Toys, specially the stuffed ones are the most commonly sighted item at these flea markets, i have seen a lot of people buying them and handing them right away to the kids. We all know that Stuff toys are made of stuffed fabric, which is an absorbent martial, that means it will absorb any liquid they may come in contact with.The stuffing in these soft toys is usually of 100% polyester fiber, which is less absorbent but often at times these toys are stuffed with cotton which is a highly absorbent natural fiber. you must understand that these toys while been used previously, or during storage may have been exposed to chemicals, toxins, or fluids which may contain germs and may prove extremely lethal if digested. When ever you are buying stuffed toys make sure the item is washable. never hand over toys to your kids with out properly washing them with some and a germicidal like Dettol. Hard / Solid toys too may contain some contamination, or may have been exposed to some toxic chemicals so they too should be washed properly with detergent and Dettol before they are handed over too your kids.

Electronic toys, gadgets, and equipment too appear on such stalls in abundance, these items specially if they are toys should also be properly cleaned before they ca bee used. you can take an all purpose cleaner, or mild liquid soap mixed with Dettol on a damp soft cloth and wipe clean your electronic toy or equipment, leave it in the sun for an hour so if there is any liquid which may have reached the circuit can dry off before you can use it. The same rules apply for decorative item. You should always clean them with a germ disinfectant and soap before you use them,

Another sett of item which are not visible very frequently, but when ever they appear they go like hot cakes are baby diapers, sanitary napkin, tampons, and menstrual cups. Never Buy such items if the packaging is even slightly damage. examine the packaging very carefully because these are highly absorbent products, and even a slight contamination can cause a serious infection.

Another product which often attract the crowd is cosmetics. you must understand that used cosmetic products may contain germs from someone who may be suffering from a skin infection, they also may contain other chemicals, maybe someone tried to experiment with something and it didn’t work, a loose bottle or container may also get contaminated by some other leaking chemical. So never buy anything which is not completely sealed also Make sure it is not already expired when you buy such items.

and now one of my favorite items, Kitchen appliance, tools and utensils. Wood is a good absorbent, so i never buy any thing wooden for using in the kitchen, unless the item is properly sealed. when ever you buy pots, containers, spoon knives, chopping boards, make sure you not only wash them properly with detergent and Dettol, but also give them a good boil for a few minuted or steam them nicely before you can use them for keeping, processing or serving food. Don’t buy those mugs for kids which have straws because you cant really clean them and even boiling wont effect the inner surface of the straw, specially if it is twisted and turned in all sorts of shapes. same goes for those plastic thermoses which cant really be cleaned. Avoid Wooden Chopsticks unless they are in a sealed packaging. Check the packaging for any damages it may have. it is good if it is completely sealed or if it is a melamine one you can always always give them a good boil before you use them. For post and pans, after washing them with detergent and Dettol, fill them to the brim with water and let them boil for 5 to 10 Minutes, let them cool down throw the water wash them again with a dish washing soap before you use them.

Clothing are also a common attraction in such markets and a lot of people even purchase under garments from such markets, i don’t but if you want to  make sure that you get them washed properly, with lots of detergent in warm water with germ disinfectant before you use them. the same applies for any other piece of clothing you buy from these markets, including blankets, quilts, bed seats, shirts, trousers, jackets, carry bags, purses and what so ever it may be it has to be cleaned properly before it can be used.

flea markets are a wonderful source of all sorts of items that you can find at a very affordable price but you just need to be a little cautious to avoid exposing your self to any health threats and make the most of these items.

Karachi’s famous Agha’s supermarket has come up with an interesting societal marketing idea. They are providing grocery and other day to day items to customers in nicely designed Newspaper bags made by needy women, these newspaper bags are provided to Agha’s by NGO Rana Liaquat Craftsmen Colony Welfare Program (RLCC), such newspaper bags would not only help women keep their homes running but at the same time address the conservation issue as well …. more…..

I recently came across an interesting service: KarachiDeals, which carries information about a host of deals and promotions in telecom, clothing, fast food, apparel, restaurants, travel etc. Being a Karachiite this site would appeal to anyone who wants to find deals in their areas of interest. For Ramadan, many Iftar, Sehri and Eid shopping deals have also been added.

The website has easy navigation with blog like tags and search options but I think they could do more to make it stand out.  The most attractive feature is that it not only lists down latest deals and promotions but also carries images of the ad promoting the deals, adding to the authenticity of what is being said.

Definitely worth checking out and revisit if you are interested in discounts and deals.

I happen to live on the top floor of my house and I have been noticing that my floor gets much warmer than the lower floors during the daytime. Even at night, the heat does not abate to comfortable levels as the roof radiates all the sun’s energy it absorbed during the day. If you are a resident of the top floor of your house / apartment, you would also have noticed that your home often gets too warm for comfort as your rooftop gets baked to oven hot temperatures every day. You would have been getting high electricity bills as your airconditioner works overtime in order to pump all the extra heat out. But is there any solution to this problem?

How much sun does it take to bake your roof?

