MYTHBUSTERS!

As this year is about to end, gym owners are on the cloud nine as they know people will be engaged writing their new year’s resolutions and planning to adopt a fit and lifestyle in the coming year. But the sad part is that people don’t adhere to their plans as the year progresses. The sole purpose of writing this blog is to spread awareness about health and fitness and to dispel the misconceptions and myths people use as an excuse to skip gym or exercise and don’t feel motivated enough to stick to their fitness plans.

Staying fit and healthy is essential for human beings, both men and women! Many people nowadays are so busy in mundane affairs that they tend to forget about the benefits and the importance of remaining fit. In “Fact dale”, a study showed that every 1 out of 10 people in USA are a victim of obesity! This fact is about America, a developed country with a literacy rate of more than 70 percent. Think about the people in the underdeveloped countries such as my country, Pakistan and its rural areas, which I believe is a tragedy and an alarming situation for other countries too! This report really hit me and I came up with an idea to make fitness easy and simple for people by ruling out myths. Without delving into the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle as we already know them. Let’s bust some myths.

Myths made life a lot harder. That’s because fitness and nutrition misinformation fool men and women into being confused and frustrated in their journey to creating a healthier lifestyle. Even when you’re already achieving results, a small myth or hear say conversation can throw you off. Fret not, I am here to dispel them.

Below are the 3 common myths that you might have heard from people around you:

Myth no 1; Keeping yourself fit requires a lot of time and I have a very busy schedule. This one is the most commonly used excuses that people put forward when they are asked why they dont take care of their bodies? I mean you can have time to log in on Facebook for hours but not for yourself? The time you spend in the gym directly depend on your goals. If you want to stay fit and feel refreshed then 30 minutes of workout would be enough.

Myth no 2 ; Many people think that spending too much time in the gym will get them quick results but that's not true. Your muscles DON’T grow while you’re in the gym! When you’re working out you’re breaking down your body and telling it to get stronger. Muscles grow while you are resting and sleeping. This is called “Recovering”. If you don’t let your muscles recover, they will never grow!!! It’s called “Overtraining” and you NEED to avoid it!

Myth no 3; If I workout my body will get buffed, I will only stick to yoga. This is one of the biggest fitness dogmas that have been around and it still persists. Most women think that working out with weights will make their body get buffed and they will certainly be looking like guys. That’s totally wrong. It takes years of strenuous training for the guys to put on muscles with strict dieting, as women on average have only one out of ten of testosterone as compared to men. It’s kind of impossible for them to get bulky. Over the years, female fitness models and celebrities have been using weight to tone their bodies without putting on mass. Not only weight training tones and cuts body fat, it increases metabolic rate, strengthens bones and joints. 

Lol, true indeed.

By now you guys have been wondering why on earth would you believe in what I am saying as I haven’t mentioned anywhere that I am a certified personal trainer. Yes I am not but as you scroll down the page you guys would see my transformation that I’ve achieved over the 3 years period and that surely would blow away all your misgivings.

PS: These photos are not photoshoped!!!!! :P

Feel free to ask all sorts of questions about fitness and I will be responding to all your queries in the comment bar below!

By:

Ahmed Hassan

Shahrukh Saleem

Daniyal Farooqui

Fashion

FASHION

 Fashion is glamour. Fashion is not only the dress codes or newly-made items, but also a complete thought which is evolved in the society by person-to-person or any other social sources. Fashion is synonymous with “new and glamour”. Nothing, in coming days, can change its terminology. As fashion is for people, it is linked with personal satisfaction and believes of a particular sector. Fashion neglects and eliminates old heritage and culture, and introduces a new thought, which has never existed in the society.

 Fashion is mostly appreciated because of its new themes and ideas. Human psychology has proved that coming up with new and attractive things maintains the mental health and acts against the depressing status. Don’t get confused that fashion is only the new designs of dresses and personal grooming styles. Fashion can be defined as “the prevailing mode of action or style of dress, custom, behavior, etiquette, etc. It is very broad in meaning. Some example of fashion can be listed as new hairstyle, new style of singing , new kind of interior decorations, new way of marriage celebrations, new tone of communication, new way of living, new plan to celebrate birthday parties, new interesting goods to possess for a limited time until its worth exists, etc. These examples have solidified my stance that fashion is extremely broad in meaning and it can’t be referred to some particular things only.

