The Express Tribune hi five - October 5

Ms OCTOBER 5, 2014

ISSUE NO. 120

Simply Luxe

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Effective Social Networking

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inside lifestyle —

When is celebrity exposure too much?

domestic goddess —

Steaks for Eid!

Section In-Charge: Sarah Munir Sub-Editors: Amna Hashmi Nisma Chauhan Feedback: women@tribune.com.pk

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The timelessly beautiful Iraj Manzoor

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the buzz

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, OCTOBER 5, 2014

by Tehmina Khan

In today’s day and age, finding someone without a Facebook, Twitter tter or Instagram account is virtually impossible. From long-lost classmates to inquisitive aunties with super stalking abilities, right down to your tailorr — everyone is now an avid social networker, sharing pictures, opinions and expetforms riences online. In fact, the internet and the many communication platforms cetera it provides — be it social networking websites, blogs or even email, etcetera top or — have become so commonplace that just about anyone with a laptop smartphone can use them as they please.

Unfortunately, despite its prevalence, the internet is little more than a tool o marfor self-gratification for most of us. We regard it merely as a means to ket our social lives online or purchase things without having to move a muses. But cle, occasionally using Google and Wikipedia for educational purposes. ke our while we have been trying to select the best Instagram filter to make gsters profile pictures stand out, a handful of talented and motivated youngsters ise sohave been using the internet for larger purposes. Whether it’s to raise ir own cial awareness, improve our national image or simply to promote their ntage. talents, these people have truly used social networking to their advantage. urants Nezihe Hussain who founded the SWOT’s Guide For Karachi’s Restaurants page on Facebook, early in 2011 is one such example. Building on the nalysis, concept of a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opinions and Tastes) analysis, the group was initially meant for Hussain’s immediate circle of friendss only. e with “What started as a small idea for 40 of my friends now stands large ups on over 35,000 members,” says Hussain. As one of the largest food groups nity to Facebook worldwide, SWOT’s Guide offers members the opportunity iews, recipes share restaurant reviews, or eateries and suggestions for o mention, across the city. Not to ered for it is a prayer answered e right those looking for the ething place to order something OT’s specific from. “SWOT’s he Guide also sparked the trend of members —

Lilly Singh famously known as IISuperwomanII is an Indo-Canadian Youtube personality. She started her career in 2010 by posting videos on Youtube with a satirical take on everyday life. Her videos since then have received much acclaim and as of September 2014, her channel has over four million subscribers and her videos have gathered over 400 million views. Her YouTube fame has enabled her to go on international tours as a stand-up comedian and landed her a small role in the movie Dr Cabbie.

She also runs a successful website Unicorn Island, which sells clothes based on her YouTube persona.

‘Swotties’ as we like to call ourselves — to meet at a designated restaurant, asses it and post our assessment online,” says Hussain. Today, there are more than 40 other groups under the SWOT umbrella covering a variety of issues, including weight loss and health, travel and tourism, entertainment and even buying/selling merchandise. “SWOT has been an inspiration for other groups of similar formats,” adds Hussain. “‘Swotties’ take pride in being pioneers, not just locally but internationally as well.”

While foodies remain hooked on to the SWOT pages, many women have taken to microblogging in order to share their knowledge and experiences. In particular, the past few years have seen a rise in the practice of ‘beauty blogging’ wherein fashion and cosmetic enthusiasts review new products, salon services and beauty tips etcetera. Rabiya Tungekar, one of Pakistan’s leading beauty bloggers, started out by simply helping others learn about makeup. “My passion for beauty products encouraged me to venture into beauty blogging,” shares Tungekar. “I wanted a space to share the knowledge I had and resorted to Facebook, followed by Twitter and Instagram. The response I got was overwhelming!”

Tungekar and her team of fellow beauty bloggers are now part of a panel of privileged experts who are invited to product launches by big-weights of the cosmetic industry seeking their approval for new products. The ladies are treated free of charge with samples after which they post their individual reviews, pictures, tips and product swatches on their blogs.

