Karachi has been witnessing a steady transformation when it comes to art. This is evident by the fact that quite some public places have been adorned with murals painted on walls and flyovers with Cantt Station (walls painted by Phool Patti Pakistan's Truck Art Team) and the underpasses near Regent Plaza and Gora Kabarustaan painted vibrantly to name a few of these places.

Recently, a family friend, Dr. Muhammad Hussain who is a resident of Saddar revealed that his residential vicinity is another spot where the walls are being painted which is another step to beautify the city. He rather seemed motivated by immense passion as he conscientiously stepped out last weekend to take pictures for this blog post which he later assisted for as a co-author. It takes quite a few people with observational skills to see and document whenever their city is being prettified. The picture above is one of the many pictures that you shall see now. Right now it's a work in progress situation or perhaps has been concluded as you read the post. 

There is a series of wonderful paintings with an educational touch to them and let's hope no one stains these with their betel leaf trash and vows to preserve the effort put in by the artists. This is a project conceptualised by the Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture just like various others in the city. 

Once upon a time I myself wanted to go to an art school and this could have been one but I later chose a different path, though art is a strong part of my soul which I can never break free from.
The pictures above have been painted on the walls in front of St. Joseph's Convent School and College, and near St. Patrick's Church. The lovely vintage neighbourhood that you see below is the Cowasjee Foundation Residential Flats which was privileged to have its walls painted into scenes of monumental places and descriptions of various others.


I am totally in awe of this brilliant team work. You should all look around for the bits and pieces word appreciating around us. I'll sign off with a few more pictures that Dr. Hussain snapped with his phone.

“When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Not many of us are aware of cancer that might be engulfing their body until it's too late and most are still oblivious to cancerous symptoms quite holistically and what it entails. Thankfully, there are campaigns taking place in Pakistan that have vowed to create awareness about this disease among the masses. Recently, the Pink Ribbon Campaign collaborated with the Government of Pakistan, the National History and Literary Heritage Division and the administration of Mazar-e-Quaid in order to light up the mausoleum pink to spread awareness regarding breast cancer. There are about 40,000 women who succumb to this disease on an annual basis. This activity was sponsored by the textile brand, Gul Ahmed. Prior to this, a related activity was conducted at the Centaurus Mall, Islamabad.

You will be shocked at these facts about breast cancer in Pakistan:

1. Pakistan has the highest rate of female breast cancer in the entire Asia; 1 out of 9 Pakistani women is likely to suffer from breast cancer at some point in her life time.
2. Approximately 90,000 cases of breast cancer are reported every year in Pakistan and about 40,000 women die from this deadly ailment.
3. More than 9 million women are at high risk of becoming the victim of this disease sometimes in their life span, given this ratio.
4. Breast Cancer is the only form of cancer which can be detected at early stage and early detection fortunately increases survival chances up to 90%. However, the lack of awareness results in the high mortality rate.

"Through the illumination of this iconic structure, our message of saving lives from breast cancer will reach out to millions of Pakistanis across the country. The issue of Breast Cancer still has cultural sensitivities attached with it, but we need to raise this issue in mainstream media," said Omar Aftab, Chief Executive Pink Ribbon. He also discussed about the organisation's plans about setting up Pakistan's first dedicated Breast Cancer Hospital where all facilities will be provided to all deserving Breast Cancer patients, free of cost because no woman should die just because she cannot afford to live.

Having recently lost a relative to cancer (not breast cancer though) I can relate to how it may be considered a very discreet and sensitive issue not just for the sufferer but for the entire family as well where the victim is at the verge of death like fire consuming a forest exponentially. You never know when it is your last day even if you are a healthy person, whereas a cancer patient witnesses death staring at his/her face every single moment. It is indeed a devastating situation. 

Below are the symptoms of breast cancer. If God forbid, you or anyone you know is suffering from any of these, please seek help!

1. Swelling of the entire or part of the breast.
2. Discharge other than milk.
3. Scaling, thickening or redness of the breast.
4. Dimpling or skin irritation.
5. Formation of lumps in the breast. 
6. Swollen lymph node.

