Strange but true….I know of a friend (classical opera singer) stuck in NYC without work since she is unable to get the required visa. (Source: The Economist)
Beauty and the Geek
Jun 19th 2008 | NEW YORK
From The Economist print edition
A new bill proposes more visas be allocated to fashion models
IT’S not often that fashion models are paired with IT workers, except in the lurid fantasies of computer geeks. But because of a decision made back in 1990 they must compete for the same over-subscribed H-1B, a temporary work visa for specialised occupations. Until 2004, when the government lowered the cap on the number of H-1Bs it issued, it didn’t matter so much. But now demand has far outstripped the limited number of visas available, and many foreign models are being denied the chance to sashay down America’s catwalks.
Anthony Weiner, a New York congressman, wants to fix this tragic glitch. He has proposed a bill amending the rules so that the models will be reclassified into their own special immigration category. This would free up more visas for the nerds; and it would allow 1,000 models to strut their stuff in America each year, compared with just 349 in 2007, half the annual number admitted between 2000 and 2005.
This essay by Mary Schmich was published in the Chicago Tribune in 1997. It was rumored to be a commencement speech given by Kurt Vonnegut at MIT, but that was obviously not true, but it made several rounds on the internet. I remember reading it back then and was truly taken aback by the simplicity and the power of the message contained with in it. No idea what prompted me to think of it again today, but I did. And here it is to be shared with you. Watch the video that was also made on her essay.
Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young
Mary Schmich
June 1, 1997 Inside every adult lurks a graduation speaker dying to get out, some world-weary pundit eager to pontificate on life to young people who’d rather be Rollerblading. Most of us, alas, will never be invited to sow our words of wisdom among an audience of caps and gowns, but there’s no reason we can’t entertain ourselves by composing a Guide to Life for Graduates.I encourage anyone over 26 to try this and thank you for indulging my attempt.
Ladies and gentlemen of the class of ‘97:
Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they’ve faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.Do one thing every day that scares you.
A dear friend, who is herself pregnant with a baby girl, just sent this. How cute is this? … Watch and enjoy. It will make you smile, esp. if you have ever tried dancing dabke yourself. Click on image below (in center) to play the video.
It’s been a while since I wrote something on a lighter note on this blog…but believe me, I do have a lighter side as well.
Here is a favorite song from this lovely Lebanese/Colombian star. Yes, Shakira (this time she is a brunette!) - now I only wish Boston clubs played such music more often.
Born in Barranquilla, Colombia on 1977, for a Lebanese father and a Colombian mother, Shakira Isabel Mebarak is the youngest of her parents’ eight children. Shakira’s female rocker style garnered her the World Music Award for Latin Female Artist of the Year, while the phenomenal success of Laundry Service and ‘Whenever, Whenever’ has hurled her to fame.
By now I believe most Pakistanis living in the West and access to the youtube wonder must already know about Kashif Memon’s appearance on America’s Got Talent. I am no fan of this show, but probably only because I don’t get enough time to watch TV. However, these shows, as loe and hate relationships they may evoke in their audiences, do serve some useful purpose. They are fun to watch, they allow people to see performances by amateurs who could one day make it big, and some of their contestants really do make it big!
But who is Mohammad Kashif Memon? Turns out he is a Pakistani sandwich-maker. He just made an appearance on the show and it is the HOT topic on the Pakistani blog circuit right now. All of us must have really needed a break from the monotony of bad news coming out of Pakistan regarding politics, media, electricity meltdowns etc….
Ofcourse, as a Pakistani, I find it amusing and more fun to watch Kashif than just someone else. Us Pakistanis don’t exactly show up on US TV very much (at least not in a positive light), and when we do, its a neat occasion to celebrate. I also celebrated when a Pakistani family showed up on Paris Hilton’s show! That was fun.
A clipping from his appearance is below and I would love to know what you think. His appearance is so simple, he really looks like he just walked off work in his sandwich shop and showed up to audition. His performance left me desiring for more. I have seen some absolutely fantastic dancing moves by amateurs at friends’ wedding. He would not do well in front of a Pakistani crowd - his moves are old and a bit too cheesy even for Bollywood stuff, but to a new audience (including David Hasselhof), it is new and breath-taking!
Check it out…
That said, I also want to put in a plug for one other performance at such a show that was sent to me by a friend. This is also an amateur simple guy from somewhere in England. But my God! He is sooo good!!! That video is also appended below. I love it.
A young boy was born in 1954 in what is now Bangladesh. At the age of ~15, he moved to Karachi in search of a future in the music industry. He had brought nothing else with him but a guitar and a passion to sing. He settled in the PECHSarea of Karachi and started singing in the evenings at a small cafe called “Cafe D Khan” on Tariq Road. He would not get paid for his gig, but did get a free meal each day. For an aspiring musician, just a free meal and an attentive audience was worth the effort.