But there is much more one can utilise the web for than just consumerism. Many

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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, OCTOBER 5, 2014

renowned artists such as Justin Beiber and Taylor Swift initially started off by posting video-blogs of their music over YouTube. Others like Imaan Sheikh from Pakistan took to the internet to make us laugh.

You might recognise Sheikh from the Facebook group ‘Imaan Says’ in which she shares side-splittingly funny reviews of Bollywood movies. Nonetheless, in a span of just a couple of months, Imaan managed to go from a regular youngster cracking jokes about popular movies to a fan-favourite critic. “It started when I happened to watch a particular Bollywood flick one night,” confesses Sheikh. “I hated it so much that I decided to blog about it. Coincidentally, the blog vent viral! I started writing more movie summaries and each summary garnered a million views.” Soon after, Sheikh became a massive hit over all social media websites which propelled her towards international success. “I started getting calls for interviews from media giants like Hindustan Times, Dhaka Tribune, India Today, Asian Age and even Elle Magazine! They all wanted me to write for them.”

However, it wasn’t until popular comedy website

via mediums that are accessible for its members and target-market.” Therefore, the AIESEC team employs the internet to further its cause. “Social networks like Facebook have played a particularly huge role in establishing AIESEC Exchange across the globe,” adds Bihan. “Although AIESEC has its own international portal as well as a national one for every member state, the social media still contributes the most youth engagement. The social networks are global and so align perfectly with AIESEC’s aim to develop global leadership and talent.” In addition to this, a large chunk of AIESEC’s everyday operations are conducted online, including exchange announcements, project campaigns and even recruitment.

This encourages global interaction and affords Pakistani youngsters the exposure they need to broaden their horizons as well as Pakistan’s.

While some like Sheikh have simply stumbled upon online success without having planned for it, others like Munir and AIESEC are utilising it to perpetuate social and political developments within Pakistan.

Keeping in mind the easy accessibility of the internet

BuzzFeed called Sheikh that she started making money from her efforts. “BuzzFeed decided to hire me fulltime and there has been no looking back since,” adds Sheikh. However, amongst individuals and groups promoting Pakistani talent online, perhaps the most prominent work would be that of the Elan Women’s Social Club. Founded by entrepreneur Erum Munir, who currently serves as its CEO as well, the club is a means for female entrepreneurs and businesswomen across Pakistan to come together under one roof. “Our club, being the first of its kind, was possible thanks to social media which made it easy to congregate businesswomen on one platform,” explains Munir. “We started from a Facebook page with 23 members and only 50 fans. Now, my fellow members and I have several meetings, host social events, conduct workshops on virtual entrepreneurship and organise exhibitions, etc.” Standing strong with over 60,000 fans, the club offers upcoming and established businesswomen the opportunity to come forth and showcase their talents, helping them solidify their businesses. “Our next exhibition will take place on March 7th 2015!” adds Munir.

In addition to this, some keen Pakistanis have been working hard to improve the image of our country over the internet. For example, AIESEC — an international youth organisation that aims to develop its members into global leaders and affect social change — strives to change how others view Pakistan on a daily basis. According to Zaki Hyder Bihan, Vice President of Outgoing Exchange at AIESEC Karachi, “AIESEC being a primarily youth-based organisation, markets its core product, ie social exchange,

and the success achieved by the above-mentioned examples online, one can conclude that there is no shortage of opportunity over the internet. Fortunately, there is no shortage of talent in Pakistan either. All we need to do is exploit that talent and develop the ability to manipulate the virtual world to further our cause.

If you are looking to set-up a website to project your products effectively, follow these quick steps and get started!

Step 1 — Reserve a domain name for yourself: a domain name is what goes on your website e.g. myname.com.

Dynadot.com and godaddy.com are two sites that can register your domain name at a comparatively cheaper price. Take time to think about the name because the name you choose becomes part of your brand.

Go for a smaller name to be able to engage audience easily at Twitter, Facebook or other social media platforms.

Step 2 — Select a web hosting company — the company provides you space to create web pages and install other scripts like forums, blogs, email address and security.

