The Express Tribune Magazine - April 28

APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

To the slaughter

Amateur food critics are not mincing their words when it comes to fine dining in Karachi

APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

Feature

34

Moind jor lengwej

24

Cover Story

Eaten Alive!

Amateur food critics shred Karachi’s restaurants to pieces

Health

Put this in your pipe and smoke it

E-Cigarettes may not necessarily be the best way to quit smoking.

30

4

Don’t miss Beo Raana Zafar at the Islamabad Literature Festival Tuesday

Travel

Do Hong Kong in 5 days It’s cheaper than you think and has everything from dim sum to hiking trails

36

Regulars

6 People & Parties: Out and about with the beautiful people

40 Reviews: The rebirth of two different types of heroes

42 Health Living: Mole removal

Magazine Editor: Mahim Maher and Sub-Editors: Ameer Hamza and Dilaira Mondegarian.

Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Jamal Khurshid, Anam Haleem, Essa Malik, Maha Haider, Faizan Dawood, Samra Aamir, Sanober Ahmed.

Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Executive Editor: Muhammad Ziauddin. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi.

For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk Printed: uniprint@unigraph.com

PEOPLE & PARTIES Nida Azwer launches her debut collection in Karachi and Lahore

Bunto Kazmi and Sehr Munir

Humaima Mallick

PHOTOS COURTESY LOTUS PR

Nida with her mother

Safinaz Faiza Asad

Alyzeh Rahim

6 APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

Mahwish

Iqra Mansha

Amna Bashir

Ruakiya Adamjee

Sana Adil

APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

PEOPLE & PARTIES The launch of the book Kam Sukhan celebrates nine years of Kiran Fine Jewellary in Karachi

Hira Zubairi and Mrs Khawaja Arshad with a friend

PHOTOS COURTESY KOHI MARRI

Kiran Aman, Shane Khan and Tahira Irshad

Mahira Hafeez Khan

Sadia Akram and Nazia Akram

8 APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

Fayyaz Ahmed and Aamina Sheikh

Lal Majid and Khadija Shaban

Feeha Jamshed

Adnan Pardesy and Adeela Badshah

APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

PEOPLE & PARTIES Mahmood Group launches Zebai Lawn in Karachi

Munna Mushtaq and Mannal

Huma and Omer

PHOTOS COURTESY ANASTASIA PR

Ayesha Omer and Zhalay Sarhadi

Mansoor Vohra

Zara Tareen Mr and Mrs Hamid

Areeba Habib

10 APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

Saima, YBQ and Laiqa Hasan

Maryum Zadi and Maha

APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Amina

Hanif Jewellers launch their boutique in Lahore

Saqib and Humera

Amna, Nadia, Gia, Natasha, Kuki, Noor and Sophie

Amna and Fariah

12 APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

Samana and Zeeba

Sadaf and Khawar

Hifsa and Zeeshan

PHOTOS COURTESY BILAL MUKHTAR EVENTS & PR

Shoaib and Annie

APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Neshmia and Saadia

Zainab Khar

Farah Leghari launches her Signature Lawn collection in Karachi

Ayesha, Abbas, Farah and Hamza

Arjumand Rahim

14 APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

Nadia Hussain

Neelo

Sanam Naqvi and Rukhsana Naqvi

PHOTOS COURTESY CATALYST PR & MARKETING

Sarwat and Pinky

APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Aymen

Ayesha, Saveen, Afzal and Pepsi

Khalid and Misbah

Maria Wasti

16 APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

Milal and Samiya

Adnan Siddiqi and Aijaz Aslam

Hina and Roger

PHOTOS COURTESY CATALYST PR & MARKETING

Fauzia

APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

PEOPLE & PARTIES The Noodle House opens at Dolmen Mall in Karachi

Mathira and Hasan

PHOTOS COURTESY TAKEII

Ayesha and Usman Sakrani

Mona

Uzma and Alkarim Jia

Ayesha Mir

18 APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

Warda Saleem and Nobain

Ayesha Tammy Haq

APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Shaz, Lamiya and Dolly

PHOTOS COURTESY TAKEII

Ayza, Asad and Fauzia

Eram Shaikh

Hira Lari Saadia Nawabi

Nazia Malik

20 APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

Yusra Askari and Tehmina

Rubaila Hasan

APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

d o o F ars W

COVER STORY

Karachi’s restaurants are finding themselves at the mercy of a brigade of amateur food critics who have no qualms biting the hand that feeds them — on Facebook TEXT BY ATIKA REHMAN

PHOTOS BY ESSA MALIK AND AMEER HAMZA COVER IMAGE: ALI REZ

24 APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

The knives come out on Facebook. The enzymes have not even begun to break down in the alimentary canal and the bile has already started to rise.