 In some way fashion helps us to show who we are and depict our personality in the terms of visual information. In the way we choosing clothes we show our attitude to world and other people. It is also some kind of communication. We put some of our personality at everything, how we behave at different situations, what we eat and which style of clothes we choose at shops. All the parts of it build the main stream of fashion. But, despite our personality, every person at the world has something in common. Even if it’s the smallest thing. All over the world there are a lot of people who have the same tastes, who choose the same food and trousers of the same kind. There are a lot of traits which build the fashion of today.

 The trends influence our life. All trends which influence us show which social group we belong to. It is called common replete identical life style. The most representative trend is wearing the latest and getting things which considered being fashionable. Modern society creates fashion on branding. There are not companies and manufactures anymore. Customers think in the terms of brands. Entrepreneurs are able to occupy niche and communicate to their target market offering people of a definite life style what they want and need, or even create a demand by themselves. Watches, shoes, jewelry, sun glasses…. Fashion creates styles of everything we wear. The same is true with t the attitude of cuisines. They have their own identity. French people and those who love French cuisine eat French foods and like to have French cuisine. Fans of Chinese food prefer chicken corn soup. Moreover, we Pakistanis mostly prefer biryani.

 Fashion is the representative of modern ethics also. If you do not like the modern fashion you do not like the condition of modern society.

 By looking into the Fashion’s world, I see David Beckham as the best representative for fashion in aspect of men’s dress up. He appears in such a form that is liked by men all over the world. According to me, he is a universal model for men’s fashion. But, as I have told you that it’s not only about the dressing codes, hence it is not finished on Beckham only.

 Fashion blogging can also be found nowadays, which solidifies my stance that fashion is not only a centralized thought, but also a theme which is evolved by person to person. Mariano Di Vaio writes fashion’s blogs, in which he shows new hairstyles he has came up with.

 Discussing much about the fashion, now I would like to share some of my likes in the aspect of fashion. I like spikes in hairstyle, Italian food in cuisine, Hyper-star mall for shopping, J.J as a designer, etc.

 In a nutshell, Fashion is something which grooms and rehabilitates the society by its new ideas, which are evolved by persons in a systematic manner by social interactions. Moreover, it terminates old thoughts, culture, and standards of living. 

  

FAST AND FURIOUS - 7

FAST AND FURIOUS 7

Fast And Furious 7 is an upcoming movie of Fast Series. It’s going to be release in April 2015. This movie is going to be a blockbuster like its previous versions. Starring top actors of  Hollywood, Van Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Paul Walker (late) and Michelle Rodriguez. It’s going to be one of the best movies people would have ever seen.

As per my expectations, this time we will see a new level of energy in the theatres like we have seen before in the Fast series. This movie has already got attention of viewers because it stares late Paul Walker who died last year in a car accident. The man who was known for his fast driving and action stunts is no longer between us but the director and the other crew members are going to pay tribute to him dramatically in the movie. 
Basically it’s an action and crime fiction movie with some show of car racing and adventures. Viewers are going to be entertained with some thrilling acting of Vin Diesel and the other crew members. The movie as per trailer is concerned with the Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) who wants to take the revenge of his younger brother Owen Shaw (Luke Evans) who was killed by Torreto (Van) accompanied by his team in the last episode which was Fast 6. 

Hobbs (Dwayne) who is the cop in the FBI and the well wisher of Torreto helps him to fight against the evil Deckard Shaw who looks after for his murder.  The whole movie revolves where the crew feels danger from Deckard Shaw. The movie starts from where the last episode ends, the crew starts living in USA happily then they were informed by Hobbs about the danger of Deckard Shaw who has came in USA in search of Torreto and company. In this film they have introduced a new crew member named Megan NathalieEmmanuel who was a prisoner but the crew makes her free so that she can be the next team member. The film has also got some romance between Torretoand his girlfriend Laty (Michelle Rodriguez). The movie has been shot in the number of cities like New York, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, London and Denver city. After completing the shooting in Dubai, Van Diesel also gifted a muscle car to the princess of Dubai as a matter of promoting automotives based movie. 

