Sunday Brunch at GunsSmoke in Lahore
My Three-Year Love Affair with Lahore
This month I wrote a ‘letter to Lahore’ for the Pakistani e-zine The Green Kaleidoscope. It’s a reflection of my last three and a half years here.
Check it out:
Looking for an Upper Portion to Rent in Lahore?
Newly built house with independent entrance; Ideal location facing the park. 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms with a spacious living room and kitchen! Large rooms with an open floor plan. All Italian and Spanish fittings, sophisticated layout and contemporary architecture. Spacious master loft suite with luxury closet and modern baths. Available immediately. Must See!
It also has A/C, central heating, remote control main gate, anti-theft boundary wall, Phoenix Security System, central music system, generator, UPS, cable internet, telephone and internet. Wow! Talk about luxury.
To see how much they are asking for the rent or to arrange a visit, contact:
amara.bashir1@gmail.com OR amara.bashir@desconchemicals.com
Email me for her phone number
Lahore Restaurant Review: Malee’s Cafe
My husband and I were certainly divided over this one. I gave it a 3 out of 10, while he gave it a 7. I wouldn’t go back; he wants to go back and try to expensive gelato.
Read the Review of Malee’s Cafe here
Have you been to Malee’s Cafe? What were your thoughts?
National Poetry Month on Associated Content
In honor of National Poetry Month, Associated Content has been challenging its writers to do daily “challenges” of different types of poetry. So far, all of my challenge entries have been inspired by Pakistan, so I thought I’d share them here:
Bustling Bazaars of Lahore: A List Poem
Buttery Cinquain: Summer in Lahore
View from Fairy Meadows: A Haiku Trio
The poetry challenges have been fun, and before this I didn’t know how to write cinquains! I like poetry that has syllable patterns, but I’m not too good with rhyme and meter. Hence I didn’t do the ghazal or the quatrain. Enjoy!
Financial Times Says What about Defence?
“In addition to physical security, local administrators take great care in applying municipal bylaws. Rules, such as forcing residents to equip power generators with sound-proof canopies or forcing parties to turn loud music off by a cut-off time of midnight, are applied rigorously. In fact, on one recent evening, Defence’s guards appeared 10 minutes after midnight to force an end to an event at the home of a prominent politician, who was shocked when told that his electricity would be turned off if he did not comply. In Pakistan, where influential individuals routinely break the law, such incidents are rare. “In DHA, rules are enforced strictly,” says Shafqat Mahmood, a respected political commentator who lives in the area. ‘Unlike other places in Pakistan, the biggest attraction of this neighbourhood is that you can’t break the law.'”
Financial Times article
I wish generators in my neighborhood had sound-proof canopies. I’ve been kept up by loud wedding parties several times, and they did not stop at midnight. My husband and I discussed the idea of “disturbance of the peace” with some friends who live in Lahore, and they said that there are rules about this, but they are not enforced. That said, Defence is quieter than other areas of Lahore, but the supposed rules about noise are not “vigorously enforced.”
I Think I’m Turning Japanese…
I was a bit confused as to why my package would go to Japan. Do I look Japanese? Anyway, I told him it was going to the US and explained that I was a teacher here in Pakistan. Then I had to jaunt off to find a photocopier that was open in the morning (it was already 11:30am) to get a copy of my passport. Just in case I send a bomb in the box, they’ll know who did it. Photocopiers were all closed so I went all the way home, scanned a copy, printed it and went all the way back to the post office. It cost me 2835 rupees ($35) to send a 12.8 kg box. Not too bad. Let’s hope it makes it.
Beware of Knock Off Deodorant
The packing will many times look exactly like the original, except for a minor spelling mistake or two. Check all of your hygiene products to see if the spelling and labels are up to international standards. There are two products that have plagued me during my time in Pakistan, fake hair products and knock off deodorant. At least two out of three ‘name brand’ hair products that I have bought have been vastly ineffective. As I’ve used the same products with success in the U.S. and elsewhere, I know how the product should look, feel, smell, and work. There is no way to know if a product is real until you buy it and try it.
Many deodorant products in Pakistan serve only as body spray/deodorant and not as anti-perspirent. Make sure you read labels carefully. Even if the label looks good, the product might not work. When I run out of deodorant, I always end up going to at least five stores looking for a legitimate product. It can be quite embarrassing when you use a fake product that doesn’t work, especially in 120-degree heat!
Places that have real products in Lahore include: Europe – Defence Market, HKB – Y Block DHA, Pot Purri – Y Block DHA, Pace – Y Block DHA. Be warned that while some products on their shelves are real, some are fake. It’s easier to fake liquid roll-ons than solid stick deoderant, so if you want to be safe buy a solid stick brand.
Grocery Shortages Due to Long March
In other news, I found out that the allergy medication I usually take, Zyrtec, will no longer be available in Pakistan. He sold me the last 9 pills that he had. Here, people usually buy medication in small amounts, often cutting up the original packets to sell smaller numbers.I was bummed because a month’s supply of it over here costs me 120 rupees ($1.5), where the same amount can cost upwards of $75/month in the U.S. The pharmacist owner was quite helpful and gave me a different, locally available brand to try.
Mood in Lahore Exuberant as Pakistani Government Backs Down
Pakistanis are celebrating, as they believe that this decision is a watershed that will lead to greater freedom and more transparency in the government. Many are hoping that once Iftikhar Chaudry takes his post on March 21st, he will immediately open up the cases against President Asif Zardari (known as Mr. 10% for allegedly funneling state money into his own bank accounts) and former president Pervaiz Musharraf.
Today the mood was celebratory, as children flew kites in for the annual Basant spring festival. Everyone is excited that the people of Pakistan were able to force the government to comply with their demands for justice.
What will happen next? I suspect that this decision may be a big step towards the departure of President Zardari, and that the political drama will continue.
1 comment