The unhappy diner whips out their cell phone and skewers the meal on one of these two food forums: SWOT with 10,000 members and the Karachi Food Diary with 8,000. Twenty posts later the restaurant owner is toast.

These two pages on Facebook are a virtual space where Karachi food enthusiasts share their dining experiences.

Restaurant and dhaaba owners and even aunties baking at home for a buck on the side can post pictures, menus, and special offers. Customers get to write reviews. Everyone can give their opinion.

And this is where the trouble starts. One member Sara Ashraf made the mistake of commenting in favour of a restaurant that was being ripped apart. She argued that its offer to compensate the unhappy customer should be accepted. In response, she was told off for “not having a developed palate” and not realising that a customer’s hard-earned money had gone to waste. “My money doesn’t grow on trees!” she retorts. “These people are NOT food critics; they are just people who ate something somewhere. The irony is they consider themselves Michelin inspectors.”

Because of our biological ties to it, food tends to have that profound effect on people. Its makers assume demigodlike proportions (even if that doesn’t translate into serving size). Its eaters, by virtue of putting it in their bodies, labour under the illusion that this entitles them a seat at the food critic’s table. Never mind that they can’t tell the difference between arugula and rocket. Paying for the meal buys them the gastronomic expertise.

Thus Karachi’s food forums have become a mini-battlefield of egos. But what caught our eye was the fighting ring this Petri dish has become. Is this an indictment of the combative nature of frustrated Karachi’ites or is it simply a case of the customer is king? We spoke to four of the characters in this arena — some Christian, some gladiator and some lion. Decide for yourself.

25 APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

COVER STORY

Sellers take you seriously.y. If a right, that’s great. restaurant gets it right, g, they should If theyy get it wrong wrong, he lynch mob get ready for th the

The grilling Nezihe Hussain's SWOT

(The Single Woman Over Thirty)

Founder Nezihe Hussain, who confesses to spending an average of Rs30,000 a week eating out, created SWOT in 2011 for foodies to gather and talk about where they are eating. It became Facebook’s first prominent online food forum dedicated to the city’s food scene.

Nowhere in the original plan, however, was SWOT supposed to earn the reputation of being a ‘mafia’ for which the politics of food and service at restaurants turned ugly.

“People are frustrated,” says Hussain. “They want to go out and get a bite to eat to escape from daily frustration, fears and anger. And when that goes wrong, it’s the last straw.” Hussain correctly points out that up until five years ago, just a handful of your friends would know if there was a hair in your salad. Today, your acerbic review of the extra protein on the plate will be read by thousands. Hussain shrugs. “Sellers take you seriously. If a restaurant gets it right, that’s great. If they get it wrong, they should get ready for the lynch mob.”

The lynch mob consists of less than a dozen members of the food group who will whip out the knives to jump into 26 the fray. Positive reviews get less traction. “We have tried APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

to curtail the lynching,” Hussain says. “We are evolving… why fight every time?”

SWOT earned a bad reputation when it introduced a tariff in January last year, according to which restaurant owners who were repeatedly promoting their business on her forum were asked to pay a fee. “The money was supposed to go for charity, with 10% going towards the account’s maintenance,” says Hussain. “I was the only person running the show at that point, but it wasn’t to compensate me — it was an appreciation of the service.”

Non-payers were allowed to interact but not promote.

Soon, however, rumours started flying that she was blackmailing restaurants that did not pay by writing scathing reviews and encouraging her friends to do the same.

“There were rumours that I was paid up to Rs200,000,” she laughs. “I mean, have you seen the car I drive?”

Hussain quickly removed the tariff. She says that she now tones down the aggression. “I have been told that the anger on SWOT needs to be curbed, so now I refrain from publicly criticising a place and block those who are spewing venom.”

Big portions Rs3m is the average monthly profit a fine dining restaurant can make in Karachi according to Habib Paracha of the Karachi Food Diary

The anti-SWOT party Habib Paracha’s Karachi Food Diary

Thirty-five-year-old Habib Paracha, the founder of the Karachi Food Diary, created this Facebook forum a year ago in reaction to Nezihe Hussain’s SWOT, which he feels was becoming “excessively biased”. od There is a lot at stake and restaurant owners take food ve. forums seriously because the food business is massive.

