About Gul (flower)

Gul, a young girl, is awakened by her mother's dying breath. She struggles to recall her past. A child's view illustrates conflicts between abuse, self determination, human rights, and the environment. Her world manifests through visual poetry. Raw, expressive, painted style computer animation is scored with masterful Sindhi Folk music from the villages of Pakistan. With all that she finds, can love create hope in the face of oppression? Credits -- Music -- Press Kit PDF -- Gul Wallpapers -- Gul on Facebook -- Gul on Myspace -- Gul on Youtube 

Resume

Adnan HussainLos Angeles, CA USAE-mail: adnanmg@hotmail.comEmployment ExperienceSony Pictures Imageworks (Culver City, CA) (Feb. 2011-current)Senior Cloth and Hair TD on "Smurfs" and "Arthur Christmas.".Ingenuity Engine (Hollywood, CA) (Sep. 2010-Mar. 2011)Generalist TD on VFX for commercials, music videos and a feature film.Mad Guru (Los Angeles, CA) (Sep. 2007-current)Directed/Created the short film "Gul" (flower).Sony Pictures Imageworks (Culver City, CA) (Oct. 2005-Sep. 2007)Senior Cloth and Hair TD on "Beowulf."With another TD, lay the groundwork for the pipeline through R&D in panel cloth,object cloth, old pipelines to create modular approach to maximize reuse ofassets and procedural costume builds based on user created assets. Layeredcostumes, draping of large volumes of cloth, ideal initial states, etc Builtcloth models, rigged many costumes, created hair for 2 characters, trainedjunior artists, shot work, debugged scenes, created custom fixes for one offshots.Walt Disney FeatureAnimation (Burbank, CA) (Oct. 2004-Sept. 2005)Look Dev TD on "Meetthe Robinsons." Hair and material creation for characters.Sony Pictures Imageworks (Culver City, CA) (Apr. 2003-Oct. 2004)Hair TD on Wes Craven's "Cursed."Hair R&D (rigged hair, custom techniques for transformationscene, Look Dev (combing), dynamics. Handled the entire show's digital hairneeds for both hair covered hero characters.3D Bob Productions(Burbank, CA) (Apr. 2002-Apr. 2003)Lead Rigging TD. Rigged herocharacters with muscles. Scripts/R&D lighting and cloth. Modelled realistichuman characters. Did hair and pipeline work.Encore Hollywood (Hollywood, CA) (Jun. 2001-Nov. 2001)Textures, lighting, animation, matchmoving, compositing and some camera matching for many effects shots in the live action series "The Invisible Man."Digital Dimension (North Hollywood, CA) (Jan.-May. 2001)Modelling, textures, lighting, animation, compositing and some camera matching for numerous effects shots in the live action Feature Film 'Driven'.Digital Sculpture(Columbus, OH) (Nov. 2000)Rigged and animated two and a half minutes of character animation.OC Incorporated(Orlando FL) (1998)3D Modeling, Textures and Animation for Navy Technical TrainingEducationBFA in Computer Art SavannahCollege of Art and Design (Cum Laude)Awards/RecognitionFeatured at the Orlando Art MuseumJune White Scholarship for an Animation in the International Competition for Student Artists.Additional SkillsVictor Ramirez: Assassin (Currently in Post)Production Designer on Live Action Short Film Directed by Ravi Kapoor (May 2009)Movie Posters for FilmakaSoftware ExperienceMaya (including Maya Cloth), 3D Studio MAX (various plugins and scripting), Sony proprietary cloth and hair tools and lighting package, Disney proprietary Hair and 3D Paint tools, Renderman, Photoshop, Digital Fusion, Premiere, Unix, Linux, HTML.

Xaml Error and Reset Ribbon

By Adnan HussainSoftware: 3DS Max 2011OS: Windows VistaDuring startup of 3DS Max I have run across this error. First a window will appear:Followed by:You can click through these error messages and still launch the program, but our ribbons menus will be gone.The problem is that a file called MaxManaged.xaml has become corrupt for whatever reason.First close 3DS Max.You can find the MaxManaged.xaml file in your user, appdata folder, which for me was:C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsmax\2011 - 32bit\enu\UI\You'll notice that this file has a size of 0KB if it is corrupt. Simply delete it, and make a copy of the backup file MaxManaged.xaml.backup, renamed to MaxManaged.xaml.Relaunch 3DS Max and you should be good now. Unfortunately, this problem is likely to occur again, but at least now you have a solution.

