The Express Tribune Magazine - December 11

DECEMBER 11-17 2011

Empire of the sun

Cheaper solar panels and an unreliable national grid are making alternative energy solutions more attractive than ever.

Has the Solar Age finally dawned in Pakistan?

DECEMBER 11-17 2011

Cover Story 18 Empire of the Sun Is this the dawn of a new solar age?

Feature 30 The Green House Switch over to efficiency mode in the house that Qureshi built

How To 32 Sunny Solutions You no longer need to waste your money buying bottled water

Travel 34 When Men and Mountain Meet Visit the land where the Yak roams free

Health

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36 Daadi’s Diary Death to artificial dyes! Follow Daadi’s tips for naturally beautiful hair

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Regulars 6 People & Parties: Out and about with Pakistan’s beautiful people 40 Reviews: What’s new in books and films 42 Ten Things I Hate About: Getting mugged

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Magazine Editor: Zarrar Khuhro, Senior Sub-Editor: Batool Zehra, Sub-Editors: Ameer Hamza and Dilaira Mondegarian.

Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Anam Haleem, Tariq W Alvi, S Asif Ali, Sukayna Sadik.

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

For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Asim Jofa launches his collection in Dubai

Qinza Najam Tania Shah

PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR

Rosemin Manji and Pallavi Bhattia

Aamir Mazhar and Safa Faisal

Asim Jofa and Saiqa Waqar

6 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

Ayaan and Sarah Belhasa

Sofia Syed

Uzma Jehangir

DECEMBER 11-17 2011

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Pivot Point Pakistan hosts a one-day workshop conducted by international trainer Joakim Roos

Joakim Roos and Marium Shah

Hania

Samia Jaffer

Urooj Kazim

8 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

Sonia

Sidra Iqbal

DECEMBER 11-17 2011

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Nickie and Natasha Hussain

Uzi Xaidi and Mehreen Syed

Asifa and Nabeel

Qasim Yar Tiwana

Mehreen Syed and her team introduce International Fashion Academy Pakistan (IFAP) at a press conference in Lahore

Asmaa Mumta

z

Anna

10 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

Iffat Umer

Saba

Rachel Gill

PHOTOS COURTESY FAISAL FAROOQUI

Anusheh Asad, Rabia Nawaz and Munib Nawaz

DECEMBER 11-17 2011

PEOPLE & PARTIES

National Foods Limited launch their first cookbook in Karachi

Mr and Mrs Abrar Hasan

PHOTOS COURTESY KASHIF-UD-DIN

Barza Talha and Taha Malick

Anisa Rashid Khan and Jamal Mir Shireen Anwar

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Malaika Hasan and Mrs Fareeda Irfan DECEMBER 11-17 2011

Shai

Nieni Rafi

Savera Nadeem and Sajid Hasan

DECEMBER 11-17 2011

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Nageen, Nauree

n and Ayesha

Sharmeen and Mehreen

PHOTOS COURTESY VOILA PR

Ayesha Khu rram launc hes in Faisa labad

Jannat and Sh

akila Uzma Nad

eem

Hina Shoaib

Mehreen and Hassan

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Sadia, Rukhsana and Mavish

DECEMBER 11-17 2011

DECEMBER 11-17 2011

DECEMBER 11-17 2011

COVER STORY

n u s e h t f o e r i p m e

Alternative energy solutions like solar power have been around for decades but with cheaper solar panels and an unreliable national electricity grid, could this be the dawn of a new solar age?

BY AMEER HAMZA AHMAD

18 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

n

Shortly before dawn, waves of photons, hurled from the surface of the sun in the direction of the earth, complete the 150-million-kilometre voyage in just eight minutes; the stream of light crashes into the silicon wafers on Muhammad Ismail’s roof, sending electrons roaring down a copper wire. The electrons pass through a charge controller, a battery and finally an inverter, which converts the direct current into an alternating current. The neighbourhood thrums with the sound of generators but Muhammad Ismail’s house is eerily quiet save for the noise coming from his television. You see, his house runs on solar power.

Ismail is just one of many who have embraced the marvel that is solar power. What was once merely a plot point in science fiction is now very much a reality. The promise of a solar revolution — the idea that some day the world would rely solely on the sun to generate all its electricity — was being promoted since the

19 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

COVER STORY 1950s, and it is, at its core, a very reasonable idea since — on an

80%.”

average sunny day — the sun provides approximately 1,000 watts

But while Sarwar may be enthusiastic, installing solar energy

of energy per square metre of the planet’s surface. And Pakistan

systems is easier said than done. Awareness in the general public

has one of the highest solar insolation (Incoming Solar Radia-

about their alternative energy options remains low. Not only is it

tion) rates in the world, with the sun shining an average of nine

difficult to make sure which suppliers are reliable, but cost is also

hours every day.

a major factor, with many consumers wondering why on earth it

Muhammad Sarwar, for one, is very optimistic about the fu-

is so expensive to install systems.

ture of alternative energy solutions, especially solar power in

Shaaf Abdul Aziz Mehboob, director of Adaptive Technologies,

Pakistan. The chief executive of Pak Windenergy Pvt Limited sits

along with numerous alternative energy solution providers, lob-

surrounded by solar panels and wind turbines in his office. “The

bied the government to remove the five per cent duty on import-

cost of the technology has been steadily decreasing over the last

ing solar and wind generation equipment. But while the battle

few years and what with our failing electricity grid, now is the

may have been won, the war is far from over.

best time to switch over to alternative power,” he claims enthusiastically.

