[Travel]: We're Dreaming Of A KL Christmas....

So finally I have been able to put together a trip to Kuala Lumpur that is not the same old boring tour operator list of '10 Things To Do in Malaysia' but one that let's you experience the city like a seasoned travelled and not a tourist. And the bonus of having ME as your guide to the city and beyond

Here goes!

Let's getaway to tropical Malaysia this Christmas! 10 days in magnificent Kuala Lumpur with day trips to Malacca and beyond! You will be exploring the temples and markets of old Kuala Lumpur, the hip night spots, budget shopping and the best of Asian cuisine. And top it all off with New Year Eve celebrations in the heart of Kuala Lumpur! All for Rs 180,000.

Includes:
Return Tickets
Malaysian Visa Fees 
Accommodation 
Airport Transfers

Entry to Tourist Attractions

City Tour of Kuala Lumpur

Day Trip Malacca City

Lots of freebie surprises along the way and a KL Kit with all your travel essentials!

You will be guided by cool, hip young folk who know the city inside out. At Have Love, Will Travel we believe in stretching our dollar as far as possible, but not comprising on comfort and quality. And we like taking the road less travelled, so do not expect the same old ’10 Things To Do in KL’ kinda tour. We will get under the skin of the city and beyond!

Contact us on www.facebook.com/havelovewilltravel2012  or havelovewilltravel2012@gmail.com for more details.

[Event]: #MagnumParty15

Did someone say chocolate party? Yep, I am SO there! Lots of decadent chocolate to be consumed and worn was on display at the Magnum Chocolate Party - a high end, dress less to dress up, lots of celebrity spotting kinda affair.

The party showcased the luxury of the Belgian chocolate dessert with chocolate inspired fashion created by some of Pakistan's most creative fashion brands - Shehla Chatoor, Nomi Ansari, Republic by Omar Farooq, Elan by Khadija Shah and Maheen Karim. Fahad Husayn and Ali Xeeshan created chocolate inspired fashion installations for the event.

Frankly, even before the show started I was blown away by the decor. Just stunning! The chocolate displays, the runway, the bar, the ceiling centerpiece were right out of a high end night club.

But the highlight of the night remained the fashion. Brown, especially chocolate brown is not a color that is frequently seen on Pakistani/Asian runways. Let's face it, brown on brown does not really work. However, some of the pieces forced me to rethink  the color brown. However, I did feel that the designers could have been more creative with their 'chocolate' inspired fashion - after all chocolate isn't *just* brown. That said, the designers covered the Magnum brand on all counts - rich and decadent.

Of course, this was also a great time to take selfies because we all looked really good *teehee*

But check this - there was an automated selfie taking mirror at the event too! Yup, a mirror that took selfies for us without the awkward stretching. Hoping to see this at more events by Creative Chaos, That said, I still managed to mess it up.

Pro-tip for the next Magnum Party - keep your eyes open, phone charged and schedule empty. The fun and games will last for a while. Oh also, great grilled chicken sandwiches! 

[Recipe]: Juicy Orange Chicken

With a five day Eid break and not much to do, I decided to return to my experimental ways in the kitchen. There were plenty of Eid goodies around the house and of course in the true tradition of desi families, the freezer was stocked sky high with meats and vegetables. I also received some juicy Eidee from Nestle Fruita Vitals - their new 'kinnow' juice. After downing two cartons of the juice, I wanted to do something fun with the remaining juice.

Juicy Orange Chicken

Here's what you need:

1 whole chicken breast - filleted into 4 pieces
1 cup Nestle Fruita Vitals kinnow juice
1 tablespoon Mexican chilli paste
1 teaspoon Garlic Paste
Salt

 


Here's how you do it:

1. I have a stash of hot Mexican peppers but a regular large 'dhegi mirch' works too. Soak the chilli pepper in hot water for a couple of hours and blend it together with one small onion and a 2 to 3 cloves to garlic. Add water for a smooth consistency.
2. Mix together a cup of Nestle Fruita Vitals kinnow juice, the chilli paste, garlic paste and salt to make a marinade.
3. Make three cuts along the width of the filleted chicken breast and pour the marinade on to the chicken.
4. Let the chicken marinate for at least a couple of hours.
5. Heat up a non stick pan and place marinated chicken breast on it. Make sure you shake off any excess marinade or it will burn immediately and discolor the chicken.
6. Once you have 'colored' the chicken to your liking turn down the flame, add a tablespoon of the marinade cover and cook for another couples of minutes.
7. Done! and Serve!

Juicy!

If any of you have an awesome idea for a kinnow cocktail to go with my recipe, share it!

[Throwback]: Khushiyan Chakh Lo

It's been a while since I came back from college. Obviously, I have settled back into the good life - help at home, Mum's cooking, no need to clean up after myself, but I do remember those days in Johor Bahru when I had cook and clean for myself. God, that was hard. But more than anything else, it was lonely at times.

