I worked on some drawings for “Risalo” and updated my blog. My friend Hisam invited me to a talk at Mehran University, given by Dr. Mubarak Ali, a well respected historian and writer of many books, including a few that I have read. Hisam’s brother dropped by to pick me up and we went off to Mehran University.I kept nodding off as we waited in the auditorium, for things to begin. I still needed more sleep. I managed to half sleep enough while waiting to pay full attention during the event. The introductions were flowery and long winded. It always bothers me when older people tell the youth that all hope is lost and the better years were in their own youth, and that alas nothing good could come now. That’s a pretty fantastic thing to say to a bunch of college students who are eager to do things in the world. I felt the urge to tell that speaker to shut up. To speak to youth without hope, as if you have no idea how things ended up as they are today really bothers me. Older generations should know full well the steps that it took to get into the current situation and I don’t think the youth need to be told that there is no hope. Perhaps there is no hope for those who watched and at times even participated in the dramatic decline of so much today to yearn for hope, for there may not be any worth seeking in them, but people with their lives ahead of them have things to do, so support with your wisdom, and help them grow into the leaders they can become, or step out of the way.Anyway, after the introductions, I really appreciated Dr. Mubarak Ali’s conversation about Youth and its place in creating change. How appropriate. That certainly made up for a few of the introductory speakers. It was a good talk and I was glad to have been there.Afterwards, I head into Hyderabad to visit Abdul Majeed Soomro sahib, who had graciously offered to take me to another possible puppeteer contact in the city. It took me an hour and a half or so to get to him, but it is always good to see him. He was busy with his work, and I got to catch up with a few Sindh University students who were there. We eventually went to visit the puppeteer, but it turned out that he did not really do traditional marionette puppetry. He had created one marionette in a somewhat more modern style, but his thing, like most, was hand puppets. In addition he did music and painting as well. I appreciated the time in seeing him and learning about his work, but it wears on me to be told that there is nothing to be done with traditional puppeteers in Pakistan and that it is a lost cause. Again, I don’t want to be told all the reasons that failure has occurred and will continue. I want to keep focused and seeing this through and making something of it. Anything else just detracts from what is already a daily struggle.Afterwards, Soomroo sahib took me all the way to visit Fatah sahib at his home. I’ve been trying for weeks to get some info on some puppeteers in Umerkot from him. He has been trying as well, and I have been unclear on the details of what he has found through his sources thus far. I am getting ready to go there to see once and for all, and need any contacts I can get.He was very busy with an endless line of visitors. I was supposed to see him in the morning, but the schedule kept getting pushed further and further on his end. The man never gets a chance to rest. It was nice to see him and his family and I did manage to scratch down a couple of bits of vague information. He asked me to drop by the next morning for more details. I wish I could just sort this out over a phone call, but, agreed to drop by again.