Ho hum, another day comes to a close in the hellfire that is Karachi in the summer. In order to experience the true meaning of these words one needs to travel to this part of the world and enjoy 40 C heat in its full glory with 90% humidity and sans electricity.
However it is not just the heat that has been getting to me for the past week. I have all but given up on our politicians to bring about some, if any change in the bleak landscape that our countries leadership has become. They are too busy quibbling and they usually prefer to do so in the air conditioned hotels of Dubai or the Air conditioned living rooms of London. Which in itself tells one all. As those who cannot even bother to suffer with us in the summer cannot really be expected to feel our pain and heal our suffering.
Sadder still is the picture that our sporting hero’s are turning out to be. As even I in my limited knowledge of such things know that absolutely no one takes drugs even close to the Middle East on their person. Simply because the penalty for such a crime in those parts is death.
I sometimes just aimlessly sit and wander the web on far off places and cities. I wonder if people sit and do this about Karachi as well, do people in England ever wonder how the beaches are over here or the seafood? When I engage in this exercise however one thing becomes quite clear, that that our city lacks nothing except for good governance. Its people are energetic, creative and superb at improvising. Its history is unique and long, its food delicious and its art enthralling. However we cannot share it with the world as easily as perhaps Jaipur could because of the security situation here. Or what I might say is the perceived security situation. Yes I do often get a call from one of my friends in the west that just saw the latest documentary on the hellhole that is Pakistan and got worried about me and my family. Funny thing is its not so bad at all if one is living here.
On a positive note however the mango season is here! And if you want to experience the sweetest most mouth watering varieties of mango’s this is the time. I personally drink diet coke all year just so I can have a few extra inches in my waistline added when this season swings around. The entire cities roads and lanes resonate with the scent of beautiful golden mangoes piled on pushcarts trucks, in cars and on various 100’s of fruit stalls everywhere. Very soon the feast shall begin, and we are going to have mango parties everywhere. Which by the way is a bunch of people getting together and eating iced mangoes of 20 different varieties, till they pass out or upset their stomachs.
So here is to the summer, to mangoes & the lush blue green waves of the Arabian and to hope, for without hope we would just be reduced to loathing eh?
Great piece, Faisal. Your words really do make me try to imagine the lush blue green waves of the Arabian; I think it’s very easy to imagine Pakistan as all heat and dust if you’ve never been there. In England there’s a tendency to pine for warm oceans – and also a ready supply of cold beer. Which is probably why Pakistan doesn’t feature in many holiday brochures! Sadly, we’re not a nation of venturer princes, but a nation of drunks.