“The duty has effectively been removed. The catch now is that the duty doesn’t apply if you import a whole alternative energy

Generating electricity from the sun is a fairly simple process.

kit (panels, batteries, inverters and charge controllers) but it will

Solar power solutions usually require a solar panel, a charge con-

apply if you import the equipment piecemeal,” explains Shaaf.

troller, a battery and an inverter. Calculators with miniature

“This is problematic because one supplier doesn’t make all the

solar panels are typically one’s first encounter with solar power:

equipment. So the battery may come from one supplier while the

they require no batteries and will work forever, as long as they

solar panel comes from another.”

receive enough light. The miniature solar panel on the calculator

While one of the major drawbacks of the technology is that it is

is a connected assembly of photovoltaic (PV) cells which, as the

still too expensive, the rampant sale of sub-standard equipment

name implies (photo meaning “light” and voltaic meaning “elec-

has also severely damaged the reputation of alternative energy

tricity”), convert sunlight directly into electricity.

solutions. “There are many dealers who are fleecing their cus-

“It is important to understand that commercial photovoltaic

tomers by making false promises and selling shoddy equipment.

solar cells can only convert approximately 20 per cent of sunlight

Those who are scammed then tell their friends that solar power

into electricity. This can be increased by linking several panels

is just a farce,” complains Sarwar. “Another issue is that dealers

to generate more electricity,” explains Sarwar. “Solar panels are

use car batteries instead of sealed batteries in their kits. Car bat-

built to withstand heat, cold and rain for many years and most

teries are not made to be used for this purpose and have a host

manufacturers offer a warranty that guarantees electrical pro-

of issues which routinely crop up over time,” explains Sarwar.

duction for 10 years at 90% of rated power output and 20 years at

“This is just another reason that makes consumers feel that al-

20 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

My Solarventure

BY GREEN FLAG WAVER Sick of load-shedding and inflated electricity bills, and curious about alternative power solutions, I decided to invest in a solar powered set up. There are two options available in the market: either one large solar panel that can generate all the power required for a household, or one small solar panel for each light or fan. The cost of the former is quite prohibitive and it is easy to see why most people prefer buying smaller solar panels. I purchased three small solar panels to power three of our garden lights. At a total cost of around Rs12,000 (Rs4,000 per panel, including the battery) the panels come with attached batteries which have to be charged eight to 10 hours daily. They also doesn’t take up much space as the panels are small and thus adjustable.

Along with these panels, energy-saver bulbs had to be bought, which was another addition to the total cost.

Apart from that there was no other hidden or additional cost except for the new wiring. This small investment merely made me more enthusiastic about the wonders of solar power and I expanded my solar set up to 10 more panels. The new setup has met our electrical needs for three bed rooms. The most advantageous factor is the constant supply of energy to our fans and lights — which mean no more sleepless nights!

The light from the energy-savers was muted compared to the radiance of tube lights, but they were certainly sufficient to brighten the room. For reading, I still needed an arrangement of high voltage lamps. Nevertheless, the sheer thrill of harnessing the sun’s energy instilled the feeling of being a responsible and eco-friendly citizen in me. After all, I was generating clean energy with zero noise pollution and emissions.

The most noticeable difference was seen after a month when our electricity bill dropped by almost 50 per cent, from Rs9,000 to Rs4,500 in the winter season. Yes, the panels were costly, but the savings each month easily recovered the money that was spent in the first phase. One of the most common questions I get asked is ‘how do the batteries charge on rainy days?’ In our part of the world the sun is hardly covered by clouds for the whole day but if you are worried about that, you can invest in a hybrid system which enables you to use the electricity from the national grid in case the panels cannot get enough sunlight.

The use of solar panels, especially smaller ones, is economical enough that most people would not think twice before switching over. It is cheaper than spending on a UPS or a generator. I am also looking into installing a large panel in the future to completely switch over to solar power. In the span of seven months, using these panels gave me new insight into their reliability and productive use. With the increasing prices of fuel, worsening energy crisis and alarming rate of environmental degradation, the generation of solar power is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.

21 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

COVER STORY ternative energy is not a sustainable option. The sealed batteries we use don’t need maintenance and have a really long life.”

Another reason for the disillusionment with solar power may be that people don’t understand that — while the technology is extremely reliable — it is not a universal plug and play solution.

“Solar power is an engineered solution and there is no one-sizefits-all,” explains Farhan Mehboob of S. Mehboob & Company.

“Every house has a unique energy requirement and must be audited so that a specific tailored solution can be created for it.”

The better suppliers provide customised solutions. “We provide a free energy audit to all our customers. We go to their house and gauge their energy consumption by looking at their appliances and usage time,” says Sarwar. “Then we suggest a variety of different setups that will be tailored for their needs.”

These alternative energy solutions range from the simple to the more complicated. Some solar-powered solutions replace the UPS and provide backup in case of load-shedding; the more advanced ones are hybrid solutions which draw energy from solar panels and wind turbines. “The hybrid solution is also hooked up to the electricity grid, so that if the batteries run out of power, the system automatically switches to the grid, providing uninterrupted power,” says Sarwar. This is the same setup that Ismail has at his residence; he now relies solely on alternative energy for most of his electrical needs. “The system runs four ceiling fans, two televisions, one desktop computer and a number of energy-saver light bulbs,” explains Ismail, “The system cost us Rs750,000.

This cost might seem high but the payback is extremely quick.