Panel Cloth in 3DS Max Part 2/2

by Adnan HussainIn the previous lesson, I showed how to create flat cloth panels. Now I will show you how to stitch those panels into a garment and sim it into cloth. Start with the scene from where we left off.1. Go into Garment Maker, Sub-object Panel and select, move and rotate panels around the character's body. Use a clean, low res stand in for your body.Tip: With cloth sims, it is best to use a lower res, cleaner model based on your character's body that is specifically for cloth sim collisions.Arrange the Cloth Panels as if you were going to sew the clothes on the standing character's body. Placement position and angle as well as relationship to other panels is crucial to creating a proper garment for cloth simulation. Again, it can take a good deal of back and forth depending on how complex the garment is.For things like sleeves and collars, you'll want to curve them by adjusting curvature.2. Next Create Seams between panels. This defines how the cloth panels are sewn together. First seam panels on each individual section before connecting them. For exampl, the back of the Kameez is two panels, so in Sub Object Seam, I selected the two edges of the panels where I wished to create a seam and then clicked Create Seam. Likewise the cuffs on the sleeve were seamed to the sleeve before the shoulder area of the arm was seamed to the front of and back of the Kameez.The green lines are seams. Notice how the panels are arranged so that seams don't generally go through the body. When it is simmed into shape, the cloth panels will be pulled together along these green seams. Make it easier on the cloth solver and you'll have less crumpled up mess and more properly simmed cloth. Likewise, when running the Local Sim, at first the shoulders had large bumps on them. I moved the sleeve panels away from the torso a bit and it had enough room to sim down cleanly. Likewise, this is where I adjusted fitting, based on simmed down results. Some areas needed more cloth and some needed less cloth, so I resized the original cloth splines in the top view then clicked Mesh It! in Garment Maker on the Reference object. This maintains the panel position (unless you move the splines around, which will shift it a bit or change the number of panels, which starts off flat again).3. Next apply the Cloth Modifier to your Garment (Reference Object that has Garment Maker). This makes it Cloth. Click on Object Properties and click Add Objects to add the body. Assign the Kameez as a cloth object. You can load preset cloth properties from the drop down menu. These parameters can and should be adjusted based on simulation results.Select the body in the Objects in Simulation list and click Collision Object below. Adjust Offset to specify how far cloth stays away from the body during simulation. Hit OK to apply changes in the Object Properties dialogue.4. Scroll down to the Simulation Parameters rollout in the Cloth Modifier.Make sure Use Sewing Springs is checked as that will pull the panels closer together based on the seams you created when we run the Local Sim next. Set Self Collusion if you want Cloth to collide with itself and Check Intersections etc as needed. If you have trouble with cloth crumpling up when simming down, these are some options that can be tried on or off to help it.5. Scroll back up to the Object rollout and click Simulate Local (Damped).This sims the cloth down on the local frame. Simulate Local does the same, but faster and Simulate goes frame by frame (what we use to simulate cloth on animated characters later). It can be good to slow it down a little with damped when you are simming the clothes down on the character.Watch in the viewport as the cloth panels come closer to each other. At any time, click Simulate Local (damped) again to stop the simulation if it isn't the way you want it is as you want it.If you don't like the results, or you have changed things earlier in the stack (adjusted panels etc) hit Reset State to prepare to sim local again.Sim Local or Sim Local (Damped) can be stopped when the cloth panels are closer together and the shapes starts to drape on the body properly. The panels won't connect yet as seen below.6. Now that the panels are close together, we need them to connect. For this, scroll down and uncheck Use Sewing Springs, then scroll up and click Simulate Local (Damped) again.It should usually closes the gaps very quickly and you don't want to run it too long or the ship could start to get messy.Generally any complex clothes will require a good deal of back and forth, adjusting the shape and size of the panels, then adjusting panel positions and adjusting simulation parameters and cloth properties to get the cloth draped. Remember, when draping cloth, you can use different cloth settings or add collision objects and animated locaters that move cloth etc as needed to get the cloth the way you want. You can later change the cloth properties etc for running shot simulations.Below you can see how the Shalwar panels were arranged. In this case I had large cloth panels (on the legs) seamed into a smaller panel for the waist. Shalwars have naalas in them (like a draw string in the waist). So you have a large volume of cloth, scrunched up at the waist.Here, because the bottom opening of each leg is quite narrow, placement of the panels was really tricky. I need to to rotate them and give space for the pieces to slowly come together and also wrap around each leg properly. For the waist panels, I did something a little odd. I'm not sure if there is a better way, but I created a group out of the waist panel vertices by going to Sub Object Group, selecting the verts and clicking Create Group. Then I clicked Sim Node and chose the body, collision object for those points to stay with.I scrolled down and adjusted the constraint options on the group to make it soft. This way when I ran a Local Sim (Damped) to drape the Shalwar, the waist panels slowly came down and when they came to the right spot on the waist, I stopped the simulation. I unchecked the soft check box, then ran the Local Sim (Damped) with Use Sewing Springs off to finish the drape. In this case, the cloth puffed out a lot initially and I had to increase the density in under cloth properties to get it to rest closer to the body, without flaring out like a balloon.There you have it. A quick look at creating panel cloth with 3DS Max's Cloth Modifier. There's a lot more to cloth than this. Definately check out the help file in max and read up on the Cloth Modifier and Garment Maker modifiers to get lots of in depth info on the parameters. This has been more of a practical look at how I have applied some of that for these clothes. If any of you have experience or suggestions you'd like to share, I too would love to learn.Draped Render of the Shalwar Kameez.

Creating Panel Cloth in 3DS Max Part 1/2

by Adnan HussainIn this lesson I'll go over the process of creating panel cloth. We'll make a shalwar kameez, which is a traditional garment worn in Pakistan among other places. It presents some unique challenges above and beyond a tight fitted t-shirt, jeans or a simple dress. Remember, cloth isn't easy. Know that it will take time and require lots of clean up when running shots. It will add a significant amount of technical difficulty to a project, but if you spend the time to figure it out, it can really add a lot of depth to your work. This is in regards to cloth in general and not just 3DS Max as I've found the same to be true of Maya Cloth etc.Cloth can be sculpted, as in you can build a model using the usual tools for modelling and apply a cloth modifier to make it into cloth. This is sometimes called object cloth. Another method is to create flat panels, much like a real tailor would do by cutting pieces of cloth. This second method  (panel cloth) is what I will discuss here.1. First gather some reference materials. Look at photos and if possible clothes that match or are at least similar to what you are trying to create.2. In the top view create spline shapes (line tool, or any other shapes) in a flat plane in the shape of the cloth panels you wish to create. This needs to be done very cleanly or it will give you errors later. Spline vertices should be properly connected to each other and shapes should not overlap one another. They should all be in a flat plane (as in if you look at it from the front view you just see a straight line.) Below you can see the layout for the Kameez (shirt) and to the right is a seperate layout for the Shalwar (loose fitting pants).All splines for the Kameez were attached to one another. Then with all vertices  selected, I hit the Break button to make each segment into an individual spline as required by the Cloth modifier.Tip: Arrange these cloth panels (shapes) to fall within a square. This will later be the UV Layout for your Garment (cloth model).Edit/Clone to create a Reference of the Panel object. By creating a reference instead of an Instance or Copy, we can use the Reference to create cloth and still maintain a connection to the original splines which can be adjusted for fitting etc and have changes reflected in the Reference object. I went back and forth a lot to get it right, so this was a huge help.3. Apply the Garment Maker modifer to the reference copy.Later when you make changes to the original splines, come back here and hit Mesh It! to update this model.Panel Cloth in 3DS Max Part 2

Creating UVs in ZBrush UV Master

by Adnan HussainUVs are what tells your software how to wrap atexture on a 3D model. I'll go over a method to simply UV map amodel in a single piece as well as how to create a UV layout with multiple partscreated off a single model. In my case I used 3DS Max, but it should applyregardless of your animation software.You will need:a) A model to apply UVs.b) UV Master installed for ZBrush. If you don't see UV Master under the Zplugins menus in ZBrush, download and follow the installation instructions here:http://www.pixologic.com/zbrush/features/UV-Master/Multiple Piece UV Layout1. First prep your model. I created Mat IDs on a low res model and apply a multi sub object material to the model to retain groups in ZBrush. I kept the inside of the mouth seperate by assigning a unique Mat ID to it as well.2.Import into ZBrush as a Tool. (Check: Preferences Import/Export/ Import Mat as Groups to create groups) Groups will be displayed with different colors.3. In ZBrush create UVS from the Zplugin Menu with Zplugin/UV Master.Click on "Work on Clone" to create a copy of your model to work on.Settings as seen below:Refer to documentation for indepth info, but Symmetry keeps the UVS more symmetrical, polygroups, uses your polygroups if your model has them to cut it up. Enable Control Painting uses the Control Map you paint to help determine where to create seams.4. Click Protect then Paint Protected areas. Then click Attract to paint Attracted areas. Use Erase if you make any mistakes. After painting, save Ctrl Maps using SaveCtrlMap button.ctrl+shift+click on group to isolate a single group.ctrl+shift+click viewport bg to unhide groups.Red areas are Protected (discourage seam creation), Blue areas Attract (encourage seam creation).Unclick Protect/Attract/Erase and you can see the seams:Click Unwrap, then click Check Seams and adjust and redo as needed.Click Flatten to check the UV layout, then Unflatten to get back.If you chose to work on a copy of your model, you will need to copy the UVs from the copy to the original model in ZBrush.Click Copy UVs in UV Master. Load your Tool (original model) and thenclick Paste UVs.Export Obj file at lowest subdivision level.Import Obj into 3DS Max.File/Import/ObjChoose the Obj file exported from ZBrush.Using defaults + check two highlited options below.Apply UV Unwrap modifier to the incoming model.Use Cylindrical Mapping in UVW Unwrap on the mouth bag (inside of mouth), then scale and place it in the UV Editor on an empty spot in the UV Layout.Select all edges in edge mode in UV Unwrap Mode and weld edges with options set to weld threshold 0.001.Select Elements and pack as needed. Adjust Mat IDs. This approach has the advantage that you can resize pieces as needed for areas that require higher detail.Apply a tester map like this one:and check the UVs for stretching, flipping or other problems.Single Piece UV LayoutCreating a single piece involves a similar, but shorter process than creating multiple pieces. Import your model and use the following settings in UV Layout:I recommend quickly creating or loading a control painting to specify regions you don't want seams to appear. The main difference is how your UV Layout will look. Below is an example (Note, the shape in the upper right corner is the "mouth bag" UVed in 3DS Max after the fact).The rest of the steps for importing into 3DS Max are the same.Hope this was helpful!

