Rs. 95
Volume 2, Issue 6 / JUL 2012
9 Best Stalls at Itwaar Bazaar check them out this weekend for some brilliant buys
Quirky & Cultural Veranda at Five introduces a bygone Karachi with spunky style
5 Milky Cool Lassis to quench your thirst this summer!
Calligraphy How much of this dying art can we save?
contents
08 12 16 bazaar
style
cover story
quirk list This summer go easy on the purse by bagging Itwar Bazaar’s coolest accessories for under Rs. 100!
tea, nostalgia and décor Creativity and nostalgia give birth to a set of home décor and accessories that you will cherish for life.
itwar bazaar’s best What embodies Karachi better than Itwar Bazaar! Head over, but only after reading our lowdown on the bachat bazaar’s 9 best stalls.
24 kolachi
scents of the season Karachi might smell but you don’t have to! Our classic guide to perfumes will tell you exactly what to get to impress.
commune artists colony Venture to Commune Colony to see for yourself why it is a haven for artists.
it’s a cushioned life Relax on piece of art with Cyra Ali’s creative cushions inspired by some of the greatest paintings of all time. WWW.YELLO.PK
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remembering calligraphy While magicians may require a wand, it only takes quill pens for these wonderful calligraphers to cast magic on parchments.
31 35 39
food
entertainment
art
food reviews The newest eateries to try
From Avengers to Dictators, a whole lot of exciting movies are about to come your way!
coming full circle An evening out in search of meaningful art? Look for Full Circle Gallery and thank us later!
five best lassi places Creamy, fresh and cool. Try our favourite lassis this summer.
37 41 kids
blogs
summer struck Not sure which summer camp is the right for your kids? Our guide to some of the different ones in the city might help you decide!
From problems with English to fashion advice for older men, read what our bloggers have been scribbling this month
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style
tea, nostalgia by Ayesha Bari
décor
a look at Veranda at Five The gate is unassuming. In
they plan on making this a regular
fact if it were not pointed out
feature as well. They have paired these
it would surely go un-noticed. Behind
older elements with neon colors and
this gate, one is instantly transported
edgy lettering to make their products
into a world of yesteryear. The couple
spunkier and infused with a young
sitting in the courtyard, sipping their
vibrant energy.
afternoon tea directs me kindly
Mahin and Marium reveal that
towards a narrow staircase. I am at the
Veranda at Five came into being
home of Mahin and Marium Hussain,
because of the void that they found
the creative forces behind Veranda
when looking for accessories for
at Five. I am informed that they are
their own home décor. “There was
actually a trio, but their other sister
nothing out of the box. Everything
Zainab is currently out of town. The
was too ornate, or too antique or too
siblings first exhibited their products
carved”, Mahin explains. The sisters
at the Elephant Warehouse last
felt that there was a need to create
August. They followed up with their
accessories that were aesthetically
second exhibit this past month at the
appealing but also had some substance
same venue.
to them. A story behind the product
The sisters incorporate a
was what they felt was missing.
“Karachi” series soaked in nostalgia
The sisters thus decided to create
in each exhibition. There are
a company that catered to people
trays, cushions and chairs with images of prominent Karachi architecture that sadly no longer exists. This goes back to their strong family heritage; their grandparents strong recollections of the Karachi of yesteryear inspires thier collection. Playing on the remembrance of the past, Veranda at Five has also brought about a revival of the “chamiyana tent” print this past exhibition and WWW.YELLO.PK
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like them. Their background in art,
What is your personal favorite What particular artist or genres
piece from your collection?
were you excited about putting on
How long does it take to
It’s hard to say. All of them are special
a cushion?
customize a cushion?
but I think it is Woman in the Mirror
Because it was mostly experimental,
It depends on the cushion itself, the
by Matisse because I love the painting
all of the genres were exciting. I found
level of intricacy is difficult to gauge
and the movement of the embroidery
the Vincent Van Gogh paintings
unless the artisan has created the
has added to its beauty.
interesting because of the way he
piece before. The Van Gogh’s took
applies paint onto his canvases and I
about a week, but some even more
Cushions start at Rs.5000 upto Rs.18,000
was curious to see how this would be
complicated pieces took up to two
Contact Cyra via email at cyra_ali@
translated in hand embroidery.
weeks to make.
gmail.com
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cover story
by Riffat Rashid
Whether you are a school principal or a TV show host, a foreigner or a native, Itwaar Bazaar, or the newly renamed — Bachat Bazaar is the place where all sorts of people come together to shop, bargain and revel over their cheap finds! Here are our picks for the 9 best stalls in this bustling market.
