Capital seemed as if it was under siege for the Bush's visit and the call for a wheel jam by MMA. It gave a deserted look with roads and roundabouts teeming with police personnel. Spring is here with flowers blooming in all colours. Every one seems to be talking of basant that is just round the corner.
The French cultural centre, Alliance Franchaise, is organising "Francophone Celebrations" in the month of March. The actual date of the fete de la Francophone is March 20th commemorated world-wide as the French speaking day. An Argentinean film "The Tango Lesson" will be screened in this month. The maverick filmmaker Sally Potter is the lead character giving lessons in Tango dance. Potter got the formal dance training in London in the 1970s prior to joining the film industry.
She plays the character of Sally, a screen writer suffering from the writer's block and dissatisfaction with her own project, a murder mystery movie. She then travels to Paris, where she sees the dancer Pablo Veron perform tango. She becomes obsessed with the dance and offers Veron a part in her film in exchange for lessons.
On the day itself ie March 20th, a grand prize awarding ceremony of Francophonie 2006 would be celebrated. The movie, "March of the Penguins" will also be screened on the occasion. In addition, the French embassy and the National College of Art ( NCA - Lahore) will jointly organise an exhibition of miniatures to be held at the French Embassy sometime later in the month.
End of March holds a treat for the lovers of literature with the launching of Shaukat Niazi's Urdu translations of two plays, "Tartuffe" and "Lavare".
The celebrations will conclude with a classical concert "Quintette a Vent" organised at the Islamabad Club auditorium.
Turkish Embassy is always in the forefront where cultural events are concerned. This time three visiting Turkish musicians - Burak Besir, Muige Hendekil and Niyazi Tura- performed at a music concert organised at the Embassy auditorium.
So captivating was the performance of pianist Muige Henedlki that the audience were carried into the past and almost imagined that the great German composer John Sebastian Bach (1685-1970) was playing the organ at the court of King Frederick the Great.
Every note of the two musicians sounded like Bach, but played with the precision amazing skill of Turkish ensemble in perfect time.
Burak Besir evoked in music enthusiasts the feeling that it the right of European sound of music to celebrate Pakistan Day albeit three weeks in advance. Niyazi Tura added a flavour of Turkish folk life to the evening, reminiscing sentiments of myriad things of daily life, work song, ballad and love and dance songs, reflecting the way people live and work.
Muige is a proven piano virtuoso. She was born in Istanbul but learnt piano from Professor Ova Suinder at the State Conservatory, going to New York University to be student of Dr Sara Davies Buechner. She was a finalist at the fifth international competition of Austrian composer Franz Peter Schubert (1798-1828) and the Music of Modernity held in Austria.
Flutist Burak Besir is from The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the country undergoing the same pangs of recognition as it is with our Kashmir tragedy. However, he acquired the felicity of music at Ankara and has remained for some time at the Royal Scottish Academy where he studied under the famed David Nicholson.
Turkish Ambassador, Hassan Kemal Gur, launched the latest translations of Turkish short stories and two plays into English done by Colonel (Retired) Masud Akhtar Shaikh at another literary function held in the embassy in connection with the 85th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
The Ambassador said that the translations are tangible evidence of solidarity between the two countries.Colonel Shaikh, 79, was particularly praised for educating the Pakistani people about Kemal Ata Turk through his translation of the biography of the founder of modern Turkey.
Cabinet Secretary Ejaz Rahim, the chief guest, recalled that it were the Arab translations of the Greek works that initiated the Renaissance in Europe. "Every translated work empowers the people," he said. Well known intellectual Professor Khawaja Masud reviewed the translation of Necip Faza Kisakurek's play Creating a Man published in 1938. It was censored for many years but has now been revived and gained great popularity, he said.
Vice Chancellor of Fatima Jinnah University Dr Najma Najam appreciated the play the Money Game which dealt with the ways of the bureaucracy worked and the politicians corrupt the values of society. Ms Rabia Qadir, professor of English in the National University of Modern Languages, reviewed the collection of 27 Turkish short stories rendered in English by Masud Akhtar Shaikh. She said that she enjoyed reading the "Turkish Delight" as much as the real thing. These tales had extraordinary range depicting both contemporary life and gamut of the emotions of ordinary people.
Speaking on the occasion, Colonel Shaikh suggested that Pakistani universities should have Turkish language departments to reciprocate the great love for Pakistan in Turkey.
The charity bazaar organised by Pakistan's Foreign Office Women's Association (PFOWA) was a welcome break after the strike call and the Bush visit.
There were many colorful stalls and some of the countries participating were Italy, China, SriLanka, Philippines, Indonesia , Thailand, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Brunei, Iran, Egypt and India etc. The items were unique and reflected each country's culture with the eatables being a run off success. And to top it all, many beautiful women clad in their traditional dresses were there to guide and help the customers. The prices were reasonable and all stalls were in a hurry to sell as many things as possible in the shortest possible time.
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