I woke up for the final session of my series of workshops with the third year communications students in the fine arts department at the University of Sindh. I said thanks and goodbye to the hostel staff as we put my luggage in the car. Sheryar sahib brought me to the campus and I rushed over to my class.The students had photographed their storyboarding assignments and most were ready to bring the work into premiere. I spend a lot of time between lectures, sitting down with each student and helping them to apply the lessons to their particular stories. The students are very sweet and appreciative. For the most part, this group was good about completing their assignments, and putting some care into them. They are not the fastest illustrators though, as it can take a whole class to knock out a few sketches. It is a lot of fun to see the students improve over the course of the class.
There are many computer problems. From computers filled with viruses, to student computers being slow or incompatible with software. Only about 1/3 of the students had laptops, but they are generous in sharing with one another. We managed to get most of the students’ work on a timeline in premiere. At lunch, the kids threw a party for my, which was combined with a birthday celebration for one of the students. It was very sweet. They brought biryani, sandwiches, cutlets, noodles, custard, french toast etc and we had a nice meal together.The students invited me to join them for many rounds of photos, and made me feel very appreciated. I see a real desire to learn and do something. These young women and men are fun loving and hopeful for the future. They don’t have the option of just picking up and going somewhere else, so they look to working at jobs where they can stretch their creativity and do something.
After class, I had to rush out with my luggage, along with Sadiq who works at the department. We hopped on a rickshaw to the “point”, where buses leave from campus. We hopped on a bus that took us around campus, then down to Hala. The bus stopped right in front of the sign for the College of Design Hala Constitute College of Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design Lahore. We hopped out with our luggage and made our way to a little campus. I met my friend Azam Bugti, who teaches there with a small group of faculty. I got to see some of the beautiful ceramic and pottery art by the talented students. It is a very grassroots level effort, and an excellent example of what can be done with limited resources in the hands of a committed staff and group of students.
A few of us hopped on a qing qi (frankenstiened motorcycle with seats in the back) to visit Bhit Shah, the home of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai’s dargah (tomb). I have been studying and adapting his poetry for months. To finally come to a place that is so focused on his study and a celebration of his life and works was truly inspiring. The tile work on the tomb is beautiful as is the variety of musicians scattered about. My friend Fatah sahib had connected me to Ismail Faqir, who is a Shah Jo Ragi who practices Shah Latin’s style of singing and plays his instrument, the tambura. We met with him and he took us to the living quarters of Latif, that have been apparently preserved from his time. We sat back there with the Shah Jo Ragis and their beautiful instruments. I asked a few questions regarding context and meaning of a few verses I am adapting, and we had some interesting conversations.
Ismail Faqir was very generous with his time and knowledge. He humbly introduced us to several people, including a faqir, who seemed as much comedian as ascetic. We spent a good deal of time sitting and listening to groups of musicians that were spread about the courtyard of the tomb.Hala back from Adnan Hussain on Vimeo.Afterwards, we watched the thursday night performance of the Shah Jo Ragis after which we caught a freezing cold qing qi ride back to Hala, for a delicious meal at a complete dive of a restaurant, before we head back to the college. There’s a museum that Ismail Faqir sahib mentioned, which I hope to return to soon.