Manually Creating Mip Maps

by Adnan Hussain

You can avoid the manual steps below by using this script I wrote: Download maxscript mg_mr_tools_v02.zipManual ProcessTo create Mip Maps, Mental Ray comes with a command line executable called imf_copy.exe. This can be found in:C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2011\mentalimages\imf_copy.exe(path may vary depending where 3DS Max is installed)Older versions of 3DS Max did not come with this file, but I have heard you can get it from a demo version of XSI or Maya.Once you have located the file, you can run it manually from the command prompt/shell. To launch the command prompt/shell, go to Start/Accessories/Command Prompt. This will launch a new window with the Command Prompt. For those not familiar with DOS, I've written the commands below.To open the folder with your file type in cd <your path>:cd "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2011\mentalimages\"<press enter>Next, type in:dir <press enter>This will give you a list of files in the folder, and you should see imf_copy.exe.Now that you have confirmed that you have the file, you can run it. From the mental images folder, you can run the command as follows:imf_copy -vrp <path><source filename> <path><target filename>You can type imf_copy and hit enter to see a list of all the possible parameters.

Mip Maps in 3DS Max with Mental Ray

by Adnan HussainDownload maxscriptmg_mr_tools_v02.zipMip Maps are pre processed texture maps for use in rendering. They take more hard drive space, but can help reduce processing by storing multiple,preprocessed resolutions of the same texture in one file. This allows a renderer that supports them to quickly load the file and not waste time on preprocessing/filtering. In addition, renderers such as Mental Ray can load portions of these maps as needed and unload them at render time. In contrast,3DS Max's scanline renderer loads all maps into memory at once. Loading maps as needed can add to render times, but loading all maps at once on a scene with many large texture maps will choke or crash your software making it impossible to render the scene.Mental Ray supports Mip Maps through a ".map" file format that can be converted to from various bitmap files (uncompressed TIF, TGA files, etc) using a utility it ships with called imf_copy.exe.Unfortunately 3DS Max does not directly support the use of ".map" files in Mental Ray, so below I will describe a work around to use them in 3DS Max 2011.1. Some Mental Ray Setup changes:First you'll need to edit a Mental Ray file called base_mix.mi in order to access the map type needed to use ".map" files. Go to:C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2011\mentalimages\shaders_standard\mentalray\include\(path may vary depending where 3DS Max is installed)Copy the file base_mix.mi and create a backup as seen below:Next we'll open up base_max.mi and find the line:gui_mib_texture_lookup2Then add a hash or # symbol in front of the word "hidden" below it. This will load the Texture Lookup 2 Map into 3DS Max when you reload the program. We'll need this to load our ".map" files into.Note: If you later reinstall 3DS Max or need to render on other machines, be sure and copy this modified file tothe appropriate folder on each machine.2. Create Mip MapsNow that the tools we need are accessible in 3DS Max and we have reloaded it, we can create our Mip Maps. For this purpose, you can use a script I created. Download maxscriptmg_mr_tools_v02.zip">mg_mr_tools_v02.zipLocate imf_copy.exe. We need to locate the executable file that comes with Mental Ray to convert maps into the .map (mip map) format used by the renderer.In 3DS Max 2011, this can be found in:C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2011\mentalimages\imf_copy.exe(path may vary depending where 3DS Max is installed)In older versions it was not available, but I have heard that the XSI and Maya demos come with it. You may be able to get a hold of it by downloading one of those demos.Now that we have confirmed that we have the imf_copy.exe file and we know the path where it lives, let's run the script.Download maxscriptmg_mr_tools_v02.zip">mg_mr_tools_v02.zipJust unzip the file and Run it in 3DS Max.Create Mip MapsMap Src Path: Path where bitmaps to be converted live and where the new  .map files will be created. Don't type the filename, just a path.imf_copy Path: Path where the imf_copy.exe exists. Don't type the filename, just a pathFilter: You can leave it as "*", or choose from a number of file extensions in the pulldown to limit what you convert.Sub Folders Checkbox: When checked, files in subfolders will also be converted.flags: Add optional flags to be used with imf_copy.exe. Leave the default "-vrp" if you are unsure.Del Src: Deletes Source files (jpg, tga etc)Ovw Trg: Overwrites the target file (if map files exists, overwrites them).Create: With your settings filled in, click Create to start creating .map files for any bitmap files that don't already have them.Bitmap to Map ChangerChange: This button goes through all BitmapTexture maps in the scene and replaces them with Mental Ray Texture Lookup 2 maps containing the corresponding .map file if it exists.Reverse: Changes map files back to bitmaps.Make Scene MatlibMake Scene Matlib: This creates a temp material library in the Material/Map Browser containing all scene materials, which you can save manually. Useful for keeping a set of materials with BitmapTexture and one with .map files.Mat ChangerI use this to take a set of materials made for one character and apply it to another. This is more name dependent so it may not work for everyone. Material libraries need <src_char>_map or <src_char>_bmp names. Swaps the src string for trg string in each filename.Src Char: Source StringTrg Char: Target StringMtl_Type: Map or Bmp (Looks for matlibs named <src_char>_<Mtl_Type>)Mat Path: Folder containing your matlibs.Render SetupIn your Mental Ray render settings, under Processing set the Memory Options to the following.This will allow you to take advantage of Mental Rays Object and Texture loading efficiencies. That's all, now you can render scenes with more textures and geometry than you could before.In Case you want to know how this works for your own customizations, here are some manual instructions to do what the script does to create .map files. You don't need to do any of this if you use the script.Manually Creating Mip MapsAdditional Scripts and Information byothers:Mip Maps on WikipediaNeil Blevins Mip Maps WishlistDavid Baker's Mental Ray .Map Converter MaxscriptMentalScriptologist's Swap BitmapToMap Maxscript

Go watch Miral. Your Activism for the Day.

