The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

Shanaakht Festival returns to Karachi!

2009-10-21T12:36:00.009+06:00

SHANAAKHT FESTIVAL 2009

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

Imperial Gardens (Do Talwar, Clifton)

November 9, 10 &11, 2009

Open to Schools between 9 A.M. – 1 P.M.

Free and Open to the Public between 3 P.M. – 9 P.M.

PERMANENT EXHIBITIONS:

PARVAZ

Photography Exhibition

A collection of photographs of life in the Pakistan Air Force during the 1940s and 1950s

Curated by Zairah Maher

SUNEHRAY SAPNAY: PAKISTANI CINEMA IN THE 1960S

Photography and Film Exhibition

CAP explores the golden age of Pakistani film

Curated by Sanam Maher

NEW NATION. NEW FREEDOM. NEW RESPONSIBILITIES

Photography Exhibition

Images of women from the early decades of Pakistan - revolutionaries who played an instrumental role in the building of the new nation

Curated by Shahana Rajani

FORGOTTEN PARADISE: KASHMIR

Photography Exhibition

A collection of photographs of pre-Partition Kashmir

Curated by Zairah Maher

HASHIM RAZA: LIFE OF AN EXTRAORDINARY PAKISTANI

Photography Exhibition

A tribute to one of the first civil servants of Pakistan

Curated by Amean J

KARACHIITES: PORTRAITS BY AMEAN J

Photography Exhibition

CAP honors the contributions of extraordinary citizens of Karachi

Curated by Amean J

SHEHR-E-KARACHI, MAIMAARAN-E-PAKISTAN KI ANKHON SE

Photography Exhibition

A paean to the visual history of Karachi. Take a look at the

cityscape through an architect’s eyes.

Curated by Arsalan Bilgrami

ORAL HISTORY PROJECT: EXPLORING PAKISTAN’S EARLY HISTORY

An Exhibition of Short Films from CAP’s Oral History Archive

By Sanam Maher

CHAI, CRICKET AUR HUM

Film Exhibition

The inextricable link between our culture, cricket and tea as

seen through a series of advertisements

By Amber Rauf from Lowe and Rauf

CAP’S IMAGINATION STATIONS FOR CHILDREN

Historical Videos, Photography and Film Exhibition, Interactive Art Activities, 3-D Photographs

Curated by Sanam Maher, Shahana Rajani, Naveed Ahmed and Khayal Khana

MAUJ COLLECTIVE

Interactive Art Activities, Web-Streaming, Live Screens, Digital Games, Short Films

By Mauj Collective Projects

KHAYAL KHANA COLLECTIVE

Interactive Art Activities for children and adults that reflect around issues of identity

By Khayal Khana Collective

EVENING EVENTS

Monday, 9 November 2009

9:00 A.M. – 9:00 P.M. | Chalti Ka Naam Gaari: An Exhibition of Vintage Cars

Curated by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan and The Vintage and Classic Car Club of Pakistan

6:00 P.M. – 7:30 P.M. | Meri Kahani, Meri Zabani

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan and Durriya Kazi

Story-telling: Pakistan’s Partition-Generation tell their stories of how they laid the foundation for the new nation of Pakistan during the 1940s and 1950s. This evening Ms. Anita Ghulam Ali will discuss her career in education, recollections of Karachi and some memorable personalities she has encountered.

Guests: Anita Ghulam Ali

8:00 P.M. | Rang Badal Lo Bhai

Brought to you by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan and Tehrik-e-Niswan

Theater: A satirical play with live music about corruption, hypocrisy and religious obscurantism. Tehrik-e-Niswan explore the present state of Pakistan.

(Please note: This performance has limited seating. Please pick up free passes from the venue on Monday, 9 November, 2009)

9:30 P.M. | Chandni Raatein: Film Screening of Sassi (1953) featuring Madam Noor Jehan

Brought to you by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan and Eveready Film

Film Screening

Tuesday, 10 November 2009

6:00 P.M. – 7:30 P.M. | Meri Kahani, Meri Zabani

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan and Durriya Kazi

Story-telling: Pakistan’s Partition-Generation tell their stories of how they laid the foundation for the new nation of Pakistan during the 1940s and 1950s. This evening, we delve into Pakistan’s legal history, life in the police force and memories of Quaid-e-Azam.

Guests: Mirza Jamil, Sameen Khan and Sami Khan

8:00 P.M. | Chand Sitaray Tallay

Hosted by Faryal Gauhar

Curated by Still Waters Publishing

Literary Evening followed by Musical Performance: The Citizens Archive of Pakistan and Still Waters Publishing explore Pakistan’s rich literary landscape, as six renowned writers including Fahmida Riaz, Haseena Moin, Ilona Yusuf , Mohammad Hanif and Musharraf Ali Farooqi read their favorites from Pakistani literature in Urdu and English. The evening concludes with a musical performance by Laal.

(Please note: This performance has limited seating. Please pick up free passes from the venue on Tuesday, 10 November, 2009)

9:30 P.M. | Chandni Raatein: Film Screening of Koel (1959), a musical blockbuster featuring Madam Noor Jehan

Brought to you by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan and Eveready Film

Film Screening

Wednesday, 11 November 2009

6:00 P.M. – 7:30 P.M. | Meri Kahani, Meri Zabani

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan and Durriya Kazi

Story-telling: Pakistan’s Partition-Generation tell their stories of how they laid the foundation for the new nation of Pakistan during the 1940s and 1950s. This evening we revisit Dhaka and discuss the field of journalism.

Guests: I.H. Burney and Dr. S.M. Rab

8:00 P.M. | From Raag to Roll

Brought to you by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

Musical Performance: An evening of musical fusion with Pakistani musicians, including Taal Karisma and Aunty Disco Project

(Please note: This performance has limited seating. Please pick up free passes from the venue on Wednesday, 11 November, 2009)

9:30 P.M. | Chandni Raatein: Film Screening of Armaan (1963) featuring Waheed Murad

Brought to you by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan and Eveready Film

Film Screening

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan is a not-for-profit educational institution and heritage centre established in February 2007 with the aim of allowing Pakistanis to explore their heritage and history. We are a voluntary society dedicated to commemorating the collective and individual experience of our rich history across all segments and communities of Pakistan. Our vision is to develop CAP as the foremost library and museum of Pakistani history, art, photography, culture, literature and historical documentation demonstrating the strength and spirit of Pakistan from the citizen’s perspective.