We no longer suffer from load-shedding and our electricity bill, which used to be six to seven thousand a month, is down to a thousand rupees.”

Sarwar does not want anyone to misconstrue alternative energy as being the cheap solution — at least in the short run. “People

Solar-powered drone breaks endurances records, stays aloft for two weeks In an aviation first, a lightweight, solarpowered drone with a massive 73-foot wingspan shattered aviation endurance records by flying for 14 days straight.

The Zephyr, built by British defence contractor QinetiQ, flew for 336 hours and 22 minutes flight crushing the previous endurance record for a robotic plane.

think alternative energy is expensive and that’s true. The cost also depends on your house, electricity bill, the appliances you wish to run and the amount of space you have to set up panels and turbines. A Rs100,000 system can run one ceiling fan, some energy-saver light bulbs and a television. If you scale down your electricity usage, the price of the system goes down too,” he says.

“Solar power is just the first step in minimising one’s dependence on the national grid.”

Short of installing a solar energy system, there are a number of steps one can take to make one’s house more energy efficient.

Farhan gives some useful tips: install double glazed windows to reduce heat transfer, use PVC plastic instead of metal to line your windows, change air conditioner filters regularly, keep the back of your refrigerator at least two inches from the wall to allow heat to move away from the condenser coils and insulate your house.

26 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

A solar-powered rock concert aims for zero carbon footprint Rock band Parikrama along with New York-based band Solar Punch and singer Kabul Rishi recently rocked the Indian city of Delhi at My Earth My Duty, an environmentfriendly concert for peace. The lights at the concert were powered through solar power while backup generators ran on bio diesel. The invitations were printed on recycled paper and the audience was requested to arrive at the venue in public transport or use car pools.

Solar power fuels electric-car charging stations You can’t get more eco-friendly than this! A Florida company by the name of WattNext has set up an electric-car charging station that runs purely on solar power.

“These minor changes will dramatically reduce your electricity bill,” promises Farhan.

While electricity generation is obviously a concern, given the power crisis in the country, solar power is being used for more than just that. Anyone who has recently walked through electronic markets across the country would have spotted various solar-powered water heaters and cookers for sale. These water heaters, which can heat water to 70 c and hold it in their tanks for

Philippine solar light bottles offer hope Who needs light bulbs when you have water bottles? Filipino entrepreneur Illac Diaz has changed the lives of thousands of slum-dwellers with his simple invention. All that is required is a disused soft drink bottle, which is then filled with purified water and a small amount of bleach to stop any bacteria from growing. The bottle is then placed inside a hole in the roof and sealed so that rain does not leak through. When the light passes through the bottle, it refracts and shoots into the room in all directions, eliminating the need for light bulbs. More than 15,000 solar light bottles have been installed in slums around the Philippine capital this year, and the project recently installed another 10,000 during a mass day of volunteer action. This model has also been adopted as far as Columbia, India and Vanuata.

approximately 24 hours with little or no heat loss, have become one of the most popular and reliable ways to harness sunlight.

And the use of personal solar power solutions is not limited to urban centres. In villages far away from the national grid, solar power solutions have the potential to dramatically improve the quality of life. In a first, Connect, a local NGO, had all 65 households in the village of Mohammad Khaskheli fitted with solar panels this year. Each solar panel powers two bulbs and a cell phone charger. Afsar Ali, director marketing of Hi-Tech Alternate Energy Systems, has a brisk business selling small scale solar solutions for rural villages across the country, “We have ready-made solutions for rural villages. These small units cost anywhere between 20-25 thousand rupees and can power two energy saver bulbs and one phone charger for four hours,” he says.

While interest in alternative power has not yet exploded, it is steadily growing and the more savvy entrepreneurs are already poised to reap the benefits. Shaaf plans to unveil one-stop stores across the country in the coming months. “Our shops will not only provide solar power solutions and advice but you will also be

Solar plane promises new era of flight With the wingspan of a jumbo jet and a scootersized engine, the Solar Impulse plane relies on nearly 12,000 solar cells and four electricallypowered propellers to stay aloft. With a budget of $134 million at their disposal, the Solar Impulse team has the sponsors and the support to realise their goal of flying around the world without fuel in 2014 – a first in aviation history.

able to buy devices which can help you control your energy consumption,” explains Shaaf.

His green centres will sell occupancy sensors which can sense if the room is empty and shut off the lights automatically, electricity timers that can cut off electricity to appliances at a preprogrammed time and standby killers which will stop appliances such as televisions from drawing power after they have been switched off. The green centres are also themselves energy efficient, “Each outlet will completely rely on alternative energy, which means everything from the light bulbs to the air conditioners will run using solar power,” Shaaf explains.

Can Shaaf and others like him bring the solar revolution to Pakistan? Given the realities of the power crisis, consumers are increasingly limiting their dependency on the national grid, switching to generators and UPS’ to satisfy their energy needs.

Unless there is a dramatic turnaround for electricity supply companies, individuals are likely to turn to more lasting solutions.

Perhaps one day, it won’t just be Muhammad Ismail’s house but the entire street running quietly on solar electricity.a

27 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

ADVERTISEMENT

cricket uniting the nation

BY ZUNAIR ALI

Sports have always been an integral part of every Pakistani’s lifestyle. Sadly, to the detriment of our society, not a lot of importance is given to the matter where there is meagre infrastructure and scanty resources allocated to the institution. However, there is one sport in Pakistan that is loaded with sheer talent, a sport that encompasses the whole population in its compassion, that has been running in our blood since we came into existence as a nation and is the ultimate dream of many young thriving sportsmen to represent their country in its honour — that sport is no other than cricket.

