#MyLifewares - Interwood Opens Its Showroom at Dolmen Mall Clifton

Do you know what turns a house into a home? Love, care and time. And the love and care is reflected through how one has decorated their home. Sadly in Pakistan we don’t have many options for décor and furniture however things have been changing. I see shops dedicated to home décor opening up and recently  Interwood opened their showroom in Dolmen Mall Clifton, Karachi.

From grand to elegant furniture, doors, flooring options and accessories one could find multiple options to their liking. Personally, I loved they way they have decorated complete small areas in the showroom to give one an idea how to decorate their rooms, kitchen, children bedroom etc.

Here I have made a collage of all the things I want for my home!

Check their facebook page out : www.facebook.com/Interwoodmobel

Also you can shop online: http://www.interwoodmobel.com/

#MyLifewares #Karachi 

Ban on Sheesha Cafes

Picture taken from Tribune.com.pk

Last week Supreme Court of Pakistan announced to shutdown all the Sheesha cafés in the country immediately. The call was taken on plea of health department. Now I wonder why all of sudden health department got concerned with Sheesha consumption in a country where people smoke cigarettes like chimneys in public space.

These cafes were operating within boundaries and adults with consent were consuming Sheesha and paying taxes for it. Last I remember Sheesha is not prohibited in Islam the way alcohol is and alcohol is still easily available publicly in high end restaurants of Karachi. I don’t see any authorities batting their eyelashes on that.

My only question is that if all the Sheesha cafes are banned why aren’t we banning consumption of cigarettes, production & sales overall? Why do restaurants still have smoking sections across the country? Why isn’t health department concerned about sale of Gutka & Pan which is the leading cause of mouth cancer in Pakistan?

These cafes were not doing anything illegal. They had employed over hundreds. Did the court wonder what will happen to these people? Why wasn’t a detailed report of how many deaths annually in Pakistan occur cause of consumption of Sheesha shared with public? People who are consuming it know the side effects of it as well & Law meddling in an issue so minor is perplexing when we have much pressing concerns in the country.  

Animated movies are not just for Kids - Frozen

Whenever I get excited for an animated movie a lot of people judge me and pass remarks such as why are you so interested in a cartoon movie? Or guys would simply assume since I am a girl I would be interested in animated naturally. Well I don’t believe the fact that animated movies are just for kids or they are girly movies. Thanks to Disney & Pixar most of the mainstream animated movies now are beautifully made, having exceptionally strong characters & articulated stories.

I have decided to select a bunch of animated movies and do an analysis on them to prove the fact animated movies are not just for kids and adults can learn a lesson or two from them as well. The first movie I am choosing is the very popular Frozen.

The first time I saw the movie I was in love with Elsa and her icy super powers so much so that I actually wanted to be her. So the popular opinion was that Elsa was much more loved and admired by crowds rather than the bubbly Anna. If we shed some light on characters of Elsa & Anna in detail the case would not be the same.

Else who faced a troubled situation in her childhood never seems to grow out of it. She remained afraid all her life, shutting down any kind of affection she received by her family which ultimately made her personality aloof. She was a coward in short. On the other hand Anna who faced isolation from her elder sister/ best friend Anna remained optimistic even during the worst times. She faced the world and wasn’t afraid to trust. No doubt her idealistic nature got her in trouble but it was her love & self sacrifice that bought peace & prosperity back. Anna teaches us sometimes magic lies in the simplest of actions.

Elsa no doubt is beautiful and mystic with her icy magic but Anna is the real hero of the movie.

Lesson to be learnt from the movie: Don’t be afraid, learn to trust, learn to love & learn to let go. Isolation is not the answer to your problems. Olaf made sure we all learnt the lesson very well.

Till the next post… Keep Swimming. 

The Curious Case of Hamza Ali Abbasi

We has Pakistanis all have one thing in common, no matter what the situation is, no matter what the topic is and it really doesn’t matter it concerns us or not, we absolutely have to pass a comment.  Keeping this in mind, this blog post is pretty ironic as I myself am commenting on one of Pakistan’s very well known celebrity Hamza Ali Abbasi.

Hamza has lately been under a lot of limelight because of his controversial Facebook status updates. He says one thing but his actions seem to defer his words. His affiliation with a certain political party does not help his case either. So the question is why even bothering this what he has to say? Well we all are bothered by what he has to say because he is at least saying it out loud.

