For those of us who like going to large department stores and getting lost in the myriad of product choices.. shazz is a dream come true. And to add as a cherry on the cake, its cheaper than the local market.

Located near national stadium (near farhan club to be more precise) right below the new Copper Kettle there, Shazz is a one stop destination for everything you can imagine. The pricing structure they follow is almost the same as Imtiaz and others, have large aisles where you can move about easily, carry things from edibles, clothes, crockery, toiletries and DVD’s (that was my favourite stop! low priced DVDs). Just about anything you would want.

The point which really got me hooked (as evidenced from the last para) was the DVD section. Huge collection of DVD movies and songs (both indian and english) and each DVD carries the price tag of Rs. 60! I got the whole season of Grays Anatomy on just one DVD there! Now that is value! Check it out.. its a fun place to be.

And this is not taken from the website. This comes to you from a very (read extremely) satisfied customer! Yesterday a bunch of us decided to go check out what this park was all about. So 7 people, loaded in two cars enterred the premises at around 5:30 PM. The first thing you notice is a lack of signs leading upto the adventure park. We noticed since we started making our way towards the safari park. only to realize we’re heading in the wrong way. After changing directions and walking for another 10 minutes, we finally entered the gates of Go Aish.

The first attraction which greets you is the high rope course and the wall climbing course. We tried out the high rope first. The first thing they do when you sign up (its 100 for the short one and 200 for the long one) is strap you up, and take you through a training course. That was a good thing, since it cleared up a lot of confusions, and made me aware the safety straps could support my weight. The trainers words are “you have to satisfy me that you know the drill before i let you go up there, otherwise you’re just going to remain here”. Cleared that in the first go, so that wasn’t much of a problem.
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On Thursday, March 15, Levi’s played host to a mini concert by Sajid and Zeeshan at Purple Haze. Organized and managed by Vintage Media, the event had more than its fair share of music and entertainment celebs from the youth as part of the audience.

The boys from Peshawar have successfully made quite a mark for themselves in the alternative music scene with their very unique blend of music. More interesting about their music is the fact that its mostly built around synthesized instruments.

Starting approximately at 10 pm, the performance lasted for one hour and left the audience mesmerized at their skill and style.

They started off with “Free and Underestimated” and performed “Close to you”, “My Happiness”, “Freestyle dive”, Deserts” and “Have to let go” along with a couple of other originals. For the first time ever, they also performed a cover of “Rain King”, originally performed by Counting Crows (Sajid’s favourite band). To top off the night, Sajid and Zeeshan performed an extended version of “Kind of Self”, one of their first tracks that made it big. I, personally missed “The Jazz Bit” though.

Hopefully, many more such performances to come!

An anomaly I have been noticing for the past couple of days. Some fuel stations are celling CNG at Rs. 33.50 per kg, and showing a notice by some “CNG Dealers Association”. I don’t remember seeing any news in the press or electronic media about this.

Mind you, not all fuel stations are selling at inflated prices. A bigger question, is who authorized the CNG Dealers Association to increase prices on a retail level? Last time I checked, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) is the only body authorised to modify fuel prices.

Does that mean that soon some petrol pump owners association will increase petrol prices too?

If any of you know the official status of this, do let us know.

Avenue Art Cafe is not your average Zamzama restaurant because it offers you something a little different than just expensive food and conversation – it creates a whole experience that appeals to your mind, body and soul.
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Kolachi Dreams is the second novel by Nadya A. Rahimtoola. Released 10 years ago, her first novel Broken Souls, did not do so well commercially but that did not faze Nadya. Now out with her second novel, this is what she has to say:

The process of Kolachi Dreams started some 10 years back. I had an idea of the kind of story I wanted to write next. It was to be a racy thriller set in contemporary Karachi. I had sort of mind-mapped it. You know, I had these characters in my head and they have travelled with me for long but I think that even though it has taken a long time, it ended right. It all just came out when it had to.

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Q: I want tinted glasses on my car and a fancy number plate but that is not allowed by the law, what to do ?

Q: I don’t have a license to drive and I need to take the car to my friend’s party ?

Q: The three of us want to ride a single bike which is only without a silencer ?
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A city that never sleeps, a city that was known as “city of lights” (and now, is in dark, average 730 hours of the year), A city where there is no trust, no security only hi-alerts.
A city in the streets of which daily dies more than a person in either car/road accident, in ambulance (due to traffic jams), in mobile snatching, robbery, police encounter or get murdered by “unknown people” for “unknown reasons” (and these unknowns are never known). Every six months (on average) a bomb blast, hundreds die, thousands affected.

A city which despite of so much, is still full of life!

Every Saturday night dance parties, every other night bottles of wine opened up-for no reasons (and absolute reasons) to celebrate. Concerts (sometimes in the name of charity), thousands of eat outs full of people, streets jam packed with cars, loud music….

“We have all the reasons to celebrate, we are descendants of the city they call “Karachi“”.

Iqbal Day seemed like a good time to visit the zoo, and, with a few friends surprisingly game, we went off to Garden East. I hadn’t been to the zoo since I was a child and had heard and read various horror stories about the place. Anarkali, the elephant and oldest resident of the zoo, died in July and now it’s down to the big cats (bengal tiger, lion, black leopard, etc.) to awe visitors.

What was it like? Well, to be honest, it sucked. The cages were dirty, the animals’ coats were dusty and the reptile house was repulsive (owing to the cockroach infestation and not the reptiles). But in this city where expectations are depressingly low, the zoo probably limped into the sub-par bracket. I would recommend a visit, but only to re-examine the question of who are the animals and who the humans.

Over the past year literally the entire Karachi crowd has been obsessed with “Going out for Coffee?” To an extent that I was invited to more coffee outings then iftari’s this Ramadan. What’s your opinion on this new found craze in Karachi? Do you suspect it to be a short lived fad or is it here to stay, maybe more potential for more coffee outlets around the city. Your opinion will drive this discussion