Unfortunately, cricket has been a victim of immense criticism and politics in the recent past. With Pakistan stuck smack in the centre in the war against terrorism, international teams have refused to tour Pakistan due to security concerns. In 2009, six members of the Sri Lanka national cricket team were injured in an attack by militants near Ghaddafi Stadium in Lahore. These were the first attacks on a national sports team since the Munich massacre of Israeli athletes by Palestinian militants in 1972. There on, Pakistan has not hosted a single international cricket series at home soil that has in turn tainted the hearts of our proud nation of cricket lovers. Furthermore, we were recently deprived the prestige to host the 2011 World Cup due to similar dismal circumstances. This has not only affected existing cricketers but also the youth who are now posed with the threat of an insecure future.

The people of our country are religiously fanatic about cricket to the extent that holidays are announced on big match days and glamorous celebrations when we return victorious.

However, our upcoming cricketers face uncertainty at every level of their careers along with

28 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

the menace of the parchi system — there is not only lack of opportunity but also unequal opportunity. There has been little or no effort made by the government to sustain the prosperity of cricket in Pakistan. Nobody has taken it upon themselves to cure our nation of this ailment that continues to kill the livelihood of the sport and destroy our future talent that is longing to be curbed. While former cricketers who have earned heaps of respect and fortune by representing Pakistan are forced to make the horrid choice to go elsewhere to utilise their talents, our youth is still in the dire need of a platform to exhibit their skills.

Everyday a cricket fan dies when he hears the scum that Pakistani cricket has sunk into.

Hopes are lost and shoulders brought down when heroes like Shahid Afridi are dismembered amass politics and forced to retire while others are taken to court amidst severe match fixing allegations — this is not what we deserve as a nation. There is a strong sentiment running through the people today who see cricket as a dying sport and feel the need for its revival to earn back our lost respect. We need to promote and nurture youngsters as they are the future of Pakistan’s cricket so they may once again take us to heights that were achieved by the likes of Imran Khan, Abdul Qadir, Zaheer Abbas and Wasim Akram.

We need heroes to inspire and renew our faith in cricket, we need to appreciate our upcoming pool of the talented youth and most importantly, we have to establish an unbiased system where a spade is called a spade and nothing more — where cricketers are valued on the basis of their ability and not their PR contacts and skills. Only then we can truly appreciate and do justice to the sport we hypnotically worship.

FEATURE

the

green house

BY TAHA SIDDIQUI

Twice a year, a ballet plays out in Lahore, a city of sweltering summers and freezing winters. When temperatures hit the high forties around July, Wapda pulls the plug on sweltering Lahoris, and when winter comes calling, the gas runs out. But while his fellow Lahoris sweat and freeze (depending on the time of year), Dr Shakeel Qureshi stays cool.

Or warm, as the case may be.

At first glance, the red-bricked house is indistinguishable from the other structures in this Model Town lane. But once you step inside, you soon notice a difference. Even at the height of summer, you won’t hear the reassuring whine of air condi-

tioners, and during winter, heaters are conspicuous by their absence. That’s because the owner

of this house, architect Shakeel Qureshi, has designed what is possibly the most energy-efficient building in Pakistan.

“Pakistani homes consume 52% of our total energy resources, which is one of the highest per-

centages in developing countries,” says Qureshi. “In an energy-deficient country, we need to re-

think our strategy and conserve energy so that we can direct these resources towards industry which needs this energy for constructive purposes.’

The house is built around two main principles: insulation and temperature control. First, thanks

to efficient design, energy losses through windows, doors, walls and ceilings are minimised. Secondly, there is a system of ducts under the floor which run parallel to a pipe in which water flows, acting as a remarkably low cost temperature-controlling system.

“The air in the house is recycled as it goes through an exhaust fan in the kitchen into the duct,

and enters each room through a vent, while water in the pipes is cooled or warmed depending on

30 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

Household vegetables are being grown on top of two rooms, while other rooftop spaces have been made into sitting areas.

“The next step is to selfproduce energy so that our house is totally self-reliant.

All I need to run is a fan, a few household items and the geyser in winters

the season,” explains Qureshi. While the flooring keeps the temperature controlled, energy losses have also been controlled with

the help of gardens on top of each room and the fact that direct sunlight does not fall on any of the living room walls.

The roof gardens, with their mini-waterfalls and numerous

water channels, also serve several practical purposes. Household

vegetables are being grown on top of two rooms while other rooftop spaces have been made into sitting areas. “One to six inches

of moist soil on the roof, with plants growing in it, provides perfect insulation to the rooms underneath, and minimises energy

losses from below,” says Qureshi, while pointing to the gardens on each roof.

The exterior walls of the building have been designed with a

hollow space between them, allowing the cooled or warmed air to circulate and also providing insulation at the same time.

Qureshi claims that when the three-storey house was built

back in the 1990s, the structure cost a mere Rs900,000. He main-

tains that even if you built it today, it would still be 20 per cent cheaper than the kind of structures that are currently in vogue.

“I have used arched walls in the structure, which has reduced the quantity of brick, concrete and other required materials,” he explains.

In fact, Qureshi feels that it’s our blind adherence to unsuit-

able architecture that is to blame for most of our power woes.

