Facebook Family - Mark, Priscilla and Beast!

A wonderful couple with a really adorable pet called Beast, a hungarian sheepdog also known as komondors.

Prices of Fruits and Vegetables in Pakistan

A very modest list of a weekend Itawar Bazar organized by CDA in G-10/G-11 green belt.

Pakistan is blessed with a very fertile soil - thanks to the Indus Basin as well as the wonderful climatic conditions - perfect to just-grow-anything. Really! Throw the seeds and see what will happen next -  with much less effort you will have your homegrown, organic veges and fruits in a matter of weeks - voila!

While living in Pakistan I never noticed or appreciated the variety and abundance of fruits and vegetables until I had to leave this country and moved to places where I paid up to 15USD for one pomegranate (if I'm lucky), or 10USD for just one mango or having strict ginger rationing that used to come through special shipments or never saw a guava in 3 years.

All this happened in the so-called globalized and very interconnected world where labor, capital and the produce have no borders anymore but it burst the myth for me that we are very protective of the invisible boundaries for all the different reasons and free movement and free trade are more of a slogan and less of reality but then lets ignore political economy for a while here.

I still remember a friend who bought a box of four oranges from USA for 50 USD in Seoul at Sinsaegae Store- just because she got emotional to see oranges from her hometown. Even in olden days spices, tea etcetra from the Indian subcontinent brought swarms of colonizers to the region - this is what food varieties did to us - led to colonization - and is very well documented in history too. As always, so much has happened and we have continued to underestimate our potential as a nation but I hope we will wake up some day.

Well back to our fresh, seasonal fruits/ vegetables in Pakistan or let us say South Asia - nothing can beat it. There is a fad in countries (OECD/developed ones)about well-being lifestyle which means: you eat organic, you eat seasonal and you eat locally produced fruits and vegetables. On the whole, it means that you are among the elite/privileged/well-educated group of people. I mean that's what it's like in States or even in some European countries. What you eat defines and categorizes you.

The fun part is what West defines and labels as all the above mentioned group of people-in slashes- we in South Asia call them lower income families for what they eat and shy away from it. I think that what people get to eat in Pakistan in general is a blessing in disguise - less meat  and more vegetables, that is. In short, Pakistanis eat less crazier than in other place. I still remember how much my mother used to ignore non-seasonal fruits and vegetables which she believed were not good in taste and were not as healthy as the seasonal produce and probably this was and still is the common wisdom of the land.

I also remember my Special Lectures Series on Korean Culture - an event organized by Kyung Hee University in which one of the famous professors of Korean Traditional Medicine emphasized the importance of eating seasonal produce as well as indulging in local food of the country of sojourn which can help balance the yin and yang dynamics.

If you are living in Islamabad, you will notice that all of a sudden you'll see some specific fruits in every nook and corner.  Small stalls are set up to press fresh juice -right in front of your eyes and the prices are ridiculously low or let me say one of the lowest prices of fruits in the world are in Pakistan. Usually a specific fruit is seen for about 8 weeks or so and then it disappears and is replaced by another. When I first visited Pakistan after 8 years - it was autumn and I saw citrus fruits littered all over the place - on the road sides, bus stops, restaurants, bazaars, side walks and even in people's small gardens - you name it. Islamabad turned orange. Pakistan is the fifth largest producer of citrus fruit in the world and the varieties ranges between oranges, mandarins, grape fruit, kinnu and much, much more. Then I saw them disappearing and we had pomegranates and guavas, they disappeared and we saw strawberries and then cherries and then melon and water melons, kiwis, lychees, chikoo, falsas and finally mangoes made their way. Unfortunately Pakistan exports only a fraction of its fruit varieties elsewhere in the world, a lot of it is wasted in packing, transporting and non availability of basic equipment as well as techniques. Also, we are muddling in politics more than doing extensive trade and business deals. I personally know how expensive and divine status an orange has in Russia and Central Asia. It is very, very expensive in this region and Pakistan can sell it's orange or even barter it (why not) with these countries but we have been unsuccessful (for whatever reasons). These hits and misses of losing business opportunities in emerging markets have only added to poverty in Pakistan and we must NOT forget that.

