MicroPakistan

On the plane back home to the motherland, we all go through various feelings. Spending months away from home, you imagine how things might have changed in your absence. Your city might have improved in some way: Something new must have been built; Some new policy implemented; New restaurants and coffee shops etc.

During the flight, after I guess a warm and wholesome desi meal has been served to you in your comfortable 2×4 seat, you feel its time to think about what all you would want to do once you get back home. Oh the excitement. You decide to make a TODO list. Borrowing a pen from a fellow passenger because that’s where they come in handy and using the back of the e-ticket you printed out for clearance, you start to jot down all those great ideas in your list of things to do. The list would of course include the fab four (not the Beatles): Shopping, Food, Sleeping and GetTogethers (GTs). Four down already, let’s see what else comes to mind when you think of home. For a minute or two, a few activities do cross your mind but nothing hard-hitting that makes you think: YEAH THAT I REALLY WANT TO DO.

As the plane begins its descent so does the climax of returning home. You see, at this point you should have been able to name at least six more things to do while you will be back home and so it finally hits you, you’re going back where there really is, not much to do.

It is a sad and known fact that there are no healthy outlets for the public to enjoy and utilize in Pakistan. By outlets I mean some sort of way to vent or release energy. We should have extracuricular activities outside the workplace and our homes where we can channel that excess energy in positive and productive ways. Otherwise let us be honest, we tend to be a tad bit on the edge (because we can) especially in the presence of loved ones (oh the irony).

Yes, we do have state-of-the-art gyms where we can work out with the comfort that no one would be staring at us; We do have numerous parks where we can walk around on cement bricks (most well maintained parks) in circles; We have a chain of bowling alleys across the nation for which we all coincidentally dress up in black; We have our never-ending chain of cafes and restaurants to serve as settings for our GTs and smooth pothole-less roads to go on long safe drives but sooner than later, we run out things to do, am I right? After awhile we have done them all and done them repetitively till we just dont want to them anymore period.

Firstly, only the corrupt and the privileged have access to the limited number of outlets available to us. There are clubs with all sorts of recreational activities etc. but once again only the elite can afford them and as far as I can recall there is only one decent bowling alley in Karachi. I can already picture Area 51 putting up a new cheezy sign outside, emulating a well-known western franchise: Area 51 - Over 2 million bowled. Parks? Is that our ace of spades under Outlets? Parks? Call me cynical but I think we need more than just parks with ridiculous range of rules to abide by.

I’m sorry but as much as I enjoy drinking coffee and having appetizers from time to time, I need a break and so does my wallet. It’s not normal and quite frankly GTs at cafes etc. look almost mechanical now from my perspective.As far as the rest of the public is concerned, there really isn’t much to do as they cannot afford such a lifestyle on a daily basis. That is why we see them on holidays like Independence Day and New Year’s, out on the streets coming to the more posh and developed districts Defence and Clifton. They’re either at Sea View, standing on the beach staring probably at the clean water or driving slowly around the city in separate lanes, ever so watchful not to break the law even in times of holidays.

Maybe that’s why there is so much drama and politics back home in our society. Maybe that’s why people are always talking about other people, what’s happening in their lives and what they’re doing. Maybe that’s why people gossip, a readily available outlet in the absence of more productive outlets. Since we’re not doing anything, might as well talk about someone who is doing something. Got nothing else better to do, right?

Don’t get me wrong, gossip to a certain extent is good as far as keeping your social network up-to-date is concerned but we all know where the line is drawn overall and how often its been crossed. Hehe maybe that’s why we really build boundary walls around our homes, to keep our neighbours and outsiders at a distance. Since we all know we cannot keep robbers and theives out with mere walls. Alarm systems have for some time been the only effective means to be protected and they’re only common for those who can afford it. Heck, some of us go to the trouble by even customizing the alarm sound (the infamous birdie alarm going off at odd hours).

I don’t blame the people because I know they don’t really have a choice and neither do most people have the time of day to even sit back and think about causalities, they’re too busy trying to bring food and money back home.

Over the decades Governments that have come and gone, never did bother to spend on the public by investing significantly in the social sector. This is another factor that I feel not only supports my initial point that there are no healthy outlets for the public but also the negative effect of their absence on our unity within our various communites and our national harmony as well. In my opinion, true and consistent progress can not be achieved without a people united. Progress requires people who are proactive, living and working together harmoniously with a solid ideology towards a better future.  

I know this all may come off as completely outlandish to some people but everything is interconnected and interdependent in some way or another. Feel free to share your own thoughts on the matter.