Phone | 0332-3392004

0332-2541272

Email | citizensarchive@gmail.com

Website | www.citizensarchive.org

Blog | http://thecitizensarchiveofpakistan.blogspot.com/

A day in the life of a CAP Intern

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What ARE the CAP Interns doing? Watch this space - you'll find out very soon!

Welcome back to Shanaakht

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Shanaakht is back - and consequently, so is the madness we have all grown to love in the CAP office. I wanted to introduce you to our Shanaakht team - there are some old faces and some fantastic new people:

Sharmeen - Ringleader and chocolate-cake provider.

Sumera - Organiser and architect

Adil - Super-animator and boy-wonder

Junaid - The reason those Oral History Project clips look so good

Naveed - Technological genius and 3D wizard

Shahana - Wait til you see her gorgeous photography exhibition

Tanya - Media mogul-in-waiting

Nisha - The reason our Oral History archive grows everyday. Vintage film poster-addict

Fatima - Scanning Queen

Rameesha - Her Urdu is impeccable and she gives directions like a pro

Alia - Avery recent addition to the CAP team, Alia will never say no to any job

Marvi - Marketing genius

Tarab - Possibly one of the nicest people you will ever meet and an audio junkie

Javeria - Her Urdu is improving by the day as she transcribes Oral History Project interviews and she's up for any work

Fazeelat - eye-candy, T-shirt designer-at-large and documentary film-maker

Asad - war journalist and resident-photographer

What can you expect from us at this festival? Film screenings, photography and art exhibitions, theater, events for your kids (including some very cool cartoons), Oral History Project film clips (ever heard the stories of the first P.I.A flights or the first time people saw the Pakistan flag in 1947?), music (just wait til you hear about our concert), Meri Kahani Meri Zabani and so much more. Love cars? Wait til you see what we have lined up. We're introducing you to the female pioneers of Pakistan and the first men to take flight in Pakistan.

The best part about the festival? Its entirely free. We want students and the general public to come check out our work and celebrate Pakistan.

Watch this space for the Shanaakht festival line-up - we can't wait to welcome you to the festival! It runs from 9-11 November in Karachi. If you'd like to volunteer, please email us at volunteershanaakht@gmail.com

Keep an eye out for the Shanaakht poster - it'll be making an appearance all around Karachi soon, from Zamzama to Buffer Zone, Defence to Nazimabad...

I'm going to keep posting sneak-peeks of the festival on the blog - stay tuned!

Sanam Maher

Oral History Project Coordinator

CAP-Nitro Sports Volleyball Tournament

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On the 4th and 5th of September, 2009, CAP collaborated with Nitro Sports to hold a 2-day Volleyball Tournament at the International School. 14 teams battled it out and we'd like to give a big thank-you to all the team members who played so well. A big congratulations to Cosmo - the winning team! Runner-up: Inbox

The CAP team

Cricket bats signed by Javed Miandad

Thank you to our fantastic sponsors who also contributed to the raffle prizes and the auction:

Lindt Chocolates

Laals Chocolates

Shaheen Airways

Ulker Cakes

Aghas Supermarkets

Etihad Airways

J.S. Bank

Aqua-Vida Water

Red Bull

We'd also like to thank Mr. Javed Miandad and Mr. Shoaib Akhtar (who made a surprise appearance at the tournament!). We are very grateful to Taymur Mirza for donating the venue and Roger Bayat Dawood for officiating the tournament.

School Outreach Tour - Abdullah Shah Ghazi Government Primary/Secondary School

2009-09-11T09:06:00.004+06:00

Government Boys Secondary School - Shireen Jinnah Colony

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All photos by Nadir Siddiqui

School Outreach Tour - Government Girls and Boys Secondary School, Bulandi

2009-09-07T14:35:00.008+06:00

School Outreach Tour - Government Girls and Boys Secondary School, Bulandi

School Outreach Tour - Government Girls Secondary School P&T Colony

2009-09-03T16:16:00.003+06:00

Koel Gallery: Four Faces of Karachi

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Some more photographs from our exhibition at the Koel Gallery - Four Faces of Karachi.

Mrs. Luthfullah and guests

Postcards printed by CAP

More souvenirs! The sale of all these items

(mugs, T-shirts and postcards) goes towards funding CAP's work

Tabinda, Nisha and Tarab at our CAP table

Mr. Luthfullah - the photographer and legendary archivist

Mr. Luthfullah's daughter - the little girl in the photograph

School Outreach Tour: Azeemi Public School

2009-08-26T16:50:00.006+06:00

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan's School Outreach Tour travelled to Surjani Town in Karachi where its imagination stations were set up at Azeemi Public School. Over two hundred children attended the interactive workshops.

FOUR FACES OF KARACHI

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CELEBRATING PAKISTAN: The Citizens Archive of Pakistan in collaboration with Koel Gallery held an exhibition of Lutfullah Khan's vintage photographs of Karachi in the 1950's- CAP also showcased its Oral History Project Clips.

The four day Exhibit attracted hundreds of people especially students.

Watching Oral History Clips from CAP's visual library

CAP Volunteers selling memorabilia at the event

CAP and The Quaid-e-Azam's Mazaar

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Independence Day Mela!

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August 14, 2009

Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture

Raana signs on a new name for the Oral History Project interviews

Sania, in her fantastic Quaid T-shirt, getting the word out about CAP

A BIG "thank you" to all our interns and volunteers!

Ajay Pinjani

Sumera Bilgrami

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

Noor Mahamadi

Maya Asad

Fatima Zaidi

Sanam Maher

Nisha Pinjani

Tarab Abedi

Batul Tunio

Fazeelat Aslam

Mariam Bilgrami

Asad Faruqi

Sameed Hussain

Amean J

Raana Kazmi

Tooba Masood

Fawaz Motiwala

Naveed Waghani

Bilal Subzwari

Sania Faruqi

Shabbir Terrai

Kamran (a.k.a. Kam-Kam)

Ayesha Tariq

Rizwan Saeed (Kifayat)

Mehreen Obaid (Towellers Ltd)

Eefa Khalid (for designing the AMAZING T-shirts)

Photos by Asad Faruqi and Ahmed Shajee Aijazi

Government Girls Secondary School - PNT Colony

2009-08-18T15:07:00.008+06:00

School Outreach Tour

17th and 18th August, 2009

Sharmeen, Fatima and Nisha setting up the darris and cleaning the classrooms

Historical photographs made 3D!

