Mehndi / Henna

Mehndi / Henna
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

Via Flickr:
The mehndi applied for weddings is very different from those applied for religious or social festivals like Eids or parties, etc. The wedding mehndi, besides being very expensive (b/w USD 50 - USD 300 +), is also very detailed and may easily consume over 3-4 hours of intense concentration. Even more.

Baluchistan Diary - Day 2 / Liaqat Bazaar

Liaqat Bazaar, Quetta
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

Dr. Bano Road is part of Liaqat Bazaar, Quetta. It has lots of small gallis and bazaars and sellers from all over Central Asian region. We have Pashtuns from across the border, and we have Tajiks and Uzbeks. And Hazaras as well. And we have lots of cheap dry fruits coming in from Afghanistan.

Here at Liaqat Bazaar, I bought kala kishmesh for Rs.100 / 0.5 Kg; Green kiahmesh for Rs.160 / 1.0 Kg. I plan to buy Pakistani badaam INSHALLAH. I also intend to buy Khobani and other things as well when I am done with Chaman (3rd June, 2010), Sibi & Mehergarh (4th and 5th June, 2010) and Ziarat (6th June, 2010).

Till then, I will try and consume this wonderful kishmesh from Afghanistan. INSHALLAH.

This expedition is funded by www.pakgateway.com. [This website will go online by the end of this month].

The unsettling of Karachi City Govt.

PPP has done everything to force MQM out. But as MQM wallas are as big a ghundas as PPP wallas are, the only man suffering is the common man. You and me. The recent spate in killings across much of old Karachi since last four days is a clear indication of what PPP wanted and what MQM can do back here in the city. President Zardari may be the richest man in the country and he may be the husband of a dead former Prime Minister. But Altaf Hussain is no chai walla. He is fully capable of extreme violence, when there is a need to be. And somehow many of Karachi's down-trodden and even rich support MQM and him. They reason that Altaf looks and acts much better than Zardari. On any given day it is Zardari who can count on much worse press than Altaf bhai.

But what is the point of killing and maiming over 60 people, 10 of them, when British delegation was in the city? What exactly is the point here?

The burning of over 3000 shops could not conclusively prove that MQM was behind the carnage. Police and Rangers were the culprits. And this goes back to Federal Govt. aka Zardari the President. Over 60 were killed, most of them Shia mourners. And then the rampage began in earnest, as if directed by a Hollywood director.

Nothing proves nothing has been a dictum now-a-days in Karachi. Hundreds dead and thousands have lost their jobs. Yet no conclusion has been arrived at. The only conclusion is that neither MQM nor PPP wants to leave Karachi alone. Hell with the general public. They want their powers in Pakistan's biggest commercial city. And PPP appears to be lagging far far behind. So much so that someone from President's office had to 'immediately' call Altaf Bhai in London to 'please stop bloodshed'.

Such is his power string from London. Who, then, may be supporting this loner from UK? Your guess is as good as mine!

Britney as Jamila: Afghan elections goes awry

Funniest thing to have happened in a week is this: One Afghan election card has a photograph of a blond Britney Spears next to a name which says 'Jamila', a fairly common Muslim name. If it had been James Bond as Muala Buksh or Beckham as Barish Khan, it could have been missed by a lot of men at Afghan polling station. But to make Britney into Jamila is taking things to far. And I am not sure if Britney really enjoyed that sort of name changing and even nationality changing.

Such picture, though being hilarious, nevertheless proves beyond doubt that Afghan polls are total sham. And USA, of all the countries, wishes to save its face on Afghan democracy reforms. I am not sure who will win - one which is supported by USA will win - but whoever does will have to face lots of criticism over the conduct of this elections - and probably lot of Britneys as nightmare.

I hope, for once in a century, rigging at Afghan polls are not connected to Pakistan or its intelligence agency, ISI. Pakistan has been a kicking bag for much of American media. And Indians have ridden the wagon on and off. I am yet to hear someone suggest that Pakistan may be involved. It is good news so far. And we hope it remains as such.

Killer rains and the joy of water

According to Pakistan Met office official website, lot of rain fell on the city yesterday and today. It reported that around 85mm of it fell across many parts of Pakistan on Saturday. And today it says that some parts of the city received 205mm. Reports from BBC state that around 26 people died as a direct consequence of such heavy monsoonal rains. And the facts go on.

I cannot blame the government for doing nothing to save those precious lives. I cannot blame the common public, I and you, for doing nothing except for complaining to KESC for prolonged load shedding (a term which does not properly define what it does to its consumers time and again). I cannot blame anyone. We are so enamored by what has been happening across much of Karachi that we've become sort of aliens to our own surroundings. No more does the death of 26 people bring us to streets. Although when electricity goes out for 10 hours we do smash windows and abuse KESC, even if we don't pay our electric bills on time. We are so self-loving, self pleasure seeking that a larger, national interest to us means nothing. How sad that beautiful rains, which happened yesterday and today, should bring this in sharp focus: Our bad qualities, our absolute low morals.

We are so bad, rains are so good.