“There are a lot of people making a lot of money,” he says.

A fine-dining restaurant in Karachi earns a profit off about Rs3 million a month.

He acknowledges that there are a lot of people who will ll sorts be nasty for no good reason. “You will encounter all le of personalities on these forums,” he says. “Some people are bored, some are just trolls and troublemakers, and some just want to put others down and promote their own business.”

27 APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

COVER STORY

Find one person who can say that I have accepted a bribe — I’ve never done it. If an eatery is good, I will praise it. If it is bad, I will say so. If it has improved after one bad experience, I will say that too

The fire starter

Adnaan Chaudhry, self-crowned food critic, outcast Forty-two-year-old Adnaan Chaudhry has earned himself quite a reputation. The avid food enthusiast has been banned from two groups, Haroon Leghari’s Good Food Guide Pakistan and Nezihe Hussain’s SWOT, for spewing vitriol and making personal attacks. He is now limited to posting only on Habib Paracha’s Karachi Food Diary.

His reviews are bare and words cutting, his tone dry.

His verdict has become the authority, giving new restaurateurs sleepless nights. His language is so tart at times that it has scared people from participating in discussions. He cleverly deletes his posts after 24 hours to “control the direction in which the conversation is going” and he doesn’t cook much.

But he does love “lobbing a few grenades”. “Here’s my strategy: I start on a Friday. By Sunday, over 3,000 people are following, reading, gobbling up my posts,” he says with a laugh.

He feels that no one can say his food critiques are not sound.

“I am not nasty for the hell of it, I am realistic. My reviews are 28 accurate… I don’t have an agenda other than to give honest APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

feedback.” He maintains he does not make personal attacks, a lesson he learnt after making a mistake with SWOT’s Nezihe Hussain, who used to be a good friend.

So if he’s not Pete Welles or Gordon Ramsay and just someone who likes a good steak, why does his word carry so much weight with Karachi’s restaurants? He feels that it is simply a case of the people on these food forums giving him that power.

“I do have knowledge, which is why eateries value my opinion and want to talk to me,” he adds. “My positive review brings them revenue.”

Rumour has it, however, that Chaudhry ‘promotes’ friends and ridicules those who he does not care much for, implying that he is bribed for good reviews. In response to this, Chaudhry rolls his eyes. “Find one person who can say that I have accepted a bribe,” he says.

“If an eatery is good, I will praise it. If it is bad, I will say so. If it has improved after one bad experience, I will say that too.”

It’s scary and frustrating when 200 people get together and [criticise a restaurant] when most of them can’t even cook an egg! I’ve coined the term FFB for these people — food forum bullies

Haroon Leghari

the misunderstood restaurateur rateur No stranger to the kitchen, Haroon Leghari who has just opened the Clifton seafood restaurant Hook, Line & Sinker, was roasted online over a private response he gave to a Facebook complaint from a customer. The customer reproduced Leghari’s elaborate (albeit defensive) reply on the food forum, where the lynch mob devoured him.

“I’ve coined the term FFB for these people — food forum bullies,” says Leghari. “These food forums are no longer just places where one talks about their food experience — it’s a slag match capital.” People who have no idea about what actually happened with the unhappy customer unleash a free-for-all on the establishment.

“These people have a misconceived notion of freedom that Facebook has given,” he says. “It’s scary and frustrat-

ing when 200 people get together and [criticise a restaurant] when most of them can’t even cook an egg!”

After that public episode, Leghari urges people who eat at his restaurant to give all negative feedback to him personally or on HLS’s own Facebook page instead of the food forums.

Leghari firmly believes that it is not enough for a customer to just say that the food was bad. “If you can’t explain or detail what was bad about the food, how can you expect us to fix it?” he argues. “Everybody’s palette is different.”

But did the disemboweling on Facebook affect his business? “All publicity is good publicity,” laughs Leghari.

“They don’t realise it, but it’s promoting my business.

29 The day of an argument, I have 20% more business!” T APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

HEALTH

Put this in your pipe and smoke it Noticed people sporting the roboticlooking e-cigarette indoors? As it turns out, it’s not necessarily the best way to kick your habit

BY AMEER HAMZA AHMAD

30 APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

The people who use the electronic cigarette don’t seem to mind looking foppish while sucking on what basically looks like a colourful pen whose tip lights up. For what else is this new-fangled ‘gadget’ than just a neutered version of its carcinogenic prototype?

