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| A Pakistani Spring? |
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WHILE I was living in Washington on a research fellowship last year, Pakistanis often urged me to use the opportunity to promote Pakistan's "positive aspects" to Americans. |
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| WATCHING ELEPHANTS FLY |
| SOMEDAY I'd love to create a journalism course based on covering the uprising in Egypt, now approaching its first anniversary. |
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| | Myanmar's first girl band pushes boundaries | | NYT SYNDICATE WITH sensual choreography and provocative outfits, Myanmar's first girl band pushes the limits of artistic acceptability in this socially conservative country.
But when their parents call, asking why they are not home at 10 pm, the five band members scurry back to being deferential daughters.
"We are living two different lives," said Lung Sitt Ja Moon, who is known onstage as Ah Moon. "We do what we want to do onstage, and then we go home to our parents." The band is called Me N Ma Girls. They are battling conservative parents, government censorship and boyfriends who think it is outrageous that they go onstage in such skimpy outfits.
"We try our best to be hot, but not too sexy," said Wai Hnin Khaing, another band member.
Myanmar, formerly Burma, is emerging after years of dictatorial military rule and isolation.
There is talk that the censorship board, which vets songs, articles and movies, will be abolished. As the country feels its way toward the Asian mainstream politically and culturally, government-sanctioned art and traditional, ankle-length sarongs are being challenged by the prospect of more Western-inspired entertainment, clothing and lifestyles.
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| | Wall tattoo, stencilling here to stay | | PICTURE this: one bright wall with a mirror, or paintings or a gigantic clock. This out-of-theinterior- magazine covers' look, is done to death, so much that it doesn't even invite appreciative glances anymore.
So, what do you do with that one bare wall? Here's the answer in many options.
Tattoo your wall This one's quick and clean, claims Shaily Lalvani, who deals with wall stickers. You can choose from over a lakh designs in her database, or ask for a customisation too. Apart from thematic designs, there are chalk board tattoo, she says. "You can write messages on it with a chalk." Then there are the glow-in-the-dark tattoo.
"These glow for three to five hours. They get charged with the tube light and even sunlight," she informs.
And the best part, these tattoo do not spoil your wall, and can be easily removed without pulling off the slightest paint. At a cost of around Rs 500 to 700 per square feet, you can change the designs more often.
Copy paste cool art Graphics are making quite a statement these days, at least at corporate offices.
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| | Melancholia is critics' pick of the year | | AP THE National Society of Film Critics selected Lars von Trier's drama Melancholia as the best picture of 2011 during its annual meeting on Saturday.
The society also named the movie's star, Kirsten Dunst, as 2011's best actress. The film ponders the end of the world.
The group, comprised 58 prominent movie critics from around the country. They met on Saturday at Sardi's Restaurant in New York City to make its pick.
Society members chose Brad Pitt as best actor for his performances in Moneyball and The Tree of Life. Albert Brooks, in Drive, and Jessica Chastain, in The Tree of Life and two other movies, received nods for supporting roles. Terrance Malick was picked as best director, also for The Tree of Life, and Werner Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams was selected as best non-fiction film.
The society, founded in 1966, also works to promote film preservation and historically important movies.
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