“The western model of construction has led to the spread of energy-inefficient homes, whereas our own historical architecture

was made keeping in mind the extreme temperatures in Paki-

stan. I designed this house to suit our local needs,” says Qureshi proudly.

Equally remarkable is the fact that this house is built on a mere

250 square yards, and still accommodates a car porch, a drawing room, a dining room, a kitchen, four bed rooms with attached toilets, and two stores. These spaces are planned in split levels so that one does not have to ascend or descend full floor lengths,

and this helps creating more living space than is found in larger houses.

Still, Qureshi feels that his job is not quite done yet. With so

many frequent power and gas cuts in Lahore now, he is thinking of shifting to solar power in order to become fully self-sufficient.

“The next step is to self-produce energy so that our house is to-

tally self-reliant. All I need to run is a fan, a few household items and the geyser in winters. All these require a really small amount of solar power,” he concludes. a

31 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

HOW TO

sunny solutions

BY ZAHRA ALI

Drinkable water is your right. Why pay for it when you can get it for free, and that too in an eco-friendly way?

Guilty of overindulging in bottled water? You’re certainly not the only one. The number of “health-con-

(Polyethylene Terephthalate) bottles, clear tap water and some

water while rushing off to work, sauntering in parks and shop-

sity of Beirut in 1985, has been practiced in many countries and

scious” people in Pakistan, who carry their bottles of mineral

ping at malls, is on the rise. Bottled water is now ubiquitous in

Pakistan — not only is it on the checklist of essentials of most

bright sunlight and you can start the solar water disinfection (SODIS) process at home! This process, developed by the Univerregions around the world, including Pakistan.

people; it’s also served during conferences and business meet-

To purify your water by using sunlight, simply follow these steps:

The use of bottled water — typically considered as high quality

water or juice bottles are safe to be reused for this project. The

ings. And there are figures to prove its rampant consumption.

Find PET bottles with a resin identification sign of 1. Your plastic

and safe drinking H20 — is growing by 40 per cent each year. In

bottles must not contain more than 3 litres of water.

the year 2000 alone, Pakistan experienced an astonishing 140 per cent growth in bottled water usage — the highest in Asia. It is

estimated that the cost of mineral water for one person is roughly Rs1,400 per month — equivalent to Rs. 16,800 per annum. That

is a lot of money for something that is our basic right: drinkable

• Wash the bottles thoroughly with soup.

• Fill them with tap water. Make sure your tap water is visibly clean. This method is not very effective for hard water.

• Put on the cap and place the bottles in full sunlight for at least 6 hours. If it’s cloudy, keep them out there for two days.

water!

Your water, without any added chemicals, is now ready to drink!

consumption of tap water — generally associated with nasty

few disadvantages:

The increasing acceptance of bottled water has obviously made

stomach bugs — unthinkable in today’s age. But what if I told you that you can purify water, straight from the tap? You won’t even have to filter or boil it. All you need are some empty PET

Despite being the simplest way to purify your water, SODIS has a • The process will only be fully effective on sunny days

• It does not work on hard water (water with high mineral con tent)

• It takes time and effort.

But look at the bright side (pun intended) of the entire proce-

dure. It’s a natural, eco-friendly and healthy way of disinfecting your water and will allow you to save money in the long-term.

And as far as the exertion required in disinfection is concerned, a light workout never harmed anyone!

So go ahead: make use of nature and purify your water the

sunny way! a

32 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

TRAVEL They don’t even sound like they belong in Pakistan, these strange and exotic place names that are popping up in my inbox. Immit, Mithramdan, Wargoth glacier, Sokhtarabad, Chitti Boi. With some trepidation, I sign up for this latest travel expedition and agree to pay Rs10,000 in advance to the travel guide who e-mailed this odd-sounding

itinerary to me. Feeling the need for a travel partner as I depart

to these uncharted territories, I call my just-returned-from-the US friend, Adeel. He gamely agrees to tag along, though he does wonder out loud if good food will be available in these places.

A few days later, we find ourselves munching breakfast in Gil-

git, having got here from Rawalpindi via the breathtaking Babussar pass. We’re waiting for the wagon that will take us on to

Immit and, while we wait, I keep asking our tour guide, Tanweer babu, if it’s really such a good idea to travel to the Northern tip of Pakistan in the rainy month of September.

Scoffing at my fears, he paints a picture of chirping birds

and multi-coloured flowers waving in the breeze … all under a cloudless sky. This is the North, I am reminded, and in any case, September is not the rainy season. Of course, at this time half of lower Sindh is submerged under floodwaters and Karachi is experiencing its heaviest rains in a decade.

I’m reassured, and we proceed on the rather bumpy road to

Immit. On the way, we cross a flooded nullah, and a little voice

mounta TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHS BY AMEER HAMZA

in my head whispers, ‘Turn back…it’s not too late!’ But I pay no

pm, after crossing many beautiful but potentially deadly paths,

tion on this side of the border, the last major town before you

and finally being here is like a dream come true. Ancient Sanober

heed and then we’re there. Immit is the last outpost of civilisa-

enter Afghanistan. This is where the road ends, literally. For us, this means that this is the last chance to buy whatever we may need before entering the wild.

Of course, our tour operator ‘forgets’ to purchase extra oil,

wheat and rice and all we have is his vague assurance that we’re well-stocked for the 12-day trek that awaits us.

It’s dusk when we reach our Mithramdan, our first campsite,

and there’s just enough sun for us to glimpse the jagged peaks of the mountains against the dying light. It’s freezing cold, and

we sleep in a government-run school rather than camp out. Even

we reach Chota Yasin. This is the place I really wanted to visit trees dot the landscape,and a single herdsman remains here with his family. the rest having left for warmer climes.