"How do you see Pakistan today?" - Postcards to Pakistan

The kids are seated for the puppet show

Bilal, backstage

Editor's Choice

2009-08-16T12:16:00.002+06:00

This 14th August, our Oral History Project film clips were on the Dawn website for three days. Many thanks to Huma Yusuf and Eefa Khalid.

Here is what Dawn had to say about one of our clips:

Tales of the nation

The history of a nation as young as Pakistan is necessarily a living history. After all, the generation that witnessed Partition and the subsequent events that shaped the nation is still with us. Their memories and stories comprise the most vital account of how this country came to be what it is today.

In recognition of this fact, Dawn.com presents oral histories of Pakistan’s first citizens as documented by the Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP), a non-profit educational institution and heritage centre.

In this audio slideshow, Abeeda Abidi describes how Pakistani women from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds came together to defend their new nation by joining the Pakistan National Women's Guard.

Contact information

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Intern or volunteer at CAP:

Email | citizensarchive@gmail.com

Phone | 0332-3392004 or 0332-2541272

Learn more about us:

Website | www.citizensarchive.org

Oral History Project film clips| www.youtube.com/CitizensArchive

Read the Blog | www.citizensarchiveofpakistan.blogspot.com

Keep up with us:

Twitter | citizensarchive

Facebook | Cap Coordinator or www.facebook.com/citizensarchive

Nominate someone for an Oral History Project interview:

Email or call us. Please provide the nominees name, age and contact information

Digitize archival material (old photographs, newspapers etc):

Email or call us

School Outreach Tour - Azeemi Public School

2009-08-12T16:35:00.007+06:00

Azeemi Public School: 11th August, 2009

Suntra Magazine (Kifayat Publishers) has partnered with The Citizens Archive of Pakistan for our School Outreach Tours - all students and teachers will receive a free Suntra magazine jam-packed with articles, stories, games, quizzes, resources for students and teachers

A BIG thank-you to everyone who helped make this an amazing day:

Ajay Pinjani

Sumera Bilgrami

Mariam Bilgrami

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

Adil Ashraf

Naveed Waghani

Talal Khan

Rizwan Saeed

Kifayat Publishers

Nisha Pinjani

Bilal Subzwari

Fawaz Motiwala

Maya Asad

Fatima Zaidi

Tabinda Siddiqi

Asad Faruqi

Sania Faruqi

Tarab Abidi

Raana Kazmi

Moosa

Sanam Maher

Fazeelat Aslam

Kamran (Kam-Kam)

Teachers Development Center

Sindh Education Foundation

Mahinaz Mahmood

Wali Shah

Fatima Naqvi

Nadir Siddiqui

Shehrezad Maher

Abbas Hussain

Teachers Resource Center

Noor Mahamadi

Hiba Mahamadi

Swaleha Alam Shahzada

Shala Agha

Minal Rahimtoola

Ajeet Ahuja

Abeeda Abidi

Amna Jatoi

Mel Lawrence

Museum of London

All photographs by Sanam Maher

This poster was designed by Shehrezad Maher

The Quaid-e-Azam's Mazaar

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The day began at 8:30 a.m. when we packed water bottles, 50 packets of Gluco biscuits and 8 kilos of apples into the van and headed for Qasbah Colony. Some of the interns were excited at it was their first visit to Qasbah, while others were thrilled to return - we had visited Qasbah Colony for CAP's 3-day volunteer work with the children at the Naunehal Academy. We made our way back to Naunehal Academy and waited for the children to arrive, while rehearsing our handy list of Pashto phrases.

An hour or so later, two Suzukis bursting with spirited, bright-eyed children pulled up beside our van. As each familiar face smiled at me and hands reached out to shake mine, a surge of emotion tore my heart in two. I wished they could stay here forever so I could always visit them but I also wanted them to return to their homes in Swat and Buner.

The children rushed to the waiting bus and scrambled for their seats and we soon took off for the Quaid's mazaar.

Minutes later, the bus reached our destination - the Quaid's mausoleum, in all its majesty, stood awaiting our arrival. I was overjoyed to learn that Tabinda Siddiqi (a dear friend and fellow intern) had arranged exclusive treatment for the children. We entered through Bab-e-Aiman - gates reserved for Special Forces and VIPs - and were greeted by Major Ather Ali, who is the Mazaar's Project Manager and a treasure trove of historical information about the Quaid's life and the mausoleum.

Each intern was assigned a group of four kids that we were responsible for throughout the trip. I met Kareemullah, Abdur Rehman, Bilal and Saquib Khan, who all wore colorful name tags that we had made for all the children at the office. Saquib and I were friends by the day's end and he promised me a 'daawat' when i visited Swat.

Inside the Mausoleum, we grouped around the Quaid's grave and recited 'Fateha'. Most eyes were glued to the 101 foot long chandelier hanging in the main hall of the mazaar. This chandelier was a present from the Muslims of China and it fascinated the children, who craned their necks for a better look. We even witnessed the ceremonial change of guard at the grave, an event that was truly spectacular.

We were amazed to learn that Mr. Jinnah's original burial place is underground, in the mazaar's basement, and that WE would get a guided tour. A dark winding staircase led to an octagonal room that had 8 foot thick walls to protect it from natural disasters. The walls were covered with hand carved stars and the glass pattern on the stars added to their already magical appeal. The grave was made of white marble and a crescent and star were etched in the stone. Pretty filigree shades adorned the lights. For me, this was yet another peak experience brought on by CAP.

After this we gathered on the steps outside to enjoy the splendid view of the mazaar's sprawling gardens. The fountains that are only used at night were specially turned on for the children. The trip continued thereafter as we also paid homage to the five other leaders (Fatima Jinnah, Liaquat Ali Khan, Ra'ana Liaquat Ali, Abdur Rab Nishtar and Nurul Amin) buried alongside Quaid e Azam.

The children were also taken to the Museum that housed many possessions of the Quaid. Their translator made sure to translate all the information Major Ali was bombarding us with into Pashto, so that the children could understand.

