Bon Appetit!
The emerging coffee house culture in Lahore is changing not only the way people eat but also how they want to be portrayed
By Madiha Mujahid
Food is said to reflect the soul of a place, and nowhere is this truer than in Lahore, where it has managed to assimilate itself in the very definition of the city. Mention Lahore anywhere in the world and it will bring about an almost identical reaction – an indulgent smile and fond reminiscences about the wonderful food that has always been one of the defining identities of this great city.

In a dimly lit hall, a couple of people are seen bending over thick registers coated with thick layers of dust and disarrayed heaps of paper. The expressions over their faces betray the feelings inside and show how stressed they are. Equally perturbed are the people sitting on the other side of the tables or in the waiting area or those standing everywhere in the form of groups.

Some of them have been at this place for hours whereas others have just stepped in to find hordes of people already there. One thing that's common among them is that all of them are unsure about what lies in store for them and for how long they will have to bear the suffocating environment of the place.

After regular intervals of time a person sitting behind a glass pane calls out someone's name. His voice catches attention of everyone present there waiting for their turn to arrive but in the end there is only one lucky person who heads towards the glass pane like a triumphant warrior.

Though the place may look like a haunted house to a first-time visitor it is hard to believe that it's a center established by Nation Savings Organisation to serve its depositors/customers. The situation is almost the same in all the branches of the organization in the city.

Hard to believe but it is a fact that the staffers of these centers are keeping and updating records of millions of customers manually. They are working in a highly non-conducive atmosphere and have, to an extent, become psychiatric patient due to ever-increasing stress. May be that is why the center staff is often seen misbehaving with people, mostly the senior citizens, and asking them to sit quietly and wait for their turn or leave.

Muhammad Jameel, a visitor to Misri Shah center, tells The News on Sunday (TNS) that he has to wait for as long as three to four hours on the average to receive the profit on the saving certificates purchased by his uncle. He says his uncle who is too old to bear this ordeal has authorised him to collect the profit on his behalf.

Jameel says the problem with the staff is that each of them has to perform several tasks at the same time. "The world is progressing but they are regressing. I can't understand why they have failed to computerise the system. By simply sharing a couple of computers they can serve a customer in less than five minutes," he adds.

Iqbal Begum, a former school headmistress in her mid-60s, has also bought saving certificates from the organisation. Talking to TNS over phone, she says she has bought Behbood Saving Certificates offered to senior citizens only. The rate of return on this investment is as high as 16.8 per cent hardly matched by any other financial institution, she adds.

Despite getting a high return on her investment, Iqbal Begum is thinking about withdrawing her investment and look out for some other venue. Her main complaint is that the pace of work at the national savings centers is so slow that it gives a visitor the feel of going back to the stone age. She says the government of Pakistan must declare the national savings centres archaeological/heritage sites like Moenjodaro and Harappa and earn precious foreign exchange for the country.

Secondly, she thinks the cheque books given to the certificate holders are of no use as they cannot be used anywhere else. "If you have to appear in person at a designated branch every time then what's the need of issuing this book? It's useless for me as I cannot deposit it in my bank account for clearance or give it to some other person," she adds. Iqbal says she does not come to the center every month. Instead she waits for the profit of a quarter or two to accumulate and go there to encash it in one go.

An employee at the Nisbet Road center of the organisation tells TNS on the conditions of anonymity that they need computerised environment more than anything else. "We are helpless as we cannot press our top bosses to release funds for this purpose. No doubt we have an IT department within the organisation but all we have got is a couple of PCs at selected branches," he says.

He tells TNS that they do not even have speakers to announce the names of a person on his turn. Sometimes it happens that a person is unable to hear his name. In this case he has to wait for a couple of hours more, sometimes leading to brawls between customers and the staff, he adds.

The organisation has been severely criticised for failing to update its national saving centres across Pakistan through a detailed automation programme despite having deposits worth tens of billions. Under the system currently in place entries have to be made in about three to four registers manually before disbursing profit to a single person. "The time spent on making the entry is a fraction of what is spent on finding out the relevant registers from the heaps lying in our store rooms, the official adds.

