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service MOOD
STREET Town
Talk Write
choice Pure gold cause
service Roads on radio The traffic police has launched a radio channel, RASTA FM 88.8, to guide commuters
By Fakhar-ul-Islam "Pakistan ki tareekh ka pehla traffic radio channel" "Aap ka safar kaisa rahey ga sitaray nahin, hum bataen gay RASTA FM 88.8 par janiey…
They are dressed in blue uniform of the city traffic police but unlike the traffic wardens, neither do they control the traffic on the busy roads of the city nor do they hand you the fine tickets; instead they are busy putting voice of city traffic police on air for the city commuters. Housed in Qurban Lines, in a newly-constructed
purpose-built building of Road and Street Traffic Awareness, RASTA FM 88.8
lists as many as 25 traffic wardens as their crew members, including 5
lady traffic wardens. These wardens perform as radio jockeys (RJs),
console operators and technicians that have been trained to broadcast the
road situation minute-by-minute. A selection board was constituted, comprising the DIG traffic police, to hunt talent from among the young graduate traffic wardens who are best suited for broadcasting. Voice quality and language was the basic criteria. Selected in two phases, the staff members of RASTA are highly motivated and enthusiastic regarding their new job in FM 88.8. The team captain Ali Iftikhar Jafri, a senior traffic warden, is a veteran media personnel with adequate experience in television production and broadcast media. "We are striving hard to facilitate the commuters of Lahore," said Jafri. "This radio channel is meant to create an awareness in the public regarding traffic issues, hence its name RASTA. The channel informs people about the traffic situation on city roads. We guide the people on how to reach their destination, we keep the commuters posted on any traffic jam in the city and suggest alternate routes, timings of flights and weather forecast, besides broadcasting different programmes about traffic awareness," the DIG informs. Husnain Rashid, the host of Ghazal Rang and Akhara,
told TNS that after their selection for FM radio they had to take a
rigorous training about the technicalities of broadcasting. From concept
developing through final presentation of programmes, the FM 88.8 team
learned every step of the whole process. They got training for creative
production, audio software handling, promo development and technical
understanding of the whole broadcasting process. "I have spent two years in the field as a traffic warden, that's why I know the psychology of commuters. I know how to communicate with them," says Babar Dogar, another presenter of FM 88.8. "I see it as a golden chance to inculcate civic sense and moral values in our valued listeners. We are giving road guidance along with quality music and entertainment," he adds. It's the first community radio of its kind in Pakistan initiated by the City Traffic Police. Simply, dial Traffic helpline 1915 or send sms to get directions to your destination. RASTA Project is the first initiative of its nature in public-private partnership where government sector, corporate and donors have joined hands on non-commercial basis in the direct interest of citizens and road users. This project was conceptualised by the then Deputy
Inspector General of Traffic Police, Ghalib Ali Bandesha, Secretery
Information Technology, Zulqarnain Amir and President United Team Network
Technologies (UTNT) Tariq Aslam Khan. UTNT provided the funds, technical
equipment and training to the crew whereas the other two were responsible
for all the arrangements regarding departmental issues and selection of
the team. "I am a regular listener of this channel, especially while I drive to and from my office everyday," says Khalid Rashid, Lecturer Punjab University. "I must congratulate the City Traffic Police Lahore on launching such a useful radio channel for traffic awareness, he adds. FM 88.8 is a splendid blend of entertainment, useful information on traffic and above all a very engaging discussion held by anchors, he appreciates. "In this age of government inefficiency such a quality radio channel by public sector is indeed very surprising. Keep up the good work and hats off to all the presenters of the FM 88.8," he says. RASTA FM 88.8 is also playing its role in bridging the gap between high ups of city traffic police and the common commuter. Capt. (retd) Muhammad Usman Khatak deputy inspector general (DIG), City Traffic Police, Lahore, holds a "Tele Kchehri" every Wednesday from 2 pm to 3 pm. People send their problems, suggestions and queries via SMS and the DIG responds to their communication. RASTA FM is planning live road shows, live traffic situation from their 3000 traffic wardens appointed on different city roads, live calls reception and more and more involvement of celebrities and opinion makers for creating awareness among the commuters of Lahore. "It is just a start. Our aims are high. We are committed to excellence." These are the common words uttered by almost every person part of the RASTA team.