The trip ended with a picnic in the gardens. Apart from the goodies we had brought with us, we were surprised yet again with free juice and chips that were provided to all the kids. Finally, we crowded on the steps leading up to the Mazar, posing for photographs and singing the National Anthem.

As the children piled into the bus, happily waving through the windows I felt very proud of the people at CAP and the work we do.

I had a truly wonderful day and the time spent with the children both at Qasbah Colony and at the Mazar will forever remain part of my most treasured memories. I hope to see them again soon but on a visit up north, when they have comfortably settled in their own homes.

Raana Kazmi

Seeing the Quaid's mausoleum from up close was surreal. After years of looking at pictures of it, seeing the majestic structure right there in front of my eyes was fantastic.

The children enjoyed the museum very much and talked excitedly about the cars, clothes and furniture that they saw there. After the whole tour of the mausoleum was over, the children were given refreshments which included juice, chips, apples, water and biscuits. Before leaving, the children stood on the twenty one stairs leading up to the mausoleum and posed for pictures and sang the national anthem.

Tabinda Siddiqi

Rock the Qasbah!

2009-07-31T15:13:00.004+06:00

Qasbah Colony is home to thousands of people who live below the poverty line. This volatile neighborhood now houses close to 10,000 IDP families from Swat and Buner. In July, The Citizens Archive of Pakistan conducted an initial survey of the neighborhood and identified 100 families were eager to send their children to summer school.

The children ages 5 to 15 years had their education disrupted when violence erupted in the valley earlier this year. Many of these children are eager to return to school. However, since government schools in the city have been closed for their summer break, they have been deprived of this opportunity.

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan identified a Community School (Naunehal Academy) and spent 3 days with more than 300 children at the school, located in Qasbah Colony, on the 15th, 16th and 17th of July, 2009.

At a time when these children are disorientated about their country’s history, we felt it was essential to highlight some of the more positive aspects so that they may feel a sense of pride and accomplishments.

I had never volunteered for any social or community service in my entire life and I felt a bit hesitant volunteering with the Internally Displaced children. However, I decided take this project on as an exciting task and got involved. It was a little difficult convincing my parents to let me go to Qasbah Colony, but they eventually agreed as they knew it was for a good cause.

Our IDP Project took place in a school called Naunehal Academy, within the Bright Education Society network, where the IDP kids between the ages 7-15 were gathered on the 2nd floor of the school. There they were distributed in different classrooms with 2-3 volunteers placed in each room, to work with a group of 25-30 children each.

Among many games on Day 2, I did two very exciting activities with the children. The first activity was called “Friendship Hands”. We placed a long strip of paper on the floor on two sides of the room and made the children (who came in batches) sit in the middle. Every child was given a bunch of crayons and drew an outline around their hands, coloring them in and writing their names within. The kids also drew different objects (mostly related to nature) rather than just writing their names. I remember using “Daer Kha” quite frequently since I witnessed some exceptional artwork.

Those who were bored after a while moved on to the second activity. Here, we taught the children how to make paper planes and they entered a plane-flying competition. Within no time, every kid in the room wanted to fly a plane of his or her own. They decorated their paper planes beautifully, calling them their ‘dream planes’. Sadly, one child also made a drawing showing a drone dropping missiles on a house.

Sameed Hussain

Brainstorming activities for the children at Naunehal Academy proved to be difficult as we were faced with a huge language barrier. We needed to think of games that required the least amount of talking – these games had to be very visual, educational and entertaining. After hours of coloring, drawing and translating (into English, Urdu and Pashto), we were finally ready.

The road that led up to Qasbah Colony can be best described as uninviting and chaotic: a mountain cut in half, vibrant ‘party’ flags adding color to the surroundings, and a school encircled by a cemetery. We had prepared for 150 children. Almost 300 showed up. While this was daunting, we were overjoyed as each adorable face showed up around the winding staircase inside the school.

Raana Kazmi

The day started with the one hour long journey to Qasbah. All the interns were squashed together in the van with Mariam playing the role of our “tour guide”.

We laid out a giant snakes-and-ladders game in the school, which was an instant hit amongst the children – each square contained bright images of Pakistan’s national flora and fauna, important monuments and facts about the four provinces. All information was trilingual – in Pashto, English and Urdu. By the end of the day, we had not only taught the children about the history and culture of Pakistan, but most of us knew how to ask, “What is your name?” in Pashto.

On the second day, we were far more organized and had more volunteers to help us. The kids and their mothers were opening up to and we were familiar with them – they were now coming up to us, saying hello and posing cheekily for the camera.

On the third day, we included games like hopscotch and bowling. We partnered with Habib Bank Limited in order to hold an art competition. The art corner was the most popular on this day, as the kids had some fantastic supplies to use and they were all very eager to participate in the competition.

As the last activity of the day, we sat the children in a circle and sang national songs with them while Nadir played the guitar. All the kids lined up around the big hall to say goodbye to us and we celebrated the success of the IDP project by going out for lunch. :)

Tabinda Siddiqi

On Day 2, we reached Qasbah Colony really early. We unpacked all our supplies from the van and CAP car and took them up to the second floor of the school. We were more prepared than the day before, with more activities for the kids to keep them busy and we had a greater number of volunteers to help us. We were more mentally and physically prepared for the boisterous kids.

Naveed, Nadir, Rameez and I were assigned to the coloring room. We gave the children crayons and motivated them to draw. They were pretty shy at first but then began to enjoy themselves. We thought they might have been hesitant to join us, as we were strangers and did not speak their language – Pashto. We asked the children to draw Pakistan’s flag, their hands, their houses – whatever sprang to mind. Some of the drawings were amazing and some of the kids were so engrossed in their coloring that they did not want to go from the coloring room to other activities. Some children drew pictures of their homes in Buner. They were so happy if you praised their drawings and asked them questions about their artwork. It was sad how pieces of crayon could mean so much to them – some children did not want to return the crayons after their drawings were complete. They would grasp the crayons so tightly that you could feel the warmth of their hands when they eventually returned the colors to you.

Saad Ashfaq

The two days were an eye-opener for me – not only were these children exceptionally smart, but they were like solar-powered batteries. They were not tired as long as the sun was shining and remained eager to learn. The younger children were mostly cautious and reserved; however, as their ages progressed so did their boldness and confidence. The children proved that there is abundant hope for these people. They learned unpredictably fast, their mothers’ cheering them on. If there is anyone who can move on and rebuild their lives after the devastation they have seen, it is these men, women and children.