The e-cigarette, which is slowly turning up in mouths across main cities in Pakistan, is designed to behave just like the tobacco one but with one major difference: You don’t need a match. There is no lighting up and no smoke. This does, however, kill the theatrical production of leaning forward to light up and nonchalantly exhaling.

Instead of smoke, the inventor, Hon Lik, a Chinese chemist and engineer, found a substitute in vapour in 2003.

The e-cigarette holds a battery, a vaporiser and a cartridge filled with liquid nicotine. Taking a drag heats the liquid, turning it into a nicotine-filled vapour. As you inhale the nicotine goes to your lungs. When you exhale, it looks like you’re smoking a regular cigarette, but there’s no smell, because nothing is burning. There is no tobacco, tar or carbon monoxide.

Where can you buy them?

Electronic cigarettes are generally available in major supermarkets and kiosks in Karachi and Islamabad. They are less widely available in Quetta and in Lahore they are only available at select departmental stores. Tobacco vendors do not keep them, saying there is no demand.

You can also find them at specialty cigarette stores in some cities.

How much do they cost?

Starter kit

Rs2,000 to Rs20,000

is the range for a typical starter kit, which contains the e-cigarette device, a battery, a charger and several cartridges. Price depends on the manufacturer, model and style. Awais Chaudhry, who bought an e-cigarette from Liberty Market to quit smoking, says the entire kit, including an adaptor to charge the ‘cigarette’, had cost him Rs5,000.

Refills

Rs750

is the price of a pack of five cartridges (each cartridge is equal to about 30 cigarettes). You can buy the liquid in bulk and refill the cartridges yourself.

Are there different types?

Cartridge doses

high =16 mg medium =12 mg low = 6 mg is the grading of the amount of nicotine in the cartridges.

They are also available in different flavours such as chocolate, cinnamon, strawberry and even bubble gum.

There are also cartridges that contain liquid without nicotine, for users who want the sensory experience of smoking without its effect.

Where do they come from?

The e-cigarette is being produced by several companies in China, the United States and Europe. Most of the cigarettes available for sale in Pakistan come from China. “Our company’s electronic cigarettes come from China but these are exclusively made for us, which is why we are able to offer a warranty on our products,” says Salman Ansari, the sales and marketing manager of E-lite Corporation.

In Balochistan there is a slightly different story. “Most of the e-cigarettes available in Quetta come from China usually smuggled over the border at Chaman,” says Arif Khan, a wholesaler in the city. “I sell about 300 cigarettes every day to cigarette shops.”

Can they help you quit smoking?

The doctors T magazine spoke to were not keen on them but international opinion is still divided on the medical effects of ingesting liquid nicotine and if the e-cigarette is a healthy way to quit smoking.

“The problem with these electronic cigarettes is that just like normal cigarettes, they are extremely addictive,” says Professor Javaid Khan, who is the chairman of the National Alliance for Tobacco Control and head of Pulmonary Diseases at Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi. “The flavoured ones are even worse, if the nicotine is irritating your throat, you won’t feel it because the flavour will mask it and you would keep on 31 smoking without knowing.”

APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

HEALTH Cartridge: This is the mouthpiece and reservoir for the liquid nicotine

Power Supply: Most often this is a battery. Most electronic cigarettes have an LED tip that lights up when you draw air. Cutoff switches on some models stop the atomiser and prevent overheating

Flavours: Refills are available in several flavours such as chocolate, cinnamon, bubble gum and strawberry

Atomiser: This usually has a filament that is heated to vaporise the liquid.

The metal mesh helps draw the liquid towards the filament

Replacement cartridge: These are available in different flavours and nicotine grades

He said he did not recommend them as an aid or alternative to smoking. “If you want to stop smoking, you have to get away from all types of tobacco,” he advises. That means you cannot smoke cigarettes, shisha, cigars, pipes or any other tobacco products. The only way out is to consult your doctor who can prescribe approved medicines that can help.

This opinion was seconded by psychiatrist Dr Shahin Hussain, who uses hypnotherapy to help people quit at the Markaz-e-Nafsiat free clinic in Karachi. “You can’t stop unless you are motivated,” she says emphatically.

And using an e-cigarette is more like a crutch.

Dr Nadeem Rizvi, who is the head of chest medicine at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, in Karachi, has seen people unsuccessfully trying to use the e-cigarette to quit smoking. “The problem is that nicotine is highly addictive,” he explains. “While the e-cigarette does not contain tar, it is still not a safe alternative to smoking regular cigarettes. I have seen numerous people who have used these e-cigs to quit smoking but 32 have become addicted to them instead.”

APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

Can you smoke it indoors?

E-cigarette manufacturers claim that their products can be smoked anywhere since they don’t emit second-hand smoke and they merely give off vapour.

In Pakistan, there is no legislation regulating the import and sale of electronic cigarettes. Since e-cigarettes do not contain any tobacco, they may not be subject to the tobacco law, which ostensibly means that children can buy them.

The verdict?

Smoker Awais Chaudhry says his attempt to use the e-cigarette to quit did not last for long and he was back to smoking within a week. “It’s too much of a hassle,” he said. “You need to buy cartridges and then charge the thing… I’d rather go cold turkey than use e-cigarettes if I want to quit.” T With additional reporting by Taimoor Farouk in Lahore, Mohammad Zafar in Quetta and Obaid Abbasi in Islamabad

FEATURE

Moind jor lengwej If you are in Islamabad on Tuesday don’t miss Beo Raana Zafar doing stand-up at the literature festival — this is our sincere recommendation, don’t moind it PHOTOS BY ESSA MALIK/EXPRESS

34 APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

B

eo Raana Zafar loves the squealers. God help you if you’re sitting with a dour face in her audience when she’s doing her stand-up. “I call them the faalij brigade,” she says, referring to the people who are too polite to crack a smile. Those are the unfortunate souls who cannot laugh because otherwise it is virtually impossible to prevent the tears from streaming down your cheeks when her Ghaseetan goes to “feysun week” and tells the models off for wearing “chaddi frawks” or Mustaqeem the Karachi Urduspeaking dhobi whose mother warns him, ‘Nikal rahe ho to sar pe qafan band ke nikal leo’. (Take your shroud with you just in case).

Beo is perhaps the only female Pakistani stand-up comic worth her salt and she is also one of our best kept secrets even though she’s performed for charities from coast to coast for the expat US crowd and at home, worked on Here and Now for ATV in the UK, had a successful TV One show Baar Baar Beo, is in Sabiha Sumar’s film Rafina and has written a book of poetry The Dreamer Awakens with artist Tabinda Chinoy.

Her God-given talent is an ear for an accent, an ability to mimic anyone and the firm belief that all of this must be done without turning into a diva. She once detected a Glaswegian

undertone in a stuck-up British diplomat’s ersatz Etonian accent at a dinner. She first stunned and then shamed him into being himself by talking to him in his native accent.

While she can do the Imran Khans and Benazir Bhuttos, she steers clear of politicians, finding it more ethical and less tiresome to do the common folk. Take Gaffar and Jubeda the Memons or Boota the city slicker who tries to make an organ donation pitch to Ditta the country bumpkin so he lets him sell his kidney as, “Amreekanon ne pi pi kar apne gurdey sar dittay ne”.

(Americans have drunk their kidneys away and need Pakistani ones now). The hot favourite though is Farkhanda, the upstart Punjabi with aspirations to be a “Woisturn toip of the person”, who flies into JKFC airpawt.

You can catch her TV work online but Beo is best enjoyed live. That is why you must turn out to watch her perform with Syed Nusrat Ali known for his fantastic impersonations of Urdu poets. They have a one-hour act at the Islamabad Literature Festival organised by the Oxford University Press on Tuesday, April 30 in a session titled ‘Tanz o Mizah’ from 5:15pm to 6:15pm in the board room at the Margalla Hotel.

Please see www.karachiliteraturefestival. org/islamabad-programme for updates and changes to the schedule. And leave your pretensions at the door. T APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

35

TRAVEL

Getting there

1

There is no direct flight from Karachi to Hong Kong, so you will either have to route your journey via Bangkok or Dubai.

If your flight arrives mid-afternoon to evening time, check into your hotel and head straight out the door. The first night, take the famed Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour (adults HK$2.50$3.40 or Rs32-Rs43). The ferry gives you a spectacular view of the skyline with lights reflecting in the water. It leaves Hong Kong Island from two ports — the Wan Chai Port (5-min walk from Wan Chai MTR) or the Central Port (5-min walk from Central or Hong Kong MTR stops). The ferry will take you across the river to Tsim Sha Tsui Port, in Kowloon. Head to West Kowloon Cultural District. Although still under development, it has high hopes of becoming the heart of culture of the city. As I went around Chinese New Year, I enjoyed a pop-up Bamboo Theatre and a street market. Temporary events are on throughout the year (wkcdauthority.hk).

