From Gulshan to Defense, and back. On the odometer it says I traveled 26 kilometers while the clock says I was traveling for more than 2 hours. Yes it was due to heavy traffic and whatís more; crazy drivers.

I donít understand if its slow let it be, atleast its moving, why on earth you wanna jump on the opposite lane when its not yours at the first place and ending up blocking their lane as well and creating a deadlock. Or if someone is taking a U turn (which is obvious s/he canít in one smooth go and s/he will need to reverse a little) you will place your vehicle in between, creating again, a deadlock, just because you couldnít wait 15 seconds.
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While I am the only one in my immediate family who is willing to travel halfway across the city to what is now becoming our family graveyard, it is truly a harrowing experience for more reasons than the sentimental ones. Karachi’s graveyards are completely FULL – all new graves are being dug up in spaces where graves already exist but have not been fortified in concrete or marble. Graves are built side by side by side, which means that there are no pathways to walk through, and if you have to visit a grave which is not at the very edge, it entails jumping over graves, stepping on the kacchi ones, and praying each second that God will forgive you for disturbing everyone’s eternal rest. There is no place to sit and offer prayers either. The older parts of some graveyards, for example, Sakhi Hasan, are more well planned though and there is actually space to walk through.

The CDGK definitely needs to allot land for newer graveyards, given the increasing population in the city. Its a pity Governments don’t care about the ordeal most people have to go through, even if a grave is just a symbolic reminder.

Me, being a shisha addict, find it greatly disturbing that for some reason the shisha prices in Karachi have gone up suddenly.

Indulge used to have shisha for Rs. 200 around two months ago and I went there in the first week of August and found out they had increased shisha prices to 300. Shisha at Creek Inn used to be Rs. 150 but now they have increased their rates to Rs. 200. I haven’t had a chance to go to Damascus myself so please excuse me if this is wrong but I’ve heard that even they have increased their prices from Rs. 150 to Rs. 200. I was really unhappy and I really, REALLY don’t think it’s fair. Does anyone know why the shisha prices have gone up?

I think the best deal in town for shisha is Mizaaj. It is located a little further from Afridi Inn (near Funland) and is in the lane next to shabestan (Iranian restaraunt) and Live Rostrum.

Mizaaj initially had an Egyptian theme which explains its old fashioned walls covered with hieroglyphic-type-things, but I went today and found out that they have now placed an LCD TV at one end and have now begun to constantly play Indian songs and their videos which can get irritating for people who are not into Indian music. However, the shisha at Mizaaj is for Rs. 185, the cheapest I think which is available right now and the shisha is much, much better than the shisha at Creek Inn or Indulge.

Other than shisha, Mizaaj is also famous for cigars which I never had a chance to try but they’re supposed to have really good flavored cigars. The menu is composed of a variety of Arabic foods and a range of burgers, as well as some random starters and fancy drinks like margarita and pina colada. The cost is around Rs. 250 per head if you’re not including shisha but I would recommend NOT ordering any of the burgers cuz they’re not really worth it. However, the mozerella sticks were delicious.. the shawarma is also nice and is served in a very different style. Also, if you go, you HAVE to try the blueberry margarita.

If you’re a shisha (and/or blueberry margarita) freak.. Mizaaj is the place to go! :)

I went to NADRAís local office today to inquire about my ID card. Anyway, I noticed a banner on the walls threatening those who have dual identifications; asking them to return one of the NIC to NADRA if they posses two or else actions will be taken. It had a lot of peoples two different pictures with two different ID card numbers posted. Most of the people in the banner looked like Afghanís and Bungaliís (but that can be generalization, this is only what I felt).

What I wonder is, how did these people manage to find the loopholes in the system? They certainly didnít look like tech genius, was it because NADRAís system was flawed? And couldnít recognize their finger prints etc when they applied for the second card? It is possible, nothing is perfect and there are always rooms for improvement. Hope these holes will be filled along with a lot of customer support service improvements they desperately need.