We as a nation do speak our mind and our hearts out but behind closed doors. We can never point right or wrong in public, this Hamza guy at least seems to be doing that. Regardless of what his views are, he makes sense or not but he makes people get thinking and that’s what we all should be doing.

We are not living in the time of French Revolution when people came out on streets to bring a change but this is a digital era we are living in and countries like Egypt & Turkey actually bought substantial change through internet only.

I am not suggesting copy ditto what Hamza Abbasi is doing/saying/blabbing but at least follow the ideology. If you have power to make people think, make people question the system, you should be utilizing your power instead of sharing cat videos on your wall ( which by the way

are hilarious don’t you dare stop sharing those little babies).

Peace Out.  

P.S I only enjoyed Hamza’s acting in Waar and THAT’S IT! I AM NOT A FAN.

#First1000Days - Healthy Start Of A Beautiful Life

Being an aunt of 8 little ones and seeing my sisters raising them have given me an exposure of growing kids up in an extremely different manner.  It’s not just what the movies show, cute cuddly kids always smiling or parents staying up all night taking care of them; it’s much more than that.

Raising a kid means having responsibility of a human life. That is a terrifying thought for me at this point because to be honest we hardly have any idea about kids. To break this barrier Nestle Pakistan recently organized very informative seminar for bloggers #First1000Days. The main purpose of the seminar was to educate people regarding a child’s first 1000 days (roughly 3 years). They informed the crowd that this time period is the most crucial as the child develops not only physically but emotionally. And to make sure the growth of child is ideal parents have to make their child’s health first priority.

Dr. Huma Fahim, Medical Advisor in Nestlé Nutrition gave a very informative presentation which was followed by a quiz. She said that it is critically important for a child to be fed on mother’s milk for 6 months at least. As the child grows do not discontinue mother’s milk but add food items which are full of nutrition.

Pakistan lies amongst the top 14 counties that carry malnutrition diseases. You might be able to feed your kid all the nutritional food but look around possibility can be your maid can’t afford the healthy diet for her child. Help her feed her child nutritional food as well, as nourishment is utmost important for a child’s brain development. 

So coming back to the part where I am proud of being an aunt, it just makes me realize how precious and important these little lives are. It’s our duty to take care of them and help them grow to wonderful human beings in any way we can. 

Magnum Party 2015

Not many were fortunate to be invited to a glamorous chocolaty night but I was lucky enough to get one. Magnum Pakistan hosted a night of glitz and glam where top fashion designers displayed their Magnum inspired range of clothes.

I was especially impressed by the overall décor, chocolate carpet and the selfie mirror (totally innovative concept, one just had to stand in front of the mirror & smile…Snap the selfie was taken by the mirror itself!)

Khadijah Shah, Omar Farooq, Nomi Ansari, Shehla Chatoor & Maheen Karim’s designs were featured in the fashion show. I totally loved Shehla Chatoor’s collection although I do feel highlight was the full skirts and gowns by Nomi Ansari. It’s good to see Magnum taking over fashion and introducing the concept that glamour can be celebrated in any format.

Shehla Chatoor's Collection

Not to forget the beautiful chocolate fashion installations which I would NEVER EVER EAT because they looked fab !

#MagnumParty15 #Karachi #MagnumPakistan 

Khadijah Shah's Collection

Nomi Ansari's Collection

Broadway Pizza Holy Deals

Since the beginning of this Ramzan I made a resolution not to waste my precious money on extravagant iftar buffets which honestly I can’t even have but rather invest iftar deals.

So me and my colleagues decided to do iftar together. Since it was super hot we thought of ordering in rather than dining out. After a couple of arguments we settled for pizza and I suggested Broadway Pizza cause I had seen their Holy Deals which felt pretty tempting.

I honestly thank heavens that I ordered from there! Four perfect thin crust pizzas were my reward. Usually think crust is a difficult to satisfy because most of the pizza places either leave it slightly raw or over cook it. But these pizzas had well cooked thin crust.  We wanted to try different flavors so we ordered their Wicked Blend, Chicken Meatballs & Mama Mia, all of them with just the right amount of cheese ( well there never is the right amount I ALWAYS want more cheese in my pizzas) and good amount of topping. Chicken meatballs pizza was my favorite among all three (It had a lot of corn).

What I loved more than the pizzas were the different sauces. Although all almost all pizza places are giving sauces now but I really liked the flavor of their sauces.