Yesterday, when my sisters told me about the new Shan ad, I assumed it would be another one of those over-the-top families frying food advertisements. Maybe it had Hamza Ali Abbasi for an added flavour. But this was a refreshing concept that I instantly connected with - away from home, hungry and missing Mum. I am pretty sure most of us who have been away from home for college understood it immediately. And the emo jingle just made it even better!

What's also interesting to note is that finally a food product saw the light and decided not to make the usual fried food in an unusually luxurious setting ad. And that they decided to release it digitally as well only ensures that it reaches the right audience.

Here's to more happiness and deliciousness this Ramzan! #KhushiyanChakhLo

Celebrating the precious moments we share with our loved ones.Shan. #KhushiyanChakhLo
Posted by Shan Foods on Saturday, June 20, 2015

[Men]: Hottest Muslim Men in Power

'Twas the night before Ramzan, and a young girl's fancies turned to .... politicians...
While traditionally not seen as a desirable lot, some politicians really stand out on the strength, power, credibility and honesty of their good looks. I am not very politically inclined, but when these men talk, I watch intently.

However, this list is by no means complete. In fact, it is far from it. I am sure there are many beautiful, powerful men I have been missing. Please feel free to add any suggestions in the comments below.

Let us begin.

Khawaja Asif, Minister for Defence and Water & Power, Pakistan

Hello ladies, can I get you some water and power?

First up, someone close to home (and heart) of course. Always sharply dressed with his grey hair perfectly in place, Khawaja Asif is the fabled Pakistani beauty of romance digests - with his perfect nose and coy smile (although it's rare). I find his angry old man avatar to be the most romantic. There were some serious feelings brewing as he scolded some members of the opposition in a recent parliamentary session. Even AR Rahman agrees! *cue Khwaja mere Khwaja*

*teehee*

Khairy Jamaluddin, Minister for Youth & Sports, Malaysia

Where are you going Mr, Minister?

Equipped with the signature Malay charm, Khairy has pulses racing across the nation and beyond. From a journalist to the federal minister for youth and sports, this outspoken Asian delight is best viewed in the traditional Baju Melayu outfit. Because real men wear pink skirts and still look hot!

Keeping it ethnic

Sediq Sediqi, Spokesman for Interior Ministry, Afghanistan.

That early grey

Regardless of the fact that every other man in Kabul is drop dead gorgeous, Sediq Sediqi is just special - with this affinity for pink shirts (that match this cheeks so well), contemporary hair cut from Kabul's finest barbershop and the ability to shake his what his mama gave him during an all male 'attan' dance. Even when he was spewing hate for Pakistan, inches away from me, I kept watching. Packaging is everything. And Sediq Sediqi is a coveted package for any ministry - good looking and gracious.

Talk to me baby, scream and shout....

Omar Abdullah, Former Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, India

How does one say 'I love you' in Kashmiri

Now that's a Kashmir worth fighting for. That hair, that skin, those glasses - what a stunning man! Born to an English mother and Kashmiri father, Omar Abdullah deserves more pictorial evidence than the other men on this list. JUST LOOK AT HIM! India, you can keep Kashmir, just send Omar across.

Grey hair, charcoal suit, hearts on fire

Amagad! Shalwar Kameez!

Lead me oh Quaid

Once again, I urge you to add to this list of hot Muslim men in power. Ramzan Mubarak ladies and gents!

[Food]: Sehri Made Easy (and Healthy)

In the first week of Ramzan, I am rather excited about waking up  for sehri, making sehri for the family, eating, talking, prayer. And then, the lethargy sets in. If you are like me, the will and stamina to eat at sehri drops. This leads to some serious suffering during the day. But I have discovered some tips and tricks to keep full during the day.

1. Beans, beans, beans

Beans are the poor man's (and dieting woman's) meat. Rich in protein and comparable to meat in terms of calories, beans are actually better than meat. The higher fibre and water content of beans means that we feel fuller faster. Fibre also means that beans take longer to digest and keep us fuller for longer during the fasting day. Beans also prevent us from feeling hungry. They are low in sugar which prevents insulin levels in the blood from spiking and causing hunger.
Mix and match your beans - make a three bean salad or four or five. Add an olive oil and citrus based dressing and you are set for a delicious, healthy and filling Sehri meal. I make one with red beans, corn and chickpeas. For extra power, replace corn with black eyed peas.

I add some cucumbers to my 3 Bean Salad. 

2.  Cheese and Bread

Too simple to be true. Get some cottage cheese and toast some whole wheat pita bread and you have a delicious sehri meal. Of course, you should jazz it up like I do. My mother makes different flavors of cottage cheese/paneer - with zaatir, chilli flakes, baby garlic etc. You can try cut the cheese into thin slices and stick them in the oven until it is slightly golden. Cheese is a high energy food that will nourish you and the whole wheat pita will keep you fuller for longer.

My mum makes excellent zaatir cheese

3. Loaded Omelette

Try to cram as many food groups into your eggs! Vegetables, grains, meats,dairy and even fruit! With  an omelette, you have the 'meat' covered by eggs but you can add in a sliced sausage or chicken chunks. There's an endless options of veges than can go into your omelette, so try to pick the healthiest ones such as spinach or broccoli. Throw in some cottage cheese/paneer chunks and some tomato or avocado to complete the dairy and fruit sections of the five food groups. As for the grains, you can have this omelette with half a whole wheat pita bread or just add from whole wheat bread crumbs to the omelette. The bread crumbs also help hold this giant omelette together.

