Note to Readers

Dear Readers, I had the pleasure to work with 18 amazing students this July. One goal of my internship with the Al-Imtiaz Academy was to introduce “blogging”, a new form of online communication, to the students. After long lessons on figurative language, what makes good writing, essay structure, and the writing process, these students successfully posted their writings on this blog. As I taught these students—some days without electricity!—I was impressed by their commitment and dedication to learning. These students sacrificed their summer vacation to come learn with me. Moreover, they arrived to school through their own means of transportation. In scorching hot weather or flood-like, heavy rain (monsoon season has begun), these students showed up every day with notebooks in their hands, ready to learn. Working one-on-one with these students gave me the opportunity to learn about them through their writings. But even more so, it gave me a chance to learn about their daily lives, their families, and their future aspirations. In every single student, I saw a strong yearning to be successful. These students have a lot of potential and promise, and I have no doubt that they will leave a lasting mark on the world. I hope you enjoy reading their essays; they have worked very hard on them. As you read through them, keep in mind that English is the students' second language. As such, please do forgive them for any grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors. With best wishes, Ms. Mariya Ilyas Bowdoin College ‘13

I Still Remember My Father's Slap

By: Muhammad Maaz Jadoon I am one of the most intelligent and talented boys in my class because I always gain first position in my class. All my teachers like me. My name is Muhammad Maaz Jadoon. I was born in Abbottabad on May 25, 1995. I am 15 years old. I am in 8th class at the Al-Imtiaz Academy. I have been studying at the Al-Imtiaz Academy since nursery. It is located on Mansehra Road in Abbottabad. My school has well-furnished class rooms, libraries, laboratories, a computer lab and a spacious principal office. My school building is as beautiful as Taj Mahal. The principal of my school is well-disciplinarian. I have many friends in school, but my best friend is Ubaid. He is also intelligent like me. When he advises me not to tell lies, but is a liar himself, it is as if the pot is talking to the kettle. So, instead, I advise him not to tell lies. In spite of that, we are still best friends and spend time together. We play cricket in our extra time. I am a very good player just like Inzamam-Ul- Haq, famous cricketer on the Pakistani team. I play shots like Inzamam so I think I am the chip off the old block. I want to be a better person—a person with character qualities like Prophet Muhammad (SA W). I want to seek knowledge which will make me better. Every single person should strive for the character qualities of Muhammad (SAW). I want to be an engineer in future because my mother and my brothers inspire me to do so. Close relatives that are grouped together are called a family. There are eight members in my family including me: four brothers and two sisters, my mother and my father. My younger brother is in 3rd class and my eldest brother is doing his MBA. Like me, my brother is an Einstein in math class. I am closest to my mother because whenever I face difficulty she is there to help me. She also inspires me not to tell lies but rather to always speak truth and be honest. My father died of a heart attack in 2000. He was a bank manager. When he died, I was only in nursery class. My father inspired to be a better person in the future. My father was a bank manager. When my friends look at me, they say I look like my father. My father was an honest man. Once my father slapped me when I told a lie; ever since then, I have never told a lie because I still remember my father's slap. At every stage of my life, I need him with me. But he is no longer with us. I miss him, I miss him so much. I wish he could be with me today, and see the better son that I have become. I still admire my father's characteristics qualities and his personality. His memories will always remain with me.

"With Musical Eyes"