To me, it’s heaven on earth. Imagine a place surrounded by

mountains, heavily forested with magnificent Sanober trees and

dotted with streams of pure, clean water. Here, the formidablelooking Yak roams free along with the herdsman’s other animals

and the conversation revolves around fodder, kids and more fodder. Life is good and all blood pressure patients should come here and stay for a while to sort things out.

The next day we reluctantly pack up and move towards the

Tanweer babu looks a little worried as he zips himself into his

promised Wargoth glacier. Despite its dangerous sounding

The next day is just as advertised: crystal clear air, beautiful

nevertheless treacherous enough. This is not a place to lose your

sleeping bag.

mountains and a veritable aura of happiness. Awaiting us at the school gate is an army of locals, all vigorously bargaining with Tanweer babu. They know the next lot of visitors will only come in

June and this is their last chance to make some tourist cash. Eventually one lucky local wins our custom and we head out at 9 am.

As we move on, the stark beauty becomes starker, the water

becomes colder the gloves start to come out, and the grumblers (a

34

when men and

necessary part of every trek) start grumbling a little louder. At 2 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

name, it is not as formidable a glacier as Baltoro or Hispar but is footing, because falling into one of its numerous crevices won’t just be potentially fatal, but also deeply insulting to someone who considers himself a bonafide trekker. Luckily, no one falls.

We soon reach the Wargoth campsite, light a bonfire, and celebrate our first glacier crossing with some warm, salty tea. But

it seems the rain gods frown upon our victory as this is when the first (and very heavy) rains begin to fall. All eyes turn towards our sheepish tour operator, who had been insisting ever since we left

that rains would not be a problem. We drag ourselves along on slick and slippery paths, cursing him under our breath but still in awe of the landscape.

Twelve soggy hours later, we finally reach Sokhtarabad. It is

eerily dark and the rains have resumed after a short break. The sound is so thunderous that it is just impossible to think about

anything except how to keep yourself warm and dry. Soon our

tents start to leak and we are all wading in cold water, fending for ourselves as our tour operator inexplicably remains fast asleep

in his tent, his snores somehow still audible through the sound of the rain.

The next morning, the rain is gone but the clouds remain, hov-

ering around the jagged mountain peaks towards the northwest.

tain meet Here, the formidable-looking Yak roams free along with the herdsman’s other animals and the conversation revolves around fodder, kids and more fodder

I get my first glimpse of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. As a

traveler, I am constantly in awe of border regions. I don’t know

why, but there’s something about political borders which compels me to visit them. However, I really don’t like visiting Mum-

my-Daddy-Burger-Baby borders like Wagah, which everyone can get to. I like these tough borders. Rugged places like the one I can see from the Sokhtarabad campsite. Places with names that give you an adrenaline rush.

The next day our tour operator gets sick (or is he fooling?) and

we cancel our trek. I give a last, longing look to that now snow-

capped peak from where you can hop across into Afghanistan, and return after photographing local yak walking across the landscape. Although we ultimately failed to reach Karomber lake

we did manage to see what few Pakistanis ever will in their lifetimes. Leaving the border areas I recalled that remarkable verse

by William Blake,

‘Great things are done when men and mountain meet This is not done by jostling in the street’

A few days later, Adeel and I are back jostling away in Karachi’s

streets, wondering when we will meet the mountains again.a

DECEMBER 11-17 2011

35

HEALTH

daadi’s diary

BY SAMAN NIZAMI

Resolving your grey matter

Some parents cite teenagers as being the reason behind their grey hair- and I totally understand where they are coming from. However, it doesn’t explain why people without kids, or those who are only teenagers themselves, get grey hair (perhaps parents are the reason for that?).

Scientists blame a number of factors for this phenomenon —

stress, anxiety, nutritional deficiencies, genetics and prolonged

exposure to extreme hot or cold weather. Although some people openly embrace, their ‘graceful’ greys, others (like me) are simsim ply traumatised by the prospect of premature ageing. Commer Commer-

cial dyes are one solution, but an expensive and damaging one.

But fear not because there are ways of slowing down, if not com com-

pletely stopping — in some cases even reversing — the early onset of these ghastly greys. Why not give these natural alternatives a shot before resorting to artificial dyes? The remedies below all

promote melanin production, improving the chances of new hair growing healthy, shiny and black!

Coconut oil concoction: Simmer ½ cup curry leaves (curry

patta) and ½ cup dried Indian gooseberry (aamla) in ½ cup ingrecoconut oil on medium to low heat until all the solid ingre

dients are charred. Cool and strain the oil. Massage into the scalp and leave on for at least 20 minutes before washing

out. We’ve been using this ‘oil’ in our home for a while with amazing results!

Sun dried gourd (Turai), presoaked in coconut oil for a few

hours, may also be charred in the same manner for this effect.

This is also very effective against hairfall.

Fenugreek hair mask: Grind 4 tbsp fenugreek (methi daana) and

4 tbsp sesame seeds (til) and store in a jar. In a separate jar, put ½ cup each of almond oil and coconut oil. Combine 1 leveled tsp

of the ground spices with 1 or 2 tbsp of the mixed oils. Massage

into scalp. Leave for 10-20 minutes, and wash out. Use every al al-

ternative day. This hair mask is excellent for treating dandruff and hairfall too.