Although I am not a very big fan of Chicken wings as it is a messy business eating them but I took a bite or two and I actually enjoyed them (not just some filler sidelines to make the deal look good). They had some kind of mayo chilly sauce over it which enhanced their flavor. (The picture isn’t doing any justice to them so ignore it please)

The order arrived within 40mins so that was a plus. We got 2 Holy deals which had 4 13 inches pizzas and 12 chicken wings and 2 bottles of 1.5ltr Coke only in Rs.  3000 (each deal was Rs.1499). All in all I am happy and satisfied customer. Kudos!

Good old PTV times

Times have changed. Lifestyle of people have drastically changed from what it was 10 years ago due to technology. We cannot even imagine a life without mobile phone or Google today. But I remember the time of late 90’s when I was a kid and life was comparatively much more peaceful. Even after school, homework and play we would have plenty of time to sit with family and enjoy. Since I had elder sisters and a mother who would enjoy watching television, I got hooked on to dramas from a young age. That was how I enjoyed my family time.

In those days there wasn't any satellite channel, there was only PTV. I remember the dramas having strong characters, beautifully scripted story lines with simple production sets. Those dramas have no comparison till date. The actors were flawless or maybe it was the seriousness of great direction which made those actors performance so well.  Dialogues wouldn't be something out of a book of poetry. They would be simple and everyone could relate to them. I know the concept of morality is different for everyone but dramas of that era even if touched the most sensitive issues of society, were not morally wrong.

I remember the dramas being family entertainment. I remember wardrobe and sets being the least concern of the actors as well as the audience. The stories never were only focused on a damsel in distress and two men trying to win her heart or a cunning woman trying to ruin everyone’s lives. The stories back then had an impact, stories that the audiences were able to relate themselves to. People would be sharing the sorrows and joys of the characters because they thought of them as part of their lives. Dramas so moving that would make even grown men weep.

My personal 3 favorite dramas of PTV are:-

1. Dhoop Kinary
2. Dhuwan
3.  Alpha Bravo Charlie

Though I watched repeat telecast of these dramas in later 90’s with my mother and sisters who already had seen the dramas, they would enjoy it as if they were watching them for the first time. Even today whenever I see these dramas on air I watch and enjoy them thoroughly. I honestly wish Pakistani Drama Industry today would focus on its roots and come up with quality dramas as these. 

What are your favorite old Pakistani dramas? 

My favorite 5 Photographers of Pakistan

Advent of Instagram has bought out a photographer in each and every one of us. We are self proclaimed photographers who would take a picture of interesting looking anything, slap on a filter on it, post it on our social profiles and tada.. There we are celebrity photographers. Worse is the situation with the people who own a DSLR. While I am not against the idea of taking photographs but one can’t call themselves a pro by just owning an expensive camera. Photography is an art. It takes a lot more than just a fancy app, filter or a camera to be a photographer.

The picture should speak for itself. The idea and the thought behind it is what matters more. The moment which has been captured should be so perfect that the viewer cannot see it just as a 2D image but feel the emotions in it and engage all his senses in the visual.

I am visual person so I automatically have a liking for photography. A lot of people enjoy portraits but my favorite genre of photography is landscape and conceptual creative manipulation. Well many might disagree with me and believe creative manipulation in photographs loses the basic essence of photography, I still love this format. Unfortunately not many photographers in Pakistan are exploring this genre. However we still have a lot of talented photographers in the country. Some self taught artists while others who got basic training. Wedding photography recently has been popular amongst upcoming photographers but sadly not all can do justice to it. Same goes for fashion and product photographers.

My favorite 5 Pakistani photographers

1. Danial Shah

Genre which I feel the photographer excels in: Landscape

His love for chai and mountains is evident from his photography. What I love about him is his passion for traveling. He portrays raw beauty in every click he takes. He is a self driven photographer with a degree in business studies.

www.facebook.com/DanialShah.official

2. Mobeen Ansari 

Genre which I feel the photographer excels in: Portraits

Have you seen such portraits which would make you feel as if the person in it is breathing? If not then I would strongly suggest you to follow Mobeen Ansari’s work. He has the power to capture emotions in such pure manner that his work speaks for himself.

www.facebook.com/mobeenart

3. Ali Khurshid 

Genre which I feel the photographer excels in: Wedding

The fearless artist’s claim to fame defiantly is his series of photographs on Seaview, Karachi. From there within few years he has grown to be one of the leading wedding photographers in Pakistan. He not only excels in wedding photograph and portraits but also captures landscapes equally beautiful.