You can add all your favorite flavors to eggs!

4. Haleem

Possibly my favorite food in terms of convenience. While making haleem takes considerable investment in terms of time and effort, once it's done you can freeze it in small portions and defrost when needed. It is also the kind of food that requires very little effort - just microwave and eat, even when you have woken up 15 minutes before Fajr. Besides, it's healthy! Packed with grains and proteins, it's a complete meal in a bowl.

Not just for Muharram, but for Ramzan too!

Sehri is one of the toughest meals to prepare and consume. And if you do it wrong, you are going to be in some serious during this warm weather Ramzan. I like to make Sehri fun - I ensure that I have a a variety of different dishes to keep me interested. It has to be something that's worth waking up for! Stock up your freezer with delicious, quick meals for Ramzan.

For more ideas on what to eat this Ramzan, check out YummyMummyAndMe.

[Contest]: LUMS Young Writers' Workshop & Short Story Contest 2015

The LUMS Young Writers' Workshop and Short Story Contest 2015  (LYWW) is now open. It is an annual contest that seeks out  the finest young writers in Pakistan and then aims to hone their skills with an intensive session with some of Pakistan's most acclaimed writers. 

The LYWW is sponsored by Ferozsons Laboratories Limited  and  the Mushtaq Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences at LUMS.

Please find the complete details of the contest below:

LUMS Young Writers Workshop & Short Story Contest 2015

A 5-day residential creative writing workshop at LUMS

August 17-21, 2015

The LUMS Young Writers Workshop was introduced in 2012 to address the lacuna of quality creative writing instruction in Pakistan. During the last three years, many young writers have received mentorship to nurture their writing talent. We are very pleased to announce the dates for this year’s contest and workshop.

Call for Entries for LUMS Young Writers Workshop 2015

Through an open short-story contest, we identify eight young writers from across Pakistan who are then invited to participate in a five day residential creative writing workshop at LUMS. All expenses other than travel are covered by the Workshop.

Mentor and Guest Speaker for the Workshop 2015

LUMS Young Writers Workshop 2015 will be mentored by Bilal Tanweer, who teaches fiction writing at LUMS. His novel, The Scatter Here Is Too Great, was published in India (Random House, 2013), the UK (Jonathan Cape, 2014), the US (Harper Collins, 2014), France (title: Le monde n'a pas de fin, Editions Stock, 2014) and is forthcoming in Germany by Hanser in 2016. It won the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize 2014, and was the finalist for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature and The Chautauqua Prize. His translation of two novels by Ibn-e Safi, The House of Fear, was published by Random House India in 2010.

The guest speaker for this year’s workshop is Saba Imtiaz who is a freelance journalist based in Karachi. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian and the Christian Science Monitor. She reports on religious movements, culture and politics in Pakistan. She is the author of Karachi, You're Killing Me! (Random House India, 2014) and No Team of Angels (First Draft Publishing, forthcoming).

The Workshop

Reading

This workshop is built on the premise that writers—or those who wish to write—are, first and foremost, tireless and passionate readers of literature. The workshop will serve as an intensive reading boot camp for young writers where they’ll have the opportunity to deeply and closely engage with great writing and respond with their own creative work. The readings and discussions are designed to help young writers appreciate a broad range of works and writing styles.

Writing

The second aspect of the workshop is writing. Each day, after a rigorous discussion of the pre-assigned texts, writers will have a chance to respond with their own writing. On the fourth day, writers will meet and discuss Karachi, You’re Killing Me with Saba Imtiaz. They will then work on a story, which will be collectively critiqued on the fifth day.

Submissions for the contest

Writers aged 18-26* years are invited to submit one work of fiction of no more than 4,000 words. There is no entry fee and submissions are via email only.  Other rules:

·         Please do not submit previously published material. 

·         Submissions and the medium of instruction of the workshop will be English.

·         The deadline for submissions is June 30, 2015.

·         Students currently enrolled in LUMS are not eligible.

*You are welcome to submit your entry even if you do not fall in this age bracket. However, all other things being equal, writers between 18-26 will be given preference.

Please send your entries at: writersworkshop@lums.edu.pk along with your CV mentioning clearly: (i) your date of birth, (ii) details of your education, (iii) your contact details including email, mailing address and phone numbers.

Terms and conditions

By sending in an entry you express your consent to be available and willing to attend the workshop on August 17-21, 2015 and complete the reading assignment of four books prior to the workshop. (You will receive the books free of charge.) Boarding, lodging, meals, and tuition will be covered. Participants will be required to arrange for their own transportation to and from LUMS.

Please note: if you believe that you will be unable to fulfill either of the two requirements listed above, that is, the reading assignment and attending all five days of the workshop, please apply next year.

The results for the contest will be announced on July 14, 2015.