The city I want to talk about today is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Sweden. But this city also has a history that is unforgettable. I am talking about Sundsvall.

The city center of Sundsvall is called "Stenstan" in Swedish, which means "City of Stone." You might wonder why it’s called that and that’s where my research began. I discovered a painful event in history.

On January 25, 1888, a major fire broke out in Sundsvall. The Midsummer celebration had just ended, there were no clouds in the sky and it hadn’t rained for 14 days. The temperature was 28 degrees and there was a strong wind from the west.

Around noon, a spark from a steamboat on the river ignited the dry grass and soon flames were rising. The church bells started ringing, but despite all efforts the entire city was reduced to ashes in a few hours. The fire spread so fast that everything was destroyed in just nine hours. Five people lost their lives and 9,000 people became homeless.

After learning about this tragic event, we decided to visit Sundsvall and see the city from a different perspective.

The property damage at that time was estimated at around 30 million Swedish krona, making it the biggest fire in Sweden’s history. Sundsvall was rebuilt using stone, which is why it is now known as "Stenstan" or "City of Stone."

This event is a reminder that if a nation is determined and courageous, it can rebuild itself after any difficulty. If you want to know more about the incident, search for "Sundsvallsbranden" on Google.

After exploring the city, we headed to Norra Berget, a hilly area where you can see the entire city of Sundsvall from a height. The view was breathtaking and gave us a sense of the city's resilience and beauty.

It was an interesting and beautiful trip to start the summer. Sundsvall’s history and its stunning views made it a memorable journey.

Inside the restaurant, it was decorated in an Indian style, with colorful curtains, lamps and things that reminded us of India. Everyone, even the chef who was the owner was very friendly and asked us how the food tasted several times.

Honestly, the visit changed my mind about the restaurant. I didn't expect the food to be good but now I don't regret trying it at all.

We ordered four different dishes:

1. Malai Chicken Garlic Sizzler: It was very tender with a perfect garlic taste. It came with stir-fried veggies like bell peppers, zucchini and onions. The sauce was a bit sweet which we usually don't like but strangely, it tasted good with our garlic chicken.

2. Prawn Masala: The curry it was cooked in was nicely spiced and the prawns were so soft you didn't need much effort to eat them.

3. Chicken Karahi: It was a tasty, spicy curry with veggies and grilled chicken pieces in the sauce. It had a different taste, not too sweet and not too spicy.

4. My favorite was the Papaya lamb curry. It had a rich, thick curry sauce with authentic Indian flavors. It was a bit spicy, but the mix of lamb and papaya made it incredibly fantastic.

I also want to mention the naan bread—they were big and well-cooked, so they didn't get dry while we were eating.
.......................................................................................................................................
I previously posted this video on an Instagram reel and the text is translated from my Swedish Google review.

MOMOs here are often deep-fried and the thick dough didn't excite me after steaming. In Karachi they are selling dumplings, but they're not real MOMOs. It's like serving Pilaf in the name of Biryani.

Fortunately, I came across a food stall in Hussainabad, H&H, run by Mr. Jamil where they served the best MOMOs in the city. However, there was one thing missing “the authentic MOMO chutney”. On my first visit I noticed that even though he had the best MOMOs, his stall wasn't as busy as others. The excitement and action were missing.

I made a choice and shared my mom's chutney recipe with H&H's Jamil bhai. They had the best MOMOs, and if they had this chutney, it would be perfect. We prepared the chutney at home, offered free tastings and people loved it. Finally, I shared the recipe with Jamil bhai. Hoping that when I return to Pakistan next year, this chutney will be available all over Karachi.

Big thanks to @shrazi @rosecane @nazneen-ansari and Mehreen for helping me to execute this experiment.

This year things were different. I found myself swamped with work projects, making it nearly impossible to dedicate the time needed to plan the grand surprise I had envisioned. I can't reveal my original plan here because my wife is an avid reader of my blog. What I managed to do this year was still incredibly special and I am excited to share the unforgettable weekend experience with all of you.

Work, Love and Surprises

With only four days left before her birthday, I made a spontaneous decision to organise a surprise grill party in a serene and natural setting.

