1an 1n

shado111 011d meaning.from the ct11111bli11g po1JJder ef charcoal and tbe q11iueti11g, spreadi11g streak of black India ink To I/latch 1llJ tn/Jf/face gr01vfrom curving lines as l sat across_fiw11 be,; lo see to11es ef reflected dayligbt b/00111 011 llfJ cheeks as she nrhbed ,wmd and ro1J11d. .it 1vas 111es!llerir.

Th e paintings depicted an aerial view of a street. A brid al pr ocession snak ed its way d own houses garlan ded with shimm erin g fairy lights. Men on horses, a crimso n red and gold palanquin , a .firework frozen in mid-air, drummers adorned in sil k, and ther e were people l ike me who danced their way down a p ainte d street. O n e could see vendors heaving laden carts of amulets and souvenirs, beggars sprawled on the street, an d a boy gazing at the skyline - aU radiating a spectrum of c o lours

"The less a pait1ti11g co11tains, !be 1110Tf the content co1mmmirates," sbe co11tinfled.

'1t} lih! a blank p,,inting sqp as 11111ch a.ran i11tticate!J painted canvas". I smiled at her rl'!1i!e !tying to 11J1la11gle the !/leaning of what she'd just Jaid.

J mrned to the woi:ke rs. They were astounded b y the artwork's intricate perfection; ir was unlike anyd1ing they'd ever seen o n a Karachi bus. They plunged into t he commotio n of a city that never slept, one d1at transformed inro a luminous spectacl e wid1 harm onic music aud inviting crowds. It may have been certain circwnstan ces involving lovingly harboured delusio n s that real]y punctuated this Jove of a place They scurded away, w hispering the implausibility of Mr C h ana aUowing me to direct the pa.in ring of a bus as my first project. Strand s of nunbling clouds leaned in to hear th e conversation.

My eyes travelled across rhe panel s, looking fo r som e minute detail I'd left out. D rain ed , I propped d1em against d1e yard wall while Mr Cha na remained in his offi ce, slnrpiog his en dless cups of tea I wand ered o u tside into d1e wor kshops, passing men \Vith welding guns and m etal cutters, fash ioning velvet tapestries and mirrors onto buses l'v[adly caree ring buses paraded down Karachi's streets, each a moving gaUery of images d1ac exhibi ted religious iconograph y, vol u ptuous wome n reclining in garde n s of pillars, a nd proverbs written with ornate calligraphy. Peacocks, flora in full b loom, veiled faces of women with coy kohl -rimmed eyes; d1ese were recognised images in che language of bus-art. Bus own ers paid srnaU fortunes for d1eir vehicles to be decorated. I imagin ed j\,fr Cha.na's response co my panels; l picnrred my bus bei ng whi spered abour on the streets more wo r k o rd ers would come in. She took me 011!far a drink for tbe Jii,t time. O11r teeth clattered t1gait1st 111arti11iglasses repeated!J, 11rgentf;1 lik.e 111e 111ere hying to reach c1 goal. TI 1110s no! even abolfl the d1i11k, bHI the orchestral sfOIJ' that H11folded, which l rond11cterl in 1"t1pt11re I even ate the .rk.ei11ered olive. When "D' 111011th jin7Jled that peifect 'o' - tbe drea111 qf polished fl.001,, ballroom d,wcing and the gentle sl/lish ef e111broidendJah,ic f/oflrished

'Hi, I don't think Ti11trot!Hced ll!J.relf, I'm A bd1JI''. Sbe took "D'Proffered band in her cool pal,11 a11d held it i11 a 11!'!)' T imagined mggestive. ':Aisha," she said, looking amused as if l 'd done something particular!)' sil!J. ' 'Tf>'hat} the poi11t ef it," she began, "[t} allfarfi1me thry all end 11p 111here th~)' ve start,edjiw11 Ol!JIP'!)\ don'!)'OH think?" She llfmed to 111e ,md l s111iled )}Jeak(y

"Hey rou!" I nu necl to see one of the men from the workshop. "]\fr Ch ana wants you in h is office," he said su.llenly, b efore walking off I followed with a kno t of anticipation in m y stomach. I barel y observed the m a n who stood sternly in ]\fr Chana's doorway. His watch lit the room, and fumes from his cigarette hung in the air. l didn't know how long I stood before he n oticed me.

