The city’s markets are awash with winter clothing and heaters, both gas and electric. PHOTO: MUHAMMAD JAVAID/EXPRESS
The colours of the capital can already be seen changing as fall rids the lush green trees of leaves and with the advent of winters. Lately, the markets around here have also caught up.
New seasons are welcomed in different ways the world over. Designers introduce new clothing lines, flower shops overhaul their inventories and stock species that can resist cold, food outlets introduce foods to warm your insides and so on.
“Winter is best for us because due to the drop in mercury, our sales rises manifold. To keep themselves warm, people munch on almonds, pistachios and pine nuts. These items are also used in various winter delicacies,” said a dry fruit vendor Munir in Blue Area who also added that due to high inflation, they could not avoid raising their prices by much as it might lead to reduced sales this year.
The streets in the markets are flooded with carts of second-hand winter wear for the same reasons. Imported sweaters, jackets and coats have price tags that are far beyond the reach of ordinary citizens, while the quality of locally-made clothing is not even good enough, according to some, to last a single winter.
“I have made several trips to the Sunday market in G-6 and have checked out several roadside carts as well in order to get a few sweaters for the cold season. Instead of buying cheap Chinese-wear, I would rather buy used, branded Italian clothes,” which according to pizza delivery man Salman outlasts the former.
Almost all the electronics shops have put various models of gas, electric and hybrid heaters on display, but soaring electricity and gas prices seems to be keeping people away. On the contrary, certain new products have become instant hot sellers. Solar geysers, central heating systems that uses one small burner to provide heat to multiple rooms through water-based radiators, oil-based heaters that takes more time to cool down once turned off and other such unorthodox devices, by Pakistani standards, are in demand.
“Although the initial price of these devices is higher than the normal heaters and geysers, the trend of moving towards them will not just prove economical in the long run will also help us fight the menace of global warming,” informed Bilal who was getting a solar geyser loaded to his car. “This is free water heating for all of the winters to come. No bills, no fuss.”
Although ice cream sales will hit a low, coffee, haleem, soup and gajar ka halwa outlets can already be seen replacing cones and sodas at the local fast food outlets, while at the restaurants, the demand for fish-based dishes will take over from the usual chicken offerings on the menus.
The police officials on duty at traffic signals and pickets also seem to be happy about the change in temperature.
“The most we can do in the scorching heat of summer is to find a refuge under an umbrella’s shade which doesn’t make for much relief. On the other hand, we can beat the winter cold with leg warmers, sweaters, jackets and gloves,” said Ashraf, a traffic official deployed at one of the city’s busiest signals. “We can actually be comfortable while performing our duties in the cold.”
Bringing a sense of joy to the sunburnt and the load-shedding hit alike, the winter has also brought its usual share of sore throats, blocked sinuses and flu virus. Doctors advise leafy vegetable and a replenished medicine cabinet for the sniffles. Consuming foods rich in vitamin D — including cod liver oil and dairy products can also be helpful to make up for the time spent at home — away from the sun.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 17th, 2013.
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