Discovery

One month left till I leave Pakistan. The closer this day is, the more I think of what I will miss in this country…

Shalwar Kameez (Pakistan national dress). They are for sure on top of the list! I have around 10 of them, and each is the only one in the whole world. When making my clothes over here, I can choose any color, style, design, add any details that I want. Such a common and not expensive way to be unique and express my identity.

Randomness. I meet a person at the airport and go to his family dinner in a same day, and it’s been one year since I am friends with them. I go on the street, and see cars, rickshaws, donkeys, and a lot of people - all rooming around in different directions with insane amount of noise. I talk to people and the topic of conversation changes three times in 2 minutes without any possible logic! This randomness might be really annoying at times, but it gives so much freedom and make me laugh at my surroundings and myself.

Karachi Mansion. Someone said our ‘mansion’ looks like a student dorm. Indeed, I sleep on the mattress on the floor (I like it this way) and warm up milk in the frying pan (the other pan is used for some other food at the moment). We used to wash our clothes by hands, then we got a washing machine and now water appears on the floor from ‘nowhere’. However we are lucky to have such nice people over there who make this house what it really is and what I will miss for the next … years, if not my entire life.

A view from a balcony. I like standing on a balcony in the evenings when thousands of lights appear in the darkness, making sand-color buildings even lighter in the night. There are usually no stars, but the lights, palms and sea breeze do the trick, and I get to think of all best things in the world.

Zamzama park. Parks are not very popular in Pakistan. Especially in Karachi which is quite dry, not very green city. But this one is fantastic. Zamzama park is located 5 min from my house, costs 5 Rupees per entry, and with all these makes life so much better! It has got roads for jogging where you can see how much kilometres you’ve done, it has got milk shakes and benches. Big circles on the side are used for jogging, but the space in the middle has entirely different environment. One can see children playing ground, a small praying area, tents for ‘couples’ (at least they look like it!), huge palm trees and monuments. Everyone could find its own space and fun.

Rickshaw rides. Small and noisy boxes with adventurous Pakistani drivers usually traveling without shoes and the sense of order. Lahori ‘green’ rickshaw are better for environment and have doors, really nice. I like talking to rickshaw drivers in Urdu too. I don’t know what to miss in them, but it’s difficult to imagine how to live without them.

Desi (local) restaurants. Plastic chairs and tables. Sometimes they have tables with pillows where you can sit without shoes. Loads of people talking and laughing. Waiters running around. Delicious meat:) eating with hands. Eating so much that can’t stand up, but still going for ice-cream after.

Azaan (call for prayer). I can hear it 5 times a day. Each time it comes from different mosques around the area. It is loud, but very peaceful sound that calms my thoughts and make me listen. I love azaan in the morning (5am) and in the night, when I am walking in a park or standing on a balcony.

These are some of the things I will for sure remember and miss from Pakistan. I feel there are some more which I’ll definitely share some other time, maybe when actually being away.