By: Noor Awan Family is a group of people who live together and share their problems with each other. A family is made of love and trust. If any one person of the family goes anywhere for a long time, then all of the family members are very sad and wish for her or him to come back soon. Same is true with my family. I have six family members except me: my father, my mother, and four siblings. My father is a very generous man. He is a regional manager in Utility Stores Corporation in Abbottabad. He always takes care of his children and helps others. He is a very loving father who never differed between his children. For example, he is always fair with us and treats us all equally. My father also takes good care of my mother. My mother is a housewife and takes care of her children. A mother is the most important member of the family because without a mother, a family is colorless. Whenever I am sad or crying, my mother consoles me. My mother also never differed between her children. I have four siblings in total— three sisters and one brother. My eldest sister is doing Masters in Psychology from the Women Medical College (WMC). My second eldest sister is doing B.B.A. from Comsats University. My brother is a student of grade 12 at Abbottabad Public School (APS). My younger sister is a student of 7th grade. I am a girl of grade 9th. I was born in Abbottabad. I study in a private school named the Al-Imtiaz Academy. I have many friends with whom I share my feelings. My hobby is interior designing. In my leisure time, I listen to Hindi songs. My favorite song is “Suriley akheon walay” (“With musical eyes”). After completing my F.Sc. (equivalent to the U.S. high school diploma), I want to do M.B.B.S. (bachelor’s degree to become a doctor). My family inspires me to become a doctor by always encouraging me to work hard. I want to achieve my family’s prayers in my lifetime. My family is like a bunch of flowers; if any one flower is plucked then the whole bunch is disturbed. I love my family and I will never allow anyone to pluck even one member.

Three Best Friends

By: Abeer Awan I have visited many cities and in each of them, I have made friends: Iqra, Fatiha, and Fatima. Friends never grow apart—they are relief for us when we are in pain, light for us during dark times, and joy for us when we are gloomy. Iqra is my best friend despite the fact that I left Hyderabad four years ago. Regardless of the distance, we are still in contact. We call each other at least two days a week. She has many qualities that I admire about her; she is faithful, brave, honest, and punctual. Our friendship is truly deep. I hope our friendship will never be end. I have learned a lot from Fatiha and adopted many of her habits. She is punctual, hardworking, intellectual, honest and kindhearted. She is also very caring; she likes to give money or food to poor whenever possible. She is also very naughty. She is my best friend in Abbottabad. Her date of birth is 6th November. May God bless Fatiha forever. The quality that I like the most in Fatima is that she is very religious; she has memorized Quran and she prays five times a day. Her star is Pisces and her date of birth is 9th March .She is my cousin and she is younger than me, but still she is my best friend. She is in Islamabad and now she is in Saudi Arabia. In my life, I have been blessed with three best friends. In a nutshell, friends are the sweetest fruits for us when our life becomes fruitless. But it is important to remember that not all friends are sweet. I like my best friends very much. May God bless my friends forever.