Two days with these families was enough to convince us- there is hope.

Hiba Mahamadi

Qasbah Colony: The IDP Project

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Pashto and English phrases

How far does your paper plane go?

Photos by Ali Rez

Photos by Nadir Siddiqui

'The stories that form the fabric of our nation's history'

2009-07-29T13:34:00.008+06:00

As a child when my parents would go out for a party they would always leave me with my grandmother. I still vividly remember that for hours I would sit beside my Dadi’s dressing table helping her sort out and organize her jewelry. Each gem carried some significance and a story. For example, she wore her emerald necklace with a pastel-green sleeveless silk sari to the Governor’s Winter Ball in Bombay in 1944. This was the first time she met and danced with Mr. Jinnah and she remembered him being a very charming man.

While painting my Dadi’s nails, she would transport me back in time through her stories - stories of a Karachi and a Bombay I had no idea even existed, tales of balls, tennis matches at the Bombay Club, Muslim League rallies, cabaret dances at Metropole Hotel, and derbies at the Karachi Race Course and casino nights at Beach Luxury. My favorite story was that of her migration to Karachi from Bombay. It had all the ingredients of a good story: danger, thrill, drama, romance and a happy ending.

Sadly, Dadi died in 2004, before any of her stories could be recorded. But I am happy about the work CAP is doing of collecting, recording and archiving the stories of so many grandparents whose stories form the fabric of our nation’s history and the collective narrative. It is essential to preserve these stories for our future generations in order to safeguard our collective identity.

When I walked into the CAP office last summer I didn’t know what I was getting myself into; I just wanted to join because all my friends were working there. But once I joined the office there was no looking back. Working at CAP has been a highly enriching learning experience. The way I view senior citizens now is very different. Today, when I meet a senior citizen I can’t help but think of the wonderful treasure trove of stories this person might be. Through CAP I have learned to appreciate and value the experiences of the generations before us. It is through the stories of these senior citizens that I have learned something about my history and identity. Through their stories I have learned an alternative national narrative of my country, a narrative that is not taught by the Pakistan Studies books in our schools.

Before CAP, I did not know that during the Pakistan Movement, Islam was not a major issue or that the slogan ‘Pakistan ka matlab kya, la illaha illalah’ was not even coined at that time and that it only came into usage after the 1980s. From Meeno Marker’s recollection of Quetta in the 1940s to Kaneez Wajid Khan’s memories of APWA and Mr. Jinnah’s garden parties in Delhi, from Zohra Fazal’s experiences at an art school in Bombay and tea plantations in East Pakistan to Sabiha Hasan’s descriptions of early days of journalism in Pakistan and the State Bank - from each and every one of the interviewees I learned something vital and significant about our history.

Working at CAP has been a truly memorable experience. I was able to work with some great people, made some wonderful friends and met some truly dynamic and memorable personalities. CAP also gave me a fresh perspective on how I view old people. Now I seem to find men and women over-eighty very intriguing!

The photo above features Rameez's grandmother, Atiya Bano, at Merryland Casino

Rameezuddin Ahmed

This photo of Rameez was taken during CAP's work with IDP children in Qasbah Colony. Photo by Nadir Siddiqui

A day in the life of an intern

2009-07-03T18:27:00.009+06:00

As part of their research into the Bohri community - their presence and history in Karachi - for the Oral History Project, the CAP interns paid a visit to the Al Jamea Tus Saifiyah. Many thanks to ex-intern Shabbir Terai for organising the visit.

All photos by Nadir Siddiqui

As part of the Oral History Project at the Citizens' Archive of Pakistan, all of the interns went to visit Al Jamea Tus Saifiyah. The experience reminded me of a school field trip - fun and educational. The teachers who gave us the tour were very friendly. We were taken to an ornately-decorated mosque and a large air-conditioned hall with a beautiful water structure where all the students read the Quran. Overall, it was an amazing place and a great outing.

Tabinda Siddiqi

When I found out we would visit a university this Friday, it seemed like just another mundane trip to an educational institution. As soon as I reached Al Jamea Tus Saifiyah I was thrilled to see how good the environment was. The university’s architecture was very well planned and aesthetically-pleasing. I was very interested in the room with seven Zawaiyas(angles/corners). Six Zawaiyas contained books related to Islam, Bohri traditions and other subjects. All six Zawaiyas reflected a specific period of time and were in a chronological order starting from Zawia-e-Akhwan-ul-Safa to Zawia-e-Al-Hind showing different phases of the Bohri community and how their religion spread throughout the world. The seventh corner in the room housed the Quran.

Talal Khan

Al Jamea Tus Saifiyah is located in K.D.A Officer’s Housing Society. This is a branch of the main campus located in Surat, India, which is the main hub of religious education for Bohris. The institution was built around 1962. Education is free for Bohri students as the university is primarily funded by Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin. At the moment students from eighteen different countries are studying there.

Saad Ashfaq

As we walked in, we were greeted by the sight of bearded men in flowing white robes reciting Quranic verses under their breath as they paced in the wide spaces with their gazes lowered. At this time in Pakistan’s history, such an image is particularly resonant. However, as we quickly learned, the university was the furthest thing from our contemporary conception of an Islamic seminary. The students and teachers did not bear the remotest resemblance to the stereotypical angry fanatic. The institution is truly international, with students from eighteen different countries residing in their especially landscaped, beautifully-designed dormitories. The languages of instruction are Arabic and English, for religious and secular learning respectively, and the subjects taught range from Islamic jurisprudence to psychology and litigation. The institute practically buzzes with the hum of learning.

Hira Azmat

The inside of Al Jamea-tus-Saifiyah came as a complete surprise. It does not boast a fancy location, but a tour of the University is all it takes to change your perspective. 'Tradition-meets-modernity': this, according to our guide, was the idea behind the construction and establishment of the institution.

Fully carpeted dorm rooms, an ornate fountain stationed right in the centre of the building,a cricket pitch, football field, basket ball court, 25-meter swimming pool with crystal clear water, centrally air conditioned buildings, a gold-plated set of doors, soft green grass, unrealistically clean, organised, peaceful and quiet... it is far from the idea that most people will have of the institution as a centre for religious education.

