Don’t Shoot the Messenger

I think Shandana meant to title this essay as “Don’t Shoot the Passenger”.

#39
I just got back from visiting inja and could relate to your observation very well. I could see a mini-stampede developing at every landing. Could simply have been over-active bladders..

Shandana
Great artikul. I could picture everything quite vividly.
Will we have a serialisation of ``The Adventures of Kool Kat & the Dragonflies`` next? -)

Shandana, very pretty. Coming back to Pakistan after a brief vacation is a totally different experience than going back once a year (as is the case with many). The main difference being that one is not bothered with little inconveniences such as chootiyas jumping the immigration cue, because they end up being the last ones to get their bags from the broken carousels anyway. For yearly visitors (such as myself), the excitement of seeing family and friends overweighs the little airport and journey experiences, and to Paki travelers who live in Pakistan, I say, up yours motherfukers. You made your bed, now sleep in it.

Lovely read nonetheless.

Ms Minhas,
Your quality of writing is improving with every article(if that is what it is).

Good Job!

That rude, arrogant, stupid Pakistani man in front of you must be Khamkhwa.

You are too gullible not to mention men staring at you and your vulnerability. When I went to India, men would not stop staring at woman and sometimes I have to just block their view and spit hard to get their attention.

# 40, 41,

Ches amis ! Pourquoi vous les gars confondent les autres membres ici ?

Meilleurs Egards.

Mon frere Ahad,
excuzez moi. Je suis rajput. Donc je suis un peu l`indien. Vous avais de la chance parce que anglais est votre troisieme langue. Je ne vous comprends pas apres ``Habibi Salim.`` :)
Merci pour l`echange de l`idees.

Salut mon Amie Salim !
Anglais ces pas ma langue, Ces ma troisième langue, donc j`ai pas envie ton écrire en anglais, Est que tu est Pédée ?

C`est pas grave, ci tu est un peu pédée de l` inde.

Habibi Salim

Lugatul Anjalazia mafi lisani; Faheemta ya Hemaar !

{``But he would not submit to The Line. “This is the way the system works,” he declared. For five minutes he stood by himself, waiting for a counter to open. Then others began to scuttle into formation behind him, and the snake of self-interest slithered into its loathsome, familiar shape before our very eyes. ``}

Shandana,
How tragically true and how well you have described this familiar representative of typical Paki behavior. Some years ago, on a PIA flight from Pakistan to JFK, I was shocked by the circus-like atmosphere in the plane when we landed. As soon as the tires hit the ground, without any obvious signal from anyone, dozens of people, male and female, stood up to get their luggage and snaked their way to the front for a prompt exit upon arrival at the gate. We were still traveling at a dangerous speed for anyone to attempt a balancing act while trying to hold on to several pieces of luggage. The poor stewardess begged for them to sit down for their own safety and that of those seated. They did not listen. I got up and shouted ``please sit down.`` A number of them returned to their seats, but one big, fat dude used the ``F`` word and asked me why I was worried about his safety and whether I was ``first time`` (sic). I told him that I couldn`t care less for his safety, but was worried about my own should his fat ass fall on me. It was useless to argue with him as he just stood there, adamant to be the first Paki off the plane - a feat that he successfully accomplished. My faith in God was restored, when this rude and selfish gift of Pakistan to the US was still waiting for his luggage to arrive while everyone else moved on to better surroundings.

Ahad {``Last year I aslo first time visited our beloved Country Pakistan ...that there would be good changes happened on that time to our country after 8 years...
Why in the world Desi from indo/pak writes some stuff, it looks like I am reading some of William Shakespeare note or English composition 101 Book. Why they don`t write in simple English and stop writing bloody board bold British bull Blings.``}

Ahad,
So, you spent eight straight years doing kala paani? - No doubt you were overseas specializing in the English language. :)
Why do so many Pakis waste their time on Chowk, when they could be professors teaching English from the Bronx to Potsdam?

Last year I aslo first time visited our beloved Country Pakistan with lots of hopes and imaginations that there would be good changes happened on that time to our country after 8 years but Alas I really very disappointed when reached there no thing have changed a lot expect the peoples. And feel so sorry about them.

I say myself that all the Pakistani will go defiantly to the Heaven, You know why?
Coz they already had Hell experience in Pakistan. (Not kidding.. )

Why Don’t the youth do some thing cool; you are the NeXT generation Coz Now we can’t change our elder thought and behavior who always blame the politician and just talks bullshit and do not thing for the society.

I have seem lot of educated, intelligent and smart youth in Pakistan.
Do you wanna see your kids will have to face the same problems of Electricity, Education, Transportation, Discriminations which We had faced and still facing....

I really SALUTE you to your courage towards education, The Colleges and Universities students in Karachi specially the GIRLS to go in the challenging & worst type of Transportation. That show me ! That you guys have guts to challenge everything in the life

In a Flight

I noticed next seated young girl having Fresh Hina/Mandi on her hand thrilling to meet her husband, and little bite nervous for going in a new environment/ FOB.

A middle aged guy in his 30s sorrowfully read the magazine thinking about his Guree wife and new born ABCD girl and other hind his mother and father health.

Young guys in his 20s electrifying to be new Promised Land as soon as possible and sharing imagination what he saw in the Hollywood/ Bollywood. He will well knows how Seven Eleven, Race Track, McDonalds,, Pizza Hut, What a burger, Wendy`s, Ramada In, motel 6 and 8 and Dollar Store work.