When heading back, take the ferry or get a taxi to the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR line. If you are there for more than a day get the Octopus Card ($150 or Rs1,900)

36 APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

Hong Kong Don’t be intimidated

by Hong Kong — this city is fantastic for dim sum, ferry rides and spectacular views from the Peak and it’s cheaper than you think

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY MYRA KHAN

in 5 Days

Mid Levels to temples

2

Head for breakfast somewhere in Mid-levels, which is exactly what the name suggests: bars and street restaurants on different levels in the middle of Hong Kong.

The closest MTR to Mid-levels is Hong Kong Station located in the IFC (International Finance Centre), but the mall is so big that you’ll have to rely on signs and friendly locals to get out where you need to.

Today, head to one of the best viewpoints on a clear day: Lion Rock Peak, in Lion Rock National Park, New Territories. The closest MTR is Wong Tai Sin, from where you will have to get a taxi ($40 or Rs507) to the entrance. From there, hike up one of the many trails.

When you see a small opening with a few benches, check which of the five signs directs you to ‘Lion Rock’.

Another half hour and you get to the top where you get a breathtaking 360-degree panoramic view.

Back down from the top, take a taxi or walk a mile to the nearby Wong Tai Sin Temple. Before you enter the Taoist temple take a stroll through the aisles of mystical fortune tellers. Try to find an English-speaking one. You can bargain depending on if you want a face or palm reading, or a combination ($300-$600 or Rs3,800-Rs7,604). If you’re lucky, your fortune teller won’t have trouble finding your ‘marriage line’. After your scepticism settles, take a walk inside the temple, no charge for entry.

Have a look at the idols and if you are feeling adventurous buy a few incense sticks and get into the crowd.

Wander through the right side and toss a coin into a flower in the wishing fountain.

Head back to the Won Tai Sin MTR and go towards Lang Kwai Fong for another sort of spiritual experience.

Lan Kwai Fong is Hong Kong’s famed party neighbourhood. The streets are lined with bars and restaurants.

Here you see an interesting mix of locals and expats.

TRAVEL

3 Dim sum at the beach Head to Lamma Island. Catch a ferry ($16) from the Central Ferry piers. The Central MTR is the closest to this. Have a look at the tiny islands along the 20-minute ride and arrive early enough to catch morning dim sum by the pier! Look out for a red tent and get a table next to the water. A good meal will cost from $50 (Rs634) per person. Keep an eye out for the fried, only-chicken and only-veg options.

After breakfast head towards Hung Shing Yeh Beach through Yung Shue Wan Village.

From the beach, get ready for a short hike up the northern hillsides of Lamma Island.

Hikes can range from an hour up to four. The demarcated ‘Family Walk’ is probably the safest. There are minimal inclines. Information is available online, and do check out the wind turbine and hilltop pavilion.

On the way back to the pier, wander through the small vintage boutiques, which are only slightly over-priced (a dress costs about $150 or Rs1,901). Take the ferry back to Hong Kong Island, where you brace yourself to head up to another fantastic viewpoint, Victoria Peak.

Take the MTR to Central and make your way to Mid-levels, then take a nice ride up the World’s Longest Escalator, although it’s broken into small parts. You’ll spot it easily enough. Along the way, try and get off to spot sideways trees and the Jamia Mosque.

When you get to the top, get a taxi to Victoria Peak. If the day is too sunny you will probably have to wait about 30 minutes in traffic uphill. You can also get the tram up to the peak for $40 return. (thepeak.com.hk) You can do the grueling hike up. You know you’re at the top when you feel slightly confused by the giant shopping mall complex. To get to the highest point, you will need a ‘Sky Pass’ ($40). The best time to plan this trip is sunset.

38 APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

4

Haggling in the market

Today you recover from your three hikes. Take a casual stroll through the famous for knock-offs Ladies Market (MTR Mong Kok). Locals told me that the vendors often quote prices about three times as high. A leather wallet should reasonably cost you $80 (Rs1,013). Browsing the four busy lanes you will find everything from underwear to chess sets.

If you’re not quite done with this city yet, head to Aqua, a restaurant-bar on Peking Road, closest MTR Tsim Sha Tsui. It overlooks Hong Kong and has spectacular views at night. Along the streets below are Gucci, Prada and Armani stores.

5 Chocolate coins Fly back! Morning flights give a great view of the bridges connecting the islands. Take back some Chinese chocolate coins from the airport if you forgot souvenirs for those eagerly waiting to hear about your packed adventure in the rising Asia metropolis. T *All prices are approximated based on exchange rates of HK$1 = Rs12.67. Rates may change over time.

