Where’s Mr. Perfect?

By: Charmi Patel/Thaakat Foundation

Really though? Where is he? Is he the best friend or is he the neighbor across the street. When do you know? How do you feel? I have absolutely no idea regarding those questions. However, I do know one thing for sure. You should be completely comfortable with him and everything around him. Nothing should be an issue. Every topic should be an open topic. How do you know if someone is truly the one for you? You really don’t know. It’s a matter of trial and error. It’s important to give yourself the chance to get to know someone and even the chance to not like them. No one says that dating is easy. You shouldn’t agree to a date because you feel bad. It should be because you want to go out with that certain someone…who knows: they may be a good significant other or even a better friend. Never miss out on those opportunities. Everyone is capable of friendship, and that is one thing forgotten in the episodes of dating.

Now how about those parent-inflicted dates? Good, bad, mediocre? I have to say..those are not as bad as people make them seem. Your parents are always looking for the best for you. They never want to see you get hurt or fall. These “potentials” they throw at you usually have a few qualities you are looking for. Now what’s wrong with checking them out? You may learn to like them…and if not, they may become good friends. Never miss out on those opportunities, much less any opportunities.

Let’s come to the women LOOKING to close the deal. Is that really a way you should be thinking? Dating, and especially marriage, is a very important ordeal in anyone’s life. Not just yours, but your family’s. You want to be sure you are happy sharing your life with this other person. Don’t feel like you have to settle for less or just agree to what others say. The great thing is that you have a say in your life. Make yourself heard, but be mature and respectful about it. Everyone has their destiny sought out…it could be just a matter of time till yours is fulfilled. Don’t lose yourself in the struggle and don’t sell yourself short of what you deserve.

Coffee In The Hills of Arabia

By: Ammara Bokhari

Did you know coffee originated in Arabia? Who woulda thought? Considering the Near East is so heavy on tea-drinking. I love tea (green tea) but I love coffee too. Well, I actually love white chocolate mochas from Starbucks which is kind of like coffee except better. The point is they both wake me up! Although just plain coffee gets me more wired, I prefer a smoother taste and a less wired mind. So I stick to the white mochas. But here’s a thought: do you ever wonder how it all began? How did someone come up with this incredible drink? The story is actually very fascinating. Seriously, a great bedtime read if you ask me. No pun intended.

It all began in 9th century Arabia just off the southern hills of Yemen. An Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi noticed his goats acting very much out of the ordinary. They were full of energy, running around the sunny fields lively kicking up their heels! Kaldi stepped in the madness and after examining them closer noticed his goats nibbling on some shrubs with red berries. Kaldi was bethroddled. He snatched a shrub out of one of his goat’s mouth and nibbled on these mysterious red berries himself. With in moments Kaldi felt a rush of alertness and energy through his veins. His heart began to race. It was an unexplainable high that not even the near by nuns could explain. It was madness. He decided to head to a nearby monastery. A Muslim monk came out and greeted him Kaldi could not wait to tell this monk of his berry experience. The Muslim monk listened anxiously as the poor goat herder told him of the berry’s peculiar effects.

The following morning the monk troddled up to the same hillside Kaldi and his goats had occupied and cut off a few branches of the berry shrubs, and brought it back to his monastery. He took a small taste of the berry and immediately spit it out. It was disgusting. He decided to roast them in an open fire, hoping to improve their flavor He then crushed the roasted berries with a stone and boiled them in water creating a thick drink (genius)! The monk took a few sips of the drink and immediately felt his eyes widen his mind becoming active and his senses heightening. The drink itself was quite pleasant tasting He noticed he was able to stay up all hours of the night without feeling tired by drinking this concoction. “I must share this with my fellow monks,” he gasped. Much to his delight the other monks were experiencing the same effects. Everyone was thrilled and soon news of this drink became famous all over-from Egypt to Persia and soon from the Muslim world, coffee spread into Europe and to the rest of the world.

The Arabs tried very hard to guard the secrets behind this drink’s cultivation, but with the increased number of European travelers to Arab lands, along with the steady expansion of the Ottoman Empire it was difficult. By the early 17th century, coffee beans were in high demand. There was a coffee bean craze! They were being smuggled into India as Dutch spies shipped them off to their colonies in Java for cultivation. Coffee’s recipe was no longer a secret and soon it became one of the most popular drinks in the world and still is. So next time your ordering a cup of Joe, remember the deep history behind it… and be thankful to those goats of Arabia.

Museum of Islamic Art Opens in Qatar!

By: Ammara Bokhari

The Gulf is about to experience it’s most artistically cultural moment in its modern history. Thanks to its patron, the honorable Emir-Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Qatar is now home to the Museum of Islamic Art, which gracefully opened its doors to the public on November 22^nd.