Amazing aamla: Combine 1 tbsp Indian gooseberry (aamla) juice,

1 tsp lime juice, 2 tbsp almond oil and 2 tbsp coconut oil. Massage

36 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

into scalp and leave overnight (or a minimum of

(adrak) and store in an airtight container. Take

be refrigerated. Remember to wear a shower cap

• Enrich your diet with foods high in B vita-

45 minutes) before washing out. Leftovers must (a plastic bag or cling film works just fine too) to avoid staining your pillow.

Massage ghee (not oil) into your scalp regularly

before washing. Take it orally too for better re-

sults. Make sure to use the real thing, made from

1 spoon of this every morning.

mins (or take a supplement) like wheat, oats, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Results are visible

within one month. This is also a tried and tested formula by yours truly!

• Eat 5 or 6 fresh curry leaves every day. Plant it

cow milk and not a synthetic substitute.

in your home — it takes very little maintenance

a muslin cloth to wring out its juice. Apply onto

crunchy, curry leaves for your culinary needs

Peel and chop (or grate) an onion and place in

the scalp and leave for at least 30 minutes. This is a great remedy for baldness, when applied and massaged into bald patches.

Neem oil, or crushed neem leaves mixed with

your choice of oil (almond, coconut, mustard etc), and applied to the scalp is a great for prema-

and you’ll always have a ready supply of fresh, and all of its medicinal uses.

• Drink Aamla juice every day. This will pre-

vent both premature greying and ageing (and

give all those cosmetics companies a run for their money).

Use these remedies regularly to maintain your

ture greying, falling hair, baldness, and other

hair’s natural colour, health and shine. Many

treatment for getting rid of lice — tried and tested

hair growth, clearing up dandruff and curbing

scalp infections. It’s also a safe and effective on my own kids.

Do the following to strengthen your hair from within: • Mix ½ cup honey and ½ cup grated ginger

of them give additional benefits like promoting

hair fall. If you have allergies to any of the ingredients, do a patch test to check if your body tolerates external application of that ingredient. a

Find the Fountain of Youth in Aamla juice!

Remove the seeds from 5 fresh Aamla fruits, place in a grinder or blender with 1 glass of water and

blend really well. Strain the mixture through a piece of muslin (malmal cloth) and add sugar— you can even add honey or salt— to make it palatable. Consume the juice as soon as possible because it won’t stay fresh beyond a couple of days.

daadi’s cupboard

As with any other mode of treatment, the remedies need to be used regularly, at least three times a day, to gain full advantage.

These remedies are equally effective for adults and children. Please use your own discretion when using these remedies for treating infants, and patients with allergies or pre-existing health conditions. This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace the advice of your physician. Consult a doctor if symptoms persist.

37 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

REVIEW

just do it

BY HAMNA ZUBAIR

Can women really have it all? Yes they can, insists this fall’s latest family drama I Don’t Know How She Does It. Starring Sarah Jessica Parker in the lead role, the movie follows the trials of Kate Reddy, one half of an ambitious workaholic couple based in Boston. With two children, Kate and her husband Richard are always on the brink of disaster as they try to juggle their careers with ever-increasing responsibilities as parents. Things take a turn for the worse when Kate, an investment banker, is selected to handle a big project that will have her travelling frequently to hobnob with her firm’s top boss — a major boost to her career that could leave her family in shambles.

Based on a novel by Allison Pearson, I Don’t Know How She Does It is eerily similar to Sarah Jessica Parker’s own life — which may be why she slips into her role as a harried mom with such ease. As a mother of three and a sought-after actress and film executive in the real world, Parker has, by her own admission, had to face all the guilt, sleepless nights and exhaustion that every working mom has to deal with. In the movie and in real life, SJP also seems to overshadow her amiable and accommodating husband — I would venture a guess that if Richard were played by SJP’s actual hubby, Matthew Broderick, what we’d end up with would be a very accurate picture of how the Parker household is run.

But whatever the cause, SJP has fleshed out Kate’s character with well-oiled smoothness. Her natural flair for comedy shines through as she elicits sympathy and bemusement from the viewers in turn.

She is helped along the way by a great cast: Greg Kinnear, who plays the husband, is predictable enough to keep the focus on SJP yet manages to avoid being a total bore. Kate’s top boss, the one she has to impress during her big project, is played by Peirce Brosnan to good effect. Thankfully, Brosnan seems to have left his tanned Bond days behind him and lets us have a peek at the inner workings of a very important man who also happens to be a big ol’ softie.

This is all good stuff so far, but that’s where the problem lies. The movie doesn’t really tell the viewer ‘how she does it’ because Kate seems to be congenitally lucky. In real life, who has the kind of luck she has? For Kate, somehow the nanny always manages to swoop in and save the day, and her boss, though outwardly evil, secretly nurtures a heart of gold. Even SJP would have to agree that Matt has his off days — so why is Richard Reddy the picture of a perfect husband?

The answer is this: everything is perfect because the movie wants to convince you that motherhood, no matter what challenges it presents, is worth it. While it denigrates WAG-style, career-less moms, the film also scoffs at any suggestion that a single woman, or for that matter a married woman, could find true fulfillment without

40 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

The movie wants to convince you that motherhood, no matter what challenges it presents, is worth it.

bringing forth a baby into this world. It’s a premise that may be hard to swallow for some, but if you can manage to look past that sticking point, the producers of I Don’t Know How She Does It have served up some good, clean fun.

fear factor

BY MAHVESH MURAD

I wanted thrills and chills on every page, disturbing images aplenty, things that would go bump in the night and maybe even some references to the granddaddy of cosmic horror, HP Lovecraft. In the end, I wanted more from Granta’s Horror edition than it gave me. Granta 117 is a largely intellectualised treatment of horror — which makes perfect sense given that Granta is a literary magazine. But for true horror aficionados, it will probably fall a little short of expectations.

