Two weeks ago, I returned from Pakistan. It was the most
enthralling locale I visited this summer.
Yet, I have delayed putting my experiences into words . So much
went on during those ten days.
The last time I wrote about Pakistan I wondered which aspect of Karachi I would see. I guess that is the best place to start.
I stayed with a family in the city's Defense Housing Authority. Upon arriving at their home I felt as if I could be a version Los Angeles with more servants. Then I took first trip from my hosts' walled compound. We went to the tomb of the country's founder, Jinnah. As we drove through Ramazan traffic I redefined my idea of bad congestion. Cars stopped as peddlers allowed their monkeys to entertain grid locked commuters. Karachi became a completely new world as we headed back to Defense.
Later, I experienced other elements of my hosts' Karachi: rowing at the exclusive Karachi Boat Club; organic and Mediterranean restaurants. From the journalist who explained some Pakistani cultural mindsets , to the student who provided insight into Karachi'ite university life, to my host famly's children who highlighted practical details of life in the city. I gradually came to get my bearings in this immense metropolis.
Defense is clearly influenced by the west. But, I also got a feeling for the neighborhood's more traditional side. It pays to stay inconspicuous in Pakistan. One night I stayed up through the morning at a local tea house. Members of Pakistani political families lamented the situation of their country. But, I also could hear their pride at being Desi. It was encouraging to be surrounded by such awareness of the present and hope for the future at the same time.
During some trips through the city my hosts strongly suggested I sit in the back of the car. These parts were not safe for foreigners. I took lunch with a family in one of these neighborhoods as an honored guest. I didn't feel unsafe. A bomb recently went off in the vicinity.
It would not have been prudent for me to see some of Karachi's lower strata. But, the same is true in my home city of LA. I am taken by how similar the two cities turned out to be in some ways .
Maybe the Karachi I experienced was already pre-determined. The world you are born into determines the world you come to know. If this is true, then the city I saw is indeed 'my' Karachi.
Still, I still feel as if I've only scratched the surface. I look forward to expanding my perception of Karachi and Pakistan in the future. As I continue my travels, I will not forget the nation I've experienced. The faces and reality of a people.
The last time I wrote about Pakistan I wondered which aspect of Karachi I would see. I guess that is the best place to start.
I stayed with a family in the city's Defense Housing Authority. Upon arriving at their home I felt as if I could be a version Los Angeles with more servants. Then I took first trip from my hosts' walled compound. We went to the tomb of the country's founder, Jinnah. As we drove through Ramazan traffic I redefined my idea of bad congestion. Cars stopped as peddlers allowed their monkeys to entertain grid locked commuters. Karachi became a completely new world as we headed back to Defense.
Later, I experienced other elements of my hosts' Karachi: rowing at the exclusive Karachi Boat Club; organic and Mediterranean restaurants. From the journalist who explained some Pakistani cultural mindsets , to the student who provided insight into Karachi'ite university life, to my host famly's children who highlighted practical details of life in the city. I gradually came to get my bearings in this immense metropolis.
Defense is clearly influenced by the west. But, I also got a feeling for the neighborhood's more traditional side. It pays to stay inconspicuous in Pakistan. One night I stayed up through the morning at a local tea house. Members of Pakistani political families lamented the situation of their country. But, I also could hear their pride at being Desi. It was encouraging to be surrounded by such awareness of the present and hope for the future at the same time.
During some trips through the city my hosts strongly suggested I sit in the back of the car. These parts were not safe for foreigners. I took lunch with a family in one of these neighborhoods as an honored guest. I didn't feel unsafe. A bomb recently went off in the vicinity.
It would not have been prudent for me to see some of Karachi's lower strata. But, the same is true in my home city of LA. I am taken by how similar the two cities turned out to be in some ways .
Maybe the Karachi I experienced was already pre-determined. The world you are born into determines the world you come to know. If this is true, then the city I saw is indeed 'my' Karachi.
Still, I still feel as if I've only scratched the surface. I look forward to expanding my perception of Karachi and Pakistan in the future. As I continue my travels, I will not forget the nation I've experienced. The faces and reality of a people.
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