@Palwasha - wasn't as amazing as it sounds. coffee kind of tastes same everywhere (well what I get anyways) - but I did have some AMAZING mango gelato - uff to die for! Mostly these gatherings are an excuse for lonely Chicagoans to get together and do some activity revolving around gup shup.
Yes, I miss Pakistan a lot. Its hard to reboot/restart somewhere new in your mid-twenties because you don't make a lot of new friends in this age. I did my undergrad in Pakistan ... and I think you don't make a lot of friends in graduate school...well, I at least didn't :).
Don't take your life in Pakistan granted. When you live abroad, days can go by before you speak to someone in urdu/punjabi/sindhi/pushto or whatever your mother tongue is. Whenever you run into desi people here, especially in the city area, we all seem in a huge state of longing...missing the deis in our desi selves :).
Don't get me wrong - Chicago is beautiful. People are just like people everywhere, but its not home you know? Its not your home. Maybe I'll feel differently in 20 years - but right now I feel a little lonely.
Part of the problem is our upbringing. We are surrounded by a hundred relatives, maids, chauffeurs, friends, colleagues - everywhere you turn there is somebody you know. Everything is bigger than life - our weddings, parties, our outings. I remember as a kid that family picnics meant 20-30 people loading in pickup vans to get to the destination :). Growing up we hate it! We are like give me my privacy - I'm sick of making eid rounds to the same people.
But when you move away - to a city where you don't know many people - you realize how lucky you were to have the option of talking to people. I even remember it was so easy to talk/connect/ and make new friends...because there were so many mutual friends/acquaintances to build it up on.
Kher - you talk about feeling guilty about not blogging because you were helping out at a friend's wedding. You're like totally pagal! I would switch places with you in a heartbeat (if I could take mh with me)! Do you know how many friend's weddings I've missed? Do you realize that when you live far away, and you don't see people, friendships fade and people forget you? What would I not give to be part of friends' wedding parties, be part of their children's haqiqas and birthday parties right now? Be part of my family's random pizza outings? To be able to go to Lakshmi Chowk and have my favorite murgh chola dish (that reminds me, i need to cook that delish dish soon!). To get a Big Mac from a Mcdonanlds drive-thru without thinking it once that its NOT halal. Hey, to eat that big mac while driving my car and listen to City FM 89? :D with my sister singing along and then me telling her she sounds like a old frog! :D Don't feel guilty that you are spending time in the REAL world as opposed to the VIRTUAL world. That's crazy. Enjoy your life!
Best,
Mere Dost
Some images from Laxshmi Chowk Lahore:
1) Lakshmi Chowk - Home to Lollywood
2) Desi Bakrey Aetam Bumb Siri Paey (Desi Goat Atom-Bomb-Yummy Goats Feet Curry)
3) Delicious Karahi Gosht (Fried Meat Curry)
4) Old, neglected and dilapidated: Lakshmi Chowk's famous Lakshmi Mansion
No comments:
Post a Comment