The sound tracks of the movie arejust so awesome like its previous dramas. Fast sound effects and background music have hit the tone of the movie. So, it’s going to be an action blockbuster film full of action stunts and car racing.

Further it will hit the fast vehicles lovers who have the interest in motor vehicles. Just can’t wait for thrilling action this March. This is going to be the huge success. This will blow people’s mind. Can’t wait to watch.

Saving Earth From Pollution

In my opinion pollution is a killer for our environment. It is playing the biggest role in affecting our lives and our planet Earth. To save our country and our planet from pollution we have to take certain small steps starting at our homes. We the people in our country have no knowledge about how we are ruining our health and making it miserable for us to breathe calmly.

Water being the most important nutrient is dangerously being harmed by toxic disposed directly or indirectly. Every other teenager is smoking and making the air polluted for others. These small mistakes we do are some of the important causes of  pollution spreading easily. There are many other reasons which contribute in the increase of pollution, including: modes of transport, waste from the commercial and industrial factories, not recycling what we use. By recycling we can not only save the economical loss but our environment as well. Trees are being cut down and due to the destruction of forests we are lacking the amount of oxygen that we need because plants and trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen the carbon dioxide which is not being inhaled in defecting the Ozone layer. The smoke from the transportation is also affecting the Ozone.

We should try and keep all the litter from our houses separately wet, dry, plastic, paper, glass and tins this will make the recycling process easy. Trees should be planted everywhere and even the trees which are being cut down should be replaced. Rules should be made on not throwing the litter in to the rivers and the places where formation of water takes place. Passing by our very own sea-view at Karachi makes me disappointed and sad with floating wastes all around in water which creates a foul smell. Using less plastic bags and more of recycled shopping bags which we can re-use will help us reduce trash and debris. About 90% of water pollution is caused by plastic The use of throwaway plastic objects is increasing day by day instead of decreasing such as water bottles, bags , utensils etc. We should start using cycles or bikes for small distances or we should even walk which is better for our health too. We will have to reduce our consumption of electricity by turning off the lights when not in use this will help save us from air pollution.

We will have to help to make our country clean and work hand in hand with each other. We will bring the change by starting from our home. I'm spreading this here to make you all aware about this dire situation which can stand as a hurdle for our future generations’ wellbeing. Since we all have the knowledge we can make the difference.

The International Mother Earth Day is celebrated on 22nd April every year since 1970 but this year lets make a promise to our Mother Earth that we will do each and everything we can, in order to preserve her beauty because after all it's a love revolution.

By

Dawood Noor

Saad chottani

Akash Jaswani

Younis Khan, the unsung hero of Pakistan cricket

Younis Khan, the unsung hero of Pakistan cricket

Younis Khan is undoubtedly one of the most talented batsman that Pakistan has produced. He is not only a talented batsmen but also one of the best fielder that Pakistan cricket team has ever had. Apart from his talent as a player, he brings positivity into the dressing room which is something that our team really needs. Despite of all of his monumental achievements, he was disrespected by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) when they dropped him from the ODI squad for the recently concluded series against Australia. He was not only dropped but the reason stated by chief selector, Moin Khan, was extremely disrespectful. He said that youngsters are the future of Pakistan cricket in ODI’s rather than aged players like Younis Khan. He also stated that picking him for ODIs against Sri Lanka backfired. However, to be fair to Younis, he just played one match and had to return to Pakistan due to the death of his nephew. Thus, the question that arises now is that why did the PCB treat a player of such caliber in this manner?

Treatment of senior players in such manner is not something new from the PCB. This previously happened with Mohammad Yousuf as well who was a great batsmen too. Kamran Akmal who was one the best wicket-keeper batsmen we had in recent times. Another example is the talented all-rounder Abdul Razzak. All of these players, extremely good at what they did, were dropped by the PCB without being given a chance to prove themselves.

However, after the ODI series, Younis was recalled for the test series against Australia. The most important thing for him now was how he responded to his critics. He managed to do this in the best possible way. He scored three consecutive centuries and was the first batsmen to ever do so against Australia. As a result of these three tons, he became Pakistan’s leading century scorer with 27 centuries. His remarkable performance was a key factor in Pakistan’s 3-0 test series win against Australia. His performance and presence also brought a lot of positivity in Pakistani dressing room and motivated other players, especially the youngsters like Ahmed Shehzad and Azhar Ali to perform well.