Navicosoft, HosterPk and Nexus (nexus.net.pk) are reliable web hosting companies in Pakistan that offer affordable prices.

Step 3 — Start building your site.

Go for the appropriate template that suits your site. Different options are available online to help you choose an effective template.

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en vogue

Arsalaan Ahmed’s new collection is ideal for Eid. Coordination: Umer Mustaq Hair & Makeup: Saba Ansari at Sabs Designer: Arsalaan Ahmed Photography & Styling: Umair Bin Nisar Model: Sana Sarfraz

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, OCTOBER 5, 2014

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, OCTOBER 5, 2014

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lifestyle

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, OCTOBER 5, 2014

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Is being a woman all about physical gratification?

By Nisma Chauhan Design: Talha Khan The print and internet in India has recently been blazing with the news of Bollywood starlet Deepika Padukone’s recent feud with the news giant Times of India (TOI ). Earlier this month, TOI published an article entitled “OMG: Deepika’s Cleavage Show!” featuring a surreptitiously taken video from a launch event Padukone attended last year. The video depicted what was probably a minor wardrobe malfunction, zooming in and pointing arrows at Padukone’s body unapologetically.

Needless to say, feminists, fellow celebrities and Padukone’s ever-increasing fan base went livid over the internet, claiming

Taylor Swift

Emma Watson

Beyoncé Knowles

Emma Watson is the latest celebrity to defend feminism and gender inequality. In August 2013, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift said she recently realised that “being pro-women doesn’t make you anti-man”. In fact, pop singer Beyoncé Knowles also supports feminism and at VMA 2013 she performed in front of a huge white sign that said ‘Feminist’. that the media house’s objectification of Padukone’ body was disrespectful. While on one hand India has been promoting female empowerment in the aftermath of the recent rape cases, the news quickly became a victim of sensationalism.

When Padukone fought back by publically disparaging TOI for the video, the culprits replied saying “You looked so good that we wanted to make sure everyone knew.” In addition to this, TOI disregarded the entire story as a mere publicity stunt, saying “The video was originally posted on June 18, 2013 but Deepika kept silent over it for one year and chose to raise a furor and suddenly felt violated only during the release of her movie Finding Fanny.” The battle led to the hashtag I Stand

By Deepika Padukone becoming the top twitter trend across India, retweeted more than 7,000 times in a day!

But while most came forth in support of the actor, some chose to focus on the bigger picture and what the incident implied for women of the subcontinent at large. Many critics argued that actors are themselves complicit in the media’s relentless objectification of women by virtue of the ‘item numbers’ they star in, most of which show them scantily-clad, dancing before a crowd of men. In fact, actor Pooja Bedi dared to argue that “If admiring and focusing on a woman’s assets is a crime, all item numbers should be banned.”

The entire incident has, nonetheless, reinstated what we already knew — women in the subcontinent are still judged and stereotyped for the way they dress and look. Irrespective of cast, creed, social or economic status, women are still exploited and objectified everywhere. And while one might consider female celebrities to be exempted from such trivial

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social inadequacies because of the nature of their work, that is hardly the case. Closer to home, actor Veena Malik has been criticised for her choice of wardrobe time and again.

More recently, VJ Mathira was questioned regarding her pregnancy as she had managed to keep her marriage a secret thus far.

This prompted the local bastions of morals to extract her marriage contract and its legalities and even calculate her exact date of conception! It didn’t matter that perhaps the ladies were doing great. Instead, we chose to rip them apart for reasons that are none of our business. It is no wonder that Mathira responded by tweeting that, “Being an artist, you’re public property. But why would people have issues with your married life?

We will never have a naya Pakistan.”

Surprisingly, things are only a little less bleak in the West as countless Hollywood celebrities have also fallen prey to female disfranchisement. On August 31, nude photographs of actors Jennifer Lawrence, Lea Michele, Kate Upton and Kirsten Dunst were leaked online, proving that no matter how famous they

Vanessa Williams

Vanessa Williams was supposed to be the first African-American woman to be crowned Miss America 1983.

