Scribble your random thoughts on a piece of paper [try not to scribble down offensive language please!] in a way that it becomes a masterpiece of art! Be as creative as you can – use a ballpoint pen only. You can include characters, and other images – but the words you scribble will be the most important part of it.

We’ll choose 3 winners who will receive a Goodie Bag filled with prizes –> t-shirts, original movie DVDs, original music CDs, all issues of Ink, a Radio 1 FM91 gift, and much more! The winners will also be featured, along with their Scribble Art, in the Apr – Jun 2010 issue of Ink.

Scan the Scribble Art you’ve made, and send in your entries via e-mail to: competition@ink-on-the-web.com

Last date for entry: 30th March, 2010.
Winners will be announced on 1st April 2010.

*Competition valid for Pakistan & Dubai only.

Please note that completely owing to Ink’s own fault, this article of Ayesha’s was incompletely printed in the current Jan – Mar 2010 Gold Issue of Ink. We are therefore uploading it here in full! Apologies to Ayesha and our readers for the mishap!

By Ayesha Ali Khan

Growing up in suburban Lahore, New Year’s eves used to be a quiet event. Yet excitement for the New Year was evident in the spirit of every child and adult. New Year’s Eve was the celebration of a new beginning. Something to be jubilant about. It was a time for a simple gesture of wishing health and wealth to all, and the best that life could give to all. Indeed, the New Year promised a bright future. Even today, the charm of the New Year’s Eve continues to thrill. Despite the face paced life, it offers a chance for friends and family to come together and celebrate a joyous occasion. It is a new hope harbored into an old fashioned cheer.

It is here, as the clock approaches midnight that spirits are rekindled. However, standing united, facing a new beginning, my peers do stop for a moment and remember the past floating by. True, the year 2009 saw numerous challenges, many battles and much heartache. The economy painted a bleak picture. The woes of a common man mounted to new levels. Our land was in constant grip of terror. We lost many fellow countrymen as brave martyrs of terrorism. Indeed 2009 was a difficult year. It made the transition to 2010 a solemn attempt.

But that’s the beauty of a New Year. A moment artificial yet so profound. It brings a new dawn. It is a chance to redeem oneself. It offers a brand new path to success. It is an opportunity to rise above and make a difference. A new year brings with it the making of new goals, settings your dreams and letting your inspirations be your guiding light. Step forward with good things in mind, leaving behind every bad memory and forgetting all past mistakes. Provoke your inner smile to surface and be thankful for all the hidden blessings, life showers on you.

Take the New Year as a stepping stone for your personal glory. 2010 may bring something positive for each one of us. It may be the celebration of a new life. It may be relishing in the joy of strengthening the bonds with your loved ones, whether old or new. It may be just keeping your head high and maintaining a positive outlook for the year. Or it may be simple contentment knowing that someone out there is looking out for you and that you’ll never walk alone.

Let 2010 be your playground. We have stepped into a New Year with new hope. But remember, we want to walk away from it believing in miracles. Though there might be times, when the silver lining on our clouds may seem to diminish, we must rise above. Dance as if no one were watching, sing as if no one were listening and live every day as if it were your last. Because we will live no other way and we will cherish memory as the only certain immortality.

BAHRIA UNIVERSITY
Marketing seminar at Bahria University

“WE MUST LEARN TO MARKET OURSELVES”

- City Nazim

City Nazim stresses for marketing strategy from individual to nation

KARACHI , December 12: City Nazim Karachi Syed Mustafa Kamal stressed upon the MBA students of Bahria University that “We must learn to market ourselves as an individual, as a city and as a nation”. Mustafa Kamal was speaking as chief guest at a seminar “Market Expansion and Growth Strategies” held at Bahria University ( Karachi campus) The City Nazim emphasized on the fact that our total population consists of 65% youth, which is a big plus point for any nation to develop itself.

The seminar was organized by students of MBA (1B) of Bahria University in coordination of Miss Sobia Shujaat Lecturer “Management Sciences”, Bahria University Karachi. The event turned out to be a big success as a large number of students attended it, along with many experts and professionals in the field. Bahria University auditorium was jam-packed with students and participants.

Four guest speakers were also invited from the corporate world, to share their valuable marketing experiences with students. They were S.M HUSSAINI (CEO KASB MODARBA), MUHAMMED INTESSARUDDIN (CEO BULLS AND BULLS), MEHNAZ AHEMED (AVP CITIBANK) AND SHAHZAD QAMAR (UNIT HEAD MARKETING BANK ISLAMI).

KASB Modarba CEO S.M. HUSSAINI, speaking on the occasion, said that Islamic banking is surprisingly growing much faster outside the Muslim world, and London has taken the centre stage in Islamic banking transactions.

