Adil Najam
3QuarksDaily (3QD to friends) was the very first blog I visited and I got addicted to it immediately. I find it to be the most intellectually stimulating and educative blog out there. Over the last year, I have probably told more people about why they should visit 3QD than I have about ATP. That is how much I admire the work that the 3QD team is doing.
Although much of the 3QD team is from Pakistan, the blog itself is much much more than a ‘Pakistani blog.’ However, because so many of them are from Pakistan, a certain Pakistaniness does seep through into the posts in terms of the topics they cover and the way they over them.
One such very Pakistani post was the recent video made and posted by one of the 3QD team members. I must confess -sheepishly – that I may be one of the very few Pakisatnis who does not actually like Nihari. But I did love the video.
I love the video because it has this feel of real citizen journalism to it; both in its topic and its execution. But much more thank that, I love it because for some reason it gives me this very authentic Pakistani – and Karachi – feel.
Maybe it is because of the subject matter and the places it shows; maybe it is because of this very deliberate ‘unprofessional’ feel to it with the jerks and the dhakkas (what could be more Pakistani than a few dhakkas as you wak across Burns Road!); maybe its the simplicity of the narration. Whatever it is, I have been enjoying it for the last few days; the people at Karachi Metroblog have also been doing so for the last couple of days; and I thought you would too.
Adnan, Pervaiz and Biti,
Thanks for your concern. I live in New Delhi now. And for the past eight years of my living , I have heard countless tales of karanchi and Lahore. If I do not go to these places, I would not do justice to the solemn rememberances of the people.
I would surely go there.
As Faiz says again
tasveer tera dil behla na sakegi
main kuch bhi kahunga khamosh rahegi
actually, chaudhry sahab, even I dont like nihari all that much. But I must admit, the sheermaal is simply a heaven-sent. It is truly an invention of genius!
Yeh, what would you say to Mr. Rai. He wants to visit the land but not the country. He wants to cross the “damned borderâ€
@Naveed;
I agree completely, especially to the second paragraph!
That´s exactly the paradox which I was trying to bring to light. A disappointingly large number of expats, who grow up here, must act in “an american sort of a way” upon their return, as if they have completely forgotten everything as soon as they have stepped onto the American soil!
Now, too much nationalism may not be so good, but this highlights a tad of “shame”
(P.S. ASSUMING that the guy is a Pakistani expat)
Adil, I was fortunate enough to have some time during my last trip to Lahore to go to the famous food street. The food is simply amazing. I have not had better fish than the one I had. Oh the meethee lassi;simply out of this world, served in a huge silver colored glass. And traffic: Karachi does not even compare as far as the choas is concerned. Somehow Lahore makes me feel so much at ease more so than Karachi; maybe I am reminded of my younger days when Eid was spent in Hyderabad where red bricks dominate the landscape of the city
But I have mixed feelings about the narration of the video. “Oh wow that is something” is heard more than once. I believe the novelty aspect interests expats who have been out of Pakistan for a long time but someone who grew up in Pakistan, I am sure they are aware of the quality of life and the pace of traffic at Burns Road. Naan being made is such a common sight that I never thought it would have “wow that is something” effect on visitors from the US especially for someone as old as the person who has shot the video
Abhishek – Whether you visit the country or the land, you will find plenty of people welcome you with open arms if you visit Pakistan. And most definitely please make sure you visit the Lahore Food Street :)