal to the festival

For more information visit the website below and experience Bakeje in Buyeo.

http://www.baekje.org

- Date: October 1 (Sat) ~ 9 (Sun), 2011
- Location: Buyeo County, Gongju, South Chungcheong Province

Internships In Seoul For Undergrad and Grad Students

If you are from China, Singapore, France or India then you are eligible to take up an internship (marketing) at Amore Pacific a leading Cosmetic Company from Korea.

Qualification requires Marketing major with language proficiency in Korean, English and the national languages of the above mentioned countries.

You can apply online and the deadline is October 12th. 2011, (by 1600 hours).

Submit your Resume((No specific application form offered) via E-mail to

(myungha@amorepacific.com).

For further details visit their website http://www.amorepacific.com

Students Sports Festival in Namyangju (Nov.5th)

Korea's International Students' Support Association (KISSA)is holding a sports festival on November 5th. in Namyangju, Gyeonggi-do. Earlier they also organized a football match in which about 550 students from 60 countries took part.

To make this event a success, join KISSA by participating in their activities and network with students from universities all over Korea.

For details visit KISSA's website and also read here on KH.

Unsung Heroes: Death of a Food Delivery Man (1)

Kim Wu-su (The Delivery man).

World's best Food Delivery Service is in South Korea and the credit goes to all these men who are associated with this very difficult yet nobel job. They feed the hungry. No matter where you are - they provide you with piping hot mealS. I have posted about them here.

Today, I salute them all. No wonder they have made every effort to comfort us and I am pretty sure that we are so accustomed to them and their services that we don't even care anymore. In extreme weathers of Korea, meagre salaries and probably hungry themseleves - they bring us food. I once asked a delivery boy to join us because he hadn't had his dinner which he politely declined. Korea is a country where "to give a tip" is strictly forbidden and is considered the same as bribing. This can be explained with just one word in Korean language called "Jeong" (..which can roughly be translated as: a heart to heart relationship+kindness+compassion).

No matter where I went in the world, I've always missed Korean Meal Delivery Service.....

Why this post???

....I read in Joongang Ilbo (newspaper) earlier today that a delivery man was hit by a car in Gangnam and lost his battle of life. On further investigation it was found that he left nobody behind him - to cry for him or even to bury him. What stands out about him was the fact that he was abdondoned at age 7 by his single mother and spent his early childhood in an orphanage. After getting a job as a delivery man - though he lived at the edge of poverty but he donated 30USD to 100 USD each month regularly since 2006 from his very small paycheck for underprevileged children. He had signed up for donation of his organs. He took a life insurence and its beneficiary for a charity that was working for the children. His life which was already full of struggle is a lesson for all of us. I have pasted Joongang Ilbo's original story with their link below though I haven't got any permission from the newspaper (but I'm pretty sure that they won't mind).

In February this year another 24 year old died while delivering pizza due to the "30 minute Guranteed Delivery" - a policy of Domino's Pizza - which in the US which was introduced in 1973 but was later scrapped due to high accidents' rate. However, in South Korea - 30 minutes delivery policy is still in place and is a leading cause of death among the delivery men. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MoEL), in 2010, more than 7000 motorbike accidents have been reported among the delivermen and many of them have been deadly. One important thing to note here is that, we can track big corporations or businesses(such as Domino or MacDonalds) but many smaller restaurants and franchises businesses carry on their mal-practices with much ease and get away with everything. There must be an umbrella organization which should check all bussinesses - big and small - and implement the rule of law. In case, there is no such legislation, unions must come forward and voice concern for this rather small yet vulnerable group of workers. It is a matter of life and death and needs urgent attention.

For public in general, my simple request is: when you make an order, make sure to mention that, please do NOT hurry while delivering the food...I'm pretty sure that this would save lives of many. Moreover, try to avoid filing a compaint with the restaurants or food chains on 10 or 15 minutes late delivery - maybe you will get a 2000 won (2USD)discount coupon but it will risk a life. Moreover, this will help ease the usual cuts in the paychecks of these delivery men which is deducted automatically on a complaint, in case of late delivery.



"Joongang Ilbo's article: Public mourns a life of redemption, selflessness"

Members of the public, including political dignitaries and celebrities, mourned yesterday the death of a deliveryman whose life story of hardship, tragedy and redemption was made all the more inspiring by his habit of donating a part of his meager monthly paycheck to a children’s charity.

About 350 people paid their respects at Kim Wu-su’s mourning alter at Seoul BokJi Hospital in Daerim-dong, western Seoul, including Grand National Party Chairman Hong Joon-pyo and the first lady, Kim Yoon-ok.

