Into the Lion’s Den

Lions are the king of the jungle because of their majestic appearance and which lion could be more majestic than Aslan from “The Chronicles of Narnia”. The books and the movies themselves are a marvel.  I think this is one of those series whose film adaptations have done justice to them like the “Hunger Games”.

The books are written using very easy to understand language but yet this has not compromised the quality of the content. I think this is the biggest achievement of C.S. Lewis as a writer to have spun the simplest of words into the most beautiful sentences. The narration of the book is superb not only it can be understood from an elementary school grader to a PhD scholar but how every character and event has been written down; it is as if you are living the story.

The story itself seems to be inspired from the Bible and many claim that Aslan has been inspired from the Lion of Judah. These claims, I believe, are very valid to quite an extent because while reading the book you get the feeling that the author is hinting Aslan to be Jesus. Well what Lewis’s true intention was only he knows. The concept of other worlds in the book and the possibility of travel between them is just like that in “His Dark Materials” also known as the “Golden Compass Series”. Both books seem to have conflict with church the later one more.  

Leaving aside the religious disputes over the book, I love the story line and how all books have been interlinked like beads woven together in a string. I am a huge fan of fiction novels especially fantasy involving mythological creatures and Aslan is one of my favorite characters. I wish there was a lion this big in the real world and I would have it as a pet!!! Pretty crazy huh?! C.S, Lewis has raised the stature of lions and placed them on the same level as dragons and elves. Not only Aslan, every character has a unique place and the perfectly fits into the puzzle of the story.

The books are so addictive that once you start reading you just can’t put them down. A movie cannot present all the details in it so if you like details read the books. I had watched the movies first but when I read the book; how the Snow/Evil Queen got to Narnia was quite the discovery. The history of the famous Wardrobe is also there and did you know the Queen even made to the human world?!  All these details are the life of the story though for me it was a disappointment how Susan turned out in the end. Didn't like that detail also that everyone died except her. I would recommend getting a soft cover version of the book if you buying all together in a single volume because you hard cover copy will literally fall apart reason being that you won’t let the book go before you are done reading it and by the time you will be the binding would have lost its will to stay put.

 The copy I have has a timeline in it to make things interesting. All the events have been jotted down to present a summary of the chronicles. This feature adds to the feel of the book. Though when reading you already are there in Narnia; Aslan’s den, but such details make it more convincing. Also the illustrations are really awesome. Though whichever copy of the book you have, it is a must read and the perfect gift for anyone who loves fiction.

Jessica Jung: Girl You Have Got Style

Many of us know Jessica Jung as the main vocalist of the super girl group, Girls’ Generation but in the fashion world she is known as the Style Queen. Not only has Jessica won many polls for being the best dressed celebrity of South Korea, her style is also admired by many style gurus. Because of her style and fame she has managed to bag the endorsement deals from world’s finest brands such as Cartier, Chanel, Dior, Burberry etc.

Jessica never fails to wow people with her fashion sense be it on the red carpet, stage or the airport. What earns this fashionista the top place is the way she carries every outfit and remember carrying an outfit is the key because if one doesn't carry their clothes properly, a very amazing outfit can become a disaster. Amazingly her style is not too flashy rather it’s very plain and modest. It’s the simplicity of her style with a decent ladylike attitude that makes her so adorable.

What she wears in television, commercials, stage is majorly the choice of her stylists; her true dressing sense is reflected in her airport fashion. Jessica always like to keep things simple but never forgets to add a pop of color into her outfit with a statement piece be it her favorite Chanel handbags, her Tory Burch shoes or her Ray Ban sunglasses which she rarely parts with. Her style though plain for many; exudes royalty and class.

So what is that which we can learn from her style?:

1.       Simplicity is the best policy especially if you are starting or have recently started to style yourself . One can never go wrong with simple and well matched outfit. One can look amazing in just a plain t-shirt.

2.       Carrying the outfit is extremely important or should I say the most important thing in fashion.  This is the main reason Jessica manages to look like a Barbie doll in any outfit even in those Vegeta outfits from the 1^st Japanese Arena Tours.