Williams, an American singer, actor and a former fashion model, however, bever recived the crown after Penthouse magazine bought and published nude pictures of her. The crown was then given to the 1st runner-up Suzette Charles of New Jersey.

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might be, they are still women and therefore, exploitable and vulnerable. In fact, there are numerous detailed articles and forums running online which compare body parts of different celebrities to find the ‘perfect’ ones. Little consideration is given to their talent and work. One might even argue that these pictures were leaked deliberately to hinder their career development. Such could be the case of outspoken celebrity feminist Emma Watson who became the butt of a nude pictures hoax following her recent speech about gender equality at the United Nations.

But what still remains unanswered is exactly who is to blame for this. If releasing private pictures of female celebrities is the problem then should posing for such pictures not be the problem as well? Of course, with today’s advanced photography and picture editing, fabricating such images is quick and easy but what about the likes of Miley Cyrus and Kim Kardashian, who are notorious for their explicit activities?

There appears to be a grey area between too much and too little exposure and this is precisely where prominent female celebrities like Padukone find themselves at a loss. “When an actress’s inner wear decides to do a peek-a-boo, she most definitely didn’t step out with the intention to do so,” wrote Padukone on her Facebook profile. She also insisted that her retaliation was against such regressive tactics being used to draw readers’ attention but how does one know for sure? Where do we draw the line between exposure and overexposure?

Perhaps the problem lies in not knowing when to draw the line between an individual’s personal and public personas.

Judging from the current tabloid and paparazzi culture, one can conclude that we often regard that our celebrities as our property, butting our noses in their life on and off camera.

Perhaps this is what makes us feel like we have the right to celebrate or defame them as we please.

domestic goddess 7

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, OCTOBER 5, 2014

Grilled Beef Steak Skewers

By Syeda Kiran Zahra Hussain

What is Eidul Azha without beef kebabs?

This year, treat your guests to this succulent beef snack. I guarantee they will love it!

ingredients For the meat: Cooking spray Red bell peppers (cut into one-inch pieces) 2 Red onions (cut into nine wedges) 2 Peaches (cut into 9 wedges) 4

Boneless, sirloin beef steak (cut into four pieces of one inch each) 2 pounds Salt 2 and 3/4 tsp Cracked black pepper 2 tbsp Ground cumin 2 tbsp

For the sauce: Garlic cloves (crushed) 3

Olive oil 1 tsp

Cracked black pepper 1/4 tsp

White vinegar 1/4 cup

Salt 1/4 tsp

Fresh parsley (chopped) 1 cup

Method For the meat: • Prepare the grill with cooking spray.

• To prepare the meat, combine all the ingredients and marinate the beef steaks in them.

• Thread three steak pieces, two peach wedges, one onion and one red pepper wedge alternately onto a 12-inch skewer.

• Place the skewer on the grill and spray it with cooking spray. Grill the kebabs for approximately six minutes, until they become tender. You may turn the skewers over to make sure the meat is cooked completely.

• Once cooked, allow the kebabs to cool on a flat dinner platter.

For the sauce: • Mix the garlic, parsley, olive oil, vinegar, salt and black pepper, whisking thoroughly.

• Pour the sauce over the grilled kebabs using a cooking brush. Your dish is now ready!

Quick tips: • Using two skewers instead of one makes it easier to hold the kebabs while grilling.

• Wooden or bamboo skewers work better than metal ones in ensuring that the meat is cooked through.

• You can convert your kebabs into a delicious South-east Asian delight simply by adding thick slices of sautéed lemongrass, basil and some more fresh garlic and peppers.

Benefits of beef consumption: • Did you know that beef is rich in phosphorous and iron, both of which are essential for the human body. Phosphorous makes for strong teeth and bones and iron helps carry oxygen through the blood, to all cells and muscles. It also prevents fatigue.

• Lean beef is a great source of protein, providing 64.1% of the daily value of the nutrient, in just four ounces!

• Organic beef is rich in Selenium and Zinc.

The selenium is needed for the proper function of Glutathione Peroxidase, an antioxidant that curtails the severity of inflammatory conditions like asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Zinc protects the walls of blood vessels against damage and supports the immune system.