In a smart move to attract art enthusiasts, Qatar hopes to boost and diversify its economy to attract more tourists and not to be as dependent on its commodities in the future. As art sales seem to be falling in today’s economy, the $300 million Museum appears as a gem as it turned its opening into a major event attracting the art elite from all over the world.

The distinguished design and unique collections make this museum an important cultural and archaeological landmark. Design for the building is the work of I.M. Pei, a Pritzker Prize-winning Chinese-born American architect known for his modernist approach to architecture. The cream-colored building is shaped in different geometric forms- a combination of various building blocks rest upon one another, adjusted on different angles to coincide with light and shadow. It rests on a man-made island just off the sandy coast of Doha, surrounded by the blue waters of the Persian Gulf. Access to the museum can be by boat or crossing a bridge, which one can walk to from a large palm-tree lined walk-way.

In an attempt to revive the Islamic civilization, the museum hopes to present its public with a deeper understanding of Islamic history in a distinctively modern and artistic approach. It will serve as a creative center for cultural dialogue not only through its exhibitions but also through hosting a series of seminars, workshops and symposiums in painting, sculpture, photography and other arts. It will also serve as an international educational institution through its rich library.

So wait, all this talk about an “Islamic art” museum, what exactly is Islamic art? Traditionally, it can be defined as decorative or sacred items made in Muslim-ruled regions, anywhere from Spain to India, from as early as the 600s through the 1900s. Istanbul’s Blue Mosque is a vital example. Its’ series of geometric patterns, intricate calligraphy and floral shapes all contribute to its ever-lasting beauty. Although portraits have not been incorporated into religious artworks, human faces along with animals have been portrayed in carpets, jewelry, books and ceramics. The Museum is lucky to have a rich collection of art such as historical metalwork and silk carpets from 14^th and 15^th centuries along with a thousand-year-old astrolabe, a device that likely used to help guide the direction of the holy city of Mecca. Although the Museum’s main focus will be on historical Islamic art, the Middle East is host to several world-renown contemporary artists such as Iranian photographer Shirin Neshat, Iranian painter Farhad Moshiri and Egyptian painter Huda Lufti, all of whom contribute ground-breaking work to the art world.

So on your next trip to Pakistan or India; I highly suggest turning a boring 5-hour layover in Qatar into an over-night stay to experience Islam’s rich artistic history at the Islamic Museum of Art, a hidden gem soon to become one of the top art museums in the world. It will well be worth the extra day!

Who Says There’s No Money In the Arts???

By: Ammara Bokhari

Stocks declining, financial industries crashing, mortgage crisis intensifying, and never-ending debt. Oh the horrors of our seismic shifted economy, let alone that of the world! You may feel like hiding all your money under the mattress during this bear market, but investors have not lost hope, certainly not in Pakistan. A new focus has emerged among investors in Pakistan, and that focus is in modern art.

With a flourishing art scene and an increased appreciation for it, the works of Pakistani artists are being sold for thousands of dollars with buyers lined up at their gallery openings. The art scene in Pakistan has erupted within the past few years. Stock market uncertainty and high risks in real estate has led the corporate sector to shift its focus towards art investment.

The business of buying art in Pakistan has evolved along with its artists. Serious buyers are known to sell out entire gallery shows before their openings. One such gallery opening was in Islamabad of abstract painter Mashkoor Raza. All 52 of his canvases were privately sold even before the doors were opened to the public. Recent graduates from The National College of Arts in Lahore have began to sell their paintings for hundreds of dollars, the price of a famous designer outfit, in hopes of becoming as recognized as the earlier masters such as Ismail Gulgee, Ahmed Parvez, Tasadduq Sohail, and Iqbal Hussain. An abstract painting by Sohail sold for $32,000 at an international auction in 2006 and just this past March, Gulgee’s Polo Player, a mosaic in metal, sold for $336,000 at an auction in Dubai. This was a monumental moment in Pakistan’s modern art scene since it was the highest selling price for a Pakistani artist’s work to date:

Pakistan’s eager public is looking at art as a promising investment with confidence that prices can only go up as demand increases. Modern art is being looked at not only as an aesthetic collection builder, but also as an excellent portfolio diversifier.

There are some obvious differences between a Gulgee canvas and buying shares of Google. Art is not nearly as liquid as stocks. You can’t decide to sell a painting tomorrow with a simple click of a mouse, reaping instant monetary benefits. And, although it may be easy to believe art investing is closely correlated with the stock market, it actually has a very low correlation. Studies by the Stern School of Business at NYU have proved that art indices, compared with stock indices, have performed well during economic downturns, especially during war.

Throughout history, the buying and selling of art has been a hobby the rich and well connected have enjoyed. Now, however, collecting art has developed into a savvy investment strategy that the corporate sector realizes may prove to be gratifying and profitable. But if you are purchasing a piece for its aesthetic or personal appeal, then you cannot suffer any real loss, even if the market tumbles!