Ms DECEMBER 9, 2012 ISSUE NO. 25
Ready to Play
Casual wear gets a dose of fun
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How your cell phone compromises your security And what you can do about it
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inside Section In Charge: Batool Zehra Send your feedback to women@tribune.com.pk
things I hate about my daughter-in-law
what she said — domestic goddess — hottie of the week — Is the new Twilight fang-tastic?
A Portuguese treat
Nerd appeal
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Ms
the buzz
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 9, 2012
Cell pho
Safet
by Imaan Sheikh
Photos on your phone:
“Imaan, I’m in trouble BIG TIME!” The phone call came late in the night. On the other end of the line was my friend Sarah*, her voice shaky. I asked her to calm down and tell me what had happened. “That phone wala! He’s blackmailing me!” said Sarah, crying uncontrollably. Three weeks prior to this horrifying phone call, Sarah had dropped her mobile phone down the stairs. It had stopped functioning properly and she wanted to give it for repairing. She told me that she could get it fixed for cheaper from a little shop near her house. The night Sarah got her phone back from the phone repair shop, she received a text message: “Hi sara how r u. Dis is Kami*. Wanna b ur frend” This characteristically spelt message was followed by a string of more ‘fraandship’ messages from the texter who identified himself as ‘Kami’. All of these were ignored by Sarah — because that’s the standard protocol for dealing with crank calls and unwanted messages. Then one night, he SMSed her: “Pls dnt b ignore me. Agar aap friendship nahi karengi toh mujhe ghalat tareekay use karne parengay” (Don’t ignore me. If you’re not going to be friends with me, I’ll have to resort to doing something bad to you) Though this should have been enough to alarm Sarah, she took no notice and didn’t feel the need to tell anyone about the incident. The night that she called me up, Kami sent her a text saying that he had her photos and videos and would morph them into sexually explicit ones. On top of that, he said he had her home address and would send these photos to her house if she declined being friends with him and meeting him. The ground seemed to shake beneath her feet. “Imaan, there were photos of me in my pajamas in my phone! He must have recovered all my private information. I am doomed.” Sarah resorted to changing her number and thankfully Kami never tried to reach her afterwards — had this happened, one can only imagine how dire the consequences would have been. Regardless, she must live with the fact that a strange man of questionable morals has access to some of the most intimate details of her life. Things like this happen all the time, to more women than we know. In my own circle of friends, I can count at least four women right off the bat to whom such incidents have occurred. To reduce chances of such an instance, I advise all women to take the following precautions with their mobile phones:
Your cell phone is your life: it has your photos, confidential emails, and SMSes from your bank … all of which can easily fall into the wrong hands. Learn how your cell phone compromises your security and what you can do about it.
We may laugh over Paris, Selena and Miley’s leaked photos, but are we drawing the lesson we should from them? If that photo has the potential to come back and haunt you — just don’t take it. If you lose your mobile or it gets stolen, all of your private pictures can fall into the wrong hands. Always make sure you go to your camera options and set the photo/video memory to ‘memory card’ instead of ‘phone memory’.
WHAT TO DO • If it goes outt of hand, tell someo someone! one ne! Do n not ot ssuffer u fe uf ferr at a the hands of some communication device. You som me idiot with a com om mmu munica cati ca tion ti on d dev evvic ice e. Y e. ou ccan an an even file an case off co control. n FIR FI if your ca ase gets out o as ont ntro ol.. • If your mobile immediately 080025625 obi biile l is lo lost st o or st sstolen, olen len en, immedi d atelly call ca a 0 8 02 80 256 5625 25 (PTA) to block your SIM to prevent misuse off it. You can also block your phone’s functioning by visiting www. cplc.org.pk and filling in a form. Citizens Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) has made reporting crimes like this a lot easier for us. • A little research can save you from an uninvited predicament. Other than that, while travelling you may want to keep your phone in a secure zipped pocket in your bag if you use public transport, and taking it out only when necessary to avoid getting mugged. • Remember, it’s all very well to decorate your cell phone with Hello Kitty accessories, but knowing how to keep yourself safe is the first step to being a tech savvy girl.
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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 9, 2012
ne
ty
5 Annoying things my daughter-in-law does
Memory card: Buy a phone that has a memory card/stick slot. If you break the device or it stops functioning, you will have the option of safely removing most of your stuff simply by ejecting the memory card. In phones without expandable memory, you don’t have this option and unfortunately there are lots of phones out there with non-expandable memory. They may be great, but your privacy comes first. Also remember, files you delete are only encoded and still saved in your memory card. One can easily access them by running a file recovery programme. Useful tip: if you decide to sell your mobile phone, never sell your memory card. For more technical safety, you can fill up the memory card with trash — songs, movies, basically as much data as you can to fill it. Then delete all of this and format the card. Voila, you are safe.
SIDE TIP: Avoid easy loads and buy cell phone cards so that unwanted callers don’t get your number.