39 APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

TELEVISION

Our 21st century Renaissance Man

The creator of the Mona Lisa was much more than just an artist as this period drama tries to show

BY MARIAM GABAJI

Meet Leonardo da Vinci, a sword-fighting superhero destined to invent fantastic machines and maybe even change the course of history. The Starz pilot episode of Da Vinci’s Demons promises a sweeping and ambitious untold look at the Renaissance Man whose artistic opium-driven mind is always a step or two ahead of everyone else’s.

As the main character, Tom Riley is perfectly credible as the wilful polymath and adventurer. Da Vinci wants to make flying machines and amazing weapons for Florence — the city run by Lorenzo de’ Medici, his patron — and he will break through all hurdles to reach his goal.

Da Vinci’s Demons, created by the American David S Goyer, is a European production filmed in Wales with British and Irish actors. Goyer’s credits include Batman Begins and the Blade films and his style is reflected in this show. The writer’s backgrounds may be why the characters and the plot of Da Vinci’s Demons is looser and more tongue-in-cheek than other costume dramas such as Game of Thrones, Spartacus and The Borgias.

A conspiracy is revealed in the beginning of the yed by pilot by Al-Rahim, a Turkish mystic. Rahim, played Alexander Siddig, tells da Vinci that “History is a lie that uppress has been honed liked a weapon by people to suppress aves’, the truth”. He asks him to find the ‘Book of Leaves’, egins his the mythical book of knowledge. As da Vinci begins quest, he is haunted by demons from his past, flashbacks and painful visions of his faceless motherr and a ntangled cave. If that weren’t enough, da Vinci is soon entangled n — thus in the rivalry between Florence and the Vatican another narrative line unspools here. ons The problem is however that Da Vinci’s Demons ith the tries too hard to be an action-packed thriller with intrigue of a Dan Brown novel and a penchant for he fact geek humour. The show feels superficial and the ally help that the plot is extremely confusing doesn’t really ry buffs either. The show will, however, appeal to history he side. who like a bit of swashbuckling adventure on the lence) e)) Watch out for PG-rated flashes (nudity and violence) but it is mercifully not as graphic as Game off Thrones. T

In the mood for more costume drama?

1 40

The Borgias

If you liked The Tudors and The Sopranos, then you have to watch The Borgias. Based on Italy’s most powerful crime family, it tells the story of their ascent to power via the papacy and all the crimes committed in their name.

APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

2

Spartacus

What do you get when you combine 300, Caligula, Rome, Gladiator and bathtubs of blood?

You get Spartacus.

Created by Steven S DeKnight, the television show is based on the Thracian Gladiator Spartacus who led a slave uprising against the Roman Republic.

3

Game of Thrones

A Song of Ice and Fire, better recognised as Game of Thrones, was once a best-kept secret. Since its premiere, the series has garnered an international following unlike ever seen before. The series follows seven noble families who fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros.

COMIC BOOKS

A pox on all djinns, the comic-strip team Kachee Goliyan has breathed new life into the legendary Umru Ayar

BY NOMAN ANSARI

OUR TOP 3 COMIC BOOK HEROES

1

The rebirth of a hero

Published by the popular online comic-strip team ‘Kachee Goliyan’, Umru Ayar: The Awakening is the promising first installment in an excitingly new Pakistani comic book franchise. Artist Ramish Safa reimagines the iconic Umru Ayar for a new generation, who will see the roguish hero battle powerful djinns. It is to team KG’s credit that The Awakening does not cheapen the original character for the sake of cheap thrills.

It would have been easy, after all, for artist Saad Hassam to draw Umru with a chiseled body and a handsomely square jaw in an attempt to appeal to the masses. But instead, he gives the character a more reasonable physique and shrewd eyes that instantly lend the hero an original and authentic look.

The artwork in the comic book is gorgeous, with some influence clearly drawn from stylised illustrations seen in Pakistani drawings from earlier generations. The colouring

by Lucid Concept is phenomenal, featuring succulent shades of red in the book’s desert landscapes. There are some minor consistency issues however, in the drawing of Umru’s face, where it doesn’t always look the same. In fact, on one panel of The Awakening, Umru resembles the djinn he is conversing with, which did seem confusing.

The story opens with the djinns, who are Umru’s sworn enemies.

They seek him out to earn his services, much to his curiosity. Here lies Umru Ayar’s greatest strength, in realising that his primary weapon in battling powerful mystical adversaries is his intellect, rather than his brawn.

