an itinerant observer

Nine months into relocation from Houston, and I am not racking my head to figure out what comparative essay to write as a next entry for the “Karachi-Houston Diaries”. The reason being, that what I want to write about stares me in the face every time I venture out on to the streets of Karachi. Advanced capitalism is prevalent in both Houston and Karachi. This is evident by the billboards promoting their commercial wares in both cities. But the art and science of advertising using huge attractive hoardings has been taken to another level in Karachi, and Houston is not quite up to mark as yet. All you have to do is drive down Shara-e-Faisal , a major thoroughfare in Karachi, for you to realize what I’m talking about. As summer approaches the majority of the billboards advertise a fabric called ‘lawn’. Lawn is described by Wikipedia, my most trusted online source of information, as a textile that is chiefly made from cotton and it tends to be lightweight, crisp and sheer. It was on...

Prior to leaving Houston ‘for good’ and relocating to Karachi, perhaps 'for good', I was asked by several well wishers to keep up with my blog. They specifically wanted me to write from and about Karachi. Knowing well that I would neither delve into politics nor religion, some still asked, “Why don’t you write about politics in Karachi”, while others persisted, “Asad, why don’t you write about the religion of Karachi, especially during the month of fasting?”   If the number of Facebook likes and comments on anything related to politics or religion is a fair gauge then one might conclude that those are the only two scintillating topics worthy of expression in words. “If I take away both religion and politics prevalent in Karachi, then what am I left with to ramble about?” I asked myself. Normally I call upon the muses to assist me in finding something interesting to write about. This time around was no different.   Today marked week two of relocation to Karachi from ...