JANUARY 2012
Karachi in culture 2012
comic love 5 best fish spots wrap up this winter
stock up on the most stylish scarves
contents
06 Karachi Smells
Defining aromas of the city reconstructed by Currim Suteria, create a Karachi you’ve never seen or heard.
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the super scarf
Karachi culture in 2012
bazaar
Find the most fashionable scarves for the season and the cities cutest finds when Ayesha Bari goes around town and picks her favourite products.
cover story
There really is a lot to look forward to in Karachi! This breakdown gives you everything that you need to know for a culturally exhilarating Karachi in 2012.
22 38 46 kolachi
arts & culture
travel
dive in Karachi
of superheroes and villains
mystical multan
Venture to Charna Island and discover Karachi’s vibrant aquatic life
romance at runchore lines Take a new look at the old Runchore Lines by Mahrukh Abbasi
30 food
macchli madness Enjoy some of the best fish in town with our local favourites in Macchli Madness.
a thaila with a twist Tahir Munir reinvents the art of fruit and vegetable shopping with Pick Fresh.
the story of the sea the shah goes on
A complete guide to the magical land of Multan: Read exactly what to do, see, eat and where to stay.
Unless you’ve been living in denial for the past year, you know things have been tough for Karachi. While most of us have also figured out they are not likely to get any easier in 2012, with news of expected increases in load shedding and further shortages in gas supply, it is often difficult for us to be optimistic about what is to come. But here’s the thing, each and every one of us is still hopeful, whether we like to admit it or not. And that is exactly what keeps Karachi going, its dreamers, thinkers, believers and creators keep everyone else going when things get tough. Here is our breakdown of what to expect from food, art, film, fashion and music in 2012. WWW.YELLO.PK
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food 16 fashion 17 art 18 film 19 music 20 0312–YELLOPK
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By Manal Faheem Khan
2011 saw many trends that were changing in the music industry. Musicians were getting more platforms to bring their talent forward; underground bands finally got the exposure they needed, and we saw more and more females joining the industry. So how will these trends evolve in 2012? We spoke to Zoe Viccaji, a name that has finally been given the credit it deserved for quite some time. While Viccaji has been on backup vocals for Coke Studio, she got her first artist performance alongside singer Asif Hussain last season. She also collaborated with Bilal Khan, Strings, and Levis, to come out with an acapella version of ‘Mera Bichra Yaar’ that received rave reviews for its originality. In 2012 Viccaji is releasing five new songs, which she’s working on with ex Vital Signs member Shahi Hasan. “I'm also doing songs for two movies which will come out later in the year,” she
says, “I'll definitely have more live concerts because I've finally found a great line up of musicians. Who knows we'll go overseas for a bit too if it’s in the stars.” Another talented young musician, Natasha Ejaz is all set to take her music to the next level, “I have a couple of things planned but currently I’m working on finishing ‘It Might Get Glitchy’ (an album in collaboration with Rishabh Rajan).” However, this young starlet has a couple of other things up her sleeve. Starting out as a complete newcomer in the show Uth Records, Ejaz has made her place in the industry. The show that gave her her first big break now has her on the production team where she will be working alongside big names such as Zeeshan Parwez and Gumby. Gumby explained how Uth Records has played
music
a role in bringing the underground scene out into the open: “That’s what Uth Records was all about. We wanted to give young talent a platform to come forward. Also, we play no role in deciding what these kids perform on the show. They choose their own song and style; we don’t tell them what to sing. The first season was more of an experiment. This time, we have a clearer vision of how we want the show to run.” Gumby also has more good news for fans of more commercial music. “Noori is coming out with a new album. We’ve actually finished all the songs, so the album is complete. However I can’t say exactly when it will be out. But it will be released this year.”
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Gracias Call: 03002582090 Reach: Plot # 28-C, Street 5, Off Khayban-e-Badar, Badar Commercial Area, DHA Visit: www.yello.pk/43676
Upper Crust Call: 021-35861415 Reach: Main Commercial lane #3, Zamzama, Karachi Visit: www.yello.pk/43671 Xanders Call: 021-35293653 Reach: C-32, E-Street, Block 4, Clifton, Karachi Visit: www.yello.pk/43672
Gloria Jeans Call: N/A Reach: Sub Office III-C, Jami Commercial Street #11, Phase VII, DHA, Karachi Visit: www.yello.pk/43674
Pane & Amore Call: 03232000070 Reach: 23-D, lane 4, Khayban-e-Shahbaz, DHA, Karachi Visit: www.yello.pk/43673
Cinnabon Call: N/A Reach: Dolmen Mall & Atrium Mall Visit: www.yello.pk/43687
Forty4 Call: 021-35290066 Reach: F-44/2, Block 4, Scheme 5, Clifton, Karachi Visit: www.yello.pk/43677
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kolachi
by Mahrukh Abbasi
The way to spend these winter weekends is to explore what lies beneath.