B28 street2
B24 street2
product
Old Teak Wood and Antique Furniture
what sets them apart some antiques are older than a hundred years
product
price range
Date tree products, Handbags, Clay
Over Rs.3000
products etc.
what sets them apart
Nothing says classic like antique
They are also an NGO
woodwork. Collected mostly from
price range
ancient Sindhi havelis, this gem of a
Approximately Rs.500 for shoes and
stall sells furniture that would make
Rs.800 for hand bags, Rs.1000 for
any antiques collector weak in the
three-piece Suits
knees. According to the owner, some of the pieces they carry are up to 150
With splashes of reds, blues, yellows
years old. Not all the furniture they
and purples all around, who wouldn’t
have is just for decoration purposes
want to visit B24, street 2 – one of the
only, most of it is sturdy enough to be
most colourful stalls in the Bazaar.
used on a regular basis. The furniture
From pretty handbags neatly designed
and woodwork is also economically
with patches of Ajrak to Kolapori
priced, the only thing stopping people
chappals donned with mirror work and
from buying everything there at this
from clay products in blue and white
shop is the fact that it’s only available
to unstitched suits in every possible
once a week, at Itwar Bazaar.
colour, one is likely to find a number of feminine yet funky items they could admire and buy. The good part? All the money you spend goes to helping marginalized women and children in Sindh. You can also log on to their website at www.khazana.com.
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kolachi
by Emmad Hameed
In 1998, two years after the formation of the
that usually appears at most national/international cricket
World’s Blind Cricket Team and one year after
matches being played by their sighted counterparts,
Pakistan’s Blind Cricket Council came into existence,
Pakistan’s Blind Cricket team is fighting an uphill battle to
Pakistan’s blind cricket team travelled to India to take part
garner the kind of attention it deserves.
in its first ever World Cup. With their tickets paid from their
However, resilient and unwavering in their ambitions,
own pockets, they set off on their first tour as a team. It was
it took Pakistan’s blind cricket team only four years after
after they emerged as runners-up in the finals in the same
its noteworthy performance in the first World cup to
World Cup that people finally took notice.
emerge victorious in both the World Cups that followed,
While most of them dream of the day when they stand
establishing the team as one of the best, internationally.
tall on the cricket ground raising their bats high as a sign
Pakistan’s blind cricket team made up for in dedication and
of acknowledgement to a huge turnout in the audience
determination for what it lacked in their sight.
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food
A new addition to Karachi’s increasing list of eateries. Clean, fresh channas are
Tacky silver-y décor, the city’s
becoming popular in an
biggest cocktail bar, loud hip music,
increasingly hygiene-conscious Karachi.
huge LCDs mounted on the walls,
There are a number of savoury
projectors set up for matches or movies,
items one needs to try at the new
and a comfortably cool temperature
Dohraji outlet of channa papri chain
have served newly opened Café
Chowpaty. Named after the famous
Downtown well. The owner, Kamran
beach in Mumbai, Chowpaty was the
Lassi had spent so much time sitting
brainchild of Erum Khan, a house
around cafes that he passionately
wife, originally from India, wanted to
wanted to setup something himself,
open a chaat outlet, which was fun, and
which he successfully launched on
clean. Along with her husband and
April 28th of this year.
