As of right now, I am a citizen of Pakistan and the United States and a resident of the U.A.E. While this means that I have spent an absurd amount of time on airports and up in the air, it also means that I've been lucky enough to have friends and family - to have a home - in all three countries.
I am a hardcore Karachiite, there's no denying that. It's in the way I talk ("Abay yaar!"), the way I dress, the way I dance (or so I've been told). The fresh, clean air of Kansas doesn't suit me; my body is used to the special variety of Karachi pollution that is a combination of smoking motorcycle and rickshaw engines, musical mini-bus horns, and a peculiar fish smell from the Arabian Sea. I have an unhealthy obsession with the ocean and with greasy food from Burns Road and Boat Basin. I thrive on tense, stressful situations. Sadly, that is the truth.
America, my adopted home, has welcomed me with open arms. How does a Karachi girl end up in Kansas is a question I'm still grappling with. When I first arrived in this country on a snowy winter afternoon in 2008, I wasn't quite sure about why I was here (could've just been the jet lag) - I just knew I was really far away from home. I didn't know how to dress for the winters; I was working as a cashier but didn't understand the currency ("Do you have a nickel?" "Do I have a WHAT?"). And God forbid if I had to explain anything geography related to an American. For Americans, America is the whole world; after all, it's called the World Series but is played between American teams.
My globetrotting ways confuse the hell out of people and give rise to questions/remarks like:
"So you didn't go to high school here but you're NOT an international student? How does that work?"
"You're not from here? But your English is very good!"
"If you're not A-rab, then WHAT ARE YOU?"
"You're Moslem...so you speak Arabic?"
"WOW! You're from Pack-is-tan? THAT IS SO COOL! I wish I was from somewhere!"
Any attempt at answering these questions just confuses people more. Although sometimes, I confuse them on purpose. It's just more fun that way.
But five years and a blue passport later, in these three countries are people that I love and places with memories I cherish. At this point of time, I have gone to school and/or worked in all three. That means that all these countries have a role in what I am today, in what I am going to be. They have, in some major or minor way, shaped the person that I am. It also means that my English is neither entirely Pakistani nor American, it is somewhere in the middle (together with almost four different accents I can pull depending on who I'm talking to). I've also quit using words like loo and queue because no one would understand them. Jet lag recovery, working out a time to Skype with people in three different time zones: no big deal.
While Karachi is the resilience in me, Kansas life has taught me things like doing my own laundry and cooking my own food along with other essential life-skills like mowing the lawn and shoveling snow. I will stay up all night when Pakistan plays India in a cricket match but also bite all my nails off during an intense KU basketball game. And then Abu Dhabi is the happy medium between the two where I just soak it all in and realize how incredibly blessed I am to find love and support scattered all over the globe. Here's to my international life!
Showing posts with label Middle East. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Middle East. Show all posts
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Saturday, July 23, 2011
My Country, Surrounded by Myths
In my conversations with all the curious, ill-informed people I meet, the surprising part is all the myths that exist about Pakistan. There is a striking similarity to people's concerns for this strategically located, small in size, yet always making-the-headlines state in the subcontinent. Below is my attempt to debunk some of the most popular myths about my country that I encounter all the time.
All Pakistani women wear the hijab.
There is no one way to describe the dress of Pakistani women. Walk down the street and you can see everything from capri pants to niqabs, from sleeveless tops to abayas. There is no law dictating what women should wear. Pakistani women go to school, college, and university with men and compete in equal roles with the opposite sex at the workplace. They practice the religious and legal right to marry anyone they like - when they ask for the family's approval, it is out of love and respect for them, not an obligation. Even when they aren't the primary bread winner for the family, they often are the policy makers of the household. They are pilots in the Pakistani Air Force, judges in the High Court, lawyers, journalists, doctors, scientists, actors, musicians, writers, and sportswomen. Pakistan elected its first female Head of State in 1988 - a feat not many "developed" countries have accomplished even to date.
Pakistan is in the Middle East.
