Angela Amiri's Posts (77)
Sort by
In many dominant countries including Pakistan, the governments absolutely fail to protect their nations’ prosperity because they do not let half of their society – women – play a role in peace or policy-making in the society. The men in charge have yet to recognize the power or the potential that women could have when it comes to negotiations to bring and keep peace and help society in any possible way. In Pakistan, the culture and religion exclude women from peace negotiation, policy-making and any other general decisions. Women are the victims who do not hold the power, but have the ability to play an important role in peace negotiations and any other role in the society.Although, women work behind the scenes to protect their families and secure basic human rights i. Their exclusion neglects the need for their vital perspectives and skills in the peace building and reconciliation process. Instead of leaving security and all the negotiations only in the hands of powerful men with a limited view of security, i think women should also be given some authority. Women faced inequality, discrimination, underestimated, and deprived even from their rights in Pakistan. Although, women have already found cost effective ways to survive and overcome decades of torture, abuse and exclusion without weapons, validating their intelligence. They know the value of peace, and want to approach everything peacefully and help the society as a whole. There was a very interesting article that i read about Pakistani women struggle against violence and extremists and i thought to share here too.
http://www.icanpeacework.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Pakistan-brief-MK-1.9.14.pdf
With the semester winding down, I wanted to ensure that I had maintained a balanced approach with my language learning that I had hoped for at the beginning of the semester. This semester, I wanted to be able to improve as many aspects of my Urdu knowledge as possible. Personally, I wanted to improve my writing, reading and listening comprehension, pronunciation and speaking skills. I truly felt I was able to hit upon all of the areas I had hoped to improve on. That said, in the final weeks I wanted to improve in an area where I felt I still needed some more work - speaking and listening comprehension.
My language partner and I decided it would be best to build upon the activities that I had done during weeks ten to twelve weeks ; however, this time they would be much more intensive. I wanted to immerse myself in the language by replacing most of the media that I typically watch in English with an Urdu counterpoint. For instance, I would watch the news, television shows and Of course, I did not always know what was being said, but I realized that the more time I spent watching thing in Urdu the easier it was for me to gauge what was being said and link it back to what previous knowledge of the language I had. Weeks twelve and thirteen were definitely an increase in difficulty over what I had done in weeks nine and ten and I was often frustrated when I would come across a news segment or part of a show that was too complex for me to understand. Despite that, the experience was truly worthwhile and fantastic.
Pakistani national dress:
The Shalwar Kumez is the national dress of Pakistan and is worn by men and women in almost all provinces of Pakistan. Although, Each province has its own style of wearing the Shalwar Qameez.Pakistanis wairclothes range from exquisite colors and designs to the type of fabric such as silk, cotton and etc.
In regional clothing, Balochi people wear shalwar kameez of thick cloth with very wide shalwar to prevent themselves from the hot wind of dry desert. They wear Balochi turban made of a very long cloth, often in white color to prevent their head from sun rays.Sindhi people wear shalwar kameez with traditional Sidni and Arjuk of beautiful designs which are made locally.Punjabi men wear simple shalwar kameez, Shalwar and Dhoti kurta according to Punjabi climate. Turban of a thin cloth is also used with Shalwar Kameez especially in rural areas of Punjab where it is called Pagri. It is also used with Dhoti Kurta. In Pashtun dress, people wear traditional Peshawari Chappal in feet and Pakul with Shalwar kameez. Attached are some pictures of famous clothes mentioned above.
I was really interested to know some about village life and city life in Pakistan. I did some reserach as well as talked to my language partner to get some more information. So i have written a piece mostly about village in Pakistan.
Village life :
Pakistan is predominantly a land of villages. A major portion of Pakistani Population resides in villages because agriculture is the main occupation of the Pakistani people. Today, there are more than a thousand villages in Pakistan. A Pakistani village reflects the real picture of Pakistan. A Pakistani village, as a matter of fact, is the very epitome of Pakistan's progress after the attainment of Independence . The Government of free Pakistan paid much attention to the lifting of the standard of Pakistani villagers.
A Pakistani village is still confronted with various problems ranging from the lack of education to improper sanitation. No doubt, during the last many years. much has been done to uplift Pakistani villagers, the majority of them are still afflicted by the evils like ignorance and illiteracy. A Pakistani villager is a rough diamond. He still sticks to the old superstition. customs and conventions which have become obsolete and outworn in the modern age of science and technology.
A Pakistani village, in the truest sense, is still made of mud with thatched roof and kucha compounds having unmetalled roads leading to and coming from the village. Its surroundings are green because of the crops and other vegetation. The streets are usual!) narrow and dirty with the open drainage system which gives out foul
smell. During rainy season, the entire village, because of its insanitary conditions, gives out a very foul smell.
Outside the village, there is a pond where cattle take water.
There are some big shady trees on the outskirts of the village, where village people, farmers and others, take rest during their leisure. Under these shady trees, they hold discussion, smoke and enjoy tit¬bits and talks. Some take their lunch under these trees.