He once again proved his worth to all his critics. His performances solidified the reasons why he should be in the Pakistan cricket team. Our team desperately needs a player like him. Also, his achievements have earned him the status of a ‘legend.’ He has scored the most number of centuries by a Pakistani batsmen and has over 7000 runs in ODIs. Apart from his ability to score runs consistently, his presence in the dressing room makes a big difference. Everything he has done for the Pakistan cricket team hasn’t been easy. Such dedication comes from a lot of hard work and sacrifice. Thus, this legend should be given the recognition and respect he deserves from his critics, especially from the PCB.

IOS VS Android, The Tech battle of the Century
When it comes to technology, "only the latest, the best and the most suitable can actually satisfy someone's needs or desires to the fullest." Latest itself means improvement, which agrees to the dilemma that says the last one to be the most successful or being a failure. As Steve Jobs said, “Lets go Invent tomorrow instead of worrying about what happened yesterday”.

The revolutionary change that takes the techno sector to a new level was the introduction of smartphones. Portable hand-held devices with operating systems just like our PCs and laptops and sometimes even better than our personal use computers.

The two giants of the Smartphone industry, Apple (IOS) and Android.

Every market has its own competitors and in this market, the two big guns are Samsung and Apple. However this competition spreads over an area of a bigger perspective, which is Iphone against the whole Android family. 

The family includes all the smartphones with android operating systems while for the iphone it is only the IOS. It is more of a rivalry than competition between the users of the two.The arguments are never ending, as every other user has its own priorities so, they rate their devices accordingly.

Perfection is just a myth, a misconception which complements the very qualities of a maker to be the most perfect in his makings. So, there is no such thing as perfect when it comes to human nature and ability and everything needs improvement so as the devices made by these two. Both have their advantages over the other as the arguments and rivalry continues.

When it comes to customization, Android offers more to its users than IOS as it allows it users to install and apply the 3^rd party launchers like GO Launcher and others to customize their home screen and the menu layout of the mobile software, making it less boring and more creative as it offers variety to the eyes of the user. Whereas, IOS doesn’t offer any such customization to its users, no launchers or customization apps can be installed nor can be rooted. Although IPhone offers some customization unless its jailbreaked.


  Installation of custom ROM on an android phone.

I have used both of the phones, the best thing about IPhone is that it never lags; you rarely feel any lag when using an IPhone or any of the other devices of Apple running on IOS. Apple devices run fluidly even on slow processors. And for the Android, whenever I use an android device I get spikes of random lag and an overall inconsistent experience even on the fastest and greatest of the processors.

Android phones give an open source of data sharing without restrictions like Apple devices. Data and files can be shared through Bluetooth or Near Field Communication (NFC) with all the devices except Apple devices, as they only allow apple devices to share data with them.NFC was introduced on android phones about a year or two whereas Apple's latest phones come up with NFC, with the same restrictions and limitations. That means limited or none file sharing just even with the compatible devices. Android devices like S4 and LG G2 work as a remote for many different devices giving a complete edge to the android users.

  Samsung Galaxy S3 as a remote control for a TV.

The Hardware of the phone matters a lot when you are debating about a phone that is to be the best of all. Android has more but sometimes low quality hardware. As on the other hand IPhone offers the best when it comes to hardware, my personal opinion about the hardware is more in the favor of IPhone. IPhone has less to offer but with more advance and better results. When it comes to the camera being measured in megapixels, IPhone offers less as the latest device ; IPhone 6 plus, comes up with an 8 megapixel camera which has less megapixels than many other devices offering cameras. Never the less, it gives clear contrast images which are even better than a 13 megapixel camera image captured from other devices.

   IPhone clearly gives you crispy clear contrast images.

These arguments matter when we know what our priorities are and how we look forward to them.For some, the above stated words are just some normal information as that person might be a loyal IPhone or Android user and will not give up his decision of opting one over the other he might be an IPhone addict or loves to use Android. I’ll pick what I like, I don’t really need to justify my choice as long as I’m satisfied with it and it helps me in what I want to do, nothing else really matters.