Why in the world Desi from indo/pak writes some stuff, it looks like I am reading some of William Shakespeare note or English composition 101 Book. Why they don`t write in simple English and stop writing bloody board bold British bull Blings.

Next to him, a guy in gray suit & hair in his late 50s who spent half of his life between two culture, country and family for the better future for his children and himself. Made a dream house of his in which he rarely lived. When he is there he feels like a visiting guest. Out of side out of mind.

What does (Tree) ``Daraktoo Main Pasay Augg na`` Means ? Oh if you make a big jump you catch a $100 bill or if you make small jump you catch $20 bill! Right.

Two raw after, an old gentleman asking water to Airhostess; worrying about Shaadi of her Youngs daughters. After noticed a young girl with Mandi which remind him her daughter quote ``I dun wanna Marry any of your weird relative.

There are some ABCD Desi Students Male/Female who studied in great US Collages and universities and came here to visit family and friends enjoyed there trip, criticizing the systems.

A family of 5, Husband, Wife and their kids aged 5, 8 and 12. The little cute desi girl saying to Daddy ``Hi Dad! Why Dada and Dadi were crying at the airport. Did some one hurt them?`` She did not hear all the stories of King and Queen by her gunny yet.

There a Girl guy looking in the sky smiling like a love bird and reading again and again SMS/ Text message on her Mobile phone and smiling a red rose. May be She Found the Mr. Right Desi. Who don`t want to marry Passport/ Peta only?

There are also a old couple in mid 60s; Reading some holy verses and holding each others hands tightly as they were it holding for 30 years, they have fear, in the some time exciting to meet the their Desi Bahoo and grandchildren which they only seen in pictures.

later

Think Global !

Ahad

faisaluno,

his age might be a clue :) i was like that until recently, kids do change things. a couple of months ago an underage driver going at 80 mph banged into the left back seat door of my car. he managed to drag left at the last minute and my car was bigger so my son and baby in the back seat were only shaken sup. it could have had a very different ending. i chased him and managed to get his number. when the police went to the apartment listed as owners addy the woman who answered the door claimed not to have a son. it was only after some not so vieled threats that she admitted it. the kid came over at night with his father and uncle to apologise. the father said, when asked why the kid had his car keys, that he had stolen them while he was praying. when pushed further he said everybody did it.

in the first three years of his life my son has had gastro too many times to count. i`ve had to rush him to emergency with 106 temperature.

those are just examples of what exactly it is about the third world lifestyle i`m having issues with. whether i can wear sleeveless baby t`s on the street is of no interest to me.

#34
[i was stuck by his optimism]

Should not have been a surprise - with that last name!

recently i read an interview of a hindu office boy from karachi. i was stuck by his optimism -by his lack of bitterness even though people like him have received a raw deal from our society. its not easy being a minority in pak and a poor one at that. i find it amazing that some of the most bitter people i meet in pak are the people who have gotten most from our society. in contrast, some of the most resourceful people i meet are from the other end of the spectrum:

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/aug2006-weekly/nos-06-08-2006/kol.htm

Twenty-three-year old Manoj Kumar, an office boy at a pharmaceutical company claims to have seen the vicissitudes of the city of Karachi.

...Manoj: (Smiling) Well, there is nothing much to tell. We are not the privileged ones who have vast experiences to share. I belong to a poor family, so every one of us has to work day and night to make both ends meet.

....Kolachi: How much do you earn now?

Manoj: I get 6,000 rupees a month where I work. My boss is a very kind man and helps me through thick and thin. He is my mentor.

Kolachi: Have you ever thought of shifting to India?

Manoj: I and my family would never want to settle in India. There, our own relatives call us Pakistanis not Hindus, and I don`t think they can ever accept us. However, I would want to visit India once and experience how it feels to be amongst the majority of a country and not the minority.

....Kolachi: Whom do you side with while watching a Pakistan–India match?

Manoj: Although, I love Pakistan and would want to stay here forever but somehow I always side with the Indian team during a match. I admit I am quite confused on this issue.

....Kolachi: Since you are quite young and have zest and are trying to study too, what is it that you aspire to be?

Manoj: If you honestly ask me I would really want to go for my own business, but I know my limitations. The family I belong to and with the back ground I have, I know I am aiming too high. However, what I can do, and for which I have been making my base is to complete my B.Com, do some computer courses and then maybe I can get a white collar job somewhere.

...Manoj: I would say our family is amongst the lucky ones who have always had the protection of the law. As a Hindu I cannot be more thankful to the Pakistani government. The Babri Mosque incident was directly related to the Hindu community and I remember, although I was quite young that the rangers were posted outside our houses to protect us from angry mobs.

...Manoj: I like Karachi as I was born here. Besides that I think this city has a life of its own. No one is really bothered about what the other person is doing. And not to forget, that this city is a sea of opportunities. I love the tall buildings and the lights of the metropolis.

Ref Salim_Chauhan #32

[Shandana,
You are doing the right thing by going to a variety of places as a deviation. Sometimes, it just makes sense to say ``Phuket.`` :) ]

You got that right!

Men have the additional advantage of being able to say ``Bang Kok``!

shandana {``salim,
for me, lately, being in pakistan is like being in one of those relationships where you love somebody but cant neccesarily live with them. ...at the end of the day you have to ask yourself if its worth it.``}

Shandana,
You are doing the right thing by going to a variety of places as a deviation. Sometimes, it just makes sense to say ``Phuket.`` :)

I enjoy your style of magnifying the pain while keeping it interesting. Good article.