 I watched an incredible film called "Miral" by celebrated director Julian Schnabel and urge everyone to do so and write a review on Rotten Tomatoes which is a review site that can greatly help it. I won't give any spoilers to the film, so don't hesitate to read on. The film is based on the true story of several generations of women, which begins a year before the creation of Israel and runs through the time of the 1993 Oslo talks. This is a high profile film due to the fact that the director was celebrated for his previous film at Cannes and the Academy Awards and yet it is only showing in 2 theaters here in Los Angeles.Its premiere at the United Nations General Assembly in New York was protested by the American Jewish Committee, but thankfully went ahead despite that. I feel that the real power of this film is that when the truth is told without hatred and with nothing that can be easily dismissed, then it becomes truly dangerous to the very people who should feel uncomfortable by what it reveals. This film does not even begin to show the depths of cruelty visited upon people in this conflict and without that it makes perhaps an even stronger impact.This is the story of several generations of women, and their hardships come not just from the occupation of Palestine, but from everyday life. This story of people, to me is the most powerful way to create dialogue and promote a real interest in resolving serious political and humanitarian issues.What I ask, is that people please go and watch this film in the theater. Find a theater close by, or far away and watch this film and if you feel it has value, then encourage others to do the same. You have the power in your hands to make the voices of others who desperately need it heard.Watch the film, review it on Rotten Tomatoes (it takes less than 5 minutes to create an account and review it) and add it to your twitter/facebook etc. If you want to see films about under represented people, then this is your chance. If this film makes money, that will encourage Hollywood to fund and release films on these types of issues. It is a business. When you want high quality films about important topics that fail to gain the attention they merit, then support this film. It really is that simple.

Manisha Shahane, Chirag Katti and Highway Down at the Mint

Chirag Katti and Manisha ShahaneHighway Down

I had the pleasure of seeing my friend Manisha Shahane perform some songs from her amazing new album "When Parallel Lines Meet" at the Mint.  Her cousin Chirag Katti opened up with some beautiful music on the sitar. A really fun band called Highway Down came up after them.I did some quick pencil sketches during the performances. I was trying out some cheap watercolor pencils on top of that. Basically, they are similar to colored pencils, except you can take a wet paint brush and blend it in like watercolor paint. I wonder if the colors in higher end watercolor pencils are more saturated and vibrant. I used thin paper, not really meant for watercolors, which is why it is a bit wrinkled from the water.

Highway Down performs at the Mint.

Gurmej Atwal and Surinder Singh

Today on my walk to work, I saw an elderly Sikh couple sitting on a stoop next to the sidewalk. I greeted them in passing with a "Sat Sri Akaal ji" to which both turned, smiled and enthusiastically replied. I walked further and said "Good morning," to another man who was staring at them a few yards further. He responded, still looking, probably just out of curiousity, before he continued into a building. I pass all kinds of people every day. There are elderly Indian couples, Latinos, African Americans, Muslim families, Latinos, Caucasions, even Caucasion Hari Krishnas around as I walk to work every day. It's a treat to pass by a Mandir and Churches, with a Mosque and several more Churches and a Synagogue down the street. I often see elderly women with their tiny footsteps, as they walk down the street in hijab, or in saris, carrying small grocery bags. There are men and women in turbans, kurtas, baseball hats, baggy jeans, suits, or a cowboy hats and boots.To me this is a treasure. The stories, a variety of languages, occupations, dreams and passions are all so rich. I need not travel the world to find it. It is right here at my doorstep and it is the most comforting, beautiful thing I can imagine. This place is not without crime and hardship, nor is it lacking in any other complications of every day life. Yet I see all manner of people up and down these streets, quite at home for this is their home. I say this without ignorance of the great economic divide that exists, where expensive restaurants line well patrolled streets in one section, and a few blocks over is an underlit forgotten neighborhood where residents are increasingly shoved out by the rising costs of rent.Despite this, I still find a diversity of culture, humanity, and not insignificantly, delicious food from Indonesia, Thailand, China, Japan, Mexico, El Salvador, Greece, Italy, the Southern United States, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Korea and so much more. This is my multicultural home. This is my America, where diversity is celebrated and people are not singled out for ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or any other pick of the week. Even the accused are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This is my America, where I can walk down the street and enjoy the benefits of an incredible library system that gives me access to immense stores of knowledge.The extant to which this ideal is realized is due to people of all races, religions and orientations who have struggled, been villified and even murdered for demanding the most basic rights. This oppression comes almost always through the complicity of unscrupioulous public officials who build their campaigns not on how they will help their constituents, but how they will align voters through fear and hate to gain power. These greedy transgressors may get elected, but I have to question how hard they will fight for anyone’s rights when they are so willing to trample them.On the afternoon of March 4, 2011, two elderly Sikh men were gunned down while taking their daily afternoon walk in Elk Grove, California. Though hundreds of miles from where I live, it might as well have been right on my doorstep. 65 year old Surinder Singh was murdered and 78 year old Gurmej Atwal is in critical condition. There has been an increase in hate crimes since members of our society decided to target fellow citizens to an even greater degree after 9/11. Now somehow, we are supposed to answer to extremists for the crimes of other extremists? Perhaps if they cared so much about the community, they too would work, as many religious and non religious people in communities all over the country have, to seek out their fellow citizins through interfaith dialogue and events. Each hate crime is a direct attack on the diverse community of people I see every day. When an African American is stopped and harassed for walking in the "wrong" neighborhood, or when a Latino is looked at with suspicion in the land that his/her ancestors have called home long before Columbus, we are all affected. Two old men can no longer walk down the street and groups of people have their right to be here questioned, while those who spout hatred are given positions of power, and put on human rights advisory boards? Should we not speak out against them? Should we not shame these elected officials who think their constituents too feeble and stupid to make them answer for inciting hatred? Does it make sense for the Sikh community or the Muslim or African American or Latino community to be put on trial to explain the value of their existance? Or would it not be more fruitful to question the honesty of leaders who encourage divisions among us and sit with the very banking and healthcare institutions and the warmongers and the profiteers responsible for the economic hardships that have lead people to target one another?So while one group is singled out for the crimes of a few, what of the rest of you who are guilty of flagrant disregard for the sanctity of our lives? Where are your hearings on hate crimes? Where is your action to protect us from the nasty rhetoric of politicians who court hate mongers who preach death for people they could never be bothered to know? Perhaps these are the issues of a campaign worth running.

Hate in Yorba Linda

Hate Comes to Orange County from cairsocal on Vimeo.