When contacted for updates, Kamran Anwar from the public relations department at the Central Direcorate of National Savings (CDNS) could only confirm that the plans to automate the functioning of savings center were underway. However, about the timeline he says though he does not have any exact idea the transformation would be gradual due to the enormous scale of the organisation.

Almost all the parking stands across the city have doubled the parking fees for all kinds of vehicles while the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) holds the Town Administrations responsible for the mess.

According to CDGL rules, a parking stand can only charge Rs 10 for a car, Rs 5 for a motorcycle and Rs 3 for a cycle whereas most of the parking stands are charging more than these prescribed rates. This is very disturbing for people. There are only 49 approved motorcycle and car parking stands on 32 major city roads by the City District Government (CDG) Public Facilities department, while 300 parking stands are operating illegally with the 'connivance' of the officials of the said department.

The problem of overcharging at parking stands is not a new phenomenon and a large number of public complaints against such contractors who are operating these parking stands illegally, are awaiting action from the CDGL. This has resulted in parking at places which result in traffic mess on these roads.

All of these parking stands are situated alongside the main roads covering 20 to 30 feet area of the roads, which has caused terrible traffic mess. Almost all the main roads such as The Mall, Jail Road, Ferozepur Road, Egerton Road, Mcleod Road, Main Boulevard Gulberg, Davis Road, Multan Road etc have become a hub of legal and illegal parking stands. Most of these stands have encroached upon the service lanes besides the main roads.

It is pertinent to mention here that most of the restaurants, hotels, private hospitals, schools and colleges, banks, multi nationals and commercial buildings have also granted parking stand contracts outside their premises. While the CDGL rules say the commercial ventures can establish a parking stand, they can not charge.

A shopkeeper at the Hall Road Market said traffic in the area remain locked all day due to extraordinary extension of the parking stands established on both sides of the main road at the market's entrance. No action has been taken by the CDGL or the concerned town administration despite repeated complaints. The shopkeeper asks, "Are the contractors so influential?"

The Neela Gumbad Market is a clear example of the fact. Many parking stand owners are charging Rs 20 per car and Rs 10 per motorcycle. A parking stand outside Lahore High Court (LHC) is also charging Rs 10 for a motorcycle and Rs 20 for a car. "I went to LHC with a friend for some official work and on return the parking stand staff charged me Rs 20. When I protested the parking stand staff said the CDGL has increased the rates at which parking contracts are awarded so I have to pay him Rs. 20, said Wajih Ahmad, a resident of New Chauburji.

"This is a mafia and instead of facilitating commuters these stands are minting huge money from them," said Zahid Bashir, a resident of Johar Town. He had gone for shopping at Panorama Centre and had parked his car with his laptop in it in the parking stand nearby. When he returned, his laptop was missing. The parking stand staff said they were not responsible for that and advised him to go to police. He said if they are not responsible for taking care of the vehicles then what for do they charge Rs 20 per car.

The City District Government should install its own signboards displaying the rates along with the phone numbers of Public Facilities Officers on its parking stands to discourage overcharging by

contractors, said Ali Gul, a student of King Edward Medical University.

Afraz Ahmed, District Officer (Public Facilities) while talking to TNS on the issue, said the CDGL is taking strict and immediate measure to stop overcharging by the contractors to facilitate the commuters. He said he had taken the charge of the seat one month back and since then a number of cases have been registered against such contractors. He said the CDGL had repeatedly informed the town administrations about the issue.

Answering a question about parking stands established by private parties outside their premises, a hotel/restaurant, an office and a hospital, he said they can establish a parking stand but can not

charge. He said the general public can lodge complaint of overcharging with him and he will take immediate action against the responsible person.

– Sajidthenews@gmail.com

Pre script: This is a benign post, garnished with a slight humour, not to be taken seriously. Enjoy the food talk.

When do we eat the most?

When is that golden, greedy time when we eat like there is no tomorrow?

What is that time when we see a lot of delicious food together at one time, at one place?

When do we get free food?

What is the time when we waste food like we have oceans of it?

All these questions have one perfect example.

Shadi (weddings).

