Prepare For Bakra Eid

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beef, Eid-ul-Azha, electronic knife, garlic press, internal meat thermomete, lamb roast, Marylou Andrew, mutton legs, racks of lamb, roast beef platter, shami kababs, sil bata

It’s almost that time of the year when hunks of beef, racks of lamb and mutton legs will grace your dinner table once again. Although these meaty meals are the tradition at Eid-ul-Azha, they require a great deal of time to prepare – time that would be better spent enjoying the festivities with your friends and relatives. The good news is that there are plenty of gadgets and make-ahead tips to make life easier.

A new set of good quality knives, although pricey, would be an excellent investment. Not only will they last for years, they will make the experience of slicing and dicing much easier. And while you are at it, look into buying an electronic knife; your roast beef platter will look so much nicer with evenly sliced pieces of meat glistening with well-made gravy.

The Importance Of Independence

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achievement, Autonomy, creativity, Declaring Independence in the Workplace, Fauzia Kerai Khan, Harvard Business Review, high-trust environments, Independence, Independence Day, innovation, micromanaging employees, motivation, passion, Productivity

As Pakistan’s 69th Independence Day (August 14) approaches, a quick look at our workplace cultures reveals that line managers tend to micromanage their employees and make decisions for them. In the process, they take away freedom from their employees – something that they value most – instead of empowering them and allowing them to make decisions.

Since micro-managing employees is a common practice in Pakistani workplaces as it is globally, an article in the Harvard Business Review titled Declaring Independence in the Workplace is extremely relevant. According to the article, a large number of knowledge workers – professionals with talent, experience and drive – feel “stifled by managers who misunderstand what effective management means.” This is because in their misguided efforts to increase productivity and foster innovation, managers do more harm than good. They end up destroying both creativity and passion – key ingredients to the intrinsic motivation that leads to engagement at work – by limiting employee autonomy.

Holi At Gorakhnath Temple

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Bazaar Kalaan, clock tower, Emperor Shah Jehan, Gor Khatri, Gorakhnath Temple, Holi, March 6, Meena Bazar, Mughal Caravanserai, Mughal Princess Jehan Ara Begum, Namak Mandi, Nimrah Butt, Peshawar Museum, Peshawar’s Walled City, Sethi House Museum

Gorakhnath Temple is shaded by peepal trees

With Holi being celebrated on March 6, it is the ideal time to pay homage to the famous Gorakhnath Temple which is located in Gor Khatri, a compound in Peshawar’s Walled City, which is steeped in history.

Holi and History… During Holi, the temple, which is white in colour and shaded by peepal trees, is adorned with fairy lights, and men, women and children can be seen spraying coloured powder and water on each other after special prayers have been offered.

A Cadillac For Mr Jinnah

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1947 Cadillac 75 series Limousine, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, ‘Standard of the World’, Cadillac, December 25, Fleetwood hand-built coachwork, La Salle, Mirza Abol Hassan Ispahani, Mr Jinnah, Mr Jinnah's Birthday, Packard, Romano Karim Yusuf

In addition to being a great leader, Mr Jinnah (whose birthday will be celebrated on December 25) was a connoisseur of the finer things in life. He was always immaculately dressed and was especially fond of luxury cars. He owned several of these when he lived in Bombay, including a La Salle and an ivory coloured convertible Packard. When Mr Jinnah left for Karachi from Bombay, just days before Partition, his Packard was shipped to Karachi.

Aware of the busy official schedule that awaited him and the lack of official transport in the nascent state he had founded, Mr Jinnah sent word to Mirza Abol Hassan Ispahani (Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States at the time) to purchase a Cadillac for him. The car was slated to arrive by the end of 1947, but due to various delays, it reached Karachi in early 1948. During this time, Mr Jinnah used his Packard.

In The Spirit Of Independence

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Ahmad Ali Road, Allama Iqbal Park, Allama Iqbal’s tomb, August 14, Azadi Chowk Flyover, Azadi Interchange, Badshahi Mosque, Fort Road Food Street, Lahore Fort. Youm-e-Azadi, Lahori cuisine, Minar-e-Pakistan, Moneeza Burney, Pakistan’s 68th Independence Day, Pakistan’s longest signal-free corridor, Pakistan’s only five-ramp flyover, Ravi Road, Shahdara, Taxali Chowk, The Spirit of Independence, Timber Market

The Azadi Chowk Flyover – Pakistan’s longest interchange

The construction of the Azadi Interchange, popularly referred to as the Azadi Chowk Flyover, was completed last month. It was recently opened for traffic just in time for August 14 – Pakistan’s 68th Independence Day.

A record milestone… Constructed in a record six months at a cost of approximately five billion rupees, the Azadi Chowk Flyover stretches for 2.53 kilometres and is believed to be Pakistan’s longest signal-free corridor. It is also Pakistan’s only five-ramp flyover, (most flyovers in Pakistan usually have a maximum of two ramps) and is accessible via Ahmad Ali Road, Ravi Road, Taxali Chowk, Timber Market and Shahdara.

Where Mr Jinnah Once Went To School

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137th birth anniversary, 1885, 1887, 1892, 1943, alma mater, arcades, arches, Architecture, Ayesha Shaikh bequeathed, December 25, educational institution, English, Enter To Learn Go Forth to Serve, Gizri, Hassan Ali Effendi, James Strachan, Miss Jinnah, mosques, Mr Jinnah, Mr Jinnah's Birthday, pillars, Shahrah-e-Liaquat, Sindh Madresah Library, Sindh Madresatul Islam, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Tudor, university, verandahs, Young Talpurs

A view of the Sindh Madresatul Islam through the university’s pillars

December 25 will mark Mr Jinnah’s 137th birth anniversary, so this is an ideal time to pay tribute to his alma mater, the Sindh Madresatul Islam, which Mr Jinnah attended between 1887 and 1892.

The institution’s vision is inscribed over the gateway