Because Pakistan is in the Middle East, everything that holds true of the Middle Eastern countries applies to Pakistan. First to clarify, Pakistan is not a part of the Middle East. It is a part of South Asia. Pakistanis are not Arabs, they are South Asians. Pakistanis don't speak Arabic, the national language of Pakistan is Urdu. Pakistanis vote in elections. Pakistan's very free media can bash the government if it wants to. Pakistan has mountains, forests, deserts, beaches. It snows in Pakistan, too.
U.S. aid is running Pakistan.
Seems like people think that America is feeding the poor of Pakistan. Even though the U.S. has given $1 billion per year to Pakistan since 2001, the aid is directed towards the military to fight the War on Terrorism and not civilians. Even then this supposed aid is outweighed by economic losses from terrorism and insurgency. Pakistan’s government estimates that these losses were more than $18 billion in 2010 alone. So Pakistan may as well be better off without America's aid. Pakistani officials also believe that Pakistan's bff, China, could match America's aid if asked. The U.S. is in no position to play around here. If Pakistan does not allow supply routes for U.S. and NATO forces to run through Pakistan, the U.S. would have to send supplies across Central Asia and make major concessions to Russia.
Pakistanis are deeply religious and, by default, supporters of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
Religious parties have never won more than a fraction of popular vote. Last year Pakistan witnessed the largest civil rights movement in the history of this region. It was spontaneous, secular and entirely peaceful. But since people weren’t raising anti-America slogans, nobody outside Pakistan took much notice. The masses do not favor the Taliban and do no want an Islamist revolution. And, no matter what people think, Pakistan's military has proved — by launching counteroffensives that cleared the Taliban from the Swat Valley and other areas — that it can defeat Islamist insurgency.
Pakistani nukes can fall into the hands of terrorists.
Pakistan's nuclear program is under a sophisticated command and control system, no more under threat than India or Israel’s nuclear assets are threatened by Hindu or Jewish extremists. If Pakistanis can make nuclear bombs, they can also protect them. If the world is so concerned about world peace, they better be cracking down on other countries with nuclear arms, too.
So, believe the rumors, if you will. But always know there are two sides of a story. And FOX provides only one side. That's right.
All Pakistani women wear the hijab.
There is no one way to describe the dress of Pakistani women. Walk down the street and you can see everything from capri pants to niqabs, from sleeveless tops to abayas. There is no law dictating what women should wear. Pakistani women go to school, college, and university with men and compete in equal roles with the opposite sex at the workplace. They practice the religious and legal right to marry anyone they like - when they ask for the family's approval, it is out of love and respect for them, not an obligation. Even when they aren't the primary bread winner for the family, they often are the policy makers of the household. They are pilots in the Pakistani Air Force, judges in the High Court, lawyers, journalists, doctors, scientists, actors, musicians, writers, and sportswomen. Pakistan elected its first female Head of State in 1988 - a feat not many "developed" countries have accomplished even to date.
Pakistan is in the Middle East.
Because Pakistan is in the Middle East, everything that holds true of the Middle Eastern countries applies to Pakistan. First to clarify, Pakistan is not a part of the Middle East. It is a part of South Asia. Pakistanis are not Arabs, they are South Asians. Pakistanis don't speak Arabic, the national language of Pakistan is Urdu. Pakistanis vote in elections. Pakistan's very free media can bash the government if it wants to. Pakistan has mountains, forests, deserts, beaches. It snows in Pakistan, too.
U.S. aid is running Pakistan.
Seems like people think that America is feeding the poor of Pakistan. Even though the U.S. has given $1 billion per year to Pakistan since 2001, the aid is directed towards the military to fight the War on Terrorism and not civilians. Even then this supposed aid is outweighed by economic losses from terrorism and insurgency. Pakistan’s government estimates that these losses were more than $18 billion in 2010 alone. So Pakistan may as well be better off without America's aid. Pakistani officials also believe that Pakistan's bff, China, could match America's aid if asked. The U.S. is in no position to play around here. If Pakistan does not allow supply routes for U.S. and NATO forces to run through Pakistan, the U.S. would have to send supplies across Central Asia and make major concessions to Russia.