 Hate Comes to Orange County from cairsocal on Vimeo.After watching this very disturbing protest/hate rally video edited by CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations), I was prompted to make an attempt to research the people involved on all sides. On February 13th, 2011, there was afundraising dinner by the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), featuring speakers Imam Siraj Wahhaj and Imam Amir Abdel Malik in Yorba Linda, an affluent city in Southern California. The presence of these two Imams prompted the South Orange County 912 Tea Party group to organize a protest. which ended up being a hate rally against Muslims.The fundraising dinner called "Our Responsibility Towards Our Neighbors, an Islamic Perspective" was to raise funds for homeless people and battered women in the United States. The protest was seen as a "Protest- Opportunity to Show Your Concern -Radical Imam Fundraiser."To many, myself included, it is horrifying to see the level of hatred directed at families and small children. There is footage of speakers at the protest, including Villa ParkCouncil woman Deborah Pauly clearly advocating violence against Muslims when she said "As a matter of fact, I know quite a few marines who will be willing to help these terrorists to an early meeting in paradise," in reference to attendees of the fundraiser, which was cheered by the protest audience. Congressman Ed Royce spoke against multiculturalism (perhaps he should take another look at the demographics of his constituency) and Representative Gary Miller expresses pride in the protest. While I would like to hear the rest of their speeches, these bits are not directed at two Imams (the stated purpose of the protest), but at Muslims as a whole and the idea of multicultralism.In the video we see protest speakers during the day, adjacent to the fundraiser venue, cut against the protesters who stayed or arrived in the evening to spout off very extreme hatred at fundraiser attendees as they arrived. I feel there is a strong connection between the outright incitement of violence in the words of our public officials during the day and the behavior of the protesters at night. If one is there to protest two Imams, then speak of them and not an entire religion and make clear points of disagreement.To speak against the Imams or Muslims on the part of the protesters is protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution. I find the very political nature of drawing lines between people based on religion and ethnicity disgusting, but I do believe in free speech. Divisive and downright hateful rhetoric is common in the speech of leaders today and sadly it forms the basis for many political campaigns. It seems very effective in funding and winning elections, perhaps because those who spit hate don't need to improve the lives of the people they claim to represent. Instead they focus on marginalizing and vilifying other groups of people who do not form their power base. Those incited as well as those incited against remain without the benefit of a secure financial present or future and will find no redress for the social issues they face. This thought reminds me of Bob Dylan's song, written in response to the assassination of civil rights activist Medgar Evers, called "Only a Pawn in Their Game" back in 1963. Like most social truths, it remains quite relavant even today.The language of the Yorba Linda protest was not against the two Imams speaking at the fundraiser, but instead targeted Muslims as a whole. The rhetoric and willingness to see children and families as the enemy should make us all stop to consider how we choose to play out our politics. Do we find it acceptable to verbally assault families and children? This type of hatred does not diffrentiate between Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Latinos or anyone else for that matter. If we do not take a peaceful stand and continue to do so without hatred, people will be fooled into thinking that hate is a legitimate means to gaining political power. Do we need to prove the humanity of Muslims, Latinos, Gays, African Americans, Jews, Japanese, Russians etc every few years to decide who we deem worthy of dignity? I hope not. I truly hope that as people we know better.For this type of hatred, I feel we need a calm and peaceful response. Silent vigils at the the offices of public officials and groups who advocate hatred as a political platform can be an effective way to be heard. Let's offer a dignified response to this undignified behaviour and show the families of all communities that we don't need to shout hatred to be heard and that the strength of our presence and the power of non hateful protest can overcome.There has been an outpouring of condemnation for the hate rally and solidarity with the American Muslim community from all faiths/communities. At the same time we see escalating Islamaphobia, just the current flavor of racist politics. Let's stand together and let people know we won't accept hate fueled politics.What we can do:Here is a page devoted to responding to the hate rally:https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=139107079490192Here's a fb page for the Anti-Hate Ralley for PeaceTime: Tuesday, March 22 · 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Location:

Villa Park City Council Meeting

17855 Santiago Boulevard

Villa Park, CA

Asiya Nasir on the Martyrdom of Shaheed Shahbaz Bhatti

I tend to try and use my art as a means to convey my feelings and get people to consider issues I feel are important. My art takes a long time and I will of course continue with it, but I can not stay silent, and wait for the completion of art to speak out. So I have decided to start writing about it.This persecution is not only a persecution of Christians, but all people. All the people of Pakistan are suffering the results of a concerted effort to bully the populace into not speaking out against the blasphemy laws and other injustices. Many Muslims have also been murdered under the pretext of accusations made under this law. The Governor of Punjab was himself assassinated recently for speaking out as was a Muslim man who had been aquitted in a blasphemy case a year ago. Likewise there are students, shopkeepers etc, many of whom also happen to be Muslim, being accused and summarily punished due to the weakness of the legal system and an unwillingness to speak up or act on the part of the Government. Countless Muslims and members of all minority communities are still struggling to improve the condition of human rights within Pakistan. The struggle for rights is everyone's struggle, be it those targeted for hate in Pakistan or those in the United States.So I begin with a video and translation of the speech below.MNA Asiya Nasir of Pakistan addresses the National Assembly in regards to the assassination of Minority Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a loss to Pakistan that is far beyond tragic. I have done my best to translate it from Urdu into English to help spread what I feel is an incredibly brave, truthful and vital message to the people of Pakistan as well as to the world at large. In this case it is specifically in regards to the plight of minority communities in Pakistan, but discrimination and injustice unfortunately know no boundaries all over the world.Thank you very much Speaker sahib,(Excerpt from Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poem Hum jo tareek raahon mein maare gaye (We who were executed on dark highways) thanks to Fozia for finding it):As the evening of tyranny dissolved in your memoryWe walked on as far as our feet could carry usA song on our lips, a lamp of sadness in our heartOur grief bore witness to our love for your beautyLook, we remained true to that loveWe, who were executed in the dark lanes.Mr. Speaker with your permission I request this house to listen to me in silence. Mr. Speaker, with your permission today, I wish to address not the Prime Minister of Pakistan, and not these 342 assembly members, but instead Mohammad Ali Jinnah, I am addressing you, because my brother was murdered. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, you told us, come build a house together. On this pure land we will create Pakistan, and in that pure land there will be no Hindu, no Christian, no Muslim. Instead under one flag we will all be one.Quaid-e-Azam (Jinnah), today I ask you, when Pakistan was decided, and when at your request we came into this house, then how were we treated? Mr. Speaker I would like to ask this house, what was my brother's crime? Just that he wished to see this country and Quaid-e-Azam's Pakistan? Mr. Speaker when we arrived in Pakistan then our elders made the decision to join Pakistan. At that time when the Boundary Commission held a meeting, Pakistan and Hindustan (India) were being divided. Perhaps few people are aware that the leaders of that time called the Christians and wished to give them a seperate piece, but they refused it. They said they would go to Pakistan and be a part of it. We came into Pakistan by vote. What kind of people are you? What kind of humanity are you? When you needed our votes, when we were needed to create Pakistan you took us with you, but when Pakistan was formed you called us minorities and threw us against the wall. Then we were forced to face discrimination. Sometimes we were called untouchables and you seperated our dishes, or treated us as servants. Sometimes, in the name of privatization our institutions were taken away and sometimes our Messiah was taken from us.Mr. Speaker, today I wish to ask this assembly, what crime did we Christians commit. We have always been loyal to Pakistan and continue to be today and always will be because we created this land with our blood. Just yesterday my brother gave his fresh blood for this land. What was our crime that we now face this discrimination? Now there will be speeches here that minorities have their rights, then I wish to tell this house that it has been 65 years and minorities have never had rights before, nor do they have them now and nor is there an expectation that we will have them in the future. After Gojra, I said in my speech here that I am afraid that our coming generations should not regret that their elders made the decision to join Pakistan. Yesterday when my daughter embraced me and screamed "Mom, let's leave this country!", then I was convinced that our younger generations regret that we made the decision to join this country. Mr. Speaker, but we have no choice, I told my daughter, "No, don't say things like that. This land is our mother. We will go nowhere, because we are from this land. We rose from this land. We are caretakers for this land. Even if we are mixed with this dirt, and each drop of our blood mixes with this dirt, we will not leave this land dear to us, for we have sworn to be protect this garden.Mr. Speaker, Sahil Nadwani spoke very correctly that "Cruelty is cruelty. When it increases it is also erased. Blood is blood, if it drips it will dry up (clot)." The blood of my brother that has been spilt and dried is not the end, but the start of a new struggle. For now,  no matter how much the voices of minorities are suppressed, you can kill as many as you wish. Mr. Speaker, even though my brother was now killed, after today if you lay Asiya Bibi on the noose, or fill Asiya Nasir with bullet holes, you will not be able to silence this voice. This human rights struggle will continue. The level of discrimination is such that this house treats us lower than animals. Why is there only two minutes of silence for us? We are the believers of Ibrahim, Isaac and Jacob's living God. The living God who answers prayers. The God not of silence. Why are no prayers said for us here? Tell me today why the Prime Minister is not present. Yesterday when one of your own gave the sacrifice of his blood. Yesterday, when a minister of the People's Party was injustly murdered and the Prime Minister was in a meeting in his cabinet, at that very moment you should have postponed that meeting.Mr. Speaker, what kind of discrimination is this where other ministers get two bullet proof cars, this was precisely a security lapse. I personally told Rehman Malik twice that we have reservations, our nation is concerned that Shahbaz Bhatti has not been provided with security. Rehman Malik told me, he requested a bullet proof car and it has been given to him. I said there is no security at his home, and he said we have provided security. The next day I repeated this to Shahbaz and he said these are lies, he has provided nothing. For ten days he requested a home in the minister camp, and none was provided. Mr. Speaker I would like to state that in the murder of Shahbaz Bhatti, the current government is also an accomplice, because Mr. Speaker, that comittee, where is it? The President announced that a committee would be created for all of this. For Asiya Bibi's case, and to review it, but no committee was created. I used to say to Shahbaz, why don't you speak to the Assembly President to make a clear statement on why there is no committee in existance?There was never a composition of any committee. No committee was created, nor was there any meeting, then why were you told it was being created and it never happened? There is no statement regarding this from the President or the Prime Minister, and no committee has been created. In fact Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that Shahbaz Bhatti, my brother had never said anything of the kind, for we know well how to care for the rights of the underprivelaged. No Christian could even consider insulting a Prophet. Mr. Speaker, I would like to also state here that (pauses). Mr. Speaker, we strongly protest this incident and we demand of the current government, as all Christians of the nation are in protest until my brother is buried, then we will decide on a path. And if you intend to make some committee after all, then I say to you, create a commitee including the leaders of all political parties and decide who is to be a resident of Pakistan and who is not. If you declare that Pakistan is an Islamic state that is only a Muslim state, for that is what your media tells. Certain extremist journalists state repeatedly that Pakistan is a country for only Muslims. I wish to let you know that Pakistan is not exclusively for Muslims.You have destroyed Pakistan's history. How many people know that many Christians sacrificed themselves for the creation of Pakistan. On 14th August 1947, 100 Christian Nurses gave their blood for Pakistan. Nobody knows, for your history has hidden these martyrs. Only within a few cabinet books will you find a record of this, that beside Quaid-e-Azam stood Christian leaders as well. Today, nobody is aware of the Christians who took part in the creation of Pakistan. Hindus had been living in this land for centuries, but Christian people came to this land by choice. So that we could be murdered here? So that our blood could be spilt upon this land? So that we could be considered inferior? So that we could be labeled? Is this what we were brought to Pakistan for?Mr. Speaker, today we Christians demand from the Prime Minister and President of Pakistan, that as soon as possible catch the criminals, the murderers and bring them to justice. For we are not of America or Europe. Our connection is only to this land of Pakistan, and yes, also decide whether you intend to give us equality then we will live in Pakistan otherwise tell us that there is no place in Pakistan for minorities so that we should make our home in some other place. Mr. Speaker, lastly I would like to say that in regards to this incident however much we condemn it is too little. Today our hearts are crying tears of blood and we have been given a clear cut message that whomsoever should raise the voice of minorities will in this way be the target of bullets. Mr. Speaker, today we need a policy statement from the government, to clearly state the policy on minorities and what steps are being taken to protect them. Now we won't listen to their lame excuses. Today the time has come to decide and for the Christians living in Pakistan there is only one phrase "To be or not to be, that is the question". Mr. Speaker, and lastly, I wish to my martyred brother Shahbaz Bhatti, perhaps your tongues have disappeared when it comes to referring to him as a martyr, but for us he is a martyr, for in Christianity there can be no greater level of martyrdom than that he sacrificed his life for the God of Christians and stayed loyal to God until his death. I salute my martyred brother. I present him with admiration for his service, and Mr. Speaker I wish to end my speech with Faiz's words which were perhaps for this very occasion. From Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poem Lahu Ka Suraagh:Nowhere, nowhere at all, is any trace of the BloodNot on the murderer's hands, fingernails or sleeveNo blood reddens the tongue of the blade nor brighten the tip of the spearNo blood marks the soil or stains the rooftopNowhere, nowhere at all, is any trace of the BloodIt cried out, this helpless, orphaned BloodBut none had the ability to listen, nor the time, nor the patienceNo plaintiff stepped forward, no one bore witness and so the account was closedWhile the blood of the dirt-dwellers seeped silently into the dirtMr. Speaker, and in protest of this horrible occasion, the minority representatives now stage a token walk out of the Assembly.

Sri Lanka Tsunami Relief Tea Party

I went to a tea party...no not that one. So, often times when disasters hit, they have long term affects that require assistance much after the actual event. I went to a charity tea party put on annually by the Sri Lanka Tsunami Relief Fund of North Hollywood. This group has been working to sponsor a group of children orphaned during the Tsunami since shortly after the disaster. My friend Supun's mother, who is an incredible cook puts this and other fundraisers together throughout the year for great causes.

