The famous Mall Road connects the Cantonment area to almost all the major towns and boulevards of the Metropolitan. (The City still has a long, long journey to complete to be truly known as a ‘Cosmopolitan’.) Thanks for the very dual carriageway – with a lush mixed cluster of Pepal, Amaltas, Mahwa, Ticoma, Gul-e-mohar, and Kachnar trees for a green belt (wide dividing strip) – for, it will also take you to the Old City in < 45 odd minutes – provided you don’t travel during the rush hours; provided the weather, power supply, traffic lights, and traffic wardens behave themselves.
On the way to the Old City, you find an assortment of classic and (post-)modern iconic buildings – from The British Raj Era, too – on either side of the 8–10 km long stretch: Governor’s House, Alhamra Arts Council, Aitchison College, National College of Arts, Museum, Cathedral Church of Resurrection, Masonic Temple, Bagh-e-Jinnah, et cetera. … The Bagh-e-Jinnah (formerly: Lawrence Gardens) is also a home to a 150-year-old tree – Banyan (a hybrid of Banyan branches + Karnikar branches (Kanaka Champa)). … And, if you happen to be an aficionado of history/architecture/arts, you can easily become overwhelmed by the (colour) schemata of the (post-)colonial portrait that the very route happens to be; you can easily find yourself teleported to the late 19th–early 20th century CE—when the iconic (London’s) red double-decker buses were also in service in conjunction with the tonga service. Back in the 1930s–40s, the City of Lavapuri/City of Gardens1 offered an exemplar landscape of (the British/European) modernity.
*
This past Summer of ’23 CE, I had had to make the journey – via the very boulevard – to my grand/parents’ ancestral town called Islampura (formerly: Krishan/Sant Nagar) to re-procure a clay spinning top from an old seller of old clay toys. Reason being: the helper had managed to break one from the pair that sat atop my workstation in the study at my place, while she also left the assortment of my journals, fountain pens, ink pots, poem scribbles, pen pouches/holders, lead/mechanical pencils, pair of mechanical keyboards, marble paperweights, cigarette/case + lighters, metal/wood ashtrays, ceramic incense burner, A3/A5 sticky notes, and books hither and thither.
The clay toy can be easily classified as a souvenir in today’s IT/AI Age. I doubt, if the contemporary generations – Generation Z & Generation Alpha – are even aware of its existence, let alone being aware of where to acquire one. … The clay toy is even far, far older than the times when my grand/parents used to play with it in the streets – laid with bricks made of clay.
*
I’m yet to learn to properly operate it – wrap the thin string around its top, middle, bottom; then, with a flick of the wrist unleash the spinning top so as to induce a hundred or so anti/clockwise rotations to it per release.
Every now ‘n then, I manually make the souvenir whirl on the palm of my left hand – wrong-hand – with a musical adaptation (remix) of رقص ذرات / “Poem of the Atoms” by Jalal al-Din Balkhi (Rumi) playing in the background via YouTube:
O’ Day, rise! So that the particles begin their dance
1Lavapuri (Sanskrit): According to the Hindu tradition/mythology, the City of Prince Lava/Loh – son of God Rama and Goddess Sita (see the Hindu epic poem Ramayana by Valmiki (Adi Kavi/First Poet). Modern day Lahore – the capital city of the Punjab province in Pakistan.
[1]e=mc2: Theory of Special Relativity by A. Einstein (1905 CE) – with an emphasis upon: a) ‘inertial frames’ (speed of light is constant), and b) merger of space and time; where, time = 4th dimension.
[2] The Theory of General Relativity by A. Einstein (1917 CE): ‘Gravity’ is a result of the shape of space-time/geometry of the universe.
[3] The Three Laws of Motion by Sir I. Newton (1687 CE): Principle of Inertia, Principle of Momentum, and Principle of Action/Reaction.
[4] The Theory of Special Relativity proposed by G. Galilei (1632 CE): the laws of motion remain the same in all ‘inertial frames of references’ (objects moving at a constant speed).
[5] The Sun-centric Astronomical Model proposed by N. Copernicus (1543 CE) – opposed to the 2nd century CE Geocentric Model (Earth at the centre) by C. Ptolemaeus.
[6]Buraq (Islamic tradition): Chimera (with a body of horse, head of human, and wings).