Like A Chain

BY: Ali Raza What is a family? A family is that in which all members live their lives with love, respect and are joined together like a chain. This chain is maintained by the head of the family but it is not necessary to have a head of the family. The head may be a male and female. Each and every family has different duties, procedures, a way of living, and discipline; for example, some are vegetarian while some are non-vegetarian. So, everyone is different from one another. In families, there is much fighting but also a lot of love. I have also a family. Who am I and what do I do? I am a boy and I study in class 9th at the Al-Imtiaz Academy. My name is Ali Raza Khan and I was born in Abbottabad in the autumn season. Abbottabad is situated in northern Pakistan. It is a beautiful valley with moderate climate but it has not been observed in the passed three to five years. The temperature is rising day by day, and Abbottabad is turning into Venus. We should help the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) to keep our climate and temperature steady by growing a large amount of trees and plants to avoiding global warming. I also grow trees and plants in my garden. I have three future goals. First, to become an A.M.C. officer; second, to become an I.S.I. officer; and lastly, to become a cricketer. It is not as easy as it looks but I will try my best to reach them. My future goals seem easy; however, I must remember to cut my coat according to my clothes and not built castles in the air. I have six family members. My family comprises of six members: grandfather, uncle, aunt, cousin, little mother, and me. I have no siblings, so sometimes I feel alone. However, sometimes it is good to have no siblings because without them there is no fighting, and especially no sharing. But when I see boys playing or talking with their siblings, I feel bad because, I, too, want to share my sorrows, feelings, happiness, wonderful moments of my life, and my life secrets with someone. All my family members well-educated and graduated. My grandfather was a teacher and a professor. He has taught economics to the candidates for 22 years, He was also in the Air Force for 17 years and worked in the army factory for 3 years as well. He worked for 42 years total in his lifetime! My uncle has studied from Army Burn Hall College and he’s a gold medalist. He is a pediatrics doctor. He is a teaching the future young doctors in NIMS Hospital. He spends his free time studying. My mother teaches English and math in Government School. All my all family members are established in well-organized professions. I, too, am hardworking and studious; I am the chip off the old block. I like to eat fruits, pulses, wheat, oats, grains and some vegetables. I don’t like to eat lots of vegetables as compared to others. I like to study, play and watch T.V. in my leisure time. I like to play cricket, football, and computer games.. My favorite games on computer are IGI, Vice City, San Andreas and Gun. Sometimes, I like to chat on Internet and mobile. I enjoy bicycling in good weather. I am a devout Muslim who prays five times a day and observes fast during the Holy Month of Ramadan. In order to maintain a family, there must be a routine. For example, family members should try to have breakfast at the same time, say their prayers, recite the Holy Quran, observe fast during Ramadan, have evening tea at same time, and dinner at the same time. Family members must also discuss one another’s problems and try to solve them. In a household, duties should be divided equally. Every member should be responsible for completing some chore. We all should live with peace, loyalty, honesty, love and a caring mind; this is one way family members join in a chain. A family is that in which all the members are grouped together in order to maintain peace, love, and discipline to avoid fighting. The expenditures should be proportional to the average income to avoid poverty and to bring prosperity. I have a very well-educated family. My family is of great importance to me because they are very intelligent, intellectual, helpful, loyal, lovable and caring. So, I love my family very much and I don't want to lose it in any condition. One who has a family must give respect, obey rules and regulations and give them importance for being together forever. If there is ever an argument in a family, then one should apologize for his mistakes and be honest because honesty is the best policy. This is how a family will be healthy and successful. I can give up anything for my family.

The PERFECT Man

By: Jawad Khan What is inspiration? It is a form of motivation. A person who inspires has great discipline, a healthy way of living and great qualities that have positive effects on your personality and lifestyle. The only person who has inspired me up until now is my beloved father. I want to be like my father. He is, no doubt, very hardworking and very sincere with his duties since the time he joined his profession and was appointed as MCO. But through his hard work, honesty and punctuality, he climbed up many stairs of success. Now MashAllah, he is a Director. He is not only the best in his professional life but also at his personal life at home. As a husband, he is very loving, caring, and responsible. As a father, he sometimes becomes a friend and sometimes a cruel leader when we do something wrong. But he becomes my friend when I really need him in some matters of my life. As an uncle, he is very polite and loving that the whole world loves him. As a friend, he is very helpful, sincere and loving; whenever any of his friends need him, he welcomes them with open heart. I wish to have all of the qualities that my father has. In short, I just want to be like my father because I believe he is the most perfect man in every walk of life. My father some how knows that I love him so much and want to be like him—that’s why he guides me in my daily life. He teaches me how to tackle every hardship and how to deal with every matter. The person who inspires me the most is my father. I want to become like my father. Which qualities inspire me? The qualities of my father that inspire me are helpful, responsible, and respectful. Does my father know that I look up to him? And yes, my father some how knows that I love him so much and want to be like him...