The 54-year-old deliveryman, who worked at a Chinese restaurant in Gangnam District, was hit by a car on Sunday at around 8 p.m. He was on his way back to the restaurant on his motorbike after making deliveries and took a U-turn before crashing into an oncoming sedan. Kim was rushed to the hospital but died alone two days later.

Although Kim lived in a tiny room in a gosiwon, or a budget dormitory, and earned just 700,000 won ($595) a month, he donated 50,000 won to 100,000 won every month to ChildFund Korea, an organization that helps underprivileged children worldwide.

Among those paying their respects yesterday was Choi Yeung-han, a television actor and sponsor for ChildFund, who volunteered to be the chief mourner at Kim’s funeral.

“Kim’s virtue will linger in many people’s hearts,” Choi said. “I will put my effort into continuing his will.”

ChildFund said that Kim had taken out a life insurance policy with the organization as the beneficiary, though he stopped making payments in 2009 because he couldn’t afford to do so.

“He lived a lonely, poor life, but he never stopped giving,” Lee Seo-young, an official for ChildFund, said yesterday in a telephone interview. “Because he was a role model donor, we once had him appear on a KBS television program as a guest.”

Kim’s generosity was made even more poignant by the challenges he faced in his own life - one wrought by tragedy and redemption.

Kim was raised by a single mother in Busan until she took him to an orphanage when he was 7, according to ChildFund. Kim escaped from the orphanage when he was 12 and was unable to finish elementary school. He did anything to survive, whether it was begging or doing manual labor.

In 2005, Kim was sentenced to prison for a year and six months for attempted arson, after a quarrel at a bar with the owner. Upset by the fight, Kim tried to set the bar on fire. Six months before his release, he came across a magazine called “Apple Tree” issued by ChildFund, which published stories of children who suffered from domestic violence.

“After he read the magazine, he decided to help underprivileged children,” Lee said. “He was released in 2006 and contacted us directly to start donating. We also heard he had signed up to become an organ donor with another organization.”

To honor Kim’s memory, ChildFund planned to pay for his funeral expenses. But after media outlets reported his death, a local funeral company contacted ChildFund and covered a part of the ceremony.

“After his death was reported, more than 600 people registered with our monthly donation program on just Tuesday and Wednesday,” Lee said. “At least 150 people have also transferred money to our account in donations for children since the media reports.”

“When he was alive, he suffered from a lung illness, but he told us that he wanted to live long so that he could help more children,” Lee said. “By helping and giving to children, he said he felt connected to the world in his lonely life.”


By Kim Hee-jin [heejin@joongang.co.kr]


한글 관련 기사 [중앙일보]

‘철가방 천사’ 김우수씨 영결식 … 후원 받은 16살 민지가 ‘하늘로 보낸 편지’

“진정한 나눔의 삶 보여준 분”
장례식장 시민들 눈물바다
3일간 어린이 후원 800건 늘어

“짜장면 두 그릇, 만두 하나 철가방에 싣고 이 시대 서민들의 배고픔을 달래주려고 눈이 오나 비가 오나 오토바이로 달리던 당신…. 창문도 화장실도 없는 쪽방 같은 고시원에 누워 당신이 후원하는 아이들 사진을 보며 잠들었다는 그런 당신을 떠나보내며 지금 숨쉬고 있는 우리의 모습을 돌아봅니다.”

　29일 오후 1시 서울 영등포구 대림동 서울복지병원 장례식장 5호실. 발 디딜 틈 없이 빈소를 가득 채운 사람들이 추도사를 들으며 흐느꼈다.

　영정사진 속 고(故) 김우수(54)씨는 하얀 헬멧을 쓰고 웃고 있었다. 영정 앞에는 그가 그동안 후원해 온 아이들이 보내온 편지 세 통이 놓였다. 꿈이 경찰이라는 현수(16·가명)는 편지에서 ‘학원에 다니고 싶지만 아버지도 편찮으시고 엄마한테도 미안해 혼자 고민이에요’라고 적었다. 에티오피아 소년 후세인 모사(16)는 감사의 편지와 함께 성적표를 보냈다. 영어 75.5점, 생물 84점….