It’s a little chilly in the morning when the sail sets from Mubarak Goth, a 100 year old coastal village, towards the mysterious Charna Island. This isolated, limestone rock formation, previously used by the Pakistan Navy for testing, is surrounded by the clear, blue waters of the Arabian Sea, filled with coral reef, dense plant life and a large variety of fish including dolphins.
Images courtesy: Divers Reef
Snorkeling, a close cousin of scuba diving, has recently started to gain popularity amongst Karachiites. This simple and fun activity can be enjoyed individually or in a group by people of all ages. To snorkel, the only requirement is to be comfortable in water while breathing through a reedlike tube poking out of the water. As soon as your eyes have adjusted to seeing underwater, colourful reefs is visible, along with a flourishing plant life, and a diverse fauna including barracuda, tuna, oysters, ray-fish, turtles, eels, urchins, algae, and other sea creatures. After the earthquake and tsunami in 2005, there has been a noticeable difference in the variety of fish found in the Arabian Sea as sea life has migrated to our shores. Karachi’s coastline is also populated by coastal communities, and generations after generations, families have chosen to remain settled there. During sunset, from their homes, the villagers can see the island turn to gold; an incredible scenic backdrop. Visitors are greeted warmly by these hardworking fisherman and are invited to share their clean and marvellous sea side. The people of Mubarak village have been extremely supportive in making Charna Island become a haven for divers and snorkelers for over a decade now. Fortunately, Karachi also has people like Yousuf Ali to spread awareness and work hard to promote this magical growth of the undersea life. Since 1989, Ali (PADI Master Instructor), owner of Karachi Scuba Diving Center, has played an active role in organizing and encouraging conservation of the environment around Charna. He believes that the fast growing coral reef is an asset to us and encourages people to come and enjoy the wonders of the sea. He also invites 0312–YELLOPK
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I want to build a company with a heart, not a corporate beast, and want to generate employment at all levels. from their favourite grocery store. We have already tied up with the major store-owners and plan to roll out 10 outlets in the first two months. We then plan to take this concept to other areas of Karachi as well. The target is to have at least 100 such vans across Karachi in the first two years. These have been custom designed by renowned architect Tariq Alexander Qaiser who has put his heart and soul into the project. I see these trucks as the new medium of retail, especially in the subcontinent. I feel they will also add a bit of colour to the somewhat bland landscape of Karachi! We will also place them so that they don’t cause any disruption to the flow of traffic. The mobile van is just a start. We have some very exciting plans for the future. Pick Fresh aspires to be a one stop shop for all your cooking needs including meat, poultry and dairy. Hence the tag line “Lets get cookin”.
Why do you think it’ll work here?
What did you do before this?
We spoke to housewives (the primary decision makers in the fruit and vegetable purchases) and found they were generally unhappy with the the quality they get and the price they pay. The better her bargaining skills the better the price she can get. Others who turn up in bigger cars, get a worse deal.
After working for others for 12 years, I decided it was finally time to take the plunge into entrepreneurship, which is something I had always wanted to do. I have never been the one to toe the line. I remember one of my bosses at ICI telling me during my annual performance appraisal that “if you didn’t always meet
What’s the catch? Will prices be more than Itwar Bazaar and the rest? We would not be benchmarking ourselves to Itwar Bazaar as the controlled prices there are out of touch with reality. That is why if you ask a vendor at Itwaar Bazaar to sell you produce at the controlled rates he will never allow you to pick the produce of your choice. He will give you produce which he has picked himself. Our prices will be at par with those at the hypermarkets which are generally 10-15% lower than your regular fruit and vegetable retailer in DHA/Clifton.
What kind of fruits and vegetables will you be selling? Seasonal? Exotic? Organic? We will primarily focus on local produce. We’re going to source directly from farmers wherever possible. In season, we will sell fruits which are not available at any other retail outlets. We will also carry some organic and exotic fruits.
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If anything these trucks will add a bit of colour to the somewhat bland landscape of Karachi! your targets you’d be in trouble!” I took that as a compliment! But the point is that I never saw myself playing the corporate game. I always wanted to do my own business but never had enough savings. I also got burnt a couple of times at the Karachi Stock Exchange! When I finally got the savings together, I took the plunge. I’m very optimistic that we’ll come out of the tight spot that Pakistan is in provided young people take charge and try to excel in their areas of expertise rather than worrying and whining about stuff over which they have no control. I want to build a company with a heart, not a corporate beast, and want to generate employment at all levels.
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