The Red Button

By Mahad Ali People say that there's no such thing as a time machine. Well, I think it can be invented because nothing is impossible. A time machine is a device which actually transports one person to his past or future—or so I heard. Traveling in a time machine can make you go anywhere. Going to your past or future can greatly affect the environment. If you have ever traveled to your future, you would know that the whole world is a changed and developed place. You are changed, your duties, your profession, your dressing, your style and even thinking is changed. The place in which you lived in your past is totally a whole new dimension; perhaps your past home is even vanished in your future. The scientists are making robots now to make human life easier. In future, I think no one will use their own energies to gain something. Everything will be robotic and computerized. Let me tell you a story of mine, a story of when I traveled a time machine. I have just traveled in a time machine. Now I'm in the year 2050. My transformation was very frightening. When I was called upon to be experimented by a secret scientist, Dr. Gilbert, who invented the time machine, I was really excited. The success of his experiment depended on me, but as a test subject, I was very afraid to enter the time machine. Before entering the time machine, I asked Dr. Gilbert, "If once I've traveled, how would I get back to the present?" Dr. Gilbert, with a smirk on his face, replied, "Here you go, take this bracelet and if you wanna get back, just press the button. But I'm sure you'll never wish to come back." I took the bracelet which had a single, red button on its top. I quickly tied it on my wrist. At that time, I had a thought—something is better than nothing. As soon as I put the bracelet on, I was a little less scared so I jumped in the time machine. After I entered the device, the inventor made some measurements with the door and then set the machine to the year 2050.There was a huge plug to the right of the device. As Dr. Gilbert shut it downwards, it made a squeaky noise. I was now even more excited and suddenly had a thought about this great invention: If one can do it, you too can do it... if none can do it you, you must do it. And thus there was a loud BANG! I was standing in the middle of somewhere I couldn't recognize but I knew it was year 2050. In year 2050, first of all I looked down at the road. The road was actually a glass mirror in which I could clearly see my reflection. I was an adult of old age, my whole fashion was different. My collars were very long and stylish; I was wearing a blue suit which was very skinny; there was a metallic belt around my waist; my shoes were also very skinny and made up of rubber. When I looked up, I saw a huge and tall buildings, network of glass road, no subways and ground trains but instead channels of railway tracks, no trees and no airplanes.There were very few humans outside and almost everything was controlled by robots. As I began walking down the road, it seemed familiar to me. I reached my home and saw it was all made up of steel and lights were all over it. When I walked in, I met some new people. I didn't recognize them at first but after having a few conversations, I learned that these strange people were my grandsons, and that my profession was teaching. I was astonished to see my grandsons in my own future. The world was a changed place. The roads, the buildings, the structures, the people—everything!—seemed like a dream! I could not believe all this was happening in Pakistan. So much had changed that as a Pakistani, I did not know much about my nation or what was happening in it. I decided to inquire about it. I walked to a school nearby for some information about Pakistan. As I walked in, there were many students. I raised my voice and called to them but my voice was like a cry in the wilderness; no one heard me. I took a few steps back and came out of the school. "What a hard nut to crack but I will not stop because I know knowledge is power," I said to myself. I started asking people on the road. After I got acquainted with a few people, I learned that they were very polite. I was surprised when I heard the name of the person who was the president of Pakistan—the guy was my old friend! 2050 was really a damn exciting year! I started to love this time because the technology was highly developed. Flying cars were invented; however, there were only a few in the air because they were expensive. The flying cars had no tires, but instead their bottom surface was flat and made of a South-pole magnet. There were special roads also made of S-pole magnet which repelled the car's bottom surface. This helped the cars to stay in air, flying. There were no workers in factories, malls, local shops and institutes. Now, I thought that really time is a great healer as every thing was controlled by computers and robots. However, humans are responsible for making these robots; therefore manual labor had not completely ended. But soon I was tired of seeing robots everywhere. It was as if they had taken over our world. What if the human race became extinct? Dr. Gilbert had told me that once I arrived in 2050, I would not want to go back but he was wrong. As I thought about all these things, I decided that I did not want the life in 2050. I wanted to go back to 2010. As I looked at my wrist, I noticed the bracelet that Dr. Gilbert had given me. I press the red button and with a BLINK I was back in my present time. I had a very adventurous travel and I explained all of it to Dr. Gilbert. I was happy now but I think I made a mistake to see what my future held for me. But then again, all's well that ends well. GAME-OVER