I know it's an old rotten topic read and talked about a zillion times now. It is, however, ever green. No matter how much we write and preach about the way people wildly react when they see food, nothing changes. People continue to pay least attention to the issue. They keep going to weddings one after the other but that is not a problem. If you are invited it's rude to decline the invitation. However, going to weddings only with an objective to eat, is unethical considering the way our senses betray us to the point that they embarrass us later.

The time when I am least hungry is at the weddings. When I see people running and jumping and salivating their way towards the food, my taste buds go out of order, completely. When I see guests grabbing plates and spoons while pushing everyone aside, as if just released from a zoo, I become reluctant to go to the food table to fill my plate. The amazing part is how most of the guests fill their plates more than it allows with some of the chicken/mutton/beef kebabs slipping off it. While they are filling their plates for eternity, they never forget inspecting my plate and asking me in disbelief: "aray tum itna kam khati ho?" (You eat so little?) While I think to myself, "aray aap itna khatay/khati hain?", Did you just replace your stomach with a mini version of a well?" and then I think to myself, almost wanting to say it aloud: "...err. I hope it's not my last day on this planet, I can eat more tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow and so on."

The time when I most want to shout out to the guests, sometimes even the people I know, in reply to their curiosity of why I eat so little is "...simply because I don't like leaving food on my plate."

Horrifying part of all is when people don't bother finishing all the food on their plates and then immediately rush towards the desserts. With the sweets still on the plate, they keep an eye on where the waiters are setting up the Kashmiri chai/tea tables.

Weddings in winters bring along another item on the food menu and that is Kashmiri chai/tea. The idea is great. Soups and teas are ideal for weddings but with the arrival of tea the wedding ground looks like a battlefield, especially if you are not going to an elite wedding.

I'm not saying that in elite weddings people are sophisticated enough to maintain their civil behaviour. The only difference is that they display their wildness over food in a subtle manner. They maintain their outward appearance of extreme mannerism but make their movements quick. The techniques? None that I can think of or that I picked up after my observation...but now that I think there must be some excellent basic tips for beginners (like me) on how to grab, eat and waste food on weddings.

Coming back to the tea, the perfect chaotic scene over getting a cup of Kashmiri chai from the originally big water coolers turned tea containers is a nightmare. Everyone is in a jovial mood and take delight in pushing you hard and then giving you their humblest of smiles. The only distinctive part of this tea container I didn't mention, is the tap. People are in such frenzy that they get confused as to where the tap would close and where it would open. I remember attending a wedding of my cousin where her relatives came from a village – very nice, warm people, very hospitable. However, when they saw food and especially the water cooler turned chai container, they went crazy. The young girls I had exchanged greetings and pleasant smiles with earlier, refused to recognize me as I waited by their sides/behind them (imagining a queue) for 'my turn' to get a hot cup of tea in the freezing December wedding.

There is some element of being in a state of hurry every time guests are hovering around the food tables. I really don't understand what the rush is all about? Are you going to miss your train? Are you afraid there would be no food left if you are a few minutes late? Are you going to die of hunger? Is it some sort of a competition – who eats and wastes the most? The last one could be a possibility.

All I know is that Punjabis' love for food is unconditional, ever green, very strong, deep and intense. However, I should not be prejudiced about this. Fair would be if I assume that Sindhis, Balochis and Pathans are all equally mad about food, especially the food being served on weddings.

• Exhibition of Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi's works at Ejaz Art Gallery till March 3.

• Divine-i Gig night every Saturday from 9pm to 11pm at Al Hafeez Tower opposite Pizza hut MM Alam Road.

• Panjabi Sangat every Friday at 49 Jail Road Lahore at 7pm. Punjabi Sangat is weekly gathering at Najam Hussain Sayed's (Punjabi poet, playwright, critic) house, where Punjabi classical poetry is read, interpreted and sung. The Sangat has been going on for the last 30-40 years. Any person who chooses to visit the Sangat can freely and actively participate in the above mentioned activities.

• Exhibition: Sight Insight – Drawings by Nadia Khawaja

at Grey Noise till March 22.

• Sport: 2nd National Junior Cycling Championship at the Cycling Stadium opposite Gaddafi Cricket Stadium

from Thurs, Mar 5 to Sat, Mar 7.

• Pakistan Society of Hepatology has arranged Silver Jubilee International Conference on liver diseases at Hotel Pearl Continental

from March 5 to 7.