• Beef from grass-fed cows has been proven to have more Omega-3 fatty acids, which reduces the risk of heart disease. It does not raise total blood cholesterol.

Risk of excessive beef consumption: • Beef contains cholesterol and saturated fats that can increase risk of heart diseases.

• Excessive consumption of beef raises the risk of colon, rectum and other cancers.

• Red meat is vulnerable to bacteria, parasites and viruses and if not cooked properly, causes certain foodborne diseases.

• In many parts of the world, beef is routinely treated with antibiotics to protect it from infection. In some rare cases, people sensitive to the harsh chemicals of the antibiotics may have an allergic reaction after consuming the treated meat.

Diaries e world A glimpse into th rhouses we po i of Pakistan

Tell us why you chose to become a model?

I actually never chose this career! Modelling was something I started doing out of boredom 23 years ago, during my summer vacations. I did a shoot for my father’s friend, who owned a men’s magazine and after that, I started getting offers for shoots that were willing to pay well. So in all honesty, despite the fact that I had a lot of fun during my first shoot, the main reason I took up offers was because of the monetary reward.

What inspires you?

Mother Nature is my greatest inspiration.

How has the Pakistani fashion industry changed over the past years?

The fashion industry of Pakistan has developed a lot and with every development there are both pros and cons attached.

Nowadays, with an abundance of designers/ models/photographers there is a lot of repetition of work. The influx of too many people doing the same thing has resulted in mass production with more focus on quantity rather than quality.

Who is your favourite designer and why?

I believe designers are like different colours of a rainbow that flow with the moods and represent different styles. Therefore, I don’t really have a favourite. However, if I had to choose I would say Maheen Khan and Sonya Battla as I have worked with them a lot and have grown up as a person with them. They concentrate more on the personality of the clothes than on perfection.

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You are a working woman, how do you maintain a work-life balance?

I think it’s very easy to maintain a work-life balance. I get this strength from my mother Zeenat Yasmin, who is an actor and a workaholic and yet managed to balance both her personal and professional lives perfectly.

I don’t believe it when people say they don’t have time for a certain thing. If one wants to do something, they can compartmentalise it. Of course you need to have will power to make time for things you want to do.

An idea that changed your life?

Becoming a model changed my life and one of the biggest advantages that come with it was that I became closer to God. This field has a very synthetic environment. I feel people in the industry are very non-organic and become plastic. This motivates me to work hard and keep my centre intact. I strive to be stronger, stay close to nature and avoid becoming materialistic.

Any advice for aspiring female models?

Nowadays, young girls wanting to enter the industry expect success to come overnight and are not willing to listen. However, they need to understand that life doesn’t work that way.

They need to keep working on themselves and strive over a period of time. After all, perfection isn’t achieved through shortcuts!

With Mahee n Khan, Ayya n and Fayezah at M aheen Khan’s fashion show .

With Tapu Javeri.

Model

With my pets.

Considering how busy I am with my recordings most of the time, Eid for me means spending quality time with my family and enjoying the day in their comfort. I am looking forward to the qurbaani as well!

Actor Hina Dilpazir

This time I will be celebrating Eid with friends as both my daughters are away. I am going to miss spending time with them as Eid and similar occasions are times when I get time off to spend with my family. Luckily, I have my mother with me and we will be inviting my colleagues and friends over. My husband and I, along with a bunch of other older couples, are going to sit and have lunch together as well.

Actor/singer Bushra Ansari

Traditionally, Eid means spending time with family and since I don’t get much opportunity to do so otherwise, occasions like Eid are great. But this Eid, fortunately or unfortunately, I am going to be attending the Azaadi March in Islamabad. I hope to be at the dharna the whole day.

Actor Hamza Ali Abbasi

I believe in celebrating Eid the traditional way, by doing the qurbaani and dressing up and going out for family gatherings.

Considering the nature of my work, Eid and other similar occasions are very hectic as I have to take out collections as well. Therefore, I am looking forward to relaxing and spending time with my extended family this year, who came down from different countries to celebrate with us.

Fashion designer Zohra Alam