By:

1.    Sheikh Abdul Basit

2.    Mustafa Raza

3.    Tabish Khurshid                                                                                                          

              

                 

Manchester City: The Rise of New Power

Manchester City: The Rise of New Power

Manchester has always been one of the most popular cities not only in England but also in Europe for all the good reasons you can think of but above everything else it was and is known for football. A game which is the heart beat of billions of people around the world, a game which is more than a matter of life and death, a game that can make even the strongest of people cry. This beautiful game is just embossed in every hook and corner in the city of Manchester.

For many years, this city was only known for a club United, Manchester United who indubitably not only ruled Manchester but England and were one of the finest teams of Europe; a name that was enough to put fear in the opposition’s heart, played football which other clubs could have only dreamt of. They were called the Pride Of Manchester and were rightly so because they were the one who dominated the Premier League and made a big name for Premier League in Europe. In the midst of the success which United was enjoying, Manchester City which happened to be the blue side of Manchester was battling for survival in Premier League. They had been very much an unknown entity as one of the best full backs of the world football DaniAlves claimed in 2013 prior to the match against City “I did not even know there was any other club in Manchester besides United 5 years ago”. 

 It was in 2002 they had sealed the Premier League status for themselves and until ShiekhMansoor bought the club in 2008, they were only dangling in the bottom half of the table. A great shake up behind the scenes with petrol dollars coming their way, the club promised to rise from their mist and challenged not only the Red side of Manchester but rest of England as well. Who had known back in 2008 that it will take Man City only 4 years to finish United’s domination over Manchester and the Premier League?

If you go to Manchester now, you will mostly see people wearing blue shirts. Had you been before 2010, you could have hardly seen any of the lads on the streets wearing the blue shirt and roaming with strut chests. There has been a big shift in the power and now it rest with the blue side.  Over this 6 or 7 years Manchester City has grown into a global brand, has gone on to lift two PL titles, a League Cup, Community Shield and an FA cup. With 5 wins out of 6 in the derbies, no one can argue who the better side of Manchester is now.
Okay, before any of you start saying about the rebuilding process going on at United just remember that Liverpool has been rebuilding itself for I don’t know how many years. Spending stupid money and giving colossal wages shows how desperate United is to get the bragging rights of Manchester back. All of the red devils certainly need to know that whatever you spend and even somehow you bring the class of 92’ back you guys certainly won’t be able to bring back the finesse of SAF and that is what is going to hurt you guys the most. And what I now love to say is that you guys are too rebuilding your club with money rather than the so called “Passion”. What are you guys going to say now when you too are spending big and oh my, did I tell with how much debt?

So hopefully there is a long time before Manchester United resurges into one of the top teams, i repeat top teams and not top clubs. So please until then Man united Fans, stop being puerile and get on with the fact that Man City has overtaken you by a mile and you guys may have to live under its shadow for a very long time to come. City is the new face of Manchester and is the ultimate power which United has to overcome before searching for the glory they have lost!

Who Are We? NAA MALOOM AFRAAD!

In the recent time, the term Na Maloom Afraad has been linked to those culprits who take the law into their hands. But the most interesting thing is that, we can never see them!

The movie Naa Maloom Afraad is a comic spin on this term, Directed by Nabeel Qureshi and Produced by Fizza Ali Meerza.

Before the release of the movie, the cast of the movie came to our university. Watching the promos, I was convinced that this time Pakistani Film Industry has come up with something new and entertaining.

From the staring till the end, the movie seems very engaging and is a full-on entertainer. The lead role is played by television artists Fahad Mustafa, Javed Shiekh, Mohsin Abbas Haider, and Urwa Hocane.

The movie revolves around the three protagonists: Fahad Mustafa as Farhan is an insurance agent who never did one right thing, Javed Shiekh as Shakeel who is honest but financially restricted and Mohsin Abbass as Moon who dreamed to go to Dubai and has lied to his family. There is also another chapter in Farhan lives that is love with Naina (Urwa hocane).

According to me, this movie is a complete pack of the things that are recently happening in Karachi. Naa Maloom Afraad skims the travails poverty and street violence in the country. They say, Karachi people can survive anywhere else in the world but not everyone can survive in the Karachi.