Pakistanis are deeply religious and, by default, supporters of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
Religious parties have never won more than a fraction of popular vote. Last year Pakistan witnessed the largest civil rights movement in the history of this region. It was spontaneous, secular and entirely peaceful. But since people weren’t raising anti-America slogans, nobody outside Pakistan took much notice. The masses do not favor the Taliban and do no want an Islamist revolution. And, no matter what people think, Pakistan's military has proved — by launching counteroffensives that cleared the Taliban from the Swat Valley and other areas — that it can defeat Islamist insurgency.
Pakistani nukes can fall into the hands of terrorists.
Pakistan's nuclear program is under a sophisticated command and control system, no more under threat than India or Israel’s nuclear assets are threatened by Hindu or Jewish extremists. If Pakistanis can make nuclear bombs, they can also protect them. If the world is so concerned about world peace, they better be cracking down on other countries with nuclear arms, too.
So, believe the rumors, if you will. But always know there are two sides of a story. And FOX provides only one side. That's right.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Winners & Losers
Mommy and Daddy say the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammad bin Zayed, recently toured the less prosperous parts of the United Arab Emirates to hold town-hall-style meetings. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia announced a $10 billion increase in welfare spending to help young people marry, buy homes, and open businesses. Trying to hold onto our thrones, aren't we now?
In the Middle East, two presidents have already tumbled: Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia. Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen is in an increasingly tenuous position. Muammar el-Qaddafi of Libya is desperately trying to resist rebellious forces too. Despite all this upheaval, it doesn't look like the region's monarchs are going anywhere. The presidents seem more likely to fall.
Bahrain's King Hamad and his security forces were pretty brutal in their treatment of the insurgents - almost shocking for the prosperous Bahrainis. King Abdullah of Jordan managed to handle the unrest too. Although the monarchs rule in a similar fashion to the presidents of the region, the presidents oversee more populous countries, without the oil wealth of the gulf monarchies. The much lesser unrest in countries like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait is mostly because all of them are regal welfare states - citizens pay no taxes and are looked after by the government. In the U.A.E, for example, when one citizen marries another, the government helps to pay for the wedding and even to buy a home. This gives the monarchies more legitimacy than the republics. The republics claim that the people have a voice - when they really don't have one. With the monarchies, no one's pretending to have a voice.
The turmoil in the Middle East is a time of change in history. As powerful and influential countries fail to play the role that they can during this time, we've come to a stark recognition: it's only the people of the Middle East that can pick the winners and the losers.
In the Middle East, two presidents have already tumbled: Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia. Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen is in an increasingly tenuous position. Muammar el-Qaddafi of Libya is desperately trying to resist rebellious forces too. Despite all this upheaval, it doesn't look like the region's monarchs are going anywhere. The presidents seem more likely to fall.
Bahrain's King Hamad and his security forces were pretty brutal in their treatment of the insurgents - almost shocking for the prosperous Bahrainis. King Abdullah of Jordan managed to handle the unrest too. Although the monarchs rule in a similar fashion to the presidents of the region, the presidents oversee more populous countries, without the oil wealth of the gulf monarchies. The much lesser unrest in countries like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait is mostly because all of them are regal welfare states - citizens pay no taxes and are looked after by the government. In the U.A.E, for example, when one citizen marries another, the government helps to pay for the wedding and even to buy a home. This gives the monarchies more legitimacy than the republics. The republics claim that the people have a voice - when they really don't have one. With the monarchies, no one's pretending to have a voice.
The turmoil in the Middle East is a time of change in history. As powerful and influential countries fail to play the role that they can during this time, we've come to a stark recognition: it's only the people of the Middle East that can pick the winners and the losers.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
My Non-Existent Life Outside Studio
SaadM asked if he was properly subscribed to this blog. He is. As a matter of fact, I am the one who has been MIA from the blogging world. What can I do? I was imprisoned in Marvin 115. And this laptop was only being used for Pandora or Google SketchUp the past month. I was slowly being poisoned by a granite sanctuary. Other things gradually taking my life were chipboard, graphite, and cold-press crescent board. I started this blog telling myself I had a life outside studio, but whatever I say doesn't change the truth. I don't have a life outside studio. Truth hurts.