Outside the village, there is also a well from where villagers draw water for drinking. The scene at the village well both in the morning and evening. A Pakistani village lacks all amenities like police station, a post office, a health centre, and a rural dispensary.
In Pakistan, main courses are usually served with wheat bread either Roti or Naan, or rice. Salad is generally taken as a side dish with the main course, rather than as an appetizer beforehand. Assorted fresh fruit or sometimes desserts are consumed at the end of a meal. Meat plays a much more dominant role in Pakistani food, compared to other food. Of all the meats, the most popular are goat or mutton, beef and chicken and is particularly sought after as the meat of choice for kebab dishes or the classic beef shank dish Nihari. Sea food is generally not consumed in large amounts, though it is very popular in the coastal areas.
Curries with or without meat, combined with local vegetables such as bitter gourd, cauliflower, eggplant,okra, cabbage, potatoes,tomatoes, cucumber and peppers are most common and cooked for everyday consumption. A typical example is Aloo Gosht or literally "potatoes and meat", a homestyle recipe consisting of a spiced meat and potato stew, and is ubiquitously prepared in many households. Koram is a classic dish of Mughlai origin made of either chicken or mutton, typically eaten with nan or bread and is very popular in Pakistan.
I have went to a Pakistan restaurant and tried the main foods and there were delicious. I took some pictures of the great food we had and the are attached.
During these last two weeks I had focused on trying to write and type a larger amount of text, as opposed to just medium length sentences. As mentioned in my previous bi-weekly reports, I wanted to be able to take my newly strengthened ability to write moderately long sentences and push myself towards writing short paragraphs. Much of my ability to do this was reliant upon me working with my language partner to get a better understanding of what to write about and also to have someone check my work. While I felt comfortable writing long sentences, I was almost certain - which was the right sentiment in hindsight - that I would make a few mistakes in writing paragraphs. The task I used to begin writing short paragraphs was based off of a reading assignment .
Asking for Help and Directions
I'm lost-Mai Kho Gya Hun میں کھوگیاہوں
Can I help you?Kya Main Aapki Madat Kar Sakta Hun? کیا میں آپکی مدد کر سکتاہوں؟
Can you help me?Kya Aap Meri Madat Kar Sakte Hain? کیا آپ میرئ مدد کر سَکتےہیں؟
Where is the (bathroom/ pharmacy)?Bathroom/Dawa Khana Khan Hai? باتھروم/داواخانہ کہاںہے؟
Go straight! then turn left/ right!Sidhe Jakar Dain/Bain Murh Jaiye !سیدھےجاکر داًہیں/باًہیں مڑجاًہےI
I'm looking for john.Main Jon Ko Dhuund Raha Hoon میں جَون کَو ڈھونڈرہاہوں
One moment please!Barae Meherbani Kuch Deyr Intizar Kijiye
!بَراًےمہربانی کچھدیر دیرانتظارکیجیًےHold on please! (phone)Barae Meherbani Hold Kijiye بَراًےمہربانی ہولڈ کیجیًے
How much is this?Yeh Kitne Ka Hai? یہ کِتنےکاہے؟
Excuse me ...! (to ask for something)Maazirat Chahta Hoon /Zara Sunye! معزرت چاہتا ہوں/ذراسنیًے
Excuse me! ( to pass by)Maaf Karna! معاف کرنا
Come with me!Mere Saath Aaiye !میرے سا تھہ آ ًیے
My language partner had me attempt to translate a synopsis from Urdu into English. This translation is not perfect, but I think I was able to touch upon the general them of what was being said - there were differently some areas and words in which I needed my language partner's help and got some help from my language partner.