There are different insulation materials available on the market these days which can help to insulate your roof from the scorching sun. Most products being offered by foam manufacturing companies utilize the application of polyurethane/polystyrene foam in the form of a spray-on application or pre-manufactured boards.  These foams are costly however — around Rs. 35 per sq ft, and you need to overlay them with a cover of mortar or cement  in order to protect the foams themselves from the sun. Then afterwards, utilization of your roof also gets reduced due to the fact that the foam cannot support great loads. This sounded incredibly cumbersome, expensive and inefficient to me. Do you really need to do so much on your roof to keep it cool?

I began experimenting with different ideas. The objective was to cool the roof cheaply and in an efficient way without using any cement or second roofing which would have been labour intensive and cumbersome to carry out. How could I effectively shade my roof from the heat of the sun? First trial was with pottery. A few hundered small earthen gamlas were bought which I placed inverted on my roof. This cost about Rs. 15-20 per sq ft… much lesser than the foam insulation, and no overlay of cement required. How would they work? The sun would fall on the gamlas instead of my roof, which would stay shaded underneath with an insulating region of air in between the two surfaces.

Insulation with pottery

How did it work? Well, my roof was cooler then it was without anything on it. However it still seemed inefficient. The coverage of the gamlas was not very good since they were round in shape, and left gaps in between where the sun could still scorch. And once they themselves got heated, they slowly started transferring the heat to the roof. Moreover, a tremendous amount of dust and dirt accumulated underneath them and around them in a few seasons. A large portion of my roof also became inaccessible because of coverage with gamlas.  Another disadvantage of this method was the difficutly in buying such a large number of pots and transporting and positioning them on the roof. A pretty labour intensive job. So this method mostly failed. Something even simpler was the need of the hour.

After a little brainstorming, I hit on just the right idea — something so simple that I had studied about it in the eighth grade. If the idea of blocking the sun proves so difficult, why not reflect it instead? To this effect, I remembered a small science experiment I read about in grade school… the brighter the color, the less amount of heat it absorbes. What is the brightest color? white. Why do the Greeks whitewash their houses? to keep them cool… yes, this seemed too simple to be very useful. But worth a try.

I got my roof cleaned and washed, then got it coated with two layers of pure white enamel paint. Why enamel? well, enamel is shiny and in addition to absorbing less heat it would also reflect a majority of the sun’s light, back skywards. Since enamel is also oil-based, it would  also waterproof my roof, keeping it seepage free in the rainy months.

Roof white-washed with reflective enamel

How did it work? Presto. Instant heat control. I think the method was a resounding success. And for a fraction of the cost that insulation would have required. In the daytime now, my roof is so bright you need sunglasses to look at it. But it stays so cool that you can walk around on it bare-footed. Since it reflects so much of the sun’s light, it does not absorb much of its heat and temperatures inside stay in the comfortable range. I am sure I will see a reduction in my electricity bill very soon as well. This method was the clear winner. If you have been bothered by the heat on your roof, I would suggest – try it out! You would be making your house more energy efficient, comfortable, and reducing electricity usage. All in the same go.

I pushed my cart towards insecticides, the first item on my list and as soon as I added an aerosol car of a famous insect killer a lady approached me and introduced me to another one of the more powerful but similar product from the same company. I was glad to be informed of a better choice and I opt for the newer and better type of their product But when I approached the other shelve for some soap,  another lady quickly started convincing me to buy one of her companies brand instead. I politely refused, but I only when I had moved to the very next shelve for a bottle of shampoo there was another convincing me to buy a shampoo of her choice. By now I was totally annoyed but I knew she was just doing her job, so I kept my cool and politely told her that I wouldn’t change my mind.

After making a few more stops for coffee, tea, pet food and avoiding another attempt to influence my choice of brand at the dairy section finally I reached the section for edible oil where again a representative for a yet another famous brand was waiting to haunt me, at first she tried convincing me to buy a brand of her choice just this once but when I told her I wouldn’t go for anything but the imported one she asked me why. At this point I was totally in a mood to place an argument, I told her it was the quality and the oil of their brand turns to gel after expiring or exposing to heat, I also told her other reasons, the smell, viscosity, and taste which gives me good reasons not to trust this local brand but when she still wanted me to try a smaller pack of their product I had to tell her sorry in a bit stern tone. 

By the time I reached the checkout counter, I was tired not of all the shopping but of all the annoyance, confusion and arguing for the choices on brands I made.  These companies have literally started pushing their products down our throats and they may not know it but it is really nerve wrecking to argue for every choice we make on the local brands. Being responsible citizens and the targeted consumer it is our responsibility and right to lodge our complaints and voice our concerns to the  respective companies not against those poor marketing representatives the brand conveniently puts on the spot but against such marketing campaigns, when they get too close for comfort.

At the pace the gourmet coffee houses are springing up, one is forced to wonder what market the premium priced coffee providers are catering to, and if the market isn’t already saturated. A quick survey around Zamzama, however, brings a unique insight into the coffee house industry in Karachi.

Each coffee shop in Zamzama has created a niche for itself, and that is what has determined their success and differentiated one coffee shop from the other.

