Month: May 2016

I would like to name this work of art: Home.  I created this art piece with paper maché,  foam core and a New York City subway map.  Some of the things I learned while creating this project was: what in New York City means the most to me.  My favorite part is the paper maché; The reason that this is my favorite part, is because I love the feel of the flour and water.  If I could change some part of my project, it would be to make the pieces(buildings) less rushed and to have it nicer looking because it doesn’t look as good as it could.  While making this project, I was surprised to find that paper maché is pretty hard when you are trying to model it after something.  Something else I want to share about this art project, is that I ordered the objects in most important to least important.

This is my project.  It is tree and a building, they each represent a part of the city that is important to me.  I am putting them both, plus another tall building, and a big building(school) in order.  The order represents what makes this city my home.

(Please keep scrolling down for the whole document)

The theme for this project is food and meals and words for the foods.  The process I took, was writing the sentences and then taking the pictures to add to the sentences.  A conclusion I have, was that this project emphasized food.

A Day In The Desert

The people of the Cholistan desert(above) riding on camels to reach other tobas(oasis’) with their caravans.

Have you ever imagined what life might be like if you were a Muslim living in the desert? We have Interviewed the Abassi family and the Rich landlords of the desert to give you a representation of life and status in the Cholistan desert.  The Cholistan Desert is 26,300 square kilometers and spans from Pakistan into India. Many nomadic families like these live in the Cholistan and move when they run out of water. The Abbasi family makes their money from selling camels, Every year they go to the Sibi fair in Sibi and sell them. Recently drama has been arising in the Abassi family and the soon to be groom of the eldest daughter, Phulans groom was killed. The family has seamlessly bounced back and in only 2 weeks after his death has found Phulan another husband.  When speaking to the youngest daughter, Shabanu she said, “I do not want this, they can’t do this to me, my true husband his Murad.” We soon found out that Murad is the man that Phulan will Marry but used to be the man that Shabanu would marry. Shabanu has recently been set up with a much older man of the name Rahim-sahib. He is the landlord’s brother and when we talked to him he claimed that even though he had 3 wives he felt that when Shabanu and him where alone  they were the only people on the earth.” I love her, and need her as my wife.”

We interviewed Murad as well and he told us how it was hard to adjust to a new wife but once he saw Phulan’s beauty he knew that he would love her forever.

Are last interviewer was Phulan she said

“It was hard when Hamir died but I knew that my mother and father would do something about it. Once I found out that Murad would be my husband I was overjoyed.”

All of this drama started in The Abassi family’s little hut in the cholistan desert. The Abassi family owns 30 adult camels and 15 baby camels. This family is just like the thousands that live deep in the Cholistan 

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(Photos are to be uploaded soon, but there is a problem.)

1. Have a wife and as many sons as possible. Reason:  It will give you wealth and prosperity.
2. Have a sturdy well built house.  Reason:  It will keep out the sun and sand.
3. Live near an oasis or toba.  Reason:  it will supply you with fresh water.
4. Have camels.  Reason:  They show your wealth, they help you with carrying food, water and other objects.
5. Have a platform for Allah.  Reason:  So we can pray to the lord.
6. Always have enough food.  Reason:  so you don’t die.

I woke up this morning and immediately I heard the grunting cries of the camels, slowly drifting over the dunes.  That is my wake up call.  Soon after, I wake Shabanu, Phulan, my wife, Auntie and my two nephews too the platform for the call to prayer.  After, my wife, Phulan and Auntie get the meal ready while Shabanu and I make sure everything is ready for the day.  Once we come back to the hut, we have a quick breakfast of Chapatis, goat milk and dried dates; Than we set off, out into the desert.

Once out of the inclosure, we Make our way towards the toba, since it rained a couple of days ago, the water edge has gone up about 8 meters[26 feet].  The wildflowers, trees and shrubs have grown magnificent, and now as I go to wake the camels; Shabanu takes guluband, many baskets and buckets and goes out to collect Figs, dates, Prunes and many other foods from the trees and flowering bushes; she then goes to collect water from the toba.  She does hat run a couple of times and we thank Allah from the bottom of our hearts; and start to sing, “Allah-o-Akbar, Allah-o-Akbar.”

As the day wares on, and the sun reaches its climax, Phulan Comes from home with cold chapatis, goats milk and Dried Figs, Prunes, Dates and other nuts.  We then go back to herding the camels, and Shabanu and I, pass the Indian-Pakistani border and talk and talk so much, that we find ourselves about 18 kilometers[33 miles] away from the huts.

When we arrive home, everyone is so worried because we were supposed to be home over two hours ago.  Even though we missed but they did the call to prayer, we do it again.  It lasts an extra 20 minutes, because we have to say our apologies to Allah, for being  late to the call to prayer.  We eat a quick dinner, and then go to bed.