Architecture school is making me dorkier day by day. I have begun to develop a staring problem. I sit and gawk at windows and light fixtures. Whenever we are driving in our car, my brother makes fun of me because I'm ogling the houses.
I find myself dressed in black from head to toe. Not because architects are notorious for dressing in all black. Just because I don't want black pastel, charcoal, and graphite all over my pretty stuff. I already have a yellow sweater with blobs of black on it.
My Mom got mad at me when I sent her pictures from a recent trip to California. She was upset that there was hardly any pictures of me, but a bazillion pictures of buildings. And a bazillion pictures of the same building. "How many pictures do you need of the same wall?" she screamed. Well, it wasn't just any building. It was the Getty Center. Like a total nerd, the first thing I did when I got to L.A. was to go to the Getty. Forget Hollywood. Forget Disneyland. Forget the beaches. Had to go pay Meier respects first.
The other day, my roommate thought I was out of town - when I wasn't - when I live in the same house as her. I come home Sunday night and this is how the conversation goes:
A revolution started in the Middle East, the cricket World Cup started, I missed a bunch of awesome basketball games, Two and a Half Men went off air. But there I was putting a band-aid on my thumb because my X-acto was being mean to me. There I was running purely on caffeine. What would I have done without coffee?
I exaggerate.
Studio's not all that bad, I mean. It is where I've seen the wackiest videos on YouTube and laughed my ass off with Lyssapoo and theMiltonsLover. It is also where we developed the head-bob dance. We also called 911 and were escorted out of our beloved studio by the cops. It is also where the "Cookie?" "Corn Nut?" conversation happened.
I guess I just had to vent about studio. Now that I've vented, I'll blog about more important stuff.
Architecture school is making me dorkier day by day. I have begun to develop a staring problem. I sit and gawk at windows and light fixtures. Whenever we are driving in our car, my brother makes fun of me because I'm ogling the houses.
I find myself dressed in black from head to toe. Not because architects are notorious for dressing in all black. Just because I don't want black pastel, charcoal, and graphite all over my pretty stuff. I already have a yellow sweater with blobs of black on it.
My Mom got mad at me when I sent her pictures from a recent trip to California. She was upset that there was hardly any pictures of me, but a bazillion pictures of buildings. And a bazillion pictures of the same building. "How many pictures do you need of the same wall?" she screamed. Well, it wasn't just any building. It was the Getty Center. Like a total nerd, the first thing I did when I got to L.A. was to go to the Getty. Forget Hollywood. Forget Disneyland. Forget the beaches. Had to go pay Meier respects first.
The other day, my roommate thought I was out of town - when I wasn't - when I live in the same house as her. I come home Sunday night and this is how the conversation goes:
"You just got back?"
"Yeah."
"You went to Wichita right?"
"Nooo I was in studio."
"ALL WEEKEND?"
Oh dear roommate, how do I explain to you why it takes me all weekend to do what I do? It's a blessing I don't live with my Mom. Had she seen me coming home at 4 in the morning all week, I'm pretty sure I would've been forced to drop out of architecture school by now. It's so hard to explain to her on the phone as it is.A revolution started in the Middle East, the cricket World Cup started, I missed a bunch of awesome basketball games, Two and a Half Men went off air. But there I was putting a band-aid on my thumb because my X-acto was being mean to me. There I was running purely on caffeine. What would I have done without coffee?
I exaggerate.
Studio's not all that bad, I mean. It is where I've seen the wackiest videos on YouTube and laughed my ass off with Lyssapoo and theMiltonsLover. It is also where we developed the head-bob dance. We also called 911 and were escorted out of our beloved studio by the cops. It is also where the "Cookie?" "Corn Nut?" conversation happened.
I guess I just had to vent about studio. Now that I've vented, I'll blog about more important stuff.
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