The part which I take as the important one is that people can do anything for money. As in this movie, Moon, Farhan and Shakeel are tired of the poverty and plan something for easy earning. They conspired to become rich by opening lockers in the bank; they put nothing in it and burn that bank in strikes. They afterwards claim for their insured money. Then comes in their lives a gangster, Gogi, who makes things difficult for them. Shakeel  bhai is an honest person but just because his home was about to be demolished by the Government for which he also got involved in the plan.

Whenever there was a chaos in the city due to bad conditions the three planners were extremely happy and excited for it and they would laugh hardly, crack jokes and made fun of it since there planning was totally based on the fact that whenever there will be a strike in the city they will execute their plan of burning the bank. I still visualize the dialogue of Farhan when he said that, "Shakeel Bhai! Haalat kharab horahe hai," with a bright smile on his face.

The characters have worked so brilliantly in the movie that it was difficult to determine whether it is a film or a reality. The director has chosen the original Karachi Locations for the shooting of the most of the movie and it is captured in a perfect way. The Karachiites will appreciate that the movie uses the regular streets, and routes that they use in their daily life.

It is also interesting to see the way the characters had grasped the language used by common people in Karachi. Adapting to the accent of commoners is really difficult but the actors have done an extraordinary job. The effectiveness of the dialogues and the comedy can be seen from the laughter of the crowd in cinema.

The songs and lyrics don’t strike a chord with us as compared to bollywood songs. Apart from this, the movie also contains some typical points that have entertained the viewer before through different movies, a point where Farhan and Naina go to Mazar to pray for their marriage. We also find a substitute of the typical item number that we already seen in bollywood in movies in the song “Billi”.

Those who follow Indian cinema quite closely might relate this movie with “HERA PHERI” staring Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty. This similarity is evident because both the films have characters that are encouraged by their poor conditions to devise a plan in order to make their situations better.

The ending of the movie was unexpected because one thinks that the characters won’t get any money and all their plans were ruined but in the end the named Hina Merchant (khubra Khan) who played a minor role as a bank manager, helped them to get their money.

One of the comic scenes that I would remember and laugh on it is when they open their lockers but instead of placing any cash or ornaments, they keep their underwear, razors and pickles in it but claim that they had millions in them.

It was their daily routine that one of the actors, Farhan used to boil water in a gigantic utensil for boiling two eggs, one for him and other for Moon and when the eggs were boiled Farhan used to take shower with the same water. This scene was presented in the hilarious way that created humor all around the theatre.

Another one of the comic scene that cracked me up was, when suddenly the city conditions were disturbed and they had a chance of burning the bank they got excited and started finding something by which they can make a small bomb because they had no other vessels. Eventually they heard a voice from the back of container of a person sitting in the garbage and smoking. That man helped them in making a cracker by providing them with material but they made fool of themselves, when they heard police siren. They got so panicked that by mistake they threw the cracker on that garbage man.

All and all every character looks convincing in their roles. From the protagonists Fahad, Javed, and Mohsin to the antagonists played by Salman Shahid and Nayyar Ejaz. It doesn’t seem from the movie that the actors have never worked in the movies before.

Naa Maloom Afraad is a total hit and a ‘Paisa Vasool’ film. A film that has turned the Pakistani cinema from the same old ‘gujjar’ movies to some interesting work that we all can be proud of many years from now. By following this trend of amazing quality work, we can surely compete with Bollywood cinema and we have enough talent to do so.

There are many scenes in this movie that will make you burst into laughter. Which one is your favorite scene?

By: Seemeen Mohammad Ali Lalji
      Tooba Elahi
      Muhammad Ahmed

EVERY CORNER A STORY

Travelling has always been one of my finest hobbies. Every year I travel to a different country gaining exposure to different cultures. This year I went on a trip to Europe with my family. Europe, where most of the world's greatest love stories such as "Romeo and Juliet" have built their basis on, has the most overrated tourists’ attractions. Although we visited a number of countries I will only highlight Rome, because it is my favorite. It is true the city can sometimes feel a bit like a theme park but there is still a lot to see and do.