On the pursuit of perfection
By Madiha Mujahid The dream was always running ahead of me. To catch up,to live for a moment in unison with it, that was the miracle. -- Anais Nin
The search for perfection is the most elusive thing in the
world. The harder you try to grasp it, the further it seems. But have you
ever wondered why do we pursue this lofty ideal? This is because in the minds
of most of the people, the attainment of personal perfection is the key to
sublime happiness. The theory behind it may be flawed but it is a tantalizing prospect nonetheless. It encourages and torments you at the same time, with the alluring prospect of attaining the pinnacle of your perceived expectations. It is both a grueling test and an affirmation of one's resolve and perseverance. The process is a double-edged sword; in the course of bettering yourself to match your superior standards, it is all too easy to become embroiled in a steadily worsening quagmire of self-doubt and paranoia. The things that you previously took for granted suddenly start seeming less sure and unsatisfactory. Simple joys and everyday pleasures get lost in the increasingly desperate quest to somehow get better and better. Somewhere along the way, you become so focused on the quasi real bigger picture that you have dreamt of that the small but equally vital things get sucked up in the fallout of running after your larger than life dreams. But dreams are hard to pin down. They're vague and misleading. They can cause a person to blur the distinctions between the important and the superfluous. Somehow in the mad chase to fulfill the all-consuming obsession to be increasingly better, the simple pleasures of life get trampled into the dust – a spectacular sunset, a heart touching book, time spent with loved ones – all start seeming meaningless and pointless. After all, what part do they play in the grand scheme that you are so relentlessly pursuing? And what kind of perfection am I talking about – the type that demands that you become the best – in every way. The obvious reason behind this frantic search is one simple thing alone – fear; the fear of not being good enough for the people and the things that one loves, the fear of not measuring up to the expectations associated with us, the fear of being left behind and forgotten. What we tend to forget is that perfection is a trait that belongs only to God. The rest of us lowly mortals are only put on earth to muddle through our lives the best possible way that we know; to savor the simple joys of our lives, to revel in the unexpected pleasant surprises and joys, to learn from the disappointments, to try our best, knowing that this is all that anybody can ever do. This is life--a constantly changing tapestry of events that we largely have no control over. We can try to mould it according to our supercilious expectations, but at the end of the day we would only be setting ourselves up for a disillusioning fall. Life is for living and not for wasting in the hopeless quest for ambiguous ideals. The pursuit of self-improvement is not a bad thing; it is losing our hope and faith that paves the way to disenchantment with one's lot in life. When all is said and done, we can only attempt our hardest to achieve the most that we can, after all, that's the best anybody can do.
Town Talk Fahd Burki's new works on display at Grey Noise from Aug 9 to Sep 20. The gallery remains open from 5pm to 7pm daily.
Ghazal Night at Peerus Cafe every Friday at 9pm.
Jazz Night at Peerus Cafe every Saturday at 9pm featuring live performance by Jazz Moods.
Puppet Show at Alhamra, The Mall every Sunday at 11pm.
Exhibition of Ehsan ul Haq's works at Rohtas Gallery till Aug 30, Sunday.
Exhibition of paintings by prominent artists at Coopera Art Gallery, 70 The Mall, Lahore till Aug 30, Sunday.
Discourses in Literature: Topic is Achievement of the Greeks. Razi Abedi will speak on the occasion at Model Town Library. Time: 5:25pm followed by iftar.
Free career counseling sessions for Matriculates, Intermediates, O & A Levels, BCom, Graduates and students till 21 years of age, at 1-Tariq Block, New Garden Town every day from 8am to 3 pm.