There are three nearby Mosques where I live. Every Friday after the noon you used to hear shallow voices of Friday sermons which would remind you it was a Friday and the prayers are calling. A little sense of guilt if you are going to miss it; a little motivation to go and attend. This was the third Friday with no aroma in the air to make you realize it is indeed ñ Friday today. A small popup tool tip, if you drag your mouse over the desktop clock or if you remember the date, a small calendar on the table were the only two ways whispering it was a Friday.

As I walked towards the Mosque to attend the prayers I felt ëemptinessí in the atmosphere. This was the result of Governments announcement to monitor the sermons and taking strong actions against. I donít know if the Mosque officials were asked not to practice it officially or it was simply a fear at their end. Either way, welcome to the ëliberalí Pakistan.

An acquaintance of mine recently posted this article from The News on her blog, and I think it really sums up what life in Karachi is like these days.

Sleepless in Karachi
Afiya Shehrbano

By coincidence, some friends and I have been suffering sleepless nights all of last week — a kind of urban neurosis. The regular earthquakes and marathon electricity breakdowns haven’t helped. In the stifling dead of night some absurdities become metaphorical — such as the idea that just as we continue to suffocate due to inadequate power supply from the KESC, our democratic rights are similarly undergoing slow asphyxiation. Under the local bodies elections, we have the privilege to vote for “headless” parties remote controlled by absentee leaders. Images of the “leaders” dominate the city hoardings and a new form of negative campaigning is evident, with parties attacking opposition candidates rather than the real usurper of power — the military. However, the urban elite has its own share of concerns and I share some of the issues that I hear are keeping people awake at night.
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Is it just me who finds the number of holidays being doled out in the name of LB elections ridiculous? Schools have been off on the 15th (because Independence Day was on a Sunday), the 17th, the 18th and now apparently tomorrow and the 25th are holidays too?! While one half of me regrets that I am no longer in school and my university’s administration isn’t as benevolent as I’d like it to be, I wonder if all these holidays are really required, save for those schools that have been converted into polling booths.

I voted !! Did you? Karachi went to the polls today to elect the local Karachi Govt that would serve us for the next few years. Two major parties are actually the front runners in the elections and was not surprising to see them at each others throat leading up to the big day. Especially if you had the opportunity to see the Talk show with Hamid Mir where Naimatullah and Farooq Sattar were at each other. A very interesting discussion took place to say the least as many accusations were openly thrown at each other.

Today being declared a public holiday the streets wore a deserted look as probably everyone choose to stay home and enjoy the day off with only a few concerned people brave enough to exercise their right to vote and made it to the polling stations. Well I choose to exercise my right but sadly the experience was mind-numbing to say the least.
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Twenty Rupees

Originally uploaded by Mishaone.

We have a new denomination in our currency! Has anyone seen or used the new Twenty Rupee bills yet? I was handed one as change today and found the checkered print on the urdu “20″ a bit odd. To be honest, the overall look reminds me more of UAE Dirhams than the other Pakistani Rupee notes. Any thoughts?

On further reflection, I think the blank space at the sides is the govt’s way of accomodating all those people who like to write interesting graffiti and leave “paan stains” on notes before passing them on. Either that or when you use the note, the recipient tears off the blank bit like a ticket stub and gives it back to you.

Did anyone know about this? I just read the news item in today’s The News.

Clifton Aquarium bulldozed

KARACHI: Another city landmark – this time the Clifton Aquarium situated next to Playland was bulldozed on Wednesday. Earlier, the city government caretakers had said that only a portion of the building would be pulled down as part of a larger plan to change the face of the area.

However, residents were appalled to see that the Aquarium, which was being renovated by the tenure of former city Nazim, Naimatullah Khan, was being pulled down on Wednesday. What is most shocking about the destruction is the fact that major refurbishment on the Aquarium complex had been completed. “Its almost as if this was a move to undo something done by a previous administration,” said one observer.

Read the entire news item here