There are many churches to visit in Rome and the Mosque of Rome is the biggest mosque in Europe which is considered to be an important centre amongst Rome's Muslim community. The Sistine Chapel is another interesting place to visit which consists of a huge collection of paintings from all periods that would actually send one back in time. Its ceiling, painted by Michelangelo, is a master piece which changed the course of western art and is the centre of attraction at the chapel. Apart from ancient buildings and art and history, the Trevi fountain is the most iconic monument of the city. According to an old legend if you threw a coin in the fountain it would bring good luck. I used to go to the Trevi fountain everyday to throw a coin, hoping for better luck. 

The hotel we stayed in was known as Grand Hotel De La Mineve Roma. It has been a five star hotel since the end of 18th century and is one of the best hotels of Rome. Our room was spacious and elegantly furnished, with every modern convenience. The carefully chosen traditional colours, fabrics and furnishing added an ambience of classical luxury to it. The bathrooms were huge with walk-in showers and Jacuzzis with hot water facility which would relax us after a long and tiring day out. The dining of the hotel was a warm and inviting place but roof garden was the most attractive place to dine in, with views of sun setting over the splendors of Rome below.

My most favorite place in Rome was the leading shopping street, 'Via dei condotti'. It contained a wide category of boutiques and salons and brand outlets such as Prada, Dior, Dolce, Gucci, Bulgari and Louis Vuitton. I bought many shoes, bags and sun glasses from there. The most attractive thing about this street was that besides these shops there were city's finest restaurants, cafes and bars where one could relax and have good dinner followed by a cup of traditional coffee after a tiring day of shopping. Eating out in Rome is a completely different experience.

Romans surely know how to make great food. Traditional Roman food like Carbonara and Cacio e pepe were the best way to get introduced to this city which loves to eat. I had specially requested the chef to give their recipes as well but of course one could not bring out the same taste and flavor and I miss eating there.

The people of Rome were also very warm and welcoming, always willing to help. I even made a very good friend there. Her name was Aelia. She was the daughter of my tour guide and would often accompany him on our trip. At first I did not like her because of her blunt personality but as we spent more time together I began to grow fond of her. We used to go almost everywhere together, learning a little about each other every day. We even took many pictures together and exchanged numbers and email addresses. I still remember how she cried when I was leaving.

Unfortunately our trip to Europe had ended but it was worth the time and money we spent on it. I came back with overwhelming memories and amazing experiences and I hope I get to visit it again.

  BY :
    Zoya Makhdoom.
    Ahris Agha. 
    Hamna Irfan.

French Sundays in Karachi

Have you ever dreamed of spending quality time having famous French cuisine? France is famous for a lot of things, and it happens to be one of my favorite visited countries in the world. I had been longing to eat here for many years.Croissants, cheese, crepes, ratatouille and the snooty waiters are all just impossible to forget while living in Karachi.

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to an event hosted at The Pantry. I was ecstatic by the invitation, as I am a stay-in-Sunday kind of guy so going out for a friend’s birthday was just what the doctor ordered.  After giving her a surprise and an expensive present, it was finally time to order. I started with a Caesar salad: Grilled chicken pieces were dressed with lettuce and parmesan croutons, cut length-wise, and presented like a wedge salad. The salad was followed by Egg Benedict, English muffin and turkey bacon with poached eggs along with a hollandaise sauce. It was decadent, over-the-top, and exactly what I expected but the show stealer was the Ice Vanilla Frappe, a shot of Monin syrup created a burst of delicious flavors.While we were eating, I got a chance to meet Pantry’s owner, who told me a little bit about his inspiration for the menu – he wanted classic French dishes, with simple yet elegant components. I say he nailed it.

After I reached home, my brother who came from France after a year made us lunch. Hence the consumption of French meals continued!  He first amused me with what they call “The queen of soups" Soupe à L’oignon. If you're trying to pronounce it, I’d suggest don't! None of us were able to say it right. So this little magic bowl of soup was the no less than a life changer. I felt as if I had a taste of heaven. As dramatic as it sounds, it really was flavorsome. The soup was not an easy fix as it required a long tiresome procedure. After a lot of pleading, my brother told me what all he used to make it. Baguette toasts were spread with butter and layered with grated cheese, sautéed onions and tomato purée. Then, salted water was gently poured in. The dish was then simmered and baked. While he was using all the technical terms, it took me back to math class, trying to pay attention but understanding next to nothing.