And that is how a legend emerged. Who among us has not heard of Alamgir? From that small dimly lit cafe he got introduced to Khushbakhat Shujaat from the Karachi TV station and then to Sohail Rana, the music maestro who made careers for so many people. His guitar skills and rendition of a famous spanish song “Guanatanamera“, altered to be “Albela Rahi“ in Urdu landed him a spot on TV, and from there on he never looked back. In his own words he kept singing because it was his passion, and mesmerisingly watched himself become a superstar right before his own eyes.
Alamgir was the King of Pakistani Pop Music until mid 90’s, and then, he disappeared. Yes, nobody has known for the past decade or so where Alamgir went. The guy who was ubiquitous on TV, who sang popular songs on TV and film, and who had one super hit after another, from “Dekha Na Thaa“ to “Yeh Shaam Aur Tera Naam“, “Neeley Neeley Amber per”, “Mainey Tumharee Gagar Sey“ and “Maaon Kee Dua“ just left his fans hanging and disappeared from the scene. Read the rest of this entry »
I had heard of Doctors without Borders and Reporters without Borders, but when I saw a headline in a Pakistani newspaper about Mystics without Borders, it was a first for me and certainly caught my attention.
It turns out a fascinating festival by the name of the “International Mystic Music Sufi Festival” is currently being celebrated in Karachi at the Bara Dari. The festival is being organised by the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop, which is also the group that has been responsible for the popular World Performing Arts Festival held annually in Lahore.
This Sufi festival is the first of its kind in Karachi and certainly an encouraging sign that people are able to express and share their sentiments, devotion, spirituality and passion in diverse ways. This festival is expected to last until May 7, and with an entrance fee of just Rs 300, it promises a lot of entertainment and education to Karachiites. According to the organizers, performers from over 70 countries have been invited to present their specialties in muslim sufi rituals, including music, songs and dances. There are performers from as far away as Syria which can be a delight to watch.
ATP has written before (here, here, here, here, here and here) on some of the great mystic poets and we wish to join the participants in this festival in spirit.
My brother recently moved to Dubai for work, and as I see this hilarious video from a TV skit from Pakistan in the 1980s, I am reminded of him.
For those who cannot understand Urdu in the skit, basically it is making fun of the people who left Pakistan en masse in the 70s and 80s to go to Dubai. It was then that the phrase “chalo chalo, Dubai chalo” (lets, go, lets go to Dubai) became commonsay. Anybody who could madeit to Dubai, and those who could not wondered what paradise their loved ones had migrated to. A large majority of those who moved were the less educated worker bees, exactly what Dubai needed at the time. In this video, the wife is singing to her villager husband to not forget to bring gifts back for everyone in the family when he returns. The words are set to a famous song and that adds to the fun of it.
I am also laughing as I watch this because even now, it is fairly common for relatives to still ask for all kinds of gifts when somebody returns from abroad. I have seen requests ranging from chocolates, and coffee to Joggers and cordless phones. Some of the more interesting ones have included baby formula (its really not that much beter here, women!), aspirin pills (do they really add impurities on purpose in medications in Pakistan), and T-shirts (like there were not enough Tshirts already in Pakistan with Nike, Chicago Bulls and NY Yankees logos on them). The funniest was when a young cousin was disappointed that I did not bring him a US made school bag. Now maybe you can understand why the 50lb weight limit on luggage in international flights is such a problem for some of us…..
IT’S not often that fashion models are paired with IT workers, except in the lurid fantasies of computer geeks. But because of a decision made back in 1990 they must compete for the same over-subscribed H-1B, a temporary work visa for specialised occupations. Until 2004, when the government lowered the cap on the number of H-1Bs it issued, it didn’t matter so much. But now demand has far outstripped the limited number of visas available, and many foreign models are being denied the chance to sashay down America’s catwalks.
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Art, literature and theatre, Economy, General, Music & film, USA | Tagged: beauty, geeks, H1B, models, visa | 
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Posted by Bilal Zuberi
Inside every adult lurks a graduation speaker dying to get out, some world-weary pundit eager to pontificate on life to young people who’d rather be Rollerblading. Most of us, alas, will never be invited to sow our words of wisdom among an audience of caps and gowns, but there’s no reason we can’t entertain ourselves by composing a Guide to Life for Graduates.I encourage anyone over 26 to try this and thank you for indulging my attempt.
It’s been a while since I wrote something on a lighter note on this blog…but believe me, I do have a lighter side as well.
By now I believe most Pakistanis living in the West and access to the youtube wonder must already know about 
A young boy was born in 1954 in what is now Bangladesh. At the age of ~15, he moved to Karachi in search of a future in the music industry. He had brought nothing else with him but a guitar and a passion to sing. He settled in the 
