Gupshup Friday!

How has your week been so far? Sharing some random tidbits from my week: the drama Sange Mar Mar, the ongoing cricket tournament PSL, volunteering for a school trip and an easy dessert recipe. So let’s do some gupshup!

 

Praying for Lahore

Lahore can easily be called the dil of Pakistan. I have many fond memories from this beautiful city as I lived there for two years. The spirit and energy of the Zinda dilane Lahore is something to be experienced. My prayers for the city as it suffers and hoping for a future where there is only peace.

Pakistani Drama Sange Mar Mar

I know I’m late to the party but I recently started the Pakistani Drama Sange Mar Mar. My mother had been asking me to watch it for a long time since it started in September last year and is now almost towards the end. I started catching up on the episodes on YouTube and am now on Episode 16. Have you been following this drama?

I’m in total awe of the story as we get an insight into Pashtoon life through the family of Gulistan Khan played by Nauman Ijaz. All characters are played to perfection, the drama is shot in beautiful Swat valley of Pakistan and the director keeps each scene crisp. I love how real the story and the characters are. From the way Sania Saeed walks, the authentic accents of all the characters, the rubab music in the background, the beautiful scenery and very real grey characters.

The story keeps surprising us at every turn and uses the very human emotions of romance, revenge and loyalty to keep the viewers engaged. Nauman Ijaz is at his classy best. You can’t help but feel a soft corner for him at times, even though his character is largely negative. I’m most amazed at the talent of the relatively lesser known actors who have made the characters of Torah Khan, Gulalai and Saif ullah shine.

I can go on and one about this drama but would love to hear your thoughts on it.

Who are you supporting in the PSL?

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is underway in the UAE and as a big cricket fan I’m super excited about it. I’m supporting the Quetta Gladiators! Which team are you rooting for?

I just love the PSL as it brings forth a national pride. The foreign commentators learning songs in Urdu, Islamabad United wearing Kameez Shalwar at the inauguration ceremony and our players teaching a few choice words in Urdu to the foreign ones, it’s all lots of fun.

Baingan ka bhurta appetizers

I had a dinner at my house this Family Day monday. I tried a different twist on the Baingan ka Bhurta recipe by putting the bhurta on mini pita rolls and baking it for ten minutes in the oven at 350F. Serve by garnishing with green onions and cilantro.

kindergarten school trip

My daughter’s kindergarten class went to Telus Spark this wednesday. This is the science centre at Calgary. The school always needs parent volunteers to supervise the children and I was able to go along this time. We had a great time exploring the different science exhibits and also watched a planetarium show at the Dome Theatre.

My interest in space was ignited when an igloo shape planetarium visited our school when I was in grade 3. Our children are extremely lucky to have exposure to much better technology and such trips help highlight the importance of science in our everyday life. Also, whenever I volunteer at the school, I appreciate the infinite patience teachers are gifted with!

Pineapple Dessert

For the dinner on Monday, I tried a super easy pineapple dessert recipe from Kay’s Caramelized Confessions. I have always been lazy with desserts and end up getting something from the bakery. However, recently I have been trying to make desserts on my own and this recipe didn’t require any cooking and only assembly. Do try it for the next lunch/dinner you host!

Snapchat

Hope you enjoyed this gupshup and general catching up. I will try and do this weekly. Till then add me on snapchat either by username: urdumom or the snapcode below. I talk about similar things there also.

Would love to hear back from you also on how your week was! Goodbye from Gupshup Friday for now!