A friend and colleague of mine suggested a spot in Hässelby, a location I was initially sceptical about since I was familiar with its bustling crowds on weekends. But he assured me that he knew of a hidden gem, a truly beautiful place untouched by the usual crowds. I decided to check it out. After work that same day we headed to the location he recommended. The place had everything we needed for the perfect celebration: a designated barbecue area, a picturesque tree, comfortable benches, and even a serene waterside view. Despite its charm, a nagging sixth sense cautioned me about the difficulty of securing such a coveted spot on a busy weekend. Despite my reservations I reached out to my closest friends and extended them invitations to the surprise birthday party and to my delight they all confirmed their attendance without hesitation.

Once we had finalised the party location, we headed to Vinsta Gross, an oriental grocery shop conveniently located near my residence. Knowing they had a meat section, I approached them with a special request to prepare ready-to-barbecue chicken and kebab skewers. I also placed an order for Pakistani salad from Anmol, a local restaurant known for its delicious offerings.

To ensure everything was fresh, we decided to buy the coal, wood, and any other necessary supplies on the same day when we picked up the skewers. Excitement filled the air as we anticipated the flavoursome feast that awaited us at the surprise grill party.

CELEBRATION DAY

On Saturday, I informed my wife and kids that we would be celebrating her birthday on Sunday in a beautiful natural setting near the waterside, where we would enjoy Pakistani tea made over a wood fire. But on Sunday when just as my family was ready to leave I informed them that I received a client call who had urgent issues with their digital signage and I needed to address it. This kind of situation was not uncommon for my family as they were aware of the demands of my work, so nobody suspected anything unusual. I asked my sons, Hamza and Saif, to accompany me, which was also normal since I often took them to my workplace and meetings.

In order to carry out the surprise party, I left home under the pretence of attending to the client's issue. I made a stop at Vinsta Gross, where my friend met me, and together we picked up the prepared skewers and gathered the necessary supplies such as coal, wood, drinks, and disposable plates and cups. I also called another friend and requested his help in bringing the salad from Anmol restaurant, which I had previously ordered.

UNEXPECTED CHANGE

Everything was going according to plan. But I was disappointed to find that our chosen spot was occupied. When we reached our chosen spot we were disappointed to find it was already occupied. My mood quickly shifted to frustration and anger. I asked them respectfully if they would agree to share the space, but they reacted aggressively, making it obvious that sitting next to them was not an option. It was already 10:30 am and I had invited my friends to arrive here at 11 am. I immediately told them where we had to go after changing the plan.

Fortunately, my colleague was familiar with another peaceful and beautiful spot just 15 minutes away from our current location. I shared the new coordinates with everyone and hurriedly set up everything at the new site, hoping that the unexpected change wouldn't dampen the excitement and joy of the surprise birthday party.

Finding myself in an awkward situation, especially with two of my friends lacking transportation, presented a challenge. One friend had already arrived at the previous location by taxi. Anyway, everyone was able to get to the new location after some coordination and a little bit of a rush.

I called my wife and told her that on my way home I found a great place but I don't have a car. So, better you come here and I shared my live location with her. It was only a 10 minute drive from our flat.

Given our normal routine and the absence of any suspicious behaviour, she arrived without suspecting a thing.

As she walked a mere three minutes from the parking area, she spotted familiar faces and a smile instantly illuminated her face. Everyone was surprised at how I had managed to arrange the food, crockery, and everything else secretly, adding an extra element of wonder to the surprise.

The joy and astonishment on their faces made all the effort and unexpected challenges worthwhile, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for successfully orchestrating such a memorable surprise for my wife's birthday.

The kebabs and chicken turned out to be absolutely delicious, exceeding everyone's expectations. Amidst the excitement, I had completely forgotten to bring a cake for the birthday celebration. However, my relief was palpable when I spotted my colleague approaching with a beautifully decorated cake in hand.

We all indulged in the scrumptious food, savoring every bite. The cake brought an extra element of sweetness to the occasion.

As we enjoyed our meal, tea, and cake, a remarkable incident caught my attention. I noticed a talented individual passing by with a Saaz, a traditional musical instrument. I asked my son Saif to approach him and see if he is interested in playing for us. Surprisingly, he agreed wholeheartedly and began to serenade us with his mesmerizing music.

In a heartfelt gesture, he even composed a song on the spot, incorporating my wife's name into the lyrics. It was a truly enchanting moment that added a unique touch to the birthday celebration.

The rest of the day was filled with laughter, heartfelt conversations and memorable moments shared among friends and family. The surprise grill party turned out to be a resounding success, surpassing all expectations despite the initial hurdles.