Costa Coffee, for example, has the most expensive coffee, and the most professional ambiance. Instead of the couches in other coffee shops, Costa has comfortable chairs. More foreigners and professionals can be seen lounging inside, instead of the usual teenager crowd.

Cafe U & Me attracts all the teenagers and students. Most can be seen there in the morning, most probably bunking school. This coffee shop, however, is designed to serve to all sorts of customers. The ground floor, with tables and chairs, is for people who just come in to get a cup of coffee and are then on their way. The floor above, which is well lighted and less noisy, is preferred by the young corporate clientèle. Go up another floor and the place transforms into a dimly lit, sheesha-smoke filled room right ou of Arabian nights. The floor is called the New Sheesha.

Ciao, on the same street as Costa, was completely vacant when I visited, but the Shift Manager insisted that the place was visited by intellectuals and politicians families. A welcome addition was a library in a corner that gave the place a more sophisticated look.

Cafe Coffee Day, due to its low prices, is the most frequented coffee shop in the area. Students, socialites, young professionals keep the servers on their feet all day.

Roasters, has managed to carve out its niche as a truly high end coffee shop. They’re attracting far more business by adding full course lunch and dinner to the menu unlike other coffee shops that serve only desserts and sandwiches.

Espresso are known to be the best coffee makes of them all.

The most recent addition in this long list is Bread People. The franchise at Zamzama does not serve coffee, but the one at Khayaban-e-Shehbaz does. On entering, one is introduced to the most heavenly olfactory pleasures of one’s life.

In light of all this information, one wonders if chains like Starbucks or Gloria Jeans’ Coffee were to come to Karachi, how they would position themselves and if they too would choose to locate at Zamzama. Any suggstions?

Clearly, we do get frustrated over a lot of factors happening around us. However, seldom one gets saved from a looming issue. This account is of such an incident.

Few days back for my mom’s birthday, I contacted the said bakery for a sugar-free cake. (Incidentally, Hobnob, Kitchen Cuisine and even BreadPeople don’t make sugar-free cakes :P) I went to their Khayaban-e-Badr branch and ordered a ‘Rich Chocolate Gateau’ for Rs. 1,050 (double the original price due to material). I paid 500 in advance and told them the date I want it ready.

I call up the bakery on D day to find out if I can pick up my cake in the morning (11am). The attendant there (a shifty fellow to my observation on my first visit) answers, “Ma’am! Mein to Saturday se aap ko contact kerne ki koshish ker raha tha! (I’ve been trying to reach you since Saturday). Thank God you called!”

I become nonplussed by this remark because I gave my mobile number to them and I’m one of those people who do not even silence their phones while sleeping. “My phone was never off. What were you calling me about?”

“Madam, we’ve imported special sugar-free chocolate for your cake, which has increased the cost of your cake.”

“Are you baking this cake for the first time that you couldn’t tell me this when I came to order?! I want to cancel this order.” (fuming)

“But, Ma’am, I’ve gotten the baking started on my responsibility especially for you so that you can get the cake on time,” said in a very pleading voice.

I step back in my anger, thinking about his job and overheads. “How much more do I have to pay?”

Very prompt answer as if rehearsed: “Your total is now 1,800. You can pick the cake up at 2pm.”

I think, a 2.5 lbs cake for 1,800? Why didn’t I use the ‘Top Chef’ to get this made! I decided against an outburst on phone. I would deal with this face-to-face.

My lunch plans became late that day so I went to the bakery around 7:30pm to pick the cake up. I had readied myself that I would ask for an updated slip with the cost changes from the guy without which I wouldn’t pay an extra cent. Things however played quite differently to what I expected.

Another guy greeted me in the shop. I hand him the slip.

“Yours is the sugar free cake?” he asks.

“Yes.”

“Rs. 550 in balance.”

I look up shocked but make no further comments. I pay him and take the cake away saving myself a big rip-off!

Conclusion: The day attendant thought to make some extra bucks from me. However, because of timing, I was spared some harsh-mouthing with this measly guy.

Moral: Be careful in paying for high-pricy commodities, especially be dubious of such explanations and investigate further.

According to this news item published in a reputed paper, the City Governement has signed a deal for a 47 storey building adjacent to Civic Centre.

The building complex will host 3 shopping malls, a 240 room five star hotel, a 12000-seat call centre, parking for over 2000 cars and will provide employment opportunities to over 50,000 people.

Seriously, great going if this happens, but a 5 star hotel near civic centre?? Do we not have enough “high security” zones thanks to these hotels and consulates?

Consumer Link, a global consumer opinion research firm, has launched itself in Pakistan and is currently recruiting a research panel from all segments of society.

Consumer Link will soon commence conducting surveys that and will carry the users’ opinion to the decision makers of all brands.

To make things a bit more interesting, Consumer Link Pakistan will be conducting prize draws and will be distributing prizes amongst participants of every survey.

From environmental concerns issues pertaining to companies to other societal issues that you feel a brand can help contribute to, Consumer Link is the voice of the consumer.

Those interested in joining the Consumer Link research panel, visit here.