CEO Bulls and Bulls, Intessaruddin, while delivering his speech managed to take the limelight with his impressive and charismatic style of delivery, and was inspirational for the students owing to his indepth knowledge and experiences. He mainly focused on the fact that the youth should develop a marketing plan for themselves for the remaining part of their lives.

All the students of Bahria University participated actively in organizing the whole event, and everything went according to plan.

Bahria University, Karachi Web-presence. – [ http://www.bimcs.edu.pk ]

Part 1 – Interview with CEO of Ink Magazine

Part 2 – Interview with CEO of Ink Magazine

Ink-on-the-web’s ‘Spit & Stick’ coming soon!

Stay tuned to this space for more details in the coming days!

A Hint Of What To Expect …

“What’s Happening Behind The Scenes at Ink? – Company Progress – Team Mates’ Life Blogs – Co-Worker’s Thoughts etc.” Read about our team member’s lives, their time at Ink, their blog discussions, latest happenings, funny pictures … and much more ‘absolutely random’ stuff etc.

~ Team Ink.

Fasi Zaka

[Very informal Chit Chat]

1. Is your image what you had in mind for yourself when you started out, or has it been shaped by your fans and the industry? (Or any other external factors)
It has been shaped primarily by the audiences, who are quite disparate. Those who read my political columns in The News have no idea about my anti-intellectual radio show, and vice versa. A holistic impression is not out there. At one point all I was known for was in relation to music, and because of distance from it with the political satire show News Views and Confused, that has abated.

2. What were the difficulties you faced when you tried to establish yourself?
I think I have been extraordinarily lucky because it has not been really difficult. A confluence of chance events helped me enormously. Plus since I have never quit my day job and career, downtime in media for me is not a life or death situation. But where I have had difficulty is in nagging a straight up political analysis show because everyone wants to slot me into something with humor.

3. Are you open to experiments and trying out new things when working?
Well once something is established, I rarely mess with it until a naturally evolved new idea comes to mind. But what I do always do is make sure none of my material is repeated across different mediums, which is why I never include one liners in my serious column, or try to intellectualize something too much on radio. Discrete personas for every medium.

4. What are 5 things fans don’t know about you?

a. I got a second division in my FSC
b. I was President for Graduates at my College in Oxford.
c. I once did research for the World Bank\
d. I bite my nails to the extent of disfiguring my fingers.
e. I am actually not very social, avoid gatherings and parties.

5. How good are you with money? Do you handle your own finances or let your manager/accountant/sibling/partner/mum/cat handle them for you?
I am terrible with money, my needs expand proportionately with what I make. Have made good money over the years but have no savings, no car.

6. What is the latest thing you bought and why? Was it money well spent or just a waste?
A pair of caterpillar shoes, have been wearing two pairs of Birkenstock sandals for years now, needed something to cover my feet. I like it, but I miss the freedom of sandals.

7. What are the top 3 things on your birthday wishlist?

a. A Nintendo Wii
b. A 1972 Celica
c. An apnea sleep mask.

8. Which ONE song is your absolute favorite?
Night Train by Guns’n'Roses.

9. What was the wierdest thing a fan ever did /said [on air, through e-mail, in person etc]?
A guy once came over to my office who I had been avoiding for two years because he kept calling liked a crazed stalker. When I finally met him he said he wanted to learn from me, I offered to help him with whatever he needed. Then he said he wanted to live with me and would bring his stuff over in two days. Had to deal with him politely and have been avoiding him ever since.

10. What part of being a celebrity do you like? What part do you dislike?
I like the mails people send sometimes, they are full of trust and genuine affection. What I don’t like is when people stare politely, I would rather have them come over and say hello.

11. What music are you currently listening to [what's on your i-Pod]? Name one song you wish with all your might, your heart and your soul you had written?
Times Like These by the Foo Fighters.

12. How easy is it to promote yourself in Pakistan? And abroad?
Well, it’s pretty much difficult anywhere in the world; if you are extraordinary then it will make sense for everyone to help you out. Abroad is infinitely more difficult than Pakistan.

13. When signing a contract, what do you look at first? Besides the money, I mean.
Contracts don’t matter. What really matters is the level of understanding between the two parties on what they want, and some level of trust. Very few people actually ever go back and look at the contract, dispute resolution rarely quote that.

17. What do you expect to see in a new entertainment magazine such as Ink?
Hopefully a lot of insightful pieces about the entertainment industry that moves beyond the superficial understanding of people in it.

INK Goings On – Check out the lastest on whats happing behind the scenes of INK Magazine