The visit to Jamea-tus-Saifiyah felt like a visit to a foreign country: one unaffected by problems of poverty, pollution, discord and enmity.

Hiba Mahamadi

The best place by far was the Jamia Hifz ul Quran. Built primarily as a religious sanctuary where students could read and memorize the Quran, it was truly a treat for the eyes, mind and spirit. There was a beautiful pond of sparkling water surrounding a carpeted island lined with pebbles. The walls were decorated with soothing blue and green patterns. There were cushions and pillows near every Rehal (Wooden Quran-holder), so students could sit comfortably and read the Holy Book. It was the prettiest, most serene place I had ever visited.

Raana Kazmi

When I was told that we were going to a Bohra community's university called Al Jamea Tus Saifiyah as a CAP intern, I felt really excited as it provided me with an opportunity to learn more about the Bohra view on religion, culture and lifestyle. The institution was inaugurated by the-then President General Zia ul Haq in 1984 and is fully funded and sponsored by their spiritual leader who currently is the 52^nd Dai or “Syedna” (the most learned amongst them). One really appealing thing to me was the canteen set up for the staff and the University students. It is called the “Mawaid” (eating place). Around 5-7 people shared each Dastarkhwan, with a tray full of food in the middle. The cafeteria is very neat and clean and the food is offered two times a day free of cost. We toured the university for three hours but didn't feel like leaving it.

Sameed Hussain

Bohras are a very close-knit community. Prior to my visit, I did not realize how a community could function without integrating with other ethnic groups. My view and biased thoughts towards close-knit communities changed within an hour, after visiting Al Jamea Tus Saifiyah. The University caters to the Bohra community, providing them with everything ranging from free education to a bed to sleep on during the night.

The university has a very diverse student body with Bohras from America, England, Australia and many other countries. The school is surrounded by Bohra families houses, eliminating the need for tall walls which results in students feeling more free. The students are thus more amenable to abiding by the rules they must follow in order to remain at the University.  

All buildings within the school face the Qiblah. The institution also houses a small garden which contains all the fruits mentioned in the Quran. This particular garden really took me by surprise. During my childhood I have visited many religious places for Ziarat and have not witnessed such a garden. The garden had fruits such as olives, figs, dates and pomegranates. Overall, my experience at the University took me by surprise because I would have never imagined being infatuated by a place targeting only one community.  

Fatima Naqvi

When BBC Radio came to visit...

2009-07-03T16:52:00.006+06:00

Our interns recently found themselves on the other side of the microphone as BBC Radio came to interview them. They discussed the changing political, social and cultural face of Pakistan.

School Outreach Tour: In Preparation

2009-06-29T17:54:00.004+06:00

All photos by Nadir Siddiqui

A First Glimpse of CAP's School Outreach Tour

2009-06-23T10:42:00.005+06:00

When I was told I would be going along to photograph government schools for the School Outreach Program, I was very excited - when it comes to photography, children are the most powerful portrait subjects. They turn to the lens and meet its glassy eye with unapologetic expressions, resulting in pictures that are almost perfect representations of who they are. Unlike adults they don’t hastily search for the appropriate smile, or think about how they want to be remembered - they hide nothing because they have nothing to hide. So when we finally set out, I knew I would find a treasure of photo opportunities in these children’s classrooms and playgrounds.

But of course, like any treasure, the schools were well-guarded – wherever we went, the administration was wary of the camera, afraid that we would snap pictures of their dilapidated buildings and report that to the media. It took some convincing and Mariam’s (Project manager) contagious enthusiasm to finally win the trust of these principals and teachers. Mariam spoke to the administration and appeased them. Our aim, she said, was not to highlight the inadequacies of government schools but rather to bring a little bit of color into the dusty classrooms of the children who studied there. Soon the schools were all opening their doors to us, and once we looked past all the cracked walls and broken desks, we found something quite unexpected: bright-eyed children and teachers all working towards better education; an effort that was so genuine that Mariam and I often found ourselves reminiscing about our own schools and classes.

We noticed that in spite of their poor conditions, these teachers and children shared the same respect for their studies that we had learned in our schools. They eagerly looked in their dictionaries, recited their mathematics tables, and read out loud to their fellow students. We went to a small girls and boys primary school whose principal had made such noble efforts at progressive teaching that Mariam and I started calling it the Cool School. Here the children were taught not only basic subjects, but also other lessons of everyday life, like how to deal with domestic issues, tolerance among each other, and even the importance of planting trees and being responsible citizens.

Every school we went to, children seemed happy and eager to learn, but also full of mischief and energy. As I took their pictures they giggled and laughed, sometimes shying away from the lens, and sometimes clambering around to take a closer look at my camera, then looking altogether delighted when I showed them their own pictures in the camera’s display window. On the way back, Mariam and I were brimming with excitement about the Outreach Tour, and we couldn’t wait to return to the schools and show them what we have in store.

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan’s School Outreach Tour kicks off on the 25^th of July, 2009.

Nadir Siddiqui

Cappies' day out : The Great Burns Road Expedition

2009-06-17T15:11:00.003+06:00

When we were told that some interns would be going to Burns Road to nominate people for the Oral History Project, we volunteered immediately. We were excited at the prospect of being out of the office for a couple of hours; Little did we know that the trip would come to mean so much more than that.

Our first 'sight' and 'sound' of Burns Road was of a collision between a colourful jangling mini-bus and a shiny Alto. The colors of the bus, the cacophony of what seemed like a million car horns and the delicious smell of desi food defined Burns road for us in that very instant.

We met many people as we made our way along the narrow pathways of Burns Road, receiving a myriad of looks: some leering, disapproving, some excited and others just plain curious. Raana covered her head in a cautionary measure against some of the glares.

We looked out for any one over the age of 65 years. A flash of white beard would send us darting in the owners direction, trying to locate him in the swarms of people.

