MY FAVOURITE COUPLE
*this is an assignment purpose blog
We all grow up listening to stories of our Parents and Grand Parents Childhood and Youth, and relate them to our selves, and see the difference what we will be having to tell tou our next generations. Alot has changed like culture, life style, needs and preferences. Life today is fast, so to know how was it earlier in times i sat down with my Nana & Nano and had a chance to know how was life back then.
My Nana Belongs to a Landlord/Political Family, whose ancestors were from Afghanistan and migrated and settled in KhanGarh (My Village In Lower Punjab) pre partition, My Nana’s GrandFather purchased a huge area of land, after which the viceroy gave him the title of Nawab. Nana was born in the same village in a sibling set of 8 and was raised up there till he recalls that he went to some school, but his formal memory begins from Sadiq Public School Bahawalpur where he started from Junior school and did higher studies, he mentions he was admitted to summer camp every year, due to which he could only come Home, in Winters and Spring Breaks, I even asked him, did your Family intentionally wanted you to stay away? And he said dont know but this was the trend back then. At School he says there were options of multiple games and he opted for football in the early age, so the routine was school, football, hostel, Repeat! After passing out from school he Enrolled himself in BA in Political Science, tho he said I started with engineering and soon realised it wasnt his cup of tea.
While Nano was born in Lahore to A family whose native buisness was trade, being the youngest among the siblings she says she was alot pampered by her Mother and Father, she went for schooling to school at that time where all her brothers and sisters went, she mentions once her father planned to shift all his children to an upgraded English Medium School and the tutor who used to teach them mocked the english mediums so much that the parents cancelled the program, and ge did that only because he didnt knew english very much so the tution does not go out of hand he brainwashed the parents, she says their usuall routine was how every house has but on every sunday untill her Mother was alive, all the close relatives were invited for a Quran-Khaani and then Lunch and later they all played cricket, two of her elder brothers became captains and choose their teams, she also recalls how in winters one of her elder brother used to steal them extra dryfruits from her mothers closet, she mentioned her mom was a deciplined lady who always maintained the dinning table dicipline with proper table manners. Education of Quran, A Tutor after school were compulsory. She mentioned an incident when their Tanga Slipped and all they (Brothers & Sisters) felt on their way to School and were shouting and screaming “Abba Ji… Abba Ji!” To give and idea how much they loved their father, while usually ppl scream for mothers.
My Nana and Nano’s Families were Friends since pre partition, Nana even mentioned he had been to Nano’s place even when she wasnt born. They said there Marriage was a completly arranged one. Though i had a Laugh with saying, “Why Emphasis On ‘Completely’, we never Doubted”. But later they mentioned at that time it was Parda System. Nano left studying in mid high school and Nana had done his intermediate when they had their Nikkah done, and when Nana graduated, They Got Married a month later. After Marriage, they 3 children, 2 Daughters and 1 son, and they live cutely together today, i always adore their couple alot, and would love to spend my life with my partner the way they had. I Pray for their Longer, Healthier and Happier Life. (Ameen).
TACTILE TEXTILES
Food and Apparell has been something that has walked parallel with mankind since the very begining and both have evolved alot with the industrial growth. With development everyday, it urges us to think what has changed to what? A few decades back, things weren’t the same, with technology everthing has flattened out alot. We today live in the world of digital prints while back then textiles had tactile properties instead of visual. Silk, Flat Crepe, Shanghai, Tissue, Kamkhawab, Layla, Velvet, Gota, Hand Embroideries, Block Prints, Mukesh were rage in trend in the era for womenswear, with silhoutte being ethnic and symetrical. My Nano is somebody emphasis on dressing in this part of her life so I can expect her to be very fashion concious back then. She added, Sari, Flappers, Ankle Fitted Shalwars, PIA Pajamas, Short Shirts with no cuts used to be her favourites, school uniforms we as boring as always, with white shalwar qameez and sashes varying acoording to the classes. Hair styles had fredom, so she used to back comb with high puffs and juras majority times. For wedding day she opted for a Red Hand Embroided Pishwas, Bottle Green Pajama and a Red Gota worked Viel Duppata, and a Saleem Shahi (Khussa). While explaining her ensemble she said, “Something Similar To What Umrao Jaan Ada Wore” (Laughs). For walima she had a tea pink tissue gharara, shirt and duppata all hand emroided. And as every thing changes with age and time, today she prefers a decent shalwar qameez, perfectly matching Shoes and Bags and yes with a matching Tasbeeh.
70’s is considered as an important era in fashion for men and women. Though the silhouette have always been different between east and west but the genres have been similar. Nana discribes his time dresses included fitted pants, big collar and lapels which we today consider larger then life, pointed toe shoes and later arrived the cut toe, but his all time favourite were long shoes. Fabrics for men involved, Tuede, Caroline, Wool, Micro Check, Cotton, Khaadi, Khadar, Brocade, Boaski & other varities of weaved fabrics. The school uni forms for Nana, were 4 different outfits aday, White Shalwar Qameez for the Morning Prayer, then Blue Shorts, White Shirt and PT Shoes for the daily Drill, followed by Class uniform of khaki pants, white shirt Brown Shoes for summers and Grey Pants, White Shirt, Blue Blazer and Black Shoes for winters. And by the end of the day A Sleeping Suit. Talking about the Uniform He mentions, “Maintaining Discipline in these outfits was mandatory, rather PT as punishment was imposed”. And for Jummah Prayer, white shalwar, black Achkan and a Jinnah Cap was Cumpolsory. His wedding outfit included Black Brocade Achkan and a Qulla, while for Valima he chose a Striped Suit stiched from Rancon Store on Mall Road with a Silk Tie and Pocket Square. Today he wears Matt shaded Shalwar Qameez with Loafers, Matching Blazers, Sweaters, Scarf and a Cap.
COVERS
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