Two of my other friends, Jayson Joseph and Nisha Mathew Mani performed with their band performing Bollywood and regional Indian movie songs as well as a popular Sri Lankan number, and you can see the sketches I did of them.

There isn't really much to be found about this wonderful grassroots effort online, but here's a PDF about their inspiring work.

Food Trucks and Sawtelle

So, I head out to Sawtelle today, where there is a stretch of really fun Japanese restaurants. I did some watercolors before the sun went down. The air has been really clear and the colors, absolutely beautiful here in LA lately. There's a Yogurtland there, some good Japanese supermarkets, several noodle and boba places along with Giant Robot and Giant Robot2, with some cool art books, a gallery of work by a talented artist named Theo Ellesworth and lots of inspiration. That night there were some food trucks, and I had myself a nice tofu burrito and taco from Bool and some amazing sweet empanadas from Chef Che.

Tuesday Night Cafe Taz and Jayson

Now that I'm back in LA, I had a chance to visit the Tuesday Night Cafe in Downtown. Tuesday Night Cafe features community supported art. I love doing sketches of the performers. Here are some sketches of the performers.It was great to see the community come together and support music and poetry. It gave me a chance to get back into some quick and live watercolors.Here's one I did of Wes Gabrillo:

Burhanpur

Burhanpur is an interesting city of historical importance. Tourism there is being developed as sites are being renovated. It was here that Mumtaz Mahal, wife of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan died and was buried for six months. The Taj Mahal was to be built here instead of Agra, but due to a number of factors ended up there. Even today you can see Mumtaz Mahal's hamam (bath) and living area. It is heavily decayed, but being repaired. Beside this I saw a Gurdwara where the final human Guru of Sikhism; Guru Gobind Singh hand signed a Guru Granth Sahib (holy book and living final Guru of the Sikhs). The Granth Sahib there is much like the ornamented Qurans of Islamic tradition and is very beautiful.Perhaps the most beautiful site I saw there was the Dargah-e-Hakimi of the Bora community. I do not know a lot about it, but it houses the tombs of some very important community members. It is like a gorgeous compound with schools, gardens and beautiful architecture. In one sense, it is very much like that utopian sort of futuristic society with old culture traditional looks that they show in science fiction movies. Where the people look happy and well dressed in traditional clothes and live a cultured and meaningful existence. It had that look and though I don't know much more than that about it, like any truly great holy place, it had a real sense of peace and beauty.There was also a beautiful mosque with Sanskrit, Arabic and Urdu writing in it. It had lotus designs similar to a Jain mandir, like the mosque I saw in Ahmedabad. There were also beautiful Jain temples and a fort out in Asirgarh, outside the town, from the times of the Mahabharat. It had a mosque and mandir in it built, I believe by Shah Jahan and a Christian cemetary built by the British among other things.We met some very friendly people walking around in the fort who taught us more about it. We went down to a beautiful mandir at the base of the mountain afterwards where the holy men were ironically glued to the cricket match on tv. I think it was Sri Lanka vs. India. There was something surreal about that little tv right there by the murtis (idols).After taking in some sites in Burhanpur and eating many a delicious meal at Heena's restaurant in the hotel across from the bus station, we head off by train to Delhi.

Milana Workshop in Bangalore

After a few days rest and figuring out the next leg of the trip we went back to Milana and did an art workshop for the women living with HIV and AIDs. Previously we had discussed some of the things they wish they could communicate to others. With this workshop I hoped to get them communicating their feelings first for their own emotional well being and second as a means to help others understand.As usual, I had a basic plan and had spent time thinking about how best to try and connect, but beyond that I had no idea if I would be able to give them something of value. I never have any doubt that art has value to be shared in all things, but whether I know enough to connect people to that is always the uncertainty. I suppose that's the exciting part of it all.So I had copied some images of watercolors I painted in the past in response to different social issues that I felt I needed to express something about. Those pieces are all here on the blog in previous posts. Lilly translated my English to Kannada for the women. We sat down, had some tea, shared some smiles and then sat down. I went over what I wished to do and Lilly related this to the women. I opened up the laptop and went through a handful of images, one at a time and shared them with the ladies. For each one, I explained the context of what I was reacting to and how that painful or sad emotion was translated into an image to try and make people think. Thanks to Lilly, the words and sentiments were beautifully translated and at once the women connected. To come in and talk to a group of women who are dealing with issues I can't even imagine, and try and share something that I think can be useful for them was a daunting task, so I tried to share how I deal with issues that I can't outright fix in a theraputic and communicative way through art.That the women responded is thanks to Lilly's excellent translation. I spoke to them of the multiple meanings and symbolism of each image, and also heard them connect their own experiences to what they saw. I didn't try and say that I know what they are going through or that I can make it go away. Rather I shared the power of art, through my own attempts to express and make people think. I could have taken from better artists than myself and shown their work, but it seemed to make more sense to share my own.We had a really good discussion, after which each woman got a sheet of paper and some colors. I went to the marker board and spoke went through an example of happiness. I got them started and asked what types of things symbolize happiness. They responed with smiles, christmas tree, food, sunlight etc. I filled the board with simple sketches of these. Then switched to sorry and anger and changed each of them in turn to express that. Next the women started their own drawings, expressing what they wanted. While I want people to explore and create for themselves in these workshops, I also want to give them enough in this short time to get started and feel comfortable with a process that they can continue in the future on their own. So as the women drew, I went around and helped give them ideas on how to visually represent different things they wished to express.I didn't have a clear sense of what the women might create. The process was organic and down to these women's willingness to participate. That they gave us that kind of love and were so open to try something that many adults might thing too childish was what made it work. They expressed joy at the upcoming Christmas holidays, visiting daughters and mothers. There was also sorrow at their infected children's condition and anger and frustration at a lack of drugs for survival. There were even messages in a world context of an appreciation for home and sorrow for the conflicts of people.Each time we get to share with people it is special. This day was truly amazing. In the summer of 2008 it was beautiful to connect to people through music with my friends Andy, Omar and Mike. Here it was beautiful to try and share something of what makes me and my life in a way that is meaningful to people I may never have met otherwise, whose experience is now a part of mine.Afterwards, we head out and met a lion, before visiting the cartoon museum (a museum of Indian Cartoonists). The cartoon museum was exciting just for the chance to connect to artists with a rich history in India. While animation is big in India, it is cartoonists and painters with whom I feel I am more interested in, in terms of artistic content. It is here that I can see a rich history of communicating important and personal stories. Just to have a brief visit and to speak to Narendraji there was fun. He showed us some beautiful Indian Cartoons (political and newspaper cartoons). There are some books, but these are not easily available. I did get one publisher's name so I'll try and look further into it. I also want to go to the National Book Trust store which publishes amazing children's books under the Children's Book Trust name. These books are not available at most stores, but the art and ideas in them tends to be far superior to anything I've seen in locally published childrens's books at other bookstores here.That evening we hopped on a train to Burhanpur.