As I have mentioned above the perfect outfit can be ruined or the worst can be made to work because of how one wears it. It is extremely important to learn how to carry your clothes properly and the key is being confident about yourself and what you are wearing. 

3.       Being detailed oriented, sure what suits you, your style, body structure and personality plays the central role in making your style stand out. Confidence is always not the cure sometimes it can become the reason for your down fall. Always be sure that whatever you are wearing actually compliments you overall and brings out your personality rather than makes you look like an alien like Lady Gaga. (Man she needs a sane stylist not a former butcher!)

4.       Accessories are very important; they add life to your outfit. The right accessories especially watches are a must have!!! Jessica always have some accessories on and trust me ladies the delicate ones look really classy especially if you are going somewhere special.

5.       Whenever wearing something simple never forget to add a statement piece if you want to make your outfit standout. Statement pieces play a big role in making Jessica’s style unique.

6.       The right hair style and hair cut is extremely important. Jessica’s hair play a main role in making her look like a princess. Her signature curls are JANG!!! And trust me there will be extremely few ladies rather rare case out there who would not look good with these curls.

 Even Jessica had her share of bad hair days her they cut her hair short for Gee. Her octopus hair style was quite the killer!!! :p

I personal piece of advice to all the ladies out there; girls should be girls. Being tomboyish is one thing but to act like a man is something which definitely something I wouldn’t recommend any lady out there to do. Things only operate well when they do what they are designed to do otherwise they start to malfunction. Also appropriate amount maintenance is a must for all girls. You should take care of yourself rather than to wait for anything to happen for you to take action about.

Anyhow, coming back to the topic being simple does not necessary translate into being bland. It’s ok to play around with your clothes once you have gotten a good grip over your style and what suits you. Ne should always dress to kill. It’s not necessary to spend fortunes on clothes only; the big designer things can also be disastrous sometimes. You should learn to manage within your resources. The key to looking good is being confident and to wear which accolades you and brings out your persona.

Reminiscence of the Past

When nations stop honoring their past and heritage they are left with no future and culture. Our nation has not only forgotten their older generations but also have no care for the legacy they left behind. Old landmarks lying in shambles are biggest example of such attitude.

Here, in Pakistan, most of our old buildings have reduced to rubble or are in the process of becoming one. Sheikhupura Fort is one of such erections. Built in the 16^th century, in the city of Sheikhupura which got its name from this fort; *Qila Sheikhupura, this fort has been the house of many great and small rulers. According to historical records this structure was constructed by Emperor Jehangir as a base camp for their hunting trips. Later the fort became the possession of a Sikh ruler then to be taken over by the British. The fort has even housed the immigrants, at the time of East and West Pakistan, who burned downed its magnificent wooden doors because they were not provided with proper resources to survive in the harsh winters.

Not only that this fort has been the victim of the illiteracy of our people who have vandalized the place by scratching the walls, jotting down their numbers as if the ghost of a royal princess will be interested in giving them a call and writing down their names in hideous hand writings. I seriously don’t get such people. It’s so heartbreaking to see a beautiful painting covered by “Basheer” and his girl’s name. I wonder what sort of monstrous satisfaction it brings them. If they are so interested in leaving their marks on history, better do something that might actually get them there rather than ruining whatever actual past we have left.

Though the place lies in ruin it might not be sill too late to save it. Even in its broken state whatever is left their, the art and the craftsmanship, it is breathtaking. The paintings on the walls survived despite all odds. The colors are still so vivid and vibrant; I honestly don’t believe any modern day paints can compete with the ones used in these pictures. The wooden roof-covering are some masterpieces. Even after their upper layers have fallen off, they still leave one in awe. It took me a while to get back to my senses.   