"Hd/be doing fl(J bus?" a s ked the man sceptically.

"Yes, sir. He looks young, but h as sucb skjl/ at a tender age," Mr Chana was assuring. "And and h e's cl1eaper than the other m en " his voice trai led off h o p efu.lly. Widtin m inutes I was n odding at Mr Chana's request co bri ng in the pan els fo r display. 1 leapt from the corridor into the yard.

A di scanr sou n d accompanied me as I sprinted d1rough die archway and into th e o p en. I felt m y hair, drenched a nd matted, stick to m y scalp. Me n scw-ried around heaving their woi:k inro d1e shade Chatter suffocated rhe dam pness of the air. Mr Chana and the man approached me, d1eir thunderous voices fading as d1ey sigh ted t he panels.

B lack pa.int ran clown drenched paper, swallowing every colour in i ts wake The wedding procession, the boy gazing at the skylin e, die mrmeric in wo m en's carts, the flickerin g fireworks - surged on to the yard floor.

Some people see thefuture in a ball of blinding 111bite light So111e see the pa.rt in the black cracks between 111oment.r. And me? Tdon't see anytbing ata/1.

Whether you 're voting Lib or Labor (or any

BY , LENA PEACOCK

Wbile us Auss ies : don't get : quite as over- : excited when • . it's election • time as our American friends do, we can take a leaf out of their book when it comes to election themed food. And if yo u're completely over hearing anything about the election by now, why not view it as just another excuse to have a party invo lving lots of delicious food? And i f red (Labor Party) or blue (Liberal Parry) don't quite float your bm1t, just use them as the co lours of the Australian flag.

It's a wrap:The Prime Minister is

These are nice and easy to eat while watching the election on tv, and are so versatile, they can be sni ffed fuJJ of any of your favourite fillings.

Tortillas

4 cups of flour l ¾ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

90g butter

I ¼ cup of water (or a little more if needed)

Red food colouring

Blue food colouring

P lace dry ingredients and butter into a bowl. Using your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the p ieces become the size of peas. Add water until it becomes a soft

• • • • . .

• : dough. Separate dough into three

: balls. Work red food colouring

• inm one of tl1e balls and bl ue into .

• anotl1er. Break each colour into . : about 4 dough baJJs. Roll dough

• baUs into d1in tortillas. Remove .

• excess flour from each tortiJJa as

• : much as possib le. Cook in a non -

: stick pan on medium heat just

• until each side is done - dus won't .

: rake long if you rolled iliem out

: thinly Roll with sandwich fillings,

: or a curry that doesn't have too

: much liquid to it.

:

OTT election beverages

• : Although there are plenty of

• alcoholic versions, here's a child

• : friendly ve rsion, which will

: hopefully keep the election talk

: tempers down.

• Cranberry juice . : t on- alcoholic pina colada

• Blue Gatorade

• .

Make jell y as per instructions on packer. Once red and blue layers have set, combine with chilled layer of condensed milk.

Sweet strawberry voters l punnet of ripe strawberries

1 bag of white choco late melts/ o r chips

I cup of white sugar

I tbsp of milk

1 tbsp of Light corn syrup

Blue food colouring

Cooking paper

Wash and comp letely dry the strawberries. In a pot, simmer

1Octn of \Vater and place a glass or : metal bo\vl on cop of the pot to : create a double boiler. Slowly me lt : half the bag of wlute chocolate.

• : Simply combine ingredients in

• different layers to achieve desired .

• effect.

•

• : Election jelly jiggle time

•

• I box of b lue jell y .

•

• I box of red jelly

• 1 can o f sweetened condensed .

• milk

When r11ey are me lted, remove from heat, and add d1e second half of the chocolate, srin:ing until smooth. Once the white chocolate is completed melted , dip strawbe rries about 3/4 of the way in and then se t on top cooking paper for chocolate co harden.

After you've dipped aJl the strawberries, in a separate bowl,

.

: 111.Lx together the sL1gar, corn

: syrup and n1ilk. Then add as

: n1uch blue food colouring (t\vo

: drops at a tin1e) co get the rig ht

: shade of blue you want. Spoon

: icing into a piping bag (or a i.iplock bag wiili a hole cut in it)

Once chocolate has completely hardened, drizzle the ic in g back and fortl1 on the strawberries unti.J abom half of the white chocolate area is covered.