Timings: 9-5 daily.

The gradual increase in the trend of golf courses in a city like Lahore, has raised serious concern in an organisation like World Wide Fund (WWF) which believes in water conservation and use of proper techniques to reuse water instead of wasting potable water on such luxurious facilities.

Three new golf courses in the city's posh housing schemes, are attracting customers through such playing facilities. Hammad Naqi, director Freshwater and Toxic Water Programme of WWF says, "According to some studies a golf course, generally, requires 50,000 litres of water a day, which, surprisingly, is equal to the average water need of not less than 10,000 families. Such luxuries could be fine but not at the cost of the right of fulfilling basic need of others," he says.

Naqi, who himself is a golf player and member of a club offering this facility (Gymkhana), says that there are not many golf players in the city, that is why, he believes, existing number of golf courses in the city are enough. "I get my turn soon whenever I go to play golf in Gymkhana," he says, adding, "This means that there is no rush or need for extra courses." Right now there are four golf courses in the city offering membership, which include Royal Palm Golf Club, Lahore Garrison, Lahore Gymkhana and Pakistan Rangers Golf Club. He says WWF has noticed that three housing societies – Lake City, Bahria Town, and Defence Housing Authority (Phase VI) – are attracting people in the name of golf course. This would further affect increasingly scarce water resources. He says, "the government should take notice of these things and the authorities concerned should create awareness on the issue."

He says the issue also falls in the jurisdiction of Environmental Protection Department as such societies also require Environmental Impact Assessment certificate before launching the scheme. Lahore Development Authority (LDA) is also bound to ensure these standards before granting permission to such schemes. They use tube well for watering the ground and use potable water for the purpose. "The quantity of water used for managing golf courses is much more than water used for conventional crops," he says and urged upon the government to make a policy to use non potable and wastewater with the help of treatment plants for watering playgrounds.

He also urged upon the need to have good drainage design and careful earth shaping for golf courses etc. "Water demanding landscape on the golf course should be minimised because this can save water up to 50 percent" he says, stressing upon the need to use variety of turf and grass soils cultivation techniques. He says storage ponds to collect surface runoff water that might be wasted otherwise, could also be used.

Ahmed Rafay Alam columnist and advocate, who also plays golf, says, "No doubt there is need to make a policy to ensure water treatment plant for using waste water for such luxurious games. "We see potable water is used immensely in such city grounds. We did try to launch an awareness campaign on the issue once."

He says the elite who play this game, must remember the needs of the poor. He seconds the demand to disallow new golf courses until there is a policy to save potable water here by legally binding them to install water treatment plant. "The clubs and societies earning millions should not hesitate to install a water treatment plant for once."

Dr Javed Iqbal, Managing Director Wasa (Water and Sanitation Agency), Lahore, says no doubt water usage is increasing day-by-day and so is water scarcity. "Actually, there is need for policy work and planning on this for which Wasa has started primary level planning. There is need to introduce policies to save potable water." He informs the Planning and Development (P&D) Board of the Punjab government is also working on these lines.

Arif Butt, deputy director (Hydrology) of Wasa says, though the current water level of Lahore is 55 feet to 125 feet, people have to drill 300 feet to 700 feet to get potable water. "Potable water, generally, starts after 300 feet," he says. However, there is no particular policy on golf courses. Wasa now only issues 'No Objection Certificate' (NOC) for the installation of a tube well. He also urged upon the need to opt policies for careful consumption of water.

Naseemur Rehman, deputy director Environment Protection Department (EPD) told The News on Sunday (TNS) that, in fact, they do not allow housing societies without certification. He says a proper monitoring system is also evolved and the societies are asked to conserve water and use as needed.

vaqargillani@gmail.com

Food is said to reflect the soul of a place, and nowhere is this truer than in Lahore, where it has managed to assimilate itself in the very definition of the city. Mention Lahore anywhere in the world and it will bring about an almost identical reaction – an indulgent smile and fond reminiscences about the wonderful food that has always been one of the defining identities of this great city.