While each piece may not titillate equally, there isn’t any bad writing to be found. Certain pieces stand out more than others, such as “False Blood”, Will Self’s account of a blood disorder that requires him to be ‘bled’ regularly. As a one-time heroin addict, needles are no friend of Self’s, but he must allow for ritualistic bloodletting for the rest of his life. No more leeches needed now, just doctors and nurses and syringes. His content is interesting as always, and Self is such an aggressive, edgy and intelligent writer that if he rewrote the menu to his local Chinese delivery place, it would still soar.

Another piece that soars is Rajesh Parmeswaran’s “The Infamous Bengal Ming”, a fun, fast rampage of a story with much of the horror lying in incidents that are disturbingly hilarious. It’s written from the perspective of a captive Bengal tiger who means well but is, after all, a tiger. Ming manages to escape from the zoo without meaning to, manages to stumble into a suburban home without meaning to and causes a whole lot more damage than he intends. Until his intentions change, that is.

This edition also includes a haunting, chilling story called “She Murdered Mortal He” by Booker nominee Sarah Hall. A young couple holiday in a strange country but are separated on a beach after an argument. No tentacled monsters rise from the deep but the tone of the story takes a decidedly frightening turn very fast. Hall successfully creates a sense of deep foreboding. The story’s atmosphere is disturbing and taut; everything is at once detached and yet “vicious and warm”.

Stephen King fans will be pleased to see a new story from the grandmaster himself. “The Dune” is about an ageing judge who knows a secret about a tiny island off the coast of Florida (and no, it’s not like Lost). “The Dune” is similar to many of King’s other works — a standard, sting-in-the-tail Roald Dahl variety of story. King has created some of horror and mystery’s most frightening images, be they rabid dogs, evil clowns or giant spiders, and while he still writes, his sting is perhaps a little less sharp. This story may not be enough to satiate fans who are clamouring for his next book, a follow up to The Shining, but this time with vampires.

One of the interesting things about Granta is the parallel work it publishes online in accompaniment to each of their print editions. In this case, some fill in for what readers may find lacking in the Horror edition in print. Chris Womersley’s A Lovely and Terrible Thing is a

tight little story about a man who hopes to find a young woman with a special ability and help her. There’s no blood and gore but none is needed when the small images and nuances can create unnerving fear.

Genre’s are becoming harder to define and genre fans harder to satisfy. While a true horror fan may still be left hungry, there is no doubt that those looking for good writing will be perfectly happy with this edition. a

41 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

THE HATER

10 things I hate about ... getting mugged

1 2 3 4 5

The stunned reflexes. As soon as someone taps your car window with a gun, it seems time stands still, everything moves in slow motion and all your body parts give up their ability to move.

BY SABA KHALID

6 7 8 9 10

How everyone in Karachi will top your being robbed story. I thought being robbed was one of the most life-

changing, shocking experiences of my life. Until, I came back and told people. It seems that the average

Karachiitte has been under gunpoint on an average of three times in their life. It’s part and parcel of the Karachi experience.

The screaming and obscenities from the robbers. Hey, you already have your gun barrel sticking in my ear, you don’t need to scream and call me names too!

The ID card loss. Yes, take my wallet! Sure, take my watch too. My Blackberry? With pleasure, I wanted an Android anyway! But please, for God’s sake, leave the ID card alone. You and I both know I’ll have to turn

into a eunuch to force NADRA to reissue me another ID card.

The loss of phone contacts, emails and texts. Picture this, you’ve just been robbed, you want to call for help

… but oh wait, your phone’s gone! You stop people,

asking for a phone to make a call, and then you can’t remember anyone’s number because you relied fully on your stupid phone contacts list.

Everyone’s let-it-be syndrome. There are hundreds of people around you while you are being robbed. They

see what is happening, but no one decides to do any-

thing. I’m not asking you to be Nicolas Cage and pin down the robbers. But at least, HONK, SCREAM or call the police!

42 DECEMBER 11-17 2011

The invasion of privacy. With your credit cards and ID gone, the robbers know your name and address. They

can even see all your embarrassing photos and read all the texts on your phone.

The paranoia that follows. You’re shaky and shocked for days, thinking how easy it would be for them to

plan another attack now that they have all your information. There’s a knock on your door, you think it’s the

robbers. Someone calls your backup Nokia 3100 phone, you’re sure it’s them. Someone rings your doorbell, your entire family decides to hide in the bathroom.

Match the gang to the area. You sobbingly tell someone

you were robbed. They ask wide-eyed where exactly you were robbed. You tell them the exact place, hoping they’ll

do something about it. But all you hear is, “Oh acha, woh

tau XXX (insert hated ethnicity) gang ka area hay, tum kyun wahan gayen?” Yes, it really is my fault that I was robbed!

The helplessness. Like most things in Pakistan, we’re

forced to accept it as part of living here. All we can do is avoid those areas and slowly and gradually mark them on our mental maps as places not to visit, even on a

whim. With the rate I’ve been marking places in Kara-

chi, pretty soon, the only place I’ll be left to venture in is my own garden. a