Biography
(Wordcount: 153)
Saad Ali (b. 1980 CE in Okara, Pakistan) has been brought up and educated in the United Kingdom and Pakistan. He is a bilingual poet-philosopher and literary translator. His new collection of poems is titled Owl Of Pines: Sunyata (AuthorHouse, 2021). He has translated Lorette C. Luzajic’s ekphrastic poetry and micro/flash fictions into Urdu: Lorette C. Luzajic: Selected Ekphrases: Translated into Urdu (2023). He is a regular contributor to The Ekphrastic Review. He has had poems published in Synchronized Chaos. His work has been nominated for the Best of the Net Anthology. He has had ekphrases showcased at an Art Exhibition, Bleeding Borders, curated at the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie in Alberta, Canada. Some of his influences include: Vyasa, Homer, Ovid, Attar, Rumi, Nietzsche, Freud, Jung, Kafka, and Tagore. He enjoys learning different languages, travelling by train, and exploring cities/towns on foot. To learn further about his work, please visit: www.saadalipoetry.com; www.facebook.com/owlofpines.
Saturday night
she wears her
pressed-flower face
which came first
her madness
or her art
behind me
phantom shadow
with a fist
round faces
built of cubes
featured in
rectangular galleries
with oval windows
I tell complete strangers
about my pain . . .
climate despair
Swiss-cheese memory . . .
glimpses of past weddings
some of them hers
Roberta Beach Jacobson
Indianola, Iowa, USA
Bio: Roberta Beach Jacobson (she/her) is drawn to the magic of words–poetry, song lyrics, flash fiction, puzzles, and stand-up comedy. Her latest book is Demitasse Fiction: One-Minute Reads for Busy People (Alien Buddha Press, 2023).
Weightlifter’s Dilemma, or Upon Looking at a Surrealist painting by Andrew Ferez
(Photo above is of a clown’s face with purple curly hair and white face paint and a big nose suspended above a desk with a microphone)
What the body lifts and carries Around like a second skin It sooner memorizes the weight As it grows inured to the pain
Clowns must be the unborn Children of Sisyphus, smile Despite and in spite of –if they only Knew art is more than a discipline
Takes a while for the heart to catch up When it does, it surrenders the key To a floodgate that opens at three Next thing you know, each morning
The heart wakes up in a circus tent Of acrobats juggling heavy objects Handles them like they’re made of air Who cares about weightlifting clowns? ——- Biographical note:
Emeniano Acain Somoza, Jr. considers himself the official spiritual advisor of his roommates, Gordot and Dwight – the first a goldfish, the other a Turkish Van cat. His works have been published in The Poetry Magazine, Moria Poetry Journal, Fogged Clarity, Everyday Poem, Loch Raven Review, The Buddhist Poetry Review, The Philippines Free Press, Troubadour 21, Full of Crow, Indigo Rising, Asia Writes, Triggerfish Critical Review, Troubadors 21, Gloom Cupboard, TAYO, Haggard & Halloo, and elsewhere. His first book, A Fistful of Moonbeams, was published by Kilmog Press in April 2010. His second, Kleenex Theory, published by Createspace-Amazon, came out in 2015. He is busy anthologizing emptiness and boredom at the moment.
THE ROLE OF DIGITAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CASHLESS PLASTIC CARDS IN BANKS
Lapasova is the daughter of Marguba Zakir
Student of the Jizzakh branch of the National University of Uzbekistan
lapasovamarguba04@gmail.com
Phone: (90)-488-76-70
Abstract: The article contains a number of points regarding the analysis of the implementation of cashless settlements in commercial banks of Uzbekistan.
Keywords: Plastic cards, digital technologies, mobile banking, SMS-banking, Bank-Client, retail banking services, banking system.
Enter. Currently, the process of opening plastic cards to customers is quickly prepared by commercial banks in our country through modern (EISA) programs.
The main part. In the conditions of financial globalization, the competition between banks to attract large corporate clients has increased, and the market of banking services in Uzbekistan is becoming one of the promising areas of ensuring bank income and competitiveness. At the moment, retail services occupy a special place in the market of banking services, and they are mainly aimed at satisfying the population's demand for financial and banking services. It is known that retail banking services are distinguished by a number of features, in particular, individuals are the main consumers, although the volume of transactions is small, the costs are higher compared to corporate banking services, and the services are aimed at meeting personal requirements. The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev Miromonovich stated in his address to the Oliy Majlis that "wide implementation of digital technologies in the activities of banks will be in the center of our attention." The volume of retail banking services provided by commercial banks of our Republic is increasing year by year. The number of deposits intended for the population is increasing, the volume of operations with plastic cards is increasing, the practice of issuing consumer and mortgage loans is improving.
Resolution 2751 of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated February 2, 2017 "to further encourage the development of the cashless settlement system, to meet the demands for plastic cards, terminals and related equipment, as well as non-bank transfer of funds special attention is focused on reducing turnover
of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan " On additional measures for the further development of the cashless payment system based on plastic cards " No. PQ-433 of August 3, 2006 is provided at the beginning of the second letter of paragraph 1 to extend the period of validity of customs privileges until January 1, 2020.