co-owner, Naveed Nabi Khan, Erum
In such little time, Café Downtown
spent months researching the best ways
has become a hangout for school or
to cook healthy, aluminum free, and
college students mostly, stacking up the
mouth-watering chanay. The chickpeas,
joint in the afternoons, still in their
named B90, are Canadian chanay, and
uniforms. This new café offers friendly
only need to be soaked 45 minutes before cooking. All
service and the food is tasty as well.
the chutneys and sauces are made fresh with the finest
The restaurant caters to all kinds of
ingredients. Other than the special papri chaat, which is a
tastes, so if you’re feeling like having
mixture of chanay, sauces, and lots of papri, Chowpaty also
Mexican, Italian, French, Chinese, and
offers sev puri, it’s an addition of crispy sev on pani-puris or
American, it’s all possible. A little pricier than other places,
gol-gappas. They offer out-of-the-box specialties like chana
the extremely large portions almost justify the prices.
nacho chaat, which is prepared with homemade corn chips,
Their unique gyro burger, a whopping sandwich with beef,
and baagh bahari chaat, a big mix of chana chaat, aloo,
sautéed onions and a tangy flavour as well as their crispy
bhail puri, lots of papri, and their organic yogurt. Timings
fried fish with tartar sauce were some of our favourites.
at all locations are 10 am – midnight, and everything is
Open from 10am to midnight, it’s a perfectly safe place to
priced under Rs.100.
chow down and have fun.
www.yello.pk/45492
www.yello.pk/45491 0312–YELLOPK
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Log Inn Lounge winning factor: Air conditioned
about which lassi to try next. However,
retreat
Corner you are missing one of the
location: street #32. Tauheed
best! Sweet or salty according to your
Commercial, Phase 5, D.H.A
preference and chilled to perfection,
If the idea of lassi being made in
lassi here is not meant to be ignored.
a blender does not appeal to you,
www.yello.pk/21869
if you haven’t tried lassi at Rahat Milk
head over to Log Inn to be proved
Inn is still a delight to have with its
MashAllah Milk and Juice Center winning factor: Sweetness is
lighter, fluffier texture. The lassi here
overrated
is the most expensive one though; one
location: Mumtaz Manzil at
hundred and twenty bucks to be exact.
Gulshan Iqbal, adjacent to Asre
However, if you’re in the mood to have
Shreen.
a good glass of lassi while catching up
MashAllah Milk and Juice Center is
with your friends, Log Inn is the place
also one of the places where you can
to be.
find Peedra Lassi. A clear favourite
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among the residents, the particular
wrong. Untainted by khoya or other traditional goodies, the lassi at Log
best lassi places all for beating the heat in Karachi? It only takes a glass of lassi to do the trick!
lassi also attracts visitors from all over
Dilbahar Milk Shop winning factor: Lose no time
the city. It’s different from its less
waiting
and pistachio mixed along with khoya.
location: Adjacent to Nimco, near
However, lassi at MashAllah Milk
Schon Circle in Karachi.
and Juice Center is one of the most
Driving around the city in the
different ones you will have since it’s
scorching sunlight and the snail-
offered with salt and other spices!
paced traffic can begin to take a toll
www.yello.pk/45495
on anyone but if you find yourself somewhere near Schon Circle, be sure to stop over at Dilbahar Milk Shop
Punjab Lassi House winning factor: The Khoya edition
location:
Burns Road, Saddar
for a cool, light glass of lassi. It’s sure to drive away the sweat on your forehead and costs around fifty bucks. The best part? You
Karachi.
don’t even have to spend a lot
Offered with a dash of almond,
of time waiting, for you can just
pistachio, and spoonfuls of khoya, the
take the lassi on the go!
Peedra lassi of the Punjab Lassi House
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makes for a filling yet refreshing it. Drive over to Burns Road and try
Rahat Milk Corner winning factor: Tasty
one of the best lassis you can have in
enough to make you want more.
drink. But don’t just take our word for
the city. And why wouldn’t it be? It is
location: main Khadda, near
located in one of the oldest food hubs
Labels.
of Karachi after all.
With so many options to choose
www.yello.pk/45466
from, one can get into quite a fix WWW.YELLO.PK
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filling counterparts as it has almonds