TPR Pod

The great Hafsa Khawaja is finally on the podcast. Despite our stated goal of not talking about ISSUES, Pakistan's continued spiral has recently left us no choice. But if we must talk about Pakistan's issues, we need the right people and the recent political turmoil leaves no better person than Hafsa, a teaching fellow at LUMS focusing on Pakistan Studies and the Politics of South Asia.

Hafsa's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hafsa_Khawaja

Hafsa's article in Dawn on the current crisis and 1971: https://www.dawn.com/news/1753896/stop-equating-recent-events-with-1971-period

We first had Jatin on the show way back in Pod 66 for a Jinn Stories episode right after his horror story tweets had gone viral. In just two short years, he's gone from there to having an excellent book out as well as an extremely well done horror podcast. We had to get him on and talk about that journey.

Here for you, and for us, once again.

Things discussed in this episode:

00:00 We’re not talking about Guardians of the Galaxy 3

06:57 Thor 4 was absolutely trash

11:03 Comparing Guardians to Suicide Squad, talking about new DC movies coming up

18:00 Serving kv(subway)nt

AUDIENCE QUESTIONS

25:47 What do we spend too much money on?

32:53 When to end a friendship?

35:30 Do we prefer our 20s or our 30s?

38:37 What food could we eat everyday? Also is “heek” an issue?

45:22 Do we ever rage punch stuff? Also, random slang from our lives

50:04 Karachi vs Lahore vs Dubai for Rizwan so you know the vibe

55:20 What does Rizwan like to eat in Lahore

57:56 Random stuff

1:00:43 A death in the family [explicit]

1:24:59 Anyway, about TikTok

1:27:39 Some news about the future

LINKS:

Fresh Finds PK: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DXd0Rasy4eR1v

Pakistani Indie Rising: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX30DGof92rQX

Nayi Bars: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWYwEKCAVGtST

EQUAL Pakistan: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DXdpfEkksq5CO

Radar Pakistan: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWU6NlIeT95t9

desi lofi: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWWlfVnonJ8S6

We missed April but we're back with the May'23 Hamnawa Select playlist and Roundup!

Things discussed in this episode:

00:00 Intro, been a while since the previous, also the playlists keep getting bigger

02:30 Fasana by JANI & Jokhay

06:24 Songs in Urdu by people from not necessarily Urdu-speaking backgrounds

10:48 Beqadra by Nehaal Naseem, mainstream pop vs drama OSTs

17:11 Kuch Nahi Hua by Eva B, disagreements about her vibe, agreements about this song

24:23 Left Right by Ali Sethi, Abdullah Siddiqui, Maanu & Shae Gill - the Lahore crew

29:37 Ali Sethi & Dilji Dosanjh at Coachella - representation, performances, future

35:53 Outro

LINKS:

Hamnawa Select May'23 playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4i8tRX0WbTVGzWBEfuUyzv

Hamnawa's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hamnawa_net/

Things discussed in this episode:

00:00 Intro - who is Ammar why is he here

04:18 - “Pakistan is going to default” - what does that mean & how that will just be the beginning of the downward spiral

13:23 If so many politicians are agricultural landowners, why aren’t policies better?

19:42 Why smuggling is at an all-time high

23:35 The informal/cash-based economy is at 800 billion rupees. Why this is, and what it causes

30:12 How demonetization can help the cash-based economy crisis, why politicians won’t support it

37:00 Import bans & subsidies - seem like good ideas, only if you don’t think about them

42:46 Are the people in charge really so incompetent?

47:59 How disconnected the elites in charge are from the reality of the majority

55:35 The problems that need solving are basic in the extreme, if only they are recognized

1:01:55 The only hope is that the solutions to the problems are not novel and there are clear examples in other countries

1:07:07 Quick Islamabad review and outro

LINKS:

Ammar's Twitter: https://twitter.com/rogueonomist

His article: https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/03/12/where-theres-a-way-theres-no-will/

Support the podcast by becoming a monthly patron on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/tprpod) or send a one-off token on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/tprpod)!

Now that all the live recorded episodes from earlier in the year are done, lets get back to some silliness.

Many thanks to brother Kazi without whom this episode wouldn't have been possible. And also to Zarak for sitting and connecting us to Zaryan!

00:00 We’re in a kitchen! Setting up & introducing the episode

04:26 Zaryan comes from a family of artists & cooks going back generations

10:28 From interning at the Sheraton to getting into culinary school, 2000s Karachi food scene

17:12 INTERLUDE on people liking specific flavors only, cultural hegemony, baseless ego in our society

27:05 Zaryan’s close relationship with his mother, being the favourite child

29:50 Getting a job right out of culinary school at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai

37:00 Tiring of Dubai, considering other options, making time to learn about his industry

41:39 INTERLUDE on Pakistanis not being open to the idea of criticism, despite rising desolation all around

47:28 Coming back to Pakistan, working at Aylanto, comparing food industry systems abroad to chaos back home

58:58 Short stint in Islamabad and quick segment talking about his gaming hobby

1:02:54 The terrible state of produce and ingredients in Pakistan - cows eating garbage, all expect damaged produce being exported, destructive practices & inept systems

1:10:39 Starting up Kudu, his first self-owned restaurant, and the ideas and practices behind it

1:15:09 People getting in the restaurant business, and other businesses, primarily/solely for profits

1:20:57 The produce is not great, the systems are terrible, what about people and their taste? Also bad

1:25:43 Why is Pakistan so unclean? Maybe because the nation feels robbed of hope and control

1:31:40 Of course we asked him about rude local Facebook food groups, of course they are trash

1:39:49 People being rude to the staff, truly disgusting no matter the situation

1:44:34 INTERLUDE on the kitchen running with his moods

1:47:47 His vision for the future, an industry where people try and work with instead of against one another

2:04:47 Outro, links, message to the people of the world

Zaryan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chef_zaryan_turab/

Support the podcast by becoming a monthly patron on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/tprpod) or send a one-off token on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/tprpod)!