We met a Bengali man with his arm in a sling and his shirt-sleeves tied across his waist. When asked for his address, he proudly pointed to a truck stationed at a garbage dumping-site. We came across a 'chakki wala' who runs a welfare clinic and a cleric who lectured us, before abruptly asking us to leave his house. We needed to be prepared for all reactions - a gentleman in a nihari restaurant chatted away to us before noticing Nadir clicking away with his camera. He vehemently objected to being photographed. Two young waiters from the same restaurant, however, seized this opportunity to divert Nadir, posing together for a quick photograph. We stumbled upon a bewitching little shop, Tahir Masala, filled to the brim with every sort of masala imaginable - Murgh Masala, Paya Masala, Machli Masala... The owner, Tahir Junior, runs a welfare clinic in the area. While some may brand him a 'quack', he is a godsend in the area, slaving away in the heat and taking patients temperature, applying bandages and plasters. Tahir offered us a seat at the clinic and patiently heard us out while we talked about The Citizens Archive of Pakistan. He put up a CAP poster on his clinic walls, offered us lassi and gave us his blessings for the work we are doing.

We returned to the CAP office feeling hot and tired - but with huge grins, a dozens nominations for interviews, almost a hundred photographs and a box of delicious Fresco gulabjamun.

Raana Kazmi and Tabinda Siddiqi

Photographs by Nadir Siddiqui

'Jamshed Marker's Cricket Googlie' and 'Memories of Lahore' : Come watch!

2009-06-09T11:36:00.008+06:00

'Jamshed Marker's Cricket Googlie'
Jamshed Marker
Duration: 6:47

'He (Rasheedudin Ahmed) said, "Just imagine that you are sitting next to a very dear friend who is blind but who loves cricket. Forget about audience, forget about mike, forget about radio. Just imagine you are sitting next to him and explain it to him. Take him to the match."'

View the clip here

'Memories of Lahore'
Akbar Ali Chughtai
Duration: 6:13

'I was quite young, but I remember that Lahore was a very beautiful city. I am talking about the walled city encircling Lahore. The city was inside the walls. And outside, there were gardens from one end to another. We used to go to those gardens every morning with my father and play there. The path to the gardens was strewn with motia flowers. In Spring, the gardens were filled with the fragrance of flowers.'

View the clip here

"You breathe, drink, eat, sing, walk, talk CAP..."

2009-05-27T13:14:00.004+06:00

From age 4 to 16, I was attached at the hip with my dada whose favourite topic of discussion was the 1947 partition. Everyday after school I used to sit by his side and hear him narrate his journey from Agra, his hometown to hitch-hiking to Delhi to the train to Lahore and eventually a ride to Karachi. This was usually followed by his days at Aligarh University and his contribution to the nationalist cause. Dada was one of the only people I knew who preferred Gandhi over Jinnah (something most here consider no less than blasphemy). My grandfather and his partition adventures passed away when he left us in 2006.

However, when my history teacher asked our class to stay behind and attend a presentation by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy about her brain-child, The Citizen Archives of Pakistan, I had no idea what we were getting into. The thing that got me interested were the interviews with the partition-generation, which were meant to ensure that stories like my dada’s will be collected and not forgotten as they passed away.

Interning at CAP was amazing. It was one of the most productive summers I have ever spent. We got the opportunity to meet the Marker Brothers, Jamshed and Meenu (half of us fell in love with them), Jameeludin Aali (whose “Jeevay, Jeevay Pakistan” has now become the CAP song) and not to forget Lutfullah Khan - who has an amazing collection of radio recordings and photographs (he also has his original circumcision certificate).

We used to interview the senior citizens either early morning or afternoon, which ever they preferred, then come back to work, download the interview and work on transcribing. We all had our specific laptops (CAP 5 is the best), while we all secretly wanted to work on the uber-cool macs. Once transcribed, we made follow up questions for the interviewees and went for follow up interviews to gather chunks of details. Everytime we found pre-partition or partition photos everyone jumped with joy as if we’d discovered gold. But, interviewing and transcribing weren’t the only things we did. We went to libraries such as the Hamdard Library and the Liaquat national library where we dug and dug through tons of old newspapers, magazines and journals for the earliest available issues of Dawn and other publications. Some were busy scanning new photos and publication we had just discovered, while others sorted the ones we already had.

Working at CAP is like adopting a family. Once you volunteer for CAP you cannot stop. You breathe, drink, eat, sing, walk, talk CAP and believe me it is worth it. =)

Here is a link to Tooba Masood's grandmother, Razia Hamid's, Oral History Project clip

Once an intern...

2009-05-22T15:21:00.005+06:00

Last summer when I was graduating from A levels, I decided to intern at The Citizens Archive of Pakistan. They were launching their Oral History Project and I thought it would occupy me until University began. Even at orientation I didn’t suspect that I would get emotionally attached to the project. However, it came to change a large part of my own view of the world, and of Pakistan.

I didn’t grow up sitting at the feet of my grandparents, listening to their stories. I didn’t have the chance to even talk to them, as they all passed away before I turned four. My first approach to CAP was neutral. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I figured I would go around, interview old people, come back to the office, type up the interviews and go home.

The internship entailed a lot more than that. At orientation, we were shown how to use professional recorders, so that we would record good-quality audio for the audio-video clips we were supposed to produce at a later date. We were also trained to interview people who were older than 75 years. For that we had to be patient, speak clearly and allow them to tell their stories. After the interview we had to create logs and transcribe the interview so that academics, students or historians could access it at a later date.

Admittedly, I was a bit overwhelmed by the work at first. I was terrified of messing up transcriptions and antagonizing the people we were interviewing, But that changed when I went out into the field to interview the people. I found it was easy to speak to them and record their interesting stories. These are people who lived through Partition, who walked across the Indian border, who saw other people being killed. The fact that their memories of all that went towards creating Pakistan had not been recorded before shocked me.

I remember meeting with Ardeshir Cowasjee and being blown away by his brazen views about Partition and the first government. Talking to people from two generations ago made me realize that their stories are the ones that count, the ones that made our world today. If I hadn’t come to work at CAP, I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet these people. They may just be other people’s grandparents but to me and the rest of the organization, they held knowledge of a world that was fast disappearing.

What I didn’t expect was that interviewing old people would change a little part of me, change my view of the world. I walked into interviews knowing full well that they had a whole lot of knowledge that we could use, but somewhere along the way of asking them to tell their stories, we incorporated those words into our own memories.

Maryam Musharaff Shah

Come watch!

2009-05-18T12:41:00.003+06:00

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan would like to give you a preview of The Oral History Project and the work our team has been busy with.

