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Vinyl collectors: For the record
The greatest of love affairs are inexplicable obsessions. In Naushad Ali Khan’s case the object of his undivided attentions is the LP (Long Play), or 33rpm microgroove vinyl record. He is prepared to...
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Book review: Bedtime stories for big people
When the distant literary cousins, fantasy and children’s literature, get married the latter often emerges as the dominant spouse. In the few strange cases that fantasy ends up on top, the couple is...
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Book review: Razvi’s world without him in it
The late journalist Murtaza Razvi’s posthumously published novel Pittho’s World is a confusingly interesting book with a misleading title. It opens with a lie: all characters and incidents are...
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Facebook poses: Low brow but high profile
Being liked, at least on Facebook, counts for this generation. Some people choose to share posts on insightful developments around the globe and others use the social networking site to… well be...
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The Mango Tree of Kund Malir
I forced my shuddering sedan up the slanted rock face. The hill looked over an untouched beach and sand dunes. We had postponed dinner to do this, choosing instead to get a look at the Buzi Pass...
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Jinnah's abode: No. 35, Russell Road
The Indians get India House. And a serene cross-legged Gandhi in Tavistock Square. And Chicken Tikka Masala, now one of Britain’s favourite national meals. And Bollywood premieres in Leicester Square....
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Junaid Jamshed and the ‘maternal instinct’
Who would have thought that the pop-icon turned televangelist who irked women with the statement “it is better if women are not taught to drive” has invested the last ten years trying to save the...
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Movie review: Assault on Wall Street - your money or your life
Assault on Wall Street is a cleverly crafted film directed by Uwe Boll, starring Dominic Purcell and Erin Karpluk, that tells the tale of the recent economic downturn in the US. The content of the...
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Smart gadgets: More power to you
The latest smart stuff so we can sit back and enjoy life. PC on a stick Meet the dual-core computer the size and shape of a USB Flash drive that turns any HDMI-capable TV or monitor into an Android...
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Resurrecting an old Raja’s palace
When Khaplu Palace opened its doors to the public in 2011, people saw, for the first time in 40 years, the 19th Century royal home used by the Dogra rulers. The palace was rescued by the Aga Khan...
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Over the top: Misreporting on location of Nanga Parbat attack
Nanga Parbat, the Killer Mountain, didn’t strike this time — men did. On June 23, members of a terrorist group murdered 10 foreign tourists and their Pakistani cook. Local news reports said it...
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Messing around: Student hostel life in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD / PESHAWAR / LAHORE / KARACHI: Dorms are places where you live away from your parents for the first time in your life (microeconomics). You learn how to make a bong from a soft drink can...
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Fifty shades of white
You got it right, tis the season to wear white! Nothing spells summer like this light reflecting hue which absorbs less heat than other colours, making it a favourite during the sticky, sweltering hot...
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Piercing: Stiff upper lip
The Aztecs and Mayans may have done it centuries ago and many tribes may still do it, but if you are thinking of getting a body piercing today it’s best to do your research because they carry the risk...
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The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis: The Book off shelf
Everything else is a glimpse into a dysfunctional, almost fractured mind that is sharpened by both its failings and its resilience. The literary result is obviously too evolved for a category to...
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In Mumbai: From roasted quail to rabri
The heavier than usual downpour in Mumbai this year could not put a dent in the Ramazan fervour at the iconic Mohammed Ali Road. Neither water-logging nor the potholed streets deterred Mumbaikars from...
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The Great Indian Peninsula Railway
Head down Northampton Road in London’s east end and you’ll find yourself in the waiting room of a train station from the 1920s in India, where a bejeweled lady in a mint green and gold shalwar kameez...
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Book review: Couldn't stress it more
We all have days when we can’t understand our problems and try to look for a solution. But we don’t know where to look. John Gray’s new book Venus on Fire, Mars on Ice is a solution. It shows how...
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Book review: Portrait of a Vanished Time
Milan Kundera observes somewhere that the novel does not write a society’s history. Its overwhelming concern is, rather, with the existential condition of the individual. Philosophical discourse is...
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Urdu floating at the edge of our Solar System
Assalam alaikum. Hum zameen kay rehnay waalon kee taraf say aap ko khush amdaid kehtay hain (Peace be upon you. We the inhabitants of this Earth send our greetings to you). This greeting is onboard...
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