김씨는 서울 강남 변두리의 한 중국집에서 월 70만원을 받고 배달 일을 해왔다. 어려운 형편 속에서도 어린이재단(회장 이제훈)을 통해 2006년부터 5명의 어린이를 월 2만~3만원씩 후원해 왔다. 재단 앞으로 보험금 4000만원의 종신보험도 들었다. 그런 그가 지난 23일 배달에 나섰다가 교통사고를 당했고 이틀 만에 숨을 거뒀다. 지난해 형편이 크게 어려워진 후에도 할머니와 함께 사는 민지(16·여·가명)에 대한 후원만큼은 끊지 않았던 그였다. 일곱 살 때 버려진 뒤 열두 살 때 고아원을 뛰쳐나와 초등학교도 마치지 못했던 그에겐 기부는 ‘신앙’과 다름없었다. 창문도 없는 고시원 쪽방에서 생활하던 김씨는 후원 아동들이 보내오는 사진과 편지를 삶의 유일한 낙으로 삼았다고 한다.

　김씨의 애틋한 사연이 알려지면서 생전 김씨를 만난 적이 없는 시민들까지 빈소를 찾아 눈물을 떨궜다. 사람들은 그에게 ‘철가방 천사’ ‘짜장면 키다리 아저씨’ 등의 이름을 붙여줬다. 이명박 대통령도 28일 페이스북에 글을 올려 “진정한 나눔의 삶을 실천으로 보여주셨다”고 애도했다.

　아무도 없는 병실에서 홀로 눈을 감았지만, 마지막 떠나는 길만은 외롭지 않았다. 재단 관계자들, 김씨가 일했던 중국집 사장 부부와 동료들, 어린이재단 후원회장인 탤런트 최불암씨 등이 고인의 마지막 가는 길을 함께했다. 재단 이사인 최이우 목사를 따라 사람들이 찬송가를 부르기 시작했다. “저 높은 곳을 향하여 날마다 나아갑니다”라는 구절에서 장례식장은 눈물바다로 변했다. 고인은 경기도 고양시 벽제승화원에서 화장된 뒤 오후 5시 예원추모관에 안치됐다. 키 1m58cm에 몸무게 55kg. 작은 체구의 김씨는 ‘나눔 앞에선 가난도 장애가 되지 않는다’는 위대한 유산을 사람들의 가슴에 남기고 떠난 ‘큰 사람’이었다. 어린이재단은 그의 사망 소식이 전해진 뒤 3일간 “김씨의 뜻을 이어받아 후원하겠다”는 신규 후원 신청이 800여 건 들어왔다고 밝혔다. 가장 최근까지 그의 후원을 받았던 민지는 떠나는 김씨에게 편지 한 통을 썼다.

　“이젠 저도 정말 아저씨를 본받아서 남을 열심히 도우면서 살게요…. 하늘나라에서는 정말 행복하고 재미있게 사셨으면 좋겠어요. 제가 매일 여기에서 기도할게요. 김우수 아저씨! 다음에 또 만나면 정말 감사하다고 말해드리고 싶어요. 사랑해요.”


Original article by Joongand Daily.

Flea Market at World Cup Stadium (16. Oct.)

Seorae Global Village located at Petit France (Seoul's French Community's neighborhood)in Banpo Dong is organizing a flea market. Banpo is one of the ethnic neighborhoods that is much loved by the Koreans. Banpo has a slightly different aura to it compared to the rest of the ethic enclaves elsewhere in Seoul or Gyeonggi-do.

Anyhow, Seorae Global Village and Banpo Community is holding a flea market on October 16th at World Cup Stadium. Its' sponsers are Seoul Metropolitan Government and Joongang Daily.

Don't miss it. Your presence will, in many ways, help many charities working for the underprevilidged.

NEW RECYCLING POINTS IN SEOUL

There were times when it was really hard to find a place to donate used clothes, books and other household things as this was not a very popular idea in Korea. Especially for expat community, it was a little harder to give things away to any specific organization when leaving Korea or moving to a new place, city or simply decluttering their houses because most of the informations was available only in Korean language and the locations were very far.

Then we saw, one of the pioneer orhanizations like BEAUTIFUL STORES who did an excellent job to collect the used things from people and then sell it in their store and donate the money for charitable causes. They were only a phone call away and used to come at your given address. They preferably wanted the things to be clean prior to donation and put in a carton.

A very recent addition to this noble cause is the Seoul Global Center and its partner offices. Now Itaewon Global village, Seorae global village , Yukseom Global village - all have a donation point where you can leave your clothes etc. These things are then sold at the flea markets.

Very recently, Seorae Global Village center announced that they will collect clothes and various used items until 2011 October 13 (Thursday) and the donations will be sold at the Flea Market organized on 16 October 2011 by the Korean Charity Association `AREUMDAUM`.

Venue of the Flea Market: Seoul World Cup Stadium, from noon to 04:00 p.m.
Sponsors: Seoul Metropolitan Gouvernment, Joonghang Newspaper.

By the way, if you know Korean or can get help from somebody then bookmark the following website.
http://www.t-recycle.co.kr/