کستان کی معیشت برائے نام جی ڈی پی کے لحاظ سے مساوی قوت (پی پی پی) کی خرسب سے بڑا میں دنیا می26th پر سب سے بڑا ہے. تاہم پاکستان ملین 186 سے زائد کی آبادی کے (دنیا کے 6th کے سب سے بڑا ہے) کے طور پر، اس طرح جی ڈی پی فی کس دنیا میں 140th کی درجہ بندی $ 3.149 ہے. پاکستان تیزی سے ترقی پذیر2 اور اگلا گیارہ میں سے ایک، برکس کے ساتھ ساتھ، 21st صدی میں دنیا کی سب سے بڑی معیشتوں بننے کے لئے ایک اعلی صلاحیت ہے، گیارہ ممالک ہے. [26 تاہم، 2013 کے طور پر جنگ اور سماجی عدم استحکام کی دہائیوں کے بعد، اس طرح ریلوے نقل و حمل اور بجلی کی پیداوار کے طور پر بنیادی خدمات میں سنگین کمی تیار کی تھی. معیشت نیم صنعتی، دریائے سندھ کے ساتھ ساتھ ترقی کے مراکز کے ساتھ ہے.0 پرائمری برآمد اشیاء ٹیکسٹائل، چمڑے کے سامان، کھیل کے سامان، کیمیکلز اور قالین اور آسنوں شامل ہیں. [31]
پاکستان کی معیشت کی ترقی کے کھمبے دریائے سندھ کے ساتھ ساتھ واقع ہیں.کراچی اور ملک کے دیگر حصوں میں کم ترقی یافتہ علاقوں کے ساتھ امن بقائے باہمی کے پنجاب میں بڑے شہری مراکز، کے متنوع معیشت سامنا کرنا پڑا ہے . اندرونی سیاسی تنازعات، ایک تیزی سے بڑھتی ہوئی آبادی، غیر ملکی سرمایہ کاری کی مخلوط سطح سے ماضی میں [27] زرمبادلہ کے ذخائر مستحکم کشوں کی ترسیلات زر کی طرف سے تقویت مل رہی ہے، لیکن ایک بڑھتی ہوئی حسابات کا خسارہ کر رہے ہیں - ایک وسیع تجارت کے فرق کے ذریعے کارفرما درآمد کی ترقی کے مقابلے میں برآمد توسیع - ذخائر نیچے اپنی طرف متوجہ اور درمیانی مدت میں جی ڈی پی نمو گیلا کر سکتے ہیں پاکستان فی الحال غیر ملکی سرمایہ کاری کو متوجہ کرنے اور بجٹ خسارے کو کم کرنے کے مقصد سے تمام سرکاری اداروں، کی نجکاری شامل ہیں کے ساتھ عمل اقتصادی اداریکرن سے گزر رہا ہے 2014 میں،.. غیر ملکی کرنسی کے ذخائر سٹینڈرڈ اینڈ غریب کی طرف سے طویل مدت کی درجہ بندی پر مستحکم آؤٹ لک کے لئے کی قیادت کی ہے جس میں 15 ارب ڈالر سے تجاوز کر دی.
The economy of Pakistan is one of largest in the world in terms of purchasing power parity and in terms of nominal GDP. Pakistan is a rapidly developing country and is one of the Next Eleven, the eleven countries that have a high potential to become the world's largest economies in the 21st century.[ However, after decades of war and social instability, as of 2013, serious deficiencies in basic services such as railway transportation and electric power generation had developed.
the diversified economies of Karachi and major urban centers in the Punjab, coexisting with lesser developed areas in other parts of the country. The economy has suffered in the past from internal political disputes.Pakistan is currently undergoing process economic liberalization with includes privatization of all government corporations, aimed to attract foreign investment and decrease budget deficit.
During these last two weeks I had focused on trying to write and type a larger amount of text, as opposed to just medium length sentences. As mentioned in my previous bi-weekly reports, I wanted to be able to take my newly strengthened ability to write moderately long sentences and push myself towards writing short paragraphs. Much of my ability to do this was reliant upon me working with my language partner to get a better understanding of what to write about and also to have someone check my work.
Admittedly, while I felt comfortable writing long sentences, I was almost certain which was the right sentiment in hindsight - that I would make a few mistakes in writing paragraphs. The task I used to begin writing short paragraphs was based off of a reading assignment - language partner read the paragraphs to me, albeit in a slower than fluent tone as I did not know some of the words, and I wrote them down. The primary challenge in writing the short paragraphs was trying to determine how to spell the words I did not know and the tenses.
During these two weeks my work focused heavily around medium-length sentences. My language partner would tell me sentences, after which I: wrote the sentences, said them and then translated them back into English. This task was rather effective as it incorporated the following skills: listening comprehension, writing and pronunciation. While I did feel more confident in my abilities heading into weeks three and four, I still had some trouble with certain aspects of the task my language partner had assigned. For instance, I noticed that my pronunciation, when working with new words, was a little different and could use improvement. Also, it occasionally took several attempts to feel really comfortable with my work. Likewise, I also had some trouble with properly writing all of the sentences that I had heard. Hopefully, as I continue working into other weeks , I may be able to write and type short paragraphs a lot more proficiently than I had in weeks three and four; of course, achieving this will require some extra practice.
Manners in a Pakistani Family:
Most people are very collectivist in Pakistani culture. The families very dependent on each other and spend lots of time together. The male attitudes toward female are very different than the West. For instance, the female should obey the male most of the time. They had different rules in the family as well. For instance, the girls are expected to work around the house and do the chores most of the time. They do the cooking in the house and even need to serve the food to their brothers and fathers. The boys are expected to work mostly outside . For example, do the grocery shopping. They need to spend most of the time together while they are in the house. I have found this amazing that expanded my knowledge about the manners of families in Pakistan. I also found the same article in Urdu which i read and it was helpful to the skills of my Urdu language.
This article is about attitudes and families. It was very interesting and thought to share it.
Over the last few years - in part due to taking SDLC 105, 110 and 111 - I have exposed myself to many different parts of Pakistan culture. In past years I have focused on the role of media,wedding and education and city/urban lives in the country. That said, this year I wanted to learn a little more about cultural attitudes in the family, politics, and roles of women. Learning about all these in different cultures is always an interesting thing as each often has its mix of unique ones and others that are played throughout the world. I also want to examine how is the security situations and the government and the opposition groups such as Taliban.
I will also write about topics related to Pakistan and its culture.