The Oral History Project has been conducting interviews of Pakistan's partition-generation since June 2008. These interviews are utilised to form short film-clips. Each clip is a record that encompasses the personal stories of Pakistanis involved in events that shaped our nation, the reminiscences of high achievers in their field or the everyday lives of those who witnessed the early years of our country and the memories of the nation at work and play.

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan’s Oral History Project is all-inclusive: Pakistanis from all walks of life are eligible to be interviewed. The audio-visual nature of the Project ensures that even if you are unable to read or write English or Urdu, you are still able to interact with the history of your nation.

Follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/user/CitizensArchive in order to view all our current clips.

If you would like to nominate someone you know for an interview, you can email us at citizensarchive@gmail.com

You can also check out our website: www.citizensarchive.org
Stay tuned to our blog: http://thecitizensarchiveofpakistan.blogspot.com/

We thank you for all your support and welcome your feedback on our work!

Photo by Insiya Syed

How I met CAP

2009-04-28T17:14:00.006+06:00

My maternal grandfather (nana) was in the Indian air force at the time of partition. I grew up listening to his stories of dogfights (aerial combat between fighter aircraft), his winning the Clarkson Trophy and various other exciting tales of my country at the time it was being torn into little pieces. I remember sitting by his feet in the garden, playing with his twelve cats and eagerly poring over every word.

From him, I learnt what partition was like for my people. What difficulties they faced, physical and mental. He spoke about how torn people felt when told to leave everything they had and move away to a country being made especially for them. He spoke about leaving family, friends and worldly possessions behind.

Having being born and raised in Karachi, and studying here most of my life, I went through the same rigmarole that everyone else did when it came to learning the history of our country. That green Pakistan studies book, that awful teacher who knew the book by rote, but ask any questions, or have an opinion and all you get in return is a blank stare.

My nana taught me history. Through his words, I learnt about partition; the reasons behind it, the situation and thinking of the times, the political, cultural and religious impact on society et al. It helped me form my own, non-green-pak-studies-book-related opinion about partition, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and even Kashmir.

When I moved back to Karachi after spending nearly ten years living in Canada, I had a chance to spend more time with nana. During this time, he regaled me with the same stories I had grown up listening to. What was really sad was that he was forgetting; some very crucial details and stories were just… lost. Seeing this, my family and I set out hunting for a writer who would record his oral history.

I happened to come across someone who was working with CAP and mentioned my nana. He helped me nominate him for CAP’s Oral History Project. When the interns arrived at my house I remember my nana’s eyes lit up. He turned to me and said, “ it feels so good to know, that my work won’t die with me. My story will stay alive and Alayna (his great grand-daughter, my niece) will be able to hear the same stories you did growing up”.

Here is an audio visual installation created using his interviews and photographs by the Oral History Project.

Within a week, I heard from Sharmeen O. and she asked me in for an interview as the interns had told her of my personal interest in CAP. When I walked into CAP office I was thrilled, curious, intimidated and excited, all at the same time. I offered up two hours a day as volunteering time. I was there for two hours the first day… eight hours the next and then I just didn’t leave.

Now I’m Project Manager here. After working at CAP for over 9 months I have learnt so much. I have so many stories and so many experiences. I’m looking forward to sharing them with all of you.

In the meantime, feedback is much appreciated. Let us know what you’d like to see on here!
Until next time… lets make history so we have something worthwhile to preserve ;)

Mariam B.

Oral History Project: Jeevay, Jeevay Pakistan

2009-04-21T19:07:00.004+06:00

An Oral History Project Clip about the song 'Jeevay, Jeevay Pakistan', based on our interviews with the very prolific Jameeluddin Aali.

Follow the link above, subscribe to our videos and stay tuned!

Hello world

2009-04-16T11:06:00.001+06:00

Welcome to the Citizens Archive of Pakistan blog. This is the first post and I'm really happy to be writing it.

I run the Oral History Project in Karachi, Pakistan.

Oral history is the recording of people's memories. It is the living history of everyones unique life experiences. Oral history enables people who have been hidden from history to be heard, and for those interested in their past to record personal experiences and those of their families and communities. The Oral History Project has been recording oral history since June 2008.

Through the interviews, unbelievable stories have emerged of implausible acts of political strategy, as well as heart-warming accounts of courage and personal strength.

We aim to capture the stories of personalities from Pakistan's partition generation for our permanent archives. However, just as importantly, we value our collection of interviews with the many 'behind the scenes' pioneers and characters such as artists, musicians, radio and TV personalities as well as Pakistanis from all walks of life who lived and experienced life in pre-partition India and the 1947 partition of the Indian Sub-Continent.

By conducting and collecting oral histories and photographs these stories are recorded, preserved and made accessible for generations of Pakistanis to come. As with all historical records, oral histories provide important information on incidents from the past. Being able to hear the story from the participants themselves adds yet another, richer dimension to our collective national memory. This is an ongoing project and its scope includes stories spanning six decades of the country's history.

So what can you expect from this blog? Stay tuned... You'll get to meet the people who make the CAP office work, who come up with the most brilliant ideas, the interns and volunteers that give us their time - the people I'm lucky to work with.

You'll find out about our up-coming projects and events and hear from some fabulous guest-bloggers who have given CAP a helping hand along the way.

Who are the amazing people we meet while working on the Oral History Project?

What are some of the (weird) and unbelievable stories emerging from the CAP office?

What is the School Outreach Tour?

And what does S.O.C have planned next?

Thank you all for your support and kind words.

OHP shameless plugging: If you wish to nominate someone for the Oral History Project, please do contact us at citizensarchive@gmail.com

Check out www.citizensarchive.org - All interviews are used to create an audio-visual film clip.

Each clip is a record that encompasses the personal stories of Pakistanis involved in events that shaped our nation, the reminiscences of high achievers in their field or the everyday lives of those who witnessed the early years of our country and the memories of the nation at work and play.

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan’s Oral History Project is all-inclusive: Pakistanis from all walks of life are eligible to be interviewed. The audio-visual nature of the Project ensures that even if you are unable to read or write English or Urdu, you are still able to interact with the history of your nation.You can watch one of our film clips on the website!

Photo by Kohi Marri - 1600 schoolchildren visited the Shanaakht festival on 8th April. This is one of many images from the day. You can visit our Facebook group (The Citizens Archive of Pakistan) to check out all the other photos. This is my personal favourite.

S.M.