For the main course he presented "Hachis Parmentier" which made my jaw drop. It seemed light and appetizing at the same time. A layer of mashed potatoes and a layer of juicy ground beef (or, as I like to call them, two layers of heaven). Hachis Parmentier is often described as a French version of shepherd’s pie. It is French comfort food at its best and it is fairly easy to prepare. According to some research, (which was of course limited to me asking my brother again) I found out that the secret to this dish is braising the beef, After which tomato paste and potatoes are mixed and then the cheese is used as a topping.

At this point, I was so full that even before my brother could offer me a dessert, I quietly left the table pretending I was going to go the washroom and quickly went into my room. I felt like I owed three hours of extensive workout. None the less, the food was extremely scrumptious and the day was somewhat a short glimpse of the country of culinary experts, France.

GROUP MEMBERS

• M.HammadAslam ( Leader) – Writer
• Rashid Saleem – Writer
• Mussawer Ali – Research
• Hasan Agha – Editor 

How to Have Effective Communication Skills

We have gone through this word (communication skill) several times, either at work on the internet or somewhere else. The basic definition of it can be: “The ability to convey information to others, effectively and efficiently is known as communication skills.”

Communication is a basic skill. Our ability to communicate largely determines our happiness. When we communicate effectively we make good friends, we’re valued at work. It also increase our social support, if we’re not good communicators, we’ll find our life deficient in one or more areas.

I still remember, when I was a young teenager my poor communication skills was a barrier in my every achievement. I used to feel awkward to go out of my house. During my school life, I was quite dumb. I was not extraverted, that got me bullied many times in school. After some time I questioned myself, is this how I want my entire life to pass? The answer was always ‘No’. But unfortunately I was not working for the progress of this question.

When I joined college I made new friends. I started feeling comfortable, and started communicating with my new buddies. I joined new social societies through which I was able to improve my social interactions. I also started enjoying my life. The question might arise that, how did I start being so confident? The answer is my dedication towards it and my Self awareness. After completing my school, I made up my mind that I don’t want to suffer in this manner any more! I started working for my skills progress by attending several motivational sessions. By interacting with people around me and being a little gregarious. I often say to myself, why to feel shy when you have a tongue and a good tone of voice?

These days, everyone is so occupied with their own struggles that, they cannot contribute in easing our struggles. To improve our communication skills, it has to come from within. I believe each one of us possess the ability to convey their thoughts effectively, all we need is motivation, courage and will.  Communicating really well isn’t necessarily innate, but, it can be learned and improved. Hard work is the key to success. Trial and practices is what make things perfect.

There is a high probability of success when people develop right communication skills. Statistics have shown that about 85% of our success is directly dependent on our communication skills. This research proves that no matter how ambitious, how committed, and how highly educated one is, one has to improve his/her communication skills in order to gain success. When a person gets a privilege to be free and to expand his reach beyond his inner circle, communication skills play a significant factor to determine results.

“The quality of life is the quality of your communication.” ~Tony Robbins.

All the important aspects of life require communication. From relationships in personal life to group works in professional life, communication is the element that cannot be ignored. Having such significance, below are the steps that will help you improve your communication with others.

1.      The very first step for effective skill is to look inward. To realize in what scenario are you comfortable and uncomfortable? How can you make that style work for you? Pay attention to how others perceive you. Express yourself positively and clearly.

2.      The second step is to be you. Don’t try to copy any other effective speaker. Everyone has different tactics of communication. It is better to be yourself rather than being second version copy of someone else. Simply, realize your tactics and strengths and start working on it.

3.      In order to want people start listen to you, you have to first start listen to others. A good listener is someone who can concentrate and don’t lose focus on the subject.  Listening is what connects people together.

4.      Third step is body language, art of expressing without words. Body language conveys lots of expression of our inner feelings and thoughts. As what I have noticed in my presentations is that, holding a pen or a pencil boost up your confidence up to 30%.

5.      Label yourself positively. Give your listener the impression that you’re enthusiastic about talking to them and care about them. This phenomenon can make your listener feel better.

6.    Ask open-ended questions about their interests. When you help them gain a new, positive perspective about their situation, they can feel a deep sense of connection with you.

Hopefully these few pointers will help you to enhance your communication skills as they have helped me.

Group members:

1. Zeeshan Ali
2. Faizan Junejo