Upgraded libraries and latest technology are the only solutions for preservation of valuable manuscripts
By Adnan Lodhi The art of writing manuscripts has outlived technology
but is dying a slow death. It has become a challenge to preserve old
manuscripts. Public libraries in the city including Punjab Public library,
Lahore Museum Library, Dayal Singh Trust Library, Central library of
Punjab University and Government College University library have got
valuable manuscripts and fortunately there are people who still take
interest in preserving them. Although administrators of different libraries are doing their best to preserve manuscripts from seasonal effects, it is not being done scientifically. According to library experts monsoon season is very dangerous as moisture in the rainy season damages the manuscripts by creating fungus on the surface of paper. Fungus, thus, damages the quality of manuscripts and ink on the paper. Most manuscripts that are available in city libraries are in very poor condition. The structure of the libraries is not ideal to save manuscripts from heat, air and moisture. These manuscripts should be preserved so that they can be used in an effective way. In ancient times, leather was used for the preservation of books. Other than this, leaves of different trees were also put among the manuscripts for the purpose. Now, fumigation is being used. Through this process small insects are killed by smoke of thymol and chlorodidenzine but the dilemma we face is that fumigation chambers are not available in most libraries. Due to improper preservation manuscripts remain decoration pieces and are not handed over to students. The central library of the Punjab University contains around 24,000 manuscripts while only 3000 manuscripts are in digital format. The important manuscripts of Masnavi Maulana Rum, Shahnama Ferdosi and many precious books in Persian, Arabic and Sanskrit are present in the PU Library and administration is working tirelessly to preserve this asset. A manuscript preservation expert at Lahore Museum said no library in the city has ideal facilities for preservation, especially in Monsoon season. He said the air conditioners are not enough to reduce moisture in the air and suggested the government construct special museums for manuscripts. The Punjab Public Library contains a precious collection of around 650 manuscripts of the Quran. Other than these, photocopies of manuscripts of Mashaf-i-Usmani are also present in the collection. The Librarian of Punjab Public Library, Syed Tauqeer
Hussain Shah said that Monsoon season is a challenge for them as the
building of the library is not suitable enough to preserve these
manuscripts. He said that western technology and upgrading the libraries
is the need of the hour. The Librarian at King Edward Medical University, Sidra tul Muntaha said the administration has to use different medicines and chemicals for the preservation of library material. It is not a simple work. She further said that writing with pen (qalam) should be introduced again at school level so that we can revive the culture of manuscripts. GCU's Chief Librarian Abdul Waheed said that around 353 manuscripts are present in the GCU library including the Masnavi Maulana Room and the manuscripts of Hadith. He said that in western countries there are separate libraries for manuscripts where general public is not allowed. He said, "We should introduce the subject of preservation sciences for the students of library sciences." He said that in western countries libraries exchange their manuscripts with other libraries and in this way generate funds. This practice should be introduced in Pakistan too.
From snugly, leather sofa chairs to luxuriant walls interior, Cine Gold offers a rare cinematic experience By Uliya Suleman The trend of cinema-going seems to be catching on, all over again. The opening of new, upmarket theatre halls in the city has served to re-ignite the Lahorites' passion for the big screen. Following close on the heels of Township's Cine Star, Bahria Town came up with Cine Gold, a first-of-its-kind cinema house considering its unique interior and decor. For starters, though, this is a relatively small
theatre hall, with only about 90 seats. But once you are inside, you are
sure to fall in love with the place. Being a regular cine-goer -- not to
mention, a great movie buff -- and one who has been to almost all the
better-known cinema houses in Lahore, I can easily say that this one was
pure gold. "It has very comfortable sofa seats, arranged through the entire hall," comments Zainab Rafi, a visitor at Cine Gold. "You feel as if you are in a luxuriant lounge space with a huge home theatre system." Adding to the cluster of new, posh cinemas that are attracting family audiences, Cine Gold is fast becoming popular. It also works for Bahria Town as an effective advertising tool. Faisal Khan, the operational manager of the Town, has already announced opening of "this kind of high-class cinema in Karachi as well". Just as with DHA, you can book your tickets online
also. The ticket rate -- Rs 300 -- is also comparable. There are 5 shows
every day; though, on weekends, there is always an extra viewing or two,
depending on the crowd turnout and, also sometimes, request. Yes, those
watching the last, 2am show might be surprised with another, 5am show,
immediately afterwards. There is a coffee and popcorn counter in the
lobby. According to Faisal Khan, Operational Manager, Cine Gold, "We
ensure quality of food and hygiene conditions in the cafeteria as well as
in the toilets." "I don't usually go to cinema to watch movies; my friend dragged me here. But I must say I enjoyed being here so much that I am planning to come back again," says Hassan Salman, a visitor. Perhaps, the only complaint (if at all!) the people visiting the cinema house have is the long distance they have to travel from the mainstream Lahore. "But, it's worth driving all the way up here," remarks Aliya Ali, another visitor. "I feel there should be more of such cinemas, so that those people who had started avoiding going to cinemas would have a choice." Faisal Khan has already announced opening of "this kind of high-class cinema in Karachi as well".
