This photo is a working telephone distribution box of an apartment complex in Karachi. At one end, the box is connected to the local telephone exchange and on other it makes individual connections to several homes.
I had initially chosen this photo for its photographic quality and subject but since then many random thoughts keep coming to my mind. We would love to hear what you think of this photo and what else does it remind you (i.e. tashbeehaat).
(1) From my past life, it reminds me of how the telephone staff had once made a mistake in a similar distribution box. The connections of two apartments got switched. Whenever I called my friend, it went to their neighbors. So after few tries, I decided to call their neighbors number and true to my suspicion, the call went through to my friend’s home. This went on for many days until the telephone staff finally corrected the problem.
(2) Looking at this cobweb of wires, it is amazing how telephone technicians can trace a wire from a home to its correct connection in this distribution box.
(3) Also reminds me of this sher:
kal mila waqt to zulfain teri suljha doon ga
aaj uljha hoon zara waqt ke sulajhne main
yoon to sulajh jatee hain uljhee zulfain
umr kat jati hai waqt ke sulajhne main
Photo Credits: Trekearth
Life of a Pakistani…entangled..without any end..just loops and loops.
As many of you have said, This is our Pakistan!
Just came back from Pakistan and this picture symbolizes Pakistan to me. No process, tags, system, discipline, accountability, checking ….
chalta hai mentality …why do I care ..its not my job mindset.
That’s why hiring and firing is not easy in our country!
I remember from my childhood that a technician came to troubleshoot our home phone. He put me on the home-set listening, while he went cimbing the telephone pole in the street and tapping into distribution set (similar to the one shown in this photo). As soon as I was able to hear him, he figured out which line was going into our home…so that is how line sorting is/was done in a cobweb of wires in Pak.