Unfortunately, the dialogue in The Awakening is the comic book’s weakest suit, with even some grammar gaffes. Umru also occasionally uses modern diction which feels out of place with the book’s historic setting. Meanwhile, the Urdu version of The Awakening suffers from composition problems — it flows oddly from left to right like an English book.

These minor grievances aside, this comic book is an engaging piece of art that is definitely worth a place in your collection, especially if you take a moment to consider its dirt cheap price of Rs300 (Order via Facebook). But there is one more reason to get a copy: to encourage the young artists to keep ’em coming.

Commander Safeguard

This animated Pakistani superhero has a clean reputation and helps kids fight germs.

But here is some dirt on him: Did you know that he has been fighting germs overseas as well? In 2005, he was adopted in the Philippines as Captain Safeguard. In 2007, in Mexico he became Capitan Escudo. You can even find him in Kenya.

2

Dr Faiza Hussain

She goes by the superhero name of Excalibur and she is a British doctor of Pakistani origins. This Marvel character has the ability to heal patients on the subatomic level. Like all super beings she has a weakness, however, and can’t use her powers on magical beings. We can’t all be perfect.

3

Simon Baz

OK so he isn’t Pakistani, but he is an American Lebanese hero and we are partial to that combination.

Baz is the latest Green Lantern in the comics published by DC Comics, and this is a man who really knows how to wield the magic ring. He has been known to have picked a fight or two with Batman. We love you Baz, but don’t overestimate yourself. It’s Batman after all.

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41

HEALTHY LIVING

SPOTLESS

Little things can sometimes turn into big problems. Moles are one of them. If you don’t want to flaunt it like Noor Jehan, or are tired of the pancake to conceal it, consider these permanent solutions

BY DILAIRA MONDEGARIAN

Natural methods for mole removal may seem the cheapest but are not the wisest. By far the most innovative one requires you to peel it off with duct tape. But we highly recommend a trip to the dermatologist before you rip off more than you intend to.

What are moles?

This small patch forms when a collection of cells called melanocytes produce pigment in your skin. The lighter your skin tone, the greater the number of moles you can have.

More than one kind You are either born with a mole, known as a congenital mole, or acquire it after birth. The most common ones are either brown, round and flat, raised, pale and sometimes hairy or light brown. Some moles are surrounded by a white ring, where the skin has lost its colour and people also develop blue ones.

Removal the right way Save your cauliflower juice and garlic paste for cooking. Instead visit a dermatologist.

“You’ll be in and out of the clinic within 15 minutes,” assures skin specialist and dermatologist Dr Badr Dhanani.

“The oldest and cheapest method involves burning them off or cauterisation,” says consultant dermatologist, laser therapist and cosmetologist, Dr Najjia Ashraf. A wand-like heat device is used to shrink the mole until it falls off. This is only done on smaller moles that usually hang from the skin.

42 The more advanced and most effective APRIL 28-MAY 4 2013

method is laser removal as it causes minimal scarring. Prices range from Rs2,500 to Rs10,000 depending on the size.

Freezing with liquid nitrogen is another option. “The mole is frozen to a temperature of minus 40 degrees Centigrade which destroys the cells, after which the mole falls off within two weeks,” says Dr Badr, explaining cryotherapy. Contradictory to common belief, it is not the burning which causes more scarring, but freezing.

The treated area should be covered to avoid infections.

Surgical excision involves either cutting the entire mole and suturing back the skin or using a scalpel to shave the mole down to skin level or just below it. “It is the most invasive and thorough way of removing a mole, but most people prefer the laser to the scalpel as surgery often leaves a big scar,” says Dr Badr.

However, if a biopsy test indicates cancer, the mole has to be surgically excisied. “But a cancerous type is quite rare here,” says Dr Badr. This is supported by Dr Najjia who adds: “Australia has the highest incidence for melanoma in the world because of genetics and too much exposure to UV radiation. In Pakistan, only government-run clinics have reported a slight rise in melanoma cases.”

Occasionally, a punch biopsy is recommended for a very small mole that run deeper in the skin and cannot be simply shaved off. The technique involves a small incision made by a cookie - cutterlike device. T

Use the ABCDE method to detect Melanoma:

A

symmetry

One half is unlike the other half.

B

order irregularity

An irregular, scalloped or poorly defined border.

C

olour change

Has shades of tan, brown or black; is sometimes white, red or blue.

D

iameter

Melanomas are usually greater than 6mm (the size of a pencil eraser) when diagnosed, but they can be smaller.

E

volution

A mole that looks different from the rest or is changing in size, shape or colour.