The power of words A book collection drive for school libraries gets amazing response By Ali Sultan On normal days, Cafe Senso,above Ammar Belal Flagship
Store and opposite Coffee, Tea and Company, is a low-key diner, where the
lighting is dim and the music soothing and where customers, usually
upcoming and young, eat pasta and pizza and wash that down with a coffee,
smoothie, or the conventional soft drink, each available in wide variety. But, on August 9, instead of the usual clutter of spoons and forks and the humming of soft music, Café Senso was filled with the sounds of small coughs, occasional crying and kids of all shapes and sizes and as Mira Hashmi, teacher and occasional actor, read from children's book The Enormous Turnip by Alexei Tolstoy, they were transfixed and led away to the land of storytelling. The book reading (another was held on August 16) was part of Café Senso's First Annual Book Drive, (from August 1 to August 31) which collected books of all variety suitable for children which then will be given to Care Foundation to stock their school libraries for the upcoming school year and will benefit 120,000 students. "Extra knowledge that libraries provide is an essential part of a good education. In absence of any public libraries in Lahore, children who cannot afford to buy even an exercise book are sadly deprived of the joy of reading and hence forth denied access to knowledge," says Mrs. Seema Aziz, founder of Care Foundation Pakistan. The initial idea for the book drive was of Shaun Rauf's, who co-runs' Café Senso. "It's been seven years since I came back to Pakistan and like everyone else who comes back. I wanted to do something for the country but then business takes up a lot of your time. Then one day I was talking to Seema Aziz, who is the mother of a good friend of mine, and I asked her what could be done and we came up with the idea for the book drive." To date, 800 books have been donated. "The response has been very good considering that we didn't do any major advertising," says Rauf. When asked about the variety of the books, Rauf adds," A lot of people donated story books and some even donated text books which is great because text books are usually very expensive." Rukhsana Noor, a school teacher, avid reader and mother of one, thought that the book drive was a fantastic idea. "What I find very sad is that people here generally think that stories are just a waste of time. Actually, storytelling is perhaps the most important aspect of our lives because it connects us to other humans and tells us how humans exist." Mira Hashmi agrees, "In my ten years of teaching, the saddest thing I hear from young people is that they don't read, text books have their place but it's a shame that people think that reading stories is not constructive, they actually open up the imagination. The fact is that there is very little that happens for kids in Lahore and I am all for events that involve books and literature. What I suggest is that events like these should not be just for a month, they should just continue and more people should support it." Usman Qamar, business executive and father of four, says, "In this time and age where kids are hooked on television, computers and playstations, its good to know that I can still take my kids to a book reading." Ayesha Raja, owner of The Last Word helped organised the book readings and passionately believes in the power of books, "I cannot emphasise enough the important part books play in a child's development. For the period of time that children either cannot read, or have problems reading fluently, parents and teachers should do their utmost to introduce that child to the carefree joys of reading. When it comes to storytelling and/or looking at picture books, a child is free from the compulsion to "learn" something he/she is constantly being bombarded with. Once a child takes to reading as a 'pleasure' there is no limit to his learning. However, in order to grow, to appreciate reading, a child has to be read to with relish so as to ignite his/her imagination, and intellectual curiosity. The more you introduce new language and concepts through reading to a child, the sooner the child is able to grasp them. But before any of this can happen it is up to parents first and foremost to lead by example. Read for yourself and then for your children, a child is unlikely to read if he's never seen you pick up a book."
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