Going through those ruins was like getting a glimpse into the past though a very, very, very blurry one. To imagine what it would have looked like in its original form is something none of us can do justice with. Also we do not have much of an option left anyways as nothing original remains but in small bits and pieces shattered all over the place. At every turn there is something utterly amazing only to found broken, vandalized or gone! I would give anything to actually see what it was like back then. How were our legendary ancestors?! The fort amidst of all the houses sprang out of the ground like mushrooms, stand tall and graceful.

This place holds a special attraction many are not aware about, the underground tunnel system. Rumor has it that beneath the fort there is a complex network of tunnels that once led to Lahore fort and from there they went to a fort now in India. Though there is no solid evidence to prove this fact but the fort does have underground tunnels, which I found out after nearly falling into one. Due to no maintenance most of the ground above the tunnels has fallen into them making the fort ground an extremely dangerous place. So, I would advise anyone lace to go there to take extra care throughout the trip though it is now closed. The only way to get in is to find the assigned caretaker and pay him to let you in. 

Anyways coming back to the tunnels, where they lead, not many know for sure. Such amazing places if restored can be huge tourist attractions. People should view these places as huge investments. Just a little revamping can make such places into dollar earning machines. We’ve seen so many such examples especially in India. If there are still people out there who have conscience and enough resources, they should definitely step forward to save these reminiscences of the past because if we keep losing them one day we will lose our true identity as well.

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(*Qila is the Urdu word used for fort)

Three Reasons to Love your iPad

         To be honest I’m not one of those Apple product maniacs but it would be untrue to say that I can easily live without them. The reason I don’t like iPad and iPhone is because of the iOS Sync feature. Me being a person who is always out of space in my NoteBook’s hard drive (because I download stuff like crazy) am always moving, replacing and deleting my files and it is a hassle when everything is erased because the file location has been changed. (But I think you can avoid this by making a backup but then again I have space issues!!!) . Other than that these products are really great especially in terms of battery if compared to other Android products. I literally charge my iPad once a week and twice on rare occasions (and yes I do use it every single day for a reasonable amount of time). Same thing goes for my iPhone which has become more of an iPod since I updated my phone. But this is not the only reason I adore my iPad.

          I’m a person who likes to read a lot and books are the love of my life and I spent all of my pocket money on buying books. Call it a defect or what but I can’t buy pirated books, I have serious issues with them. It’s just like buying a copy of a designer hand bag. Would any girl who cares too much about her class and image risk buying one?! I hope you get my point though original books have nothing to do with class only personal satisfaction.

            Anyways, coming back to the point, being a college student I need my pocket money for other things and my books were really causing a budget deficit :p That’s when heavens became kind on me and I discovered the wonders an iPad can do for book lovers and the luxury of free downloads on the internet.  *Free* iBooks have literally changed my life.

1.       You get the book for free.
2.       Most of the books are easily available over the Internet especially Mangas.
(A tip for Manga lovers especially those in Pakistan, we all know that Mangas are not available here. So what you can do is you download it from the internet in picture format, convert it in PDF file and sync sync sync, TaDa!!! There you go your very own manga copy. I’ll be uploading several manga series that I have converted some time later. )
3.       If you are like me and can’t let go of a book until it is finished, you just have to read it no matter what, trust me reading a book in a torch light is not such a good experience. When with an iPad you don’t have to worry about light/ electricity unless you have to charge it. Reading goes on even after lights out.
4.       Even if an iBook is not available, you always have PDFs.
5.       Most of the course books are available in PDF formats so if you have them in your iPad you don’t have  to worry about carrying those heavy books to class.

Your iPad can be your life savior especially in one of those boring classes which never seem to end. Most of us get caught on our cell phones but the trick with your iPad is you open the note scribble a few lines of the lecture and convince the lecturer by your serious look that you are actively taking notes, then as the lecture proceeds play games, surf on the Internet or whatever you want. But make sure you open the notepad when the instructor is around.  

I’m also a big fan of the application “Find My iPhone”. I have a record of losing cell phones, probably lost half a dozen in last two years.  This application saved me a couple of times and I’m really thankful to the developer of this app.

These are the three I love my iPad. How about you? 

Tanzeela Muhammad