Shopping in Lahore?

01/02/08


Yay!! Today we went out riding again. But this time Salman drove us. At first i felt a bit apprehensive tt i didnt get time w Z alone but he helped us to take pictures and i feel safer that Z is behind me on the bike.




So it turned out to be a great day! But that is after i took off Aunty Farzana's brown sweater n traded jackets w Z. See.. i was wearing a COTTON shalwar kameez but i was wearing a very thick pants inside cause the thin ones were used already. and the sweater was suffocating me and my hand. i felt SUPER uncomfortable. I felt FAT! The "ripples" or gathers in front of the traditional shalwar didnt help. Further i had to pull it up cos it was too long so that the ripples gather around my tummy making me feel EXTRA SUPER FAT!




My mood was off the whole time on the way to the travel agent to collect Z's ticket n passport. So much so that i didnt even enter the office bcos i felt so conscious! I decided to NOT worry about the ticket.



The toilet at the Latif Center doesnt separate Male Female! *faint* (Just as well cos i needed Z's help anyways) But there's a section for ablution.




Only after the exchange did i feel better and ready to enjoy the sight seeing.



First stop: Fortress Stadium.










Its a stadium where they play cricket n football n whatever.

The stadium grounds weren't open to public when we went there but around the exterior circumference of the stadium are shops and shops and more shops. i think i only circled 1/10th of the whole place. You can say it's a good place to shop but i wasn't really interested in western clothes nor ready made shalwar kameez. Nor was i hungry as we've already just eaten at home.


The only thing that caught my eye was the DVD shop! Check this: its PKR 100 per DVD and Buy 3 Get 1 free! That's PKR 300 for 4 DVDS making it SGD1.80 a piece NEGOTIABLE.PLUS PLUS PLUS!!! there are A LOT OF English drama series collection. Desperate Housewives, CSI, Ugly Betty, ER, X files. You name it, they have it! So AT LAST, I bought my CHARMED Seasons 4 - 8 at $15/season BEFORE discount. I was just Delirious!

Did i mention to you that there are a LOT of birds over there? Like scores of crows and sparrows, legions of pigeons and a handful of eagles!!! C'mon we're talking about EAGLES here!! In my life, i've only seen 1 eagle flying freely in Singapore over Bedok Reservoir. And here they are always always filling the sky! I wonder what they're doing....

Anyways, Next stop was DHA market to find STYLO shoe shop. They're having a 51% discount sale. That's right 51%. Their slogan is something like, "Always a Step foward".

I know i know... the shop's name's funny right? I dont know how to explain this but Malays like to say "Stylo Milo" when we see something innovative or whatever that awes us. So a Stylo brand for a shoe is... well.. funny :D

Anyways, I almost went crazy when i saw the prices!! Pump shoes, stilettos, platforms are tagged at PKR 700, after discount PKR 350 = SGD 8.70. ALAS, nothing fits the bill of the kind of shoes i had in mind to buy... but i settled for the gaudy sport shoes with open back. This kind is PKR700 after discount, which is STILL a STEAL!

Next stop, an eatery that i've been bugging Z to bring me since i was in S'pore bcos the branch here is not HALAL

Can you guess where am i?

How about now?

(Check the answer in my multiply pictures)

See how thin the sandwich is? I realise now that this joint is not for me as i dont eat pickles, cucumber and whatever veges tt fill the sandwich except for lettuce. LOVE the sauces though. I wanted Turkey Pastrami but they were out of stock. Had to settle with plain Turkey breast and beef salami. Their peperoni is as big as salami!

The ambience is very nice!

It was like Mamoo Ajmal had ESP or something. He called to ask where we were and coincidentally we were just a street away from his office! So he invited us over.

it was nice to finally have converse in English freely and Intellectually too. See.. Mamoo Ajmal is a Media Consultant in PHDEB (Pakistan Horticulture Development Board). I asked what does his job entail and why is there a shortage of flour in the country right now. It was plaguing me yesterday when Khyyam remarked after seeing a crowd circling in front of a shop, "Flour". Mamoo Ajmal explained that its just a shrew scheme of economists and/or traders who are blockading / controlling the stocks to manipulate the price! How dare they! Flour is a STAPLE food. How will the poor survive with rising cost of the very thing they depend on to live?? Go trade with electronics or something.

On the way home, this is what i saw:

This is a shopping center and it was maghrib time. I was really touched that these pple really take prayers seriously and they can practice openly. Imagine praying in the middle of a shopping center in Singapore! We'd be lucky if we don't get jailed or kicked out by the security guards!

Before this, in Mamoo Ajmal's office, they spread the mat in the office for prayer. and Some pple were also praying as a big group on the roof! ME? I pray at the staircase of my office bldg and hope nobody catches me!

At home, its Chicken korma for dinner with chappati.

As usual, more pictures at my multiply