www.facebook.com/LighthouseCinematic

4. Waliya Najib

Genre which I feel the photographer excels in: Outdoor

This gorgeous girl hails from Islamabad and has a knack of capturing the most perfect photographs in sunlight. One could see her love for Islamabad clearly. Her photographs leave the viewers with a happy and warm feeling of content. She has a massive fan following on Instagram.

www.facebook.com/waliyanphotography

5. Nadeem A, Khan

Genre which I feel the photographer excels in: Advertising

This man needs no introduction as he has been one of the pioneers of advertising photographers in Pakistan. His work not only includes product photography but also landscapes and portraits.

www.facebook.com/nadeemakhanphotography

One thing that I absolutely love about all these 5 photographers is that they are exposing the beautiful image of Pakistan.

*All the images taken are personal property of the respective photographers. 

Unlocking my Inner Glow with Ponds

I have been listening to my mother using Ponds as a cold cream since I was a child. Growing up with listening to Ponds as dependable brand I was always inclined towards it. I have been using their range of face wash since it has been launched as well. I was called to an event by Ponds recently. There they uncovered their improved Ponds white beauty GenWhite formula in the range of cream and face wash. The event was absolutely beautiful with great food, interactive and informative games and more information about Ponds.

GenWhite formula doesn't magically give you fair skin but actually get rids of all the dark spots, dark circles and dull skin bringing out the inner glow of your skin. Although that’s a big claim to make but after using Ponds White Beauty range for 7 days I could actually feel the difference in my skin. It was softer and glowing.

I took the Seven Days Diary Challenge and here goes my experience! 

So when I start using the face wash and the cream day one there wasn't any much difference. It was just like you are using any other cream but the good part was it did not make my skin oily and the face wash wasn't harsh either. 

Day two and day three it was almost the same experience. It wasn't until Day four when I started to notice the dark spots on my face slightly fading.  

Day five & six I was more than enthusiastic to wash my face with Ponds White Beauty face wash and put on my Ponds White Beauty cream. My skin was softer and I honestly did not feel like putting on any makeup. 

Day seven visible change was apparent on my face. Dark spots were rapidly fading away and my skin was glowing. 

The great part about the cream is that it has sunscreen as well. I would recommend you to use it in summers as it has a matte affect and bring out your inner glow. 

Desi and Co.

Me and my friends are always on a lookout for a new hangout place where we can get good affordable food. So my friend came across this restaurant Desi & Co. and suggested it to us.

On a Saturday evening we decided to give the place a try. It’s in DHA Phase 4 in the same lane where Burger Shack is. The place is small and neat. I loved the desi quirky quotes that were hanging on the walls. 

We were a group of 7 – 8 people so only two of them placed order for us. I don’t remember the details but we opted for round regular parathas with filling of hara bhara aalu, chicken achari, chicken cheese and chicken fajita. In the end we wouldn’t resist the temptation and ordered Nutella paratha as well. The owner of the place, Misbah, she helped us select flavors of the dough and all because the menu was extensive.

Hands down the parathas were absolutely yum.  It’s hard to believe but there was almost no oil in the paratha and plenty of filling. I have had aalu parathas from many places but always they have tasted bitter. At Desi & Co. I liked the aaluu paratha better than the chicken cheese paratha!

My next favorite in terms of flavor was the achari paratha. Fajita paratha not only had chicken in it but vegetables as well. Nutella paratha didn’t have that oomph factor perhaps a bit of more Nutella would have made it a lot tastier.

We were given free Kheer on check in as well. My friends ordered lassi and they liked it.

Overall the owner is friendly, the service was swift, the chutnies and raitas were finger licking good, the parathas were yum and the bill was pocket friendly.

 Overall would give the place 8.5 out of 10.

You can visit their page on Facebook for more information:
www.facebook.com/pages/Desi-and-Co/1379108982414777

Reasons why tea is a perfect companion..

Tea asks no questions..

Nor it judges.

No commitments and no drama..

Can be enjoyed at any time of the day

Can be found around the globe

Comes in so many different flavors

Enhances the enjoyment of rain

And winters

So many cute cups and mugs to sip tea from

Best way to avoid awkward situation

Keeps you awake in morning

And really long boring meetings

Conversations get interesting over a cup of tea

Best way to socializing with people















And simply because it is tea.. it is love!