Gul Ahmed, being a responsible brand whose target market mostly comprises of women takes safe working conditions and safe products very seriously. It makes sure that all dyes and chemicals are non-carcinogenic. Yes, if you thought the fashion industry was completely non-toxic, read about the article recently published by National Geographic that talks about the horrors of the 19th century fashion industry. Victorian Britain and Europe were polluted with arsenic in fabric dyes and mercury that was used to harden hats made of rabbit fur. Apparently, the hatters and people working in the fashion industry were most vulnerable. Thankfully, the world has changed, though sand blasting is another hazardous procedure for producing jeans even till date in some countries.

Let's join hands in any way we can with these organisations to minimise breast cancer cases if not completely being able to eradicate them.

I found a video that might interest crocheters if they would like to contribute through their art:

Pantry's Gouda Burger and Sweet Potato Fries

Fridays are mostly fun days, considering the fact that the weekend is around the corner and that you can plan to have lunch outside once in a blue moon, that is, if your work load allows. Yesterday I happened to have visited the Pantry (located in Zamzama, Karachi) with my gang. I consider one of them to be a food specialist so I end up following his food recommendations quite religiously and I'm glad we went to eat something completely out of the world.

Since, I am a burger person when it comes to dining out, my friend, Shahzad suggested me to order the Gouda Burger with sweet potato fries; the sideline was something quite an innovation and I loved it. Not all may prefer sweet potato fries but it's a must have nonetheless, at least give it a try and experiment with your taste palate even if you can think outside the usual potato (well it's something your Prime Minister gauges the strength of the economy with, not to mention payey). As far as the Gouda Burger is concerned, it's one of the best burgers in town; the translucent cheese coupled with the juicy patty added to the eating pleasure with each bite. More so, the presentation was sufficiently creative as well, a knife had been thrust in, passing through a pickled cucumber. I believe that ketchup and the coriander sauce complemented the burger as opposed to the fries because these sauces were already sweet so it's not recommended to have sweet potato fries with these sauces.

Rather, my friend requested for the Chipotle aioli that was the best combination for these sweet potato fries which I couldn't have enough of, trust me they are that good. This particular sauce has a Mediterranean origin and is made of garlic and olive oil, and is ridiculously delicious! So if you go to the Pantry to have this Heavenly burger with this choice of fries, now you know which sauce to ask for.

Chipotle aioli

Below is another angle of my order. It was quite fulfilling and being priced at Rs. 750, the rate matches that of restaurants of the same standing.


My friend had ordered  the Mushroom Mac n Cheese which though seemed to have a small serving to the naked eye was heavily sufficient for a normal person. The combination of the thick, creamy cheese, and pasta was a great treat. I tasted it and it was good, though it might appear a bit too salty for people who prefer less salt in their food. However, if you are a pasta person, do not miss this.


And all this time I completely forgot about mentioning the innovation we had as a starter. So here it is! Lettuce wraps! These were served with shredded carrots and chicken with a combination of sauces, one of them being the peanut sauce. Imagine, if you were to eat this everyday for lunch, those extra dreadful inches would be no where to be seem but we are burger lovers aren't we (at least I am)?

Picture courtesy: Friend with Oppo Mobile

 And since it's the weekend, I can so relate to the cat I saw last afternoon, sleeping it's tired soul off! Just look at this kitty!




Until the next burger post I'll have coffee. Ciao! :)

All pictures have been snapped with my Samsung Galaxy Note 5 unless otherwise stated. If some appear blurred and pixelated, that's a template issue which I am trying to fix.

 

I happened to have tasted some buns sent by The Bun Story and let me tell you that these are great snacks. I especially liked the Chicken Fajita bun that had a scrumptious chicken filling inside.

These are good to have with tea in the evening, for breakfast or as lunch for school kids. I like the fact that it's better than junk food available quite often in school canteens. So if you wish your child to have clean and healthy food, The Bun Story could possibly be your preference! Or if you also wish to eat light food, some of their variants would rightly serve the purpose.

I liked these buns' combination with chilly Kurkure as they complimented the product really well. This brand is more like a conglomerate diversification and a new venture by tohfay.com and seems to be making its way to consumer palates. Their story (tagline) goes on like, 'Buns upon a time' and is quite interesting considering they have an interesting story to tell with each of their bun variants.

You can even order online and you should give it a try: The Bun Story  

Brownie trying to act innocent and cute to get a treat

Some of Brownie's Puppies