Bank microprocessor plastic cards, manufacturers of payment terminals, processing centers of retail payment systems are effective from imported raw materials, consumables and components, software tools and licenses for the production of plastic cards, terminals, ATMs, infokiosks and other equipment. and ensure strictly targeted use and calculations by means of these, and in the future their production should be localized.
Also, the regulations on non-cash payments in the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Civil Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan, "On the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan", "On Banks and Banking Activities" and in accordance with the laws "On Payments and Payment Systems" in the Republic of Uzbekistan, the procedure for making cashless settlements of legal entities and individuals using payment documents is established. One of the most widely used types of retail banking services today is plastic card services. Plastic cards have their advantages for banks and citizens. Also, today, making payments for various products and services through the Internet and electronic systems is becoming more and more sophisticated. The widespread use of plastic cards and mobile communication is creating the basis for the development of the sector. In particular, the use of information and communication technologies in areas such as consumer credit, remittances, and deposit operations is at an initial stage. It is also important to study foreign experience in further expansion of plastic card services. Looking at the foreign experience of plastic card services. This type of payment has been used in the Australian banking and financial system for more than twenty years.
Over the past years, a lot of experience has been accumulated in this regard. Innovative ideas were introduced to the industry. As of today, the number of plastic cards in circulation is 6 per person. 6 issued plastic cards for each working population corresponds to ta. Credit cards are used within the specified limit, and the debt incurred through the plastic card is returned to the customer within a convenient time. International "Visa", "MasterCard" and "American Express" bank credit cards are mainly used in Australia. In recent years, as a result of the decrease in the demand for cash and the expansion of cashless payments, the number of payment terminals installed in sales and service outlets in the country is increasing significantly. In our country, as a result of the development of the settlement system through plastic cards, the demand for cash is decreasing year by year. In particular, in comparison to 2018-2019, there is an increase in the number of people carrying out operations and sales through bank plastic cards.
Summary. The development of bank card transactions, the possibility of introducing a scoring credit system, the gradual development of services such as "internet-banking", "mobile-banking", "SMS-banking", and the improvement of services such as money transfers and electronic payment in our republic determines the prospects for the development of retail banking services.
Useful literature:
1. "Economy and innovative technologies" scientific electronic magazine. No. 1, January-February , 2014
2. Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the strategy of actions for the development of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017-2021
3. Bekchanov M., Abdurakhmanov R. Plastic card - a modern means of settlement. // Market, Money and Credit. No. 9. 2012.B.14
4. Abduvakhidov F. Accounting in commercial banks./ Study manual. - T.: "ECONOMY-FINANCE", 2012 - y.
Through the lonely roads
My heart flickers like a light bulb
The pain strikes in voltages
My blood runs completely cold,
As i look into the palms of death with empty eyes
With smeared ghosts of human imprints
Just a few o'clocks from midnight
And a few still till the beauty of the heavens rises
I've motioned fiercely,
On the deadly roads of gruesome art,
Spills of blood from rage and tears from empathy
Mourning songs from the night creatures
And exotic smells from nature
Flooded with the overwhelming need to run panic stricken
Like a frightened deer, so afraid
My feet glue to the ground
My heart flickers even more, startled
And i feel my hairs stand on end
holding erect until i let out a scream
Do i give up? Do i not ?
My memories all are labyrinths
I do not seem to find an escape
I nip at a canteen of courage and tell myself not to panic
Will i not?
Perhaps i said i was a woman too quickly,
Because i feel like a little girl
As the sun slips into the afternoon sky,
I keep telling myself not to panic
But i begin to shout but my own voice mocks me
In echoes bouncing off the walls of this dungeon that surrounds me
Just another series of fraught shouts, bringing nothing but my echo
My cries, my screams, my fear
They don't make me
Though sheer the climb is, hands, feet, like claws
I will work my way up like a spider
The sound of my own breathing and grunting is so loud it startles me
Ayanda Edna Dlanga is a young poet with a dream of becoming an acclaimed author. Fueled with a lifelong love for storytelling and expressing emotions as they are.
The Rite of Spring, by Pina Bausch (Photo: Maarten Vanden Abeele)
The Blood Wedding of the Earth
common ground(s)
The Rite of Spring
Cal Performances
Zellerbach Hall
When Stravinsky composed Le sacre de printemps, and Nijinsky first choreographed it, for a notorious Paris premiere served with a heavy helping of riot and hysterics, one would be forgiven for guessing that things African were hanging in the air at the time. After all, Picasso had for years been inspired by the masks of Africa in drawings, sculpture and paintings such as Les demoiselles d’Avignon, already famous, and the cubism that commanded much of the Parisian artworld had deeply African roots.