George Bernard Shaw once wrote, 'There is no love sincerer than the love of food.' And for no other people could this saying ring more true than for Lahorites, who celebrate food, savour it in its many forms and pay homage to this most beloved of things. For them, food is not a part of life, but rather a way of life. All occasions, all festivities and all the seasons are marked by food.

As the city continues to grow and expand, the agents of change and modernization that are a result of the widespread globalization rampant in these times are visiting it too. In culinary terms, this translates into the fact that the focus is shifting, for a certain more affluent segment of society at least, from the food streets of Gawalmandi and Anarkali to the posh streets of Gulberg and Defence. And the cropping up of a multitude of upscale restaurants and cafes in these places testifies to this fact.

Eating out at any of a number of the exceedingly popular eateries in Lahore is where it's at now; as evidenced by the large numbers of people ranging from high school students to retired old gentlemen that throng the numerous upscale coffee houses and cafes dotted all around Lahore, particularly the chic areas of the city.

Feel like a good cup of coffee, head to Gloria Jean's Coffees; similarly a full English breakfast no longer requires labouring in the kitchen since Coffee, Tea and Company (CTC) does a marvellous range of varied breakfast platters. And the choices are limitless. A craving for pancakes is catered to by the Pancake Lounge in DHA; in the mood for a sinfully delicious pastry, go to Masoom's; and the old favourite for ice-cream is definitely Hot Spot; and so the list goes on and on.

The emerging coffee house culture in Lahore is changing not only the way people eat but also how they want to be portrayed. Savvy young regulars want their lifestyle choices to portray who they are – hip and fond of the finer things in life. The cropping up of these places reflect the evolving food culture of Lahore and the changing attitude of people towards consumerism; what were previously regarded as special luxuries to be savoured every once in a while have now become more run of the mill and a part of daily life.

Danish Khan, Director Gloria Jean's Coffees, while talking about the motive behind bringing the Australian franchise to Pakistan stated, "Gloria Jean's vision is to be the most loved and respected coffee company in the world. Translated into a mission – we are committed to consistently serve the highest quality coffee and providing outstanding personalized service in a vibrant store atmosphere. We brought Gloria Jean's Coffees here so that people in Pakistan too can enjoy the premium quality coffee that people in over 26 countries around the world, through our hundreds of outlets, have come to love."

Consequently, it can be gauged that as important as the food, or even more so, is the environment that these places provide – good quality service in an aesthetically pleasing environment. These establishments also reflect the changing socioeconomic trend of the general population; as a more well to do, educated and discerning class of people emerges, it provides further momentum to the springing up of such restaurants, as they satisfy the need of the vast majority of the regulars at these places to be seen at the right places with the right people.

Haroon Khan, Manager Masoom's, elaborated on the inspiration behind the opening of the café in Lahore, "The owner of our company, Usman Zaidi, has traveled abroad extensively and he wanted to open a coffeehouse in Lahore based along the lines of the ones found in the major metropolises of the world. The basic purpose is to entertain the more prosperous section of society, by providing them with high quality bakery products and coffees in an exclusive café setting. Our chain of restaurants testifies to our commitment to this vision."

These places cater to the culinary needs of the people who can afford to dine there; since this trend is something that is confined to the more well heeled segment of society, as can be witnessed by the regular clientele of private school students in their fashionably dishevelled uniforms, the yuppies toting their designer cell phones and laptops, the constant stream of well to do housewives with their kids in tow, and business persons of all ages.

Mikaal Ali, 17, a regular visitor to Coffee, Tea & Company (CTC) says, "I come here a couple of times a week to hang out with my friends. It's a fun place with a great ambience and the food is really good."

While these eateries no doubt provide considerable choices for the food loving Lahorites, they also serve to accentuate the economic disparities that exist among the people belonging to different income stratas. People think nothing about spending 200 rupees or more on a cup of coffee; and what is merely loose change to some would constitute a full day's wages for an ordinary worker under the minimum wage law promulgated by the government of Pakistan. It therefore throws into stark contrast the striking imbalance in the society.

Regardless, the number of fashionable eating places is on the rise in Lahore; and this trend shows no signs of abating; being fuelled on by the growing numbers of more aware consumers who demand a vast array of delicacies in the best of settings.

– madihamujahid_1@hotmail.com