Her sleeping habits On the two days that she is home, my daughter-in-law (DIL) will lock herself in her room — with my grandson — and sleep for hours. She won’t come out till midday. This is neither a dorm nor a hotel room, young lady!
The takeover It took me years, maybe decades, to get the house to look a certain way. It’s only been one year since DIL moved in but she has already rearranged the entire house and brought in new furniture. And I can’t stand the new look! Why do we need uncomfortable sofas, cushions everywhere, and lamps that barely give any light?
Your contact list, messages and passwords:
If your precious mobile encounters a problem and needs repairing, delete all your messages, your entire contact list and clear all passwords in the browser. If possible, make a backup of your contact list first. In case you have social networking and email applications installed, erase your information from those too; in fact, it is much better to uninstall them.
Hard reset and memory formatting: The hard reset is the safest step, though it may entail sacrificing some of your files. To avoid sacrificing data files on your cell phone, make a backup of your files on your computer before doing this. Look up the internet to find the ‘hard reset’ method for your mobile phone. This varies for all mobile phones. This will set your device back to how it was when you first bought it. If you think you may not be able to do this on your own, your best bet is to give your phone to the nearest customer care centre for your mobile’s make (Nokia, Sony Ericcson, HTC). It may cost you a few hundred rupees more but it is definitely worth it.
Bothersome calls and SMS: Number one: block the number. The method varies for different telecom companies, so you will have to call your service provider’s helpline and find out. Never reply to a ‘fraandship’ SMS. Even if you just want to let out a string of (well-deserved) profanities at them, it is best to just ignore them. Any response actually motivate these people to bombard you with even more messages.
*Names have been changed to protect identities.
The mess I refrain from walking into her room without asking, but even if I pass by it in the morning, I can see clothes thrown around everywhere, every cupboard flung open and my son’s socks strewn in the room like confetti.
The hermit She never wants to visit my relatives which means my son and grandson can’t visit them either. She’s always either sick or busy at work. I love how that’s never ever the case when it comes to her own family’s lunches and parties.
The fake charisma We’ve had the same driver, cook and maid for years, but ever since she moved in, they are constantly at her beck and call. So whenever I need the car, the driver has gone to take mem sahab for shopping, when I need some help in the kitchen, cook’s busy preparing mem sahab a late breakfast and when I need the maid for something, she’s cleaning up her messy room.
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Ms
en vogue
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 9, 2012
Coordination: Umer Mushtaq Hair and Makeup: KR crew Designer: Hajra Hayat Photography and Styling: Khawar Riaz Model: Sabeena Pasha
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 9, 2012
A printed jumpsuit, a kameez with parrot motifs — this lighthearted collection injects a dose of fun in casual wear with fruity colours and bold designs.
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what sheshe said said 6 6MsMswhat
THE EXPRESS THE TRIBUNE, EXPRESSDECEMBER TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 9, 2012 9, 2012
Fang -tastic
by Saba Khalid
Will you love Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 as much as the legions of teen girls?
I was so convinced that I was going to hate Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 that I had decided to write a Hater on it even before I saw the movie. A ‘Hater’ is a column we ran regularly in the magazine, in which you found things to hate about a certain subject. My charming bitterness had made me an expert at writing this column and I had already written one on Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 1. Circumstances were ripe for the bitterness to come flowing in full force: I had been walking for over eight hours that day and had eaten nothing at all. I was in a foul mood as I settled down to watch the movie. But by the end of the film, the notebook page allotted to writing things I hated about the movie remained entirely empty. In fact, I only realised it was empty when the lights came on at the end of this two-hour show. It is generally a pretty entertaining film to watch. While it’s still no thought-provoking, cinematic work of art and has its fair share of plot fails (like the vampire-cum-human child growing at an abnormal rate), it still packs in just the right amount of action, shirtless Jacob scenes and comic relief to satisfy any rom-com loving girl. The best bit perhaps is the change in Bella. I hated her meek, milk-and-water personality and that sulky face during the last few films. In this final installment, she shows some spunk! Although it’s still vile to show young girls that you need to get your blood sucked out and almost die to stand up for yourself and fight a few battles, I’m just glad that Stephanie Meyer tried to make Bella into an almost positive role model towards the end. There are also no gross sex scenes in this film in stark contrast to Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 1, with Bella even refusing Edward’s advances in one scene. Her energy is all but devoted to her child. The plot is fast-paced and is centred on the birth of Edward and Bella’s child Renesmee, the first vampire-cum-human. Since the the Volturi (vampire overloads) have no idea what this strange hybrid child is capable of, they decide to initiate a full-on war with the Cullens. The Cullens go in search worldwide of peace-loving and likeminded vampires who believe that Renesmee will not herald the destruction of the vampires. With this vampire community in place and of course the good old howling wolves in tow (thanks to Jacob’s obsession with Renesmee), they stand ready to battle the creepy Volturi. As confusing and ridiculous as the plot sounds, it makes more sense when you actually watch it. Or maybe it made more sense to me because I was so tired. Maybe, I was so hungry that I was hallucinating all the good parts. Maybe writing all those Haters has flushed the bitterness from my system and I’m incapable of hating on anything anymore. Or maybe, just maybe, Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 really is good!