BIRDS NGO 5

The next day we visited the principal of the social work college and his wife at their home on campus and learned why he loved the work he did. More than anything, what struck me about BIRDs was a sense that A. R. Patilji, who had served as a provincial minister and came from an agricultural background, had started his work in the 70's and genuinely worked to create programs where there was a lot of independence. Staff were given support and guidance, but also the free will to make decisions, mistakes and programs. To give support and guidance where needed and to empower the people who work with you, is to be a true leader. While Patilji did not know how to do every single task, but he knew to create an atmosphere where people could grow and create programs while he provided invaluable support, without interfering. I can't really say enough good about all that the Patils and the staff at BIRDs. I'm an artist, and don't pretend to be an expert at that or anything else, certainly not all that we saw and learned of the programs at BIRDs, but the Patils really made an effort to share the vast work the people have done and continue to do.The next place we visited was perhaps the most incredible of all. We walked over to the nursery school to pay the kids a visit. Children sat and played around the classroom. The teacher had several come up and recite nursery rhymes. There are few things cooler than hearing a little kid recite a nursery rhyme in English with the cutest heaviest accent, mixed with little cute kid talk, such that you almost can't tell they are speaking English. Seriously cute. Kristeen tossed a ball back and forth with a little girl and heard a squeaking sound. She shook the ball, but there was no sound, finally she figured out that the girl had little squeaking slippers that squeaked every time she stepped like a little toy. I played blocks with some very serious looking tots, then Kristeen came up with the idea to teach them duck duck goose.So we all head out to the courtyard of the girl's dorm, which was right outside, with teachers and children and started playing. It's really hard to describe how magical it is to become a kid and play, but if you don't know what I'm talking about, you really need to do it! We sat in a circle and the teachers would translate our instructions into Kannada. My cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing so much. These little ones were so sweet and sometimes confused, and excited and happy, then sad and more happy. Kristeen was a popular goose in the game as child after child would pick her, certainly not because they had the best chance of outrunning her. The teachers didn't join the game, but sat on one side and guided the kids. Kristeen and I played along with the kids. Some kids caught on quick, while others would sit there confused when someone touched their head and said "Goose!" Even some of the kids would start giggling, but they were actually quite nice to each other.The little girl who squeaked was so cute when she ran, generally confused and and with a blank look, never sad, never happy, just calm and collected, even when she chased after me and fell flat and broke some tiny bangles. Two of the youngest children had a hard time. Kristeen tagged one of them goose. He got up to run, but before his little legs could take him far, Kristeen reached over and tagged him. He froze as Kristeen laughed, then started crying uncontrollably. We all laughed and a teacher consoled, but he was never the same after that. If anyone tagged him goose, he would start crying, so all the kids let him be, and just tagged him duck as they went around. Another little guy was in the same boat and it was cute how the kids would smile at how funny it was, but still be sweet and not tag them, without needing to be told. They would even help the confused kids and run as fast as they could. Sometimes I would run around a few times and purposely and also accidently miss my open spot to sit as I came around. It's hard to run in a little circle. We played many cute little games with the kids, and got a great workout.It was time to say our goodbyes. We thanked the staff and Patils for their amazing warmth and the knowledge they had shared. On the way to the train station we stopped by the beautiful Gokak falls, before heading out and ending our time at BIRDs.

BIRDS NGO 4

It was finally time to give the kids an art workshop. We were under the impression that the workshop would be for the younger children in the BIRDs school. So Kristeen and I prepared a lesson on hygiene. She researched basics like how to wash hands, clip nails and etc. I incorporated this into a set of four drawings. A clean and dirty boy and girl. I draw them in a more basic sort of a way so that the kids could be taught to draw them. Drawing something, much like writing notes is a great way to remember things.At the last minute it turned out we were with some older kids. So there we stood with a lesson plan prepared for small children. So I asked them to show me the correct way to wash hands, and one of the boys did. Then I asked them to talk about issues of hygiene and they all knew the lesson well. I stood there for a moment wondering what I would do to make the time worth their while as their bored faces stared back at me.Then I decided that I could teach the class to make the drawings I had made, and then use that as a tool to teach younger children about cleanliness and hygiene. I hope that learning to draw would interest them and the idea that they too could teach others the lessons they have learned could be very helpful as most of the children are strictly in a teacher teaches, student memorizes and regurgitates mindset.The boys sat on one side of the classroom and the girls on the other, so I started drawing the clean boy on the boy side of the blackboard and the clean girl on the girl side of the class. I started very slow, describing each shape as a basic shape, such as being like a square, or a triangle, or a circle etc. I would talk about each part, draw a little bit on the board, then walk around the class to see how they were doing. The girls were hilariously shy. Many would cover their notebooks as I came around, but there were smiles everywhere and I felt relieved that I could give them something they could hopefully learn from and enjoy.Kristeen walked around the room and took photos and helped the kids out. The kids are really cute. Each one wanted to know if what they had done was right. The beauty of this lesson was that everyone was able to do it "right". Some kids would add their own little innovations, or change things around, and that was great. I joked around a lot with the kids as I drew, like describing the monkey like ears, being just like theirs, which made them happy.After finishing the clean boy and girl, I continued with the dirty boy and girl, who looked the same, but had messy hair, dirt all over, boogers coming out of their noses, messy clothes, long, black, broken toe and finger nails etc. I loved watching the kids get excited and laugh and have a great time while learning. After the finished that, we passed out larger sheets of paper, one per table and had the kids redraw the two children as they had in their notebooks on this paper, side by side as a learning tool they should use with small children. They started drawing and coloring and it was a lot of fun.The bell rang for lunch and no one wanted to leave. It was very humbling. The Hindi teacher who had helped translate my Hindi into Kannada for the kids at the beginning thanked us and we thanked him and the kids after I told the children they could keep their drawings, finish coloring at home and then their homework was to teach 3 small children a hygiene lesson with these posters. We slowly said our goodbyes and left for lunch.For lunch we met up with some of our friends at BIRDS and one of the teachers and his new wife. She had made lunch and the two of them served us some delicious thalis.Later we went to the HIV/AIDS clinic run by BIRDs where we were given an indepth presentation on the work they are doing in awareness prevention, safer practices education for sex workers, minority gender communities, and much more. Aftwerwards we visited one of the community centers in a village and sat in on a session where kids were getting after school help with their homework. It was pretty amazing how genuinely enthusiastic these kids were, so late in the evening, after a day of chores and school, to sit and continue with math etc. The teacher was great too as he was warm and encouraging and after a child would excitedly solve a problem on the board he would explain to the class how that answer was arrived upon. We spoke to the kids after their class, and I drew one of the boys on the board and in turn another kid came up and drew me. It was fun to try and answer questions about the U.S. and share some experiences etc.