But who would have guessed it would take until the 2020s, by way of a brilliantly original German choreographer and her adventurous son, in tandem with a Senegalese dance school and an echt-British performance company, to, at last, fully manifest the profound Africanness of one of the anchoring works of European modernism?
Well, sometimes even this world rises to justice. And the inspired synthesis of Stravinsky’s controlled howl, Pina Bausch’s relentless choreography, and the brave and brilliant talents of 38 young dancers from 14 African countries was made fully and bracingly manifest in Berkeley, thanks to Cal Performances, over a recent mid-February weekend.
Pina Bausch originally choreographed the piece on her own company, Tanztheater Wuppertal, in 1975, and anyone who saw Wim Wenders’ seminal film Pina will remember the triumphant work of her dancers. But seeing the same moves on the bodies of African dancers feels so apt, so right, it seems astonishing no one has done it before now.
The visceral, chthonic thrill of the piece is impossible to capture on page or screen without tearing both to pieces and rearranging the fragments into a vital and dazzling chaos that begins in sleep and ends in a death whose colossal significance is the resurrection of the earth itself. At the heart of the piece, we are in a pre-verbal world of ritual, fear, and hope, a dramatic myth whose logic is that of life itself, hinging as it does on death for it to be born at all.
The celebrated Senegalese dancer and teacher Germaine Acogny, who appeared in the accompanying piece common ground(s), is quoted in the program notes as saying, “When I first saw Pina’s Rite of Spring, I felt it was an African rite.” She goes on to say she was impressed by how many of the moves within the dance reminded her of those native to African dance, and the entire aura of the work feels intimately African “because it is something universal.”
The piece is fundamentally a group effort; there are no solos as such until the very end, when the Chosen One (an exquisitely vulnerable Khadija Cisse) dances for long agonizingly suspenseful minutes as she seems literally to dance herself to death before our eyes – it is the one conclusion to Le sacre this viewer has seen in which I believed the dancer might this time actually expire at the end.
Other standouts included a princess who effortlessly led the young women, Shelly Ohene-Nyako, and a king-in-waiting, Bazoumana Kouyaté, who dominated among the men. But the sharp coordination of the dancers as a group in a piece that flirts with chaos in the only way that works artistically – by keeping it under complete control – was a truly strange thrill to behold. Full justice was done to Bausch’s conception, if what I recall from Wenders’ film, which, sadly, was filmed just after Bausch’s death, was a fair expression of it. For me, this performance was the crowning of a work of unique artistic power.
The production, from the Pina Bausch Foundation, the École des Sables, of Senegal (and co-founded by Germaine Acogny), and Sadler’s Wells of London, and the program of which it is a part, was initiated by Foundation chair Salomon Bausch as part of a “transmission project” to keep alive and relevant the work of Pina Bausch after her untimely death in 2009. Its planned premiere in 2020 at the Théâtre National Daniel Serano in Dakar was canceled due to the pandemic, but it refused to be kept down, and was finally premiered two years later and came to the United States recently on a tour that began in New York and ended in Berkeley.
A side note about the production: following Bausch’s original conception, the dance was performed on a layer of peat that had to be spread by a small army of stagehands across a large tarpaulin laid out across the stage during intermission. It came from Canada and had to be carried from city to city throughout the tour. It is an essential part of the dance: by the end of the work, the dancers are partly covered by it in a sign of their marriage to the earth and its perpetual cycle of life and death: it is both life ritual and death ritual, wedding and funeral, a digging of graves and the cradling of a child.
The first half of the program included a piece for two female dancers: common ground(s), performed by two legends, the afore-mentioned Germaine Acogny and a dancer who worked with Bausch at the beginning of the latter’s career, Malou Airaudo. The work was a simple but profound meditation on female friendship and the life of women. The senior dancers make no pretense to virtuosity, but instead emphasize their wisdom, maturity and groundedness in the daily and annual cycles of life and growth. At one point they speak, in French and English, before returning to the wordless eloquence of dance and the rites of daily life. The music was by Fabrice Bouillon LaForest, performed on strings and keyboard but evoking the sounds of Africa and the earth, cicadas, winged creatures, and animals in the night. It was a work of peace only to be broken by the eruption of spring.
_____
Christopher Bernard is an award-winning poet, novelist and essayist. His most recent books are the first stories in the “Otherwise” series for middle-grade readers: If You Ride A Crooked Trolley . . . and The Judgment of Biestia.