domestic goddess 7 recipe
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 9, 2012
Portuguese Egg Tarts—Poh Taht Madiha Hamid is a digital media professional. She loves the food traditions unique to families. She is running a food blog for Pakistani and regional cuisines called cheflingtales.com
When I visited Macau — part of the Republic of China — earlier this year, I was blown away by the Portuguese architecture and Chinese culture on the beautiful island. Equally mind-blowing were the Portuguese egg tarts — soft and gooey from the middle and crispy from the outside — which were readily available on the streets of Macau. I decided to find a recipe and make it when I got back home. This is an amazing recipe and I have cooked three batches of Poh Taht already!
method Utensils Non-stick muffin tray, rolling pin, whisk For the crust Buy ½ kg puff pastry dough from your nearest bakery or grocery store To make the filling • Place a saucepan on medium heat. Add half of both milk and cream in the pan and add cornflour. Whisk till properly mixed. • Now add sugar, salt and mix well. • Add the rest of the milk and cream, and the cinnamon and lemon zest. • Now add the egg yolks slowly into the mixture and keep beating with the whisk till milk thickens like thick custard. Take the mixture off the heat. • Add vanilla essence. Your egg custard is ready • Let it cool. You can keep this filling in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days, covered with cling film. Working with the dough Working with puff pastry dough can be a nightmare. To make sure it’s cold enough to work with, refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. • Dust the work surface with white flour and roll the dough into a rectangular ½ inch thick sheet. • Now roll up this sheet in a cylindrical shape with one-inch diameter. Wrap it in cling film and put it in the refrigerator to harden for 15 minutes. • Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 200o C. • Cut 1-inch long cross-sections of the cylindrical dough with a knife. • Take one piece and put it in the muffin well. With your thumb, press the dough and pull it about 1/8 inch out of the muffin well. The dough should be uniformly thick all around — i.e. about 1/8 inch — to ensure that the pastry is cooked properly. • If the pastry gets hard to work with, pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes and try again. • Fill each muffin well with 1 tbsp of egg custard. Baking • Fill the tray and slide it in the oven. Bake for about 20-25 minutes at 200o C. • Once the tart starts turning golden brown from the top and the custard swells into a dome, turn on the top grill. Let it bake till the surface is dappled with brown marks. • Take the tarts out from the muffin wells. • Your Portuguese egg tarts are ready. Serve them warm.
ingredients Egg yolks 4 Cream 1/2 cup Milk 1/2 cup Vanilla essence 1/4 tsp Cinnamon stick 1 Lemon zest 1/2 tsp Cornflour 1 tbsp Sugar 3 tbsp Pinch of salt
hottie of the week 8
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 9, 2012
Status Born
Undisclosed Lahore
Birthday
July 2, 1984
Horoscope
Cancer
Face
65%
Who is he? Author of The Wish Maker, scion of a family of journalists and publishers, Harvard grad, columnist for The New York Times — at 28, Ali Sethi has plenty of feathers in his cap. Mohsin Hamid, author of The Reluctant Fundamentalist calls him “a fresh voice from a new generation of Pakistani novelists” and he is right in more ways than one because, intriguingly, this hottie is also a singer trained in Hindustani classical music and is a disciple of Ustad Naseeruddin Saami of the Delhi Gharana. The Harvard boy, who currently lives in Lahore, is a rare mix of brains, brawn and sexy voice — and we’d love to meet him even if it means calling out his names on the streets of Anarkali.
Why he is droolworthy As the nerdy, brooding wordsmith, his intensity is balanced by his bubbling enthusiasm and energy. We are suckers for the intellectual look that Ali Sethi has perfected with the trademark muffler and thick glasses. That nerd appeal, his sweet, strong voice and that poetic soul make a pretty lethal combination and hearing him sing Eastern classical music is likely to transport you to a more romantic era altogether. As for his writing talent, Ali says he’s been telling stories ever since he could speak. “I used to make up scenarios. I once told my paternal grandmother that my maternal uncle and aunt were getting married to Nazia and Zoheb Hassan respectively. (They weren’t; I just thought it would be a good idea.) My paternal grandmother called up my maternal grandmother and said, ‘Haww...you never told us!’” A US-graduate, who writes desi fiction in English, but understands his cultural roots and has an appreciation of shai’ree, Ali Sethi is the real deal: brains, looks, sensitivity and singing. Can you blame us for being smitten?
Body
70%
Talent
90%
Total Package
75%
What you didn’t know about him Ali Sethi was so moved by the Gojra riots that he is basing his second novel on the tragedy. He is singing a track for Mira Nair’s adaptation of The Reluctant Fundamentalist.
Ali Sethi