Back to fruits so let's talk mango. Mangoes are the pride of Pakistan considering the enormous varieties and the gorgeous taste they have. Mangoes are literally found in hundreds of types. Yes, hundreds. Pakistanis call them the 'King of all fruits'. They all taste different, smell different and have a fantastic texture and pulp consistency and fibre variations. Our childhood favourite was 'Chussnie Amm' - a type that you rub it in your palms and make it soft and then make a hole on top of it and start sucking the juice in (we were all mango suckers). My mom's favourite is Sindhree Amm. Some other types of mangoes are Chonsa, Langra, Tota Pari, Anwer Ratole, Malda, Fajri, Neelam etc.for pictures and types of mangoes click here).

We have a rich variety of fruit and vegetable and if one fails to find their required vege/ fruit then it is due to the lack of knowledge of the local name for it. I heard an American expat friend that she couldn't find gooseberries in Pakistan and I told her that we grow them a lot ( and it is called Amla in Urdu - an important ingredient in Aruvedic treatments). My mom used to make a homemade shampoo using gooseberries. People also make achar and press them  to extract oil for scalp (considered good for hair). Same goes with butternut, acorn squash and zucchini. I think it is more of a case of lost in translation scenario and nothing more. I have even found seaweeds in some markets that was locally produced - are you surprised- well, so was I.

So, I believe that one must explore the local fruit/vegetable bazaars or markets, indulge in them, find some local dishes that satisfy your taste buds and be conscious of yin and yang balance - no health guru or consultant is needed but only a bit of a reflection, curiosity, respect to foreign food culture is all we need when we eat and shop.

Here I'm listing the prices of some of the fruits and vegetables in Islamabad, Pakistan for reference ( I made a huge list but it got deleted so doing it all over - I ended up with fruits only).

The most noticeable fact is that the most expensive fruit costs 2.5USD per kilogram in Pakistan whereas the most expensive vegetable costs not more than a dollar - actually some are for a few cents a kilo.

Fruit prices for one kilogram quantity in dollars (American) in Islamabad, Pakistan are:

Apples (various varieties): 50 cents - 2USD.
Pomegranaten (2 types): 1.5USD - 2.5USD
Bananas: 40 cents to 1USD for a dozen (12 pieces).
Guava (4 types): 50 cents - 2USD
Peaches ((3 types): 60 cents - 1.5 USD
Apricots: 60 cents to 1.5USD
Mangoes (over a hundred type of mangoes): 50 cents to 2USD
Lychees: 1USD- 2 USD
Strawberries: 1.25 USD - 2USD
Cherries(3 types): 2USD - 2.5 USD
Falsa (Grewia): 2USD
Persimmon: 2USD
Melons ( 4 types): 20 cents
Watermelons (2 types): 15 cents
Papaya: 1USD
Pineapple: 2USD
Grapes (without seeds): 2USD
Chiku fruit (Sapota): 1USD
Shareefa (Aarticum/suger-apple): 2.5USD
Jamun/Black plums: 1USD
Loquat: 75 cents.
Grapes with seeds: 1USD
Oranges ( a couple of varieties- i know about 20 types): 50 cents for a dozen to 1USD for a dozen and sometimes  2 cents for an orange can also be found.

Now if we look at vegetables they are only a few cents per kilogram and I can hardly think of any vegetable that was sold for a dollar a kilo. So anyhow, in this situation I wonder how much do our farmers and especially small landowners earn off their hard labor?  I feel so bad about the conditions of "real" farmers in Pakistan who are living in abject poverty and are unable to feed themselves but feed the entire country and also Afghanistan.

Essay Contest ( Discover Korea)!

Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) is organizing a contest and winners will get great prizes.

All you have to do is to write an essay about a three-day trip to hidden travel destinations in Korea, and what you would do during your trip.

The winner will be given a chance to visit the destination and take part in various cultural activities.

Eligible Applicants: All non-Koreans around the world (Foreigners living in Korea and Koreans with foreign nationality may also apply).

How to Apply: Write an essay about a three-day trip to hidden or unknown travel destinations in Korea that you want to visit (additional user created contents also accepted)

Accepted Language: All 11 Languages Broadcast by KBS World Radio

Application Period: June 1 ~ July 15, 2012 (through e-mail or postal mail)

Judging Criteria: originality, creativity and how informative the content is

Prizes include:

Grand Prize: One winner will win an all expense paid trip to Koreaincluding round trip airfare

Other Prizes: 2nd and 3rd place winners as well as eight other top essays will win digital cameras, MP3 players etc. (prizes subject to change)

Approximately 100 other participants will be given small memorabilia

Please Note: All pictures, sounds or videos used in user created contents must not violate copyright infringement laws

For more information please visit the homepage at:
 http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/
or email at:
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This Summer Plant is called...?

I wish I had known the name of this plant but anyways whatever we call it - I really like it. It is also an indicator of summers as well.

10 Years in Seoul: Looking Forward, Looking Back…

10 years ago, in May of 2002, I was super busy in packing my suitcases - nervously looking at heaps of stuff and puzzled what things to take along and what to leave on my move from Islamabad to Seoul. I had no idea what to expect and what awaits us as a family in Korea. Near end of a decade is almost here in a few days for me and yes, Korea has changed me forever that I could never have imagined.

The fact is that Korea was never on my radar of ‘to-visit-x-countries’ list but once I got here – Seoul has never ceased to amaze me. I had no idea, a decade ago, I would be witnessing the historic FIFA World Cup (of 2002) – Live or I would be celebrating Korea’s advance into the semi finals and the celebrations afterwards on the streets of Seoul or I would be doing my graduate and post graduate studies here or I would be changing my major to Korean Studies, or would be desperate to learn Korean language to at least survive Korea armed with the simple vocab such as: hello (Annyong Haseyo), how much? (Ul-ma-aeiyo?), how are you? (Chal jinay-say-yo), yes (Nay) , no (Anniyo), why (way), quickly/ hurry-up (Palli-pulli) etcetra. I didn't know any of the many people I now know in Seoul more than I have known in my hometown. My gut feeling on reaching Seoul was sort of “I’m lovin it”.

I really had no idea that the transformations will be so swift and will lead to the reverse cultural shock in my own country. Nobody can  prepare us to deal with this shock – to integrate back into the culture of your home country after living abroad. At times, this process seems much harder than assimilating into Korean culture or any foreign culture. That’s it.

Over the years, some of the Korean customs that have become my second nature include the extensive use of chopsticks for both eating and cooking. I think that they are better than forks/spoons and are quite handy.

To this I will add the ‘no-shoes-indoors’ policy which I endorse strongly. The norm in Korea is that you should take off your shoes and put on one of the many pairs of slippers stored by the door in the shoe cabinet available in every single house. There is an additional set of slippers for bathroom too. Now when I see somebody roaming around the house in their shoes that they wear outside – it’s quite disgusting.

Apart from shoe policy, one thing that I do extensively is bowing even while saying hello or Salam to people.

Living in Seoul was not just a physical journey for me – it is a cultural, spiritual, emotional and also an academic journey. Just have to say that no two people will ever have the same experiences or the exact same conclusions. It is something up close and personal but nevertheless, it gives all of us an opportunity to grow.

Jhumpa Lahiri said it so wisely that: "...Still, there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept. As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination."

May in Korea and Spring's All Around!

All the photos were taken right outside my room at the Research Center, probably 100 meters radius.

Backside of my room